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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Widows	Susan	Sunday, July 1, 2012
Question: Dear Brother, There is this widow in our neighborhood who has created a lot of problems for her daughter-in-law and now, the husband and wife are separated. She is now encouraging her son to go in for a divorce. The daughter-in-law is a strong Catholic and a godly person. In spite of all the problems, she has remained strong in her faith. But recently a priest told her that the reason her prayers are being delayed is because God has more mercy on a mother and that too a widow. This poor girl who loves the Lord so much is so shattered and is constantly crying saying that Jesus has forsaken her (for a widow who is spoiling her marriage). She is so convinced about this now as there have been many situations where she is struggling while her mother-in-law is flourishing. I just don’t know how to convince her that we serve a good God. I know the Bible says that God is compassionate towards widows but do widows always have an upper hand? Your help is really appreciated in clearing this doubt of ours. God Bless
Question Answered by Dear Susan: Widows have no special powers or privileges. The idea that God would give more mercy to a widow merely because she is a widow is utter nonsense. Certainly God is not going to favor a person doing Satan's work (trying to spoil a marriage is the devil's work). Where do these so-called priests come up with this stuff? I guess stupid is as stupid does. The daughter-in-law should be informed that what this priest has told her is nonsense and that God has not forsaken her. The reasons some prayers are delayed in answer or seem to not be answered is due to free will. God does not force anyone to do anything. God can try to influence a person to make the correct decisions, but He will never force them. Force is not love and God is love and thereby cannot do anything that is not love. We should pray for this widow, that her heart will be conformed to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. For the daughter-in-law, I recommend the Prayer for Marriage found in our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog. Also the Hedge Prayer for Return of a Wayward Spouse may be needed. There may be other prayers in the Catalog that are useful to this person. The daughter-in-law may not get her husband back. As mentioned, God will not force him. Should the husband not return God will give this woman the grace to cope with the tragedy. God never abandons us. God keeps his promises. The daughter should read Romans 8:28, 37-39. These are wonderful promises. Often things do not work out the way we want. That is because people have the freedom to choose badly. God will never intrude upon that freedom, but He will make lemonade from the lemons created by those bad decisions. 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

Widows

Susan

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Question:

Dear Brother,

There is this widow in our neighborhood who has created a lot of problems for her daughter-in-law and now, the husband and wife are separated. She is now encouraging her son to go in for a divorce. The daughter-in-law is a strong Catholic and a godly person. In spite of all the problems, she has remained strong in her faith. But recently a priest told her that the reason her prayers are being delayed is because God has more mercy on a mother and that too a widow. This poor girl who loves the Lord so much is so shattered and is constantly crying saying that Jesus has forsaken her (for a widow who is spoiling her marriage). She is so convinced about this now as there have been many situations where she is struggling while her mother-in-law is flourishing. I just don’t know how to convince her that we serve a good God. I know the Bible says that God is compassionate towards widows but do widows always have an upper hand?

Your help is really appreciated in clearing this doubt of ours.

God Bless

Question Answered by

Dear Susan:

Widows have no special powers or privileges. The idea that God would give more mercy to a widow merely because she is a widow is utter nonsense. Certainly God is not going to favor a person doing Satan's work (trying to spoil a marriage is the devil's work). Where do these so-called priests come up with this stuff? I guess stupid is as stupid does.

The daughter-in-law should be informed that what this priest has told her is nonsense and that God has not forsaken her. The reasons some prayers are delayed in answer or seem to not be answered is due to free will. God does not force anyone to do anything. God can try to influence a person to make the correct decisions, but He will never force them. Force is not love and God is love and thereby cannot do anything that is not love.

We should pray for this widow, that her heart will be conformed to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

For the daughter-in-law, I recommend the Prayer for Marriage found in our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog. Also the Hedge Prayer for Return of a Wayward Spouse may be needed.

There may be other prayers in the Catalog that are useful to this person.

The daughter-in-law may not get her husband back. As mentioned, God will not force him. Should the husband not return God will give this woman the grace to cope with the tragedy. God never abandons us.

God keeps his promises. The daughter should read Romans 8:28, 37-39. These are wonderful promises.

Often things do not work out the way we want. That is because people have the freedom to choose badly. God will never intrude upon that freedom, but He will make lemonade from the lemons created by those bad decisions.

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