IcePrincessKRS Posted June 11, 2004 Share Posted June 11, 2004 bump for justFran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleflower+JMJ Posted June 11, 2004 Share Posted June 11, 2004 my prayers are with you justfran. st. francis of assisi says to preach the gospel at all times, if necessary use words........ only God can change hearts but we can help by being a Christ-like example, teaching/guiding others and trusting in God's infinite mercy. live it out in prayer, charity and example. start simple in learning the faith. offer anything and everthing to Jesus. your example and prayers for your family may be what they need to return to God. :jesus: my prayers are with you and your family! patience and kindness are the way to go God bless, +JMJ+ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justfran Posted June 12, 2004 Author Share Posted June 12, 2004 Only God can change hearts and he gives people free will??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleflower+JMJ Posted June 12, 2004 Share Posted June 12, 2004 [quote name='justfran' date='Jun 11 2004, 10:32 PM'] Only God can change hearts and he gives people free will??? [/quote] im sorry if i confused you i didnt' mean that... what i meant was that we must do all we can to show Jesus to them and to teach them the Truth and the "way" but we cannot force them. you can lead a horse to water but you cant make him drink it this is where [i]Prayer[/i] comes in, for a change in heart for those you pray. for with God anything and ALL things are possible! God bless! :wub: +JMJ+ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justfran Posted June 12, 2004 Author Share Posted June 12, 2004 I'm thinking of making it to the 11am Mass at my local church either tomorrow or nest Sunday - hopefully I might find some familiar faces in the crowd... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleflower+JMJ Posted June 12, 2004 Share Posted June 12, 2004 Yay! thats wonderful Fran! Mass is THE strongest prayer, celebration and sacrament on Earth!! please keep us updated and let us know, you are in our thoughts and prayers! +JMJ+ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azaelia Posted June 12, 2004 Share Posted June 12, 2004 I'm praying for you justfran. It takes alot of guts to do what you're doing. Let's hope your family sees that too. God bless! :wub: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justfran Posted June 12, 2004 Author Share Posted June 12, 2004 Wonder what mum's going that say when I walk out the door... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Bro. Adam Posted June 12, 2004 Share Posted June 12, 2004 [quote name='justfran' date='Jun 12 2004, 12:32 AM'] Only God can change hearts and he gives people free will??? [/quote] God is a very complex being. Beyond our comprehension, He, however, has given us glimpses of Him that we can understand. Like, God is loving, God is kind, God is Trinity. God allows free will because it wouldn't be us wanting to love us if He made us, would it? Let's try to think about it this way: You have a child, and the child loves you. What is more meaniful, for her to love you because you 'make' her to, or that she loves you because she wants to love you; because she's chosen to love you. And what's better for her? For her to be made to love things, or for her, out of her will, to love things? That's how it is with God. He allows free will to happen because that's the only time that true love can happen, can prosper. God gives us free will so we can be happy in Him, can rejoice in Him. Yes, God is very complex, but I find that it's easier to take what He says, believe it, and love Him for it. It helps my brain not to hurt so bad God has called everyone to be His children, but not all will come. WIll you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justfran Posted June 13, 2004 Author Share Posted June 13, 2004 I really pray that God will change my family's hearts. Well, I went to Mass this morning. Mum, i think, was more concerned about me going alone than anything else. She said "yeah, well ok, you can go if you want." She told me, though, not to get too "into it" - eg. one of her friend's sons gave up his job so he could just do volunteer work for his parish i think. My dad has no clue what is going on, because he works on Sunday mornings (someone has to cook and look after the residents at the nursing home...). Youth Mass is on at 6pm and I'm really praying that he'll let me go. I'm really worried that he'd react really strongly and not let me go... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickey's_Girl Posted June 13, 2004 Share Posted June 13, 2004 I'm praying about your mass situation...let us know if you get to go! How was morning mass? MG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justfran Posted June 13, 2004 Author Share Posted June 13, 2004 Morning Mass was alright. I did feel a definite peaceful atmosphere, but still I think i'd feel more comfortable at Youth Mass just because there was hardly anyone my age in the congregation this morning... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justfran Posted June 13, 2004 Author Share Posted June 13, 2004 (edited) Okay, dropped in to Youth Mass, and i must say that even though there were a lot less people, I like the music better, the atmosphere is much more relaxed, I think. And the priest pretty much repeated the morning sermon word for word... EDIT: okay Dad din't really say anything against me going (I told him there'd be a youth meeting at the church - i thought it might be pretty hard to explain what exactly mass was, but he didn't really react when he found out either. Edited June 13, 2004 by justfran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickey's_Girl Posted June 13, 2004 Share Posted June 13, 2004 Awesome, justfran! I'm so glad you got to go, and esp. that you could go to a mass with young people. It's so important to have people you can get to know. And I'm glad your dad's reaction was not bad. Do you think you'll go again? MG PS. I'm still praying for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justfran Posted June 14, 2004 Author Share Posted June 14, 2004 [quote name='cmotherofpirl' date='Jun 11 2004, 12:20 PM'] No no those are for people advanced in the faith and should only be done with permission of a priest guiding you on your journey. [/quote] Fasting included? [quote]Do you think you'll go again?[/quote] Yep. I'm going to see if I can get RCIA by e-mail or over the phone - I'm really, *really* behind on schoolwork and my final exams are coming up, so it'd be more convenient for me if I just got my stuff over email, and I could just ask the questions I needed - usually I forget one or two things if it were to be in person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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