Saints' Discussion Forums

Waking up today feeling very down and tearful .   :'((My oldest daughter seems to be going on a path of no return. She has lost all faith since her father died, and has turned rebellious and aggressive. She is nice as long as she has her way. The moment I put my foot down about something she wants (which i know is detrimental for her soul) and tell her she can't have it she starts cursing and turns aggressive. It is also a bad influence on my other children. Kindness has no effect on her.
Her obsession is with her boyfriend, who is Muslim , and I spent half the night last night making sure that she wasn't sneaking out of the house. If this continues, I won't be able to sleep with worry that she is upto no good. The boy is not a good person as I realized some months back and I know she is going to wreck her life if she continues with him. But she is on this path of self-destruction and her only god seems to be this boy. She 'loves' him to the point of hating her family and tells me how eager she is to move out.
I have always tried not to tell you all the complete details about this situation, but I can't take it any more and need your collective prayers , specially mentioning my daughter to God, Our Lady and any of your favorite saints. I feel I'm losing my daughter now after my husband. :'(

Oh, Patricia, that's so hard for you both :'(
It could be her own reaction to grief, which can do very odd things to people. Sometimes we have to let go of our children, and entrust them to God's care, knowing that their Heavenly Father loves them even more than we do, and pray for her safe-keeping and protection. Perhaps you could tell her you aren't happy with her lifestyle choices, but you still love her and she is still precious to you. I will pray for your daughter, and will pray to Saint Monica, whose son, the great Saint Augustine, caused her great heartache, but eventually was converted to the love of God! I will also ask our Holy Mother to especially protect and guard her, and bring her back to Jesus.
Sending hugs and prayers to you both, and all the family xx
AutumnRose
 :littlewings:

I wonder, since some of her reactions may be due to grieving (not counting age), if it would be a good thing to take her to a Christian counselor. I wouldn't ask her, just put her in the car and drive her.

I'll certainly pray for her.

If I could get it for free. I might have to ask in the parish.  I talked to the school counselor and principal, but she comes across as a very intelligent,'sensible' girl to them and have no idea how she behaves at home when she does not get her way. The only issue right now is this boy, otherwise she is a wonderful person. When it comes to him all hell breaks loose.

Thank you Brigid and Autumn Rose.
That is so reassuring to know I have someone praying for this situation.
You're right Autumn Rose,  it could be her response to dealing with what life has placed before her. But it grieves me to see that it is only pushing her into more trouble and sorrow. Whereas she would be safe if she just followed my advice. :(

Hard prayers!  :'(

God will hear your tears! The Lord's will be done! We must pray He breaks this obsession before much harm!

This is a hard fight! But a family's prayers are strong with God!

Yes, please pray that common sense overcomes obsession. It kills me to see this relationship. And if it went further it would hamper her faith and the faith of her children. I know I'm going too much into the future. But it is a mother's heart that worries.

Seems to me that the mother needs prayer, too. :+: :+:

Ave Maria!  :+:

And encouragement.  Patricia, I have 2 teenage boys......... oh.......my.........****!!!  And you wonder why I post so little..............

Thanks, Bailey!

;D :D ;D :D

I'm sorry your daughter is seeing the wrong boy.  I pray that God will work in her life to help her see he is not right for her.  If you could get her to talk with someone free, maybe Catholic Charities, that could be helpful.  I pray that your daughter has a conversion of heart and regains a strong faith, sure hope and burning charity.   Peace!

St. Raphael ora pro nobis! Help this poor young girl to know where her heart should truly go!

St. Joseph, ora pro nobis! Ave maria!

Jesus, help us.

Our Father. . .

Dear friends,
I had posted recently in absolute desperation about my daughter. I had almost lost hope, but continued to pray and I know you prayed too. I wanted to share with all of you that she has broken off ties with this boy, which is nothing short of miraculous. I still can't believe it has happened since this was almost a 2 year long relationship .  I attribute this to your prayers, and Our Lady's powerful intercession alongwith the intercession of St. Philomena, St. Joseph and Padre Pio whose doors I constantly knocked for the last 2 years.
Thank you all for your prayers and please continue to pray for my girl who has experienced a lot of grief in the past few years, that Our Lady may keep her safe in her mantle. Also pray that she does not do something stupid and go back to the boy. :cherubim:

Deo gratias et Mariae semper Virgini!

I am praying she takes a more holy attitude towards the whole business from henceforth!!

Give her some saints' books to read as gifts!  ;D

Right now there is no holy inclination. My mother sent her a book about St. Maria Goretti's life. It is untouched. All I can do is involve her in Mass and Holy Rosary, though she does it just to please me. :shrug:  I know that I can only pray for her now.

I'll keep praying the spark is lit!!!

Perhaps sometime you'll find a saint she particularly can relate to in some way! Perhaps sometime she'll just get bored and pick up one of the neglected books!

I wish she would. She may someday in the future. When she was a child she had a love for Our Lady, but I don't see it now. :(

Perhaps some of your joy in the saints will rub off on her and she'll wonder what all you're so pleased about. :)

Ask her guardian angel for help!

Okay :)

Ah Patricia have great hope. The Lord must work slowly with us all little by little and sometimes so imperceptibly that we can't see the change until we look back over the months or even years.
Thank the Lord for any progress even that which you don't see for you can be sure your prayers are always before Him.
God rules the universe but prayer rules God. (Padre Pio).

Please pray for my youngest daughter too who's in India now doing work with the poor.. Sounds good but her faith right now is a mixture of Christianity and Newage thinking. I'm hoping the Lord will enlighten her while she's there and she may see Him clearer in the poor and homeless. St Philomena ora pro nobis.

I place my trust in the Lord, I am certain of His word.
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord hear my voice!
O let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleading.
If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt, Lord, who would survive?
But with you is found forgiveness: For this I revere you.

My soul is waiting for the Lord more than a watchman for daybreak.
Let the watchman count on daybreak and Israel on the Lord.
Israel indeed will he redeem from all its iniquity.

Glory be to the Father, etc

Thank you , Martin. Your posts always give me hope. God bless you for that. O:)
I will pray for your youngest. I know how worry about children and their salvation can weigh on a parent's mind and heart.
So much hope in that little quote by Padre Pio. :)

Patricia, I'm sorry to hear about the recent setback..

Looks like we're all praying for our families together! Two steps forwards, one step back! Bearing our sorrows, sharing our joys!

Step by step!

Let's all offer up our best prayers for one another! Where two or three are gathered.. There He is with us!

Remember O Most gracious Virgin Mary. . .

Patricia,
I am so happy that she is no longer dating this Muslim. I don't know how old she is but if he ever comes back into her life you have her email ,me asap!!! I am 27 and I was talking to a Muslim for a month earlier this year and I can't tell you how many times I had to go to confession because just him bringing up anything about his faith but would sometimes bring doubts into  my head (I would always die for my faith...so I don't mean me thinking serious doubts but they would pop in my head for a second, but that's one second too long for the devil to be in my thoughts) and I felt very dirty spirtually when faith came up.
I knew I had to stop talking to him because I could never date someone of a different yolk, I felt like my soul was being ripped from me.

So if she ever needs someone to talk to please give her my email.

Thank you Jacki. I really appreciate your concern.  I went through great sorrow for 2 years.  Several rosaries ( and promises to St Philomena and other saints ) later,  she broke off with this boy, who was controlling, abusive and very religious himself.. Her soul was at stake.  I would rather she not date at this age, but she is very headstrong.  Now she is dating a Catholic boy, who is the complete opposite of the previous boy. He is intelligent, quiet by nature, humble and always smiling.   I hope she gets married to him some day.  But please keep her in your prayers. 

You're right and you are still older. My teenager is still too immature and was already feeling very tolerant about the Muslim faith, and had started laughing at Catholic beliefs because the boy would also do so.  It was a period of great trial for me.  I had told the boy at the time that I was praying that they would break the relationship  and that it would happen one day.  And both of them scoffed at me for saying that and said it would never happen.  Well here we are today. :)

Jacki, I will certainly contact you if she ever goes back to that boy, God forbid. :crucifix:

I will keep her in my prayers but from the looks of things, Mother Mary and the angels have already taken her under their wings! I pray to St. Raphael for guidance to find a good Catholic husband daily and I will add her to that prayer.

God truly is wonderful!

Praise the Lord!  I pray that your daughter's new relationship keeps strong and is blessed abundantly.  May the Lord keep her from returning to her old boyfriend.  Amen.

Thank you, Therese and Jacki. :littlewings:

My 2 oldest children are young men in their early 20's and lost their faith when they went off to college and fell in with atheists and both have long-time girlfriends who are atheists.  It breaks a mother's heart and is such a tragedy to have my family turn from God.  It is so hard for the younger children to love their brothers and not idealize them which means they have to somehow make being an atheist into being ok and not hateful in their minds.  I am praying so hard for you and your daughter, Patricia, and you too Bailey, and all of us with children.  We have to trust God that He is in control, but do everything we can to guide and help these children (even praying for these Muslim boys and of course the atheist friends, etc) and praying fervently and constantly for them to all the Saints and angels and our God.  God bless us all.

You're welcome! :)