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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
What am I supposed to think Part II	Jan	Thursday, September 9, 2004
Question: Brother Ignatius: Thank you for your response. I certainly hope you are not inferring that my first husband's sterility, my second husband's addiction to controlled substances, and my breast cancer or my mother's health problems have anything to do with my free will. God has been the center of my life (albeit, perhaps in wrong situations). I wake every morning begging Him for help. Just help. In general. Just His guidance. I've been doing that for nearly 30 years. I talk and pray to him constantly - all day, every day. There is no way that I have forgotten Him or put Him aside. The one thing I wanted most in my life was a family (children), and I was denied that. That was NOT my free will. Staying married to the lying fool WAS my free will, and I did that because of my religious convictions and my love of God. I prayed for someone to come into my life as a husband, and I got my first one. I again prayed for someone to come into my life, and I got my second one. I took the appearance of both of these men as an answer to my prayers to God. How else was I to look at it? My association with my second husband was, in totality, a disaster, and against the Church's teachings, but since I thought he had been sent in answer to my prayers by God, I thought I was ok. I prayed myself crazy during my divorce - daily Mass with communion. The Rosary four and five times a day, frequent confession, for over a year. My ex-husband did virtually NOTHING towards the marriage, and I ended up giving him $30K PLUS a motorcycle which I had paid for out of my money PLUS everything I had given/done for him during our relationship. Believe me, THAT was certainly NOT my free will. In essence, for 55 years, I have done my level best to do the right thing, be a good Catholic, and love God. And, here I am, in the near-twilight of my life - totally alone. Where do I go from here?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+ Dear Jan: No, those things are not YOUR free will, it was the other people's free will. We can suffer from free will decisions we make ourselves and we can also suffer from free will decisions made by other people. God does not intrude on anyone's free will. As to where you go from here I have already answered that. You are not alone, God with with you. Seek Him rather than sink into the despair of self-pity and you will find peace. Give Him your problems. Go before the Blessed Sacrament in adoration at least one hour per week, more if possible. The Sacrament does not need to be exposed. Just sit in front of the Tabernacle and bathe in the rays of the Son. While there tell God your problems and your feelings. Pray. During some point of the adoration, spend some time in silence to let God commune with you. God has not abandoned you. Go to Him. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

What am I supposed to think Part II

Jan

Thursday, September 9, 2004

Question:

Brother Ignatius:

Thank you for your response. I certainly hope you are not inferring that my first husband's sterility, my second husband's addiction to controlled substances, and my breast cancer or my mother's health problems have anything to do with my free will.

God has been the center of my life (albeit, perhaps in wrong situations). I wake every morning begging Him for help. Just help. In general. Just His guidance. I've been doing that for nearly 30 years.

I talk and pray to him constantly - all day, every day. There is no way that I have forgotten Him or put Him aside.

The one thing I wanted most in my life was a family (children), and I was denied that. That was NOT my free will. Staying married to the lying fool WAS my free will, and I did that because of my religious convictions and my love of God.

I prayed for someone to come into my life as a husband, and I got my first one. I again prayed for someone to come into my life, and I got my second one. I took the appearance of both of these men as an answer to my prayers to God. How else was I to look at it?

My association with my second husband was, in totality, a disaster, and against the Church's teachings, but since I thought he had been sent in answer to my prayers by God, I thought I was ok.

I prayed myself crazy during my divorce - daily Mass with communion. The Rosary four and five times a day, frequent confession, for over a year. My ex-husband did virtually NOTHING towards the marriage, and I ended up giving him $30K PLUS a motorcycle which I had paid for out of my money PLUS everything I had given/done for him during our relationship.

Believe me, THAT was certainly NOT my free will.

In essence, for 55 years, I have done my level best to do the right thing, be a good Catholic, and love God.

And, here I am, in the near-twilight of my life - totally alone.

Where do I go from here?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+

Dear Jan:

No, those things are not YOUR free will, it was the other people's free will.

We can suffer from free will decisions we make ourselves and we can also suffer from free will decisions made by other people. God does not intrude on anyone's free will.

As to where you go from here I have already answered that. You are not alone, God with with you. Seek Him rather than sink into the despair of self-pity and you will find peace. Give Him your problems.

Go before the Blessed Sacrament in adoration at least one hour per week, more if possible. The Sacrament does not need to be exposed. Just sit in front of the Tabernacle and bathe in the rays of the Son.

While there tell God your problems and your feelings. Pray. During some point of the adoration, spend some time in silence to let God commune with you.

God has not abandoned you. Go to Him.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum