Question:
Is this wrong Brother?
I have been praying for some people, relatives and friends, who stopped going to church for one reason or another. I am talking to a young friend of mine and at times he seems rather enthused about going back to Sunday mass attendance but then I find out he skipped to go play ball with friends. I don’t want to abandon him nor do I want to push him so much that I may turn him off.
I take walks on an almost daily basis, talk to my Lord, pray the Rosary, and Chaplet of Divine Mercy for my and their souls. I don’t fear illness, or death (at least that’s how I feel now). I think that I fear life more because of the possibility of sinning and being cut off from Jesus. Not that I pray for death but I tell Jesus that I’m willing to accept any illness or even death if these young people that I’m praying for would somehow be drawn closer to God.
I found a prayer in the internet that on a daily basis I adopt a soul that is to die this day and ask the Lord to accept any trials I may have in exchange for grace for this soul that he/she may repent before dying. I ask the Lord to take my life if He wills in exchange for these friends and relatives that they turn back to him. Is it wrong to feel this way?
At times I also feel a somewhat frustrated that I have not seen any results or fruits or been successful in the tasks the Lord has given me because I think that for some reason the Lord sent this young man into my life. I know that since I have known him I personally have been drawn closer to Jesus because of my constant prayers; so I thank the Lord for this friend.
When I examine my past I now see that the Lord has sent me several people and I have failed miserably in talking to them about Jesus. I feel that maybe the Lord isn’t too happy with me because of those failures. I know he has given me chance after chance and I don’t want to fail Him this time. I have asked for forgiveness and know that His mercy is greater than all my sins.
Dear Rudy:
I understand your desire and concerns for others' souls and that is wonderful. We can offer up our suffering to God for the salvation of souls. We can offer our life as a sacrifice for the salvation of souls, but God does not make "exchanges" like we do at Walmart 
.
To begin with your death will not necessarily cause the other person to repent. We all have free will. We can choose God or not choose God. Nothing we do, and not even God himself, can force a person to choose God. The person must make that choice himself.
With that said, it is possible that death of a friend, for example, can knock some sense into a person, but God does not kill someone for the soul of another. Rather, God can use a tragedy for a good end to influence a person to choose Him.
What God does do, and we can do also, is to encourage a person to choose God. We can pray for that person, but we can never do anything that will guarantee his choosing God.
As for your being successful in your prayers and seeing the fruit of your prayers, why so you think you have the right to see the fruits? It is not for you to see fruits, it is for you to faithfully pray. We rarely get to see the fruits. You need to mortify that little bit of pride.
Success is defined by whether or not you prayed, not on the results most of which we will never know in this life. Also, our prayers cannot force anyone, as mentioned above. Thus, success is defined as to whether or not you did your part. You have no control over the other person's part. All you can do is the best you can. You cannot know what effect you have had on the person's heart. Will you make mistakes? Yes. We all do. Success is not perfection. Success is perseverance in the faith and doing what you can.
From what you have described, you are very successful. You are deeply concerned for others' souls and pray for them. That is success.
God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary
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