[Pearls Ep 132: Answering atheism Tuesday]
We’ve been looking at last Sunday’s Gospel, and Jesus’ desire that we be spiritually on fire. But He delivers that message with a warning – households will be divided, a father against his son, a mother against her daughter and so on. The more we give ourselves over to Christ, the more strained become our relationships with those who aren’t there (Lord willing, there yet).
So, let us ask the question – how many people reading this have someone near-and-dear who is far from the Lord – either a proclaimed atheist, or doesn’t care, or else bought into the new-agey “all dogs go to heaven” spirituality of the day? Ahhh, we see you have your hand up. How could we possibly know? Is this some new surveillance technology that let’s us spy on you once you open our email?
Indeed, all of us have people in our lives who we dearly wish would come to the Lord.
As we’ve noted in the past, when we write these “Answering Atheism Tuesday” editions the point is not to provide arguments that will convince people to come to Christ – would but were it that easy! We write these posts mostly to simply encourage one-another – it’s healthy from time to time to call out and rebut the lies and manipulations of the fallen world.
So, what are we to do with our fallen-away loved ones?
First – God desires everyone to be saved (1 Tim 2:4). Second – He calls on us to do our part. In fact, He tells us how, “I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone.” (1 Tim 2:1) And, of course, God tells us to evangelize with love – the 2nd great commandment, love your neighbor as yourself. Yes, Paul instructs us that we should always be prepared to give a defense for what we believe, but the main way we convert people is by showing them love and offering God supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgiving on their behalf.
Jesus is even more explicit in His words to St. Faustina:
Today Jesus said to me, “I desire that you know more profoundly the love that burns in My Heart for souls, and you will understand this when you meditate upon My Passion. Call upon My mercy on behalf of sinners; I desire their salvation. When you say this prayer, with a contrite heart and with faith on behalf of some sinner, I will give him the grace of conversion. This is the prayer: O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You.“ (Diary 186, 187)
Obviously, it’s not simply a matter of saying the words, “O blood and water…” The key is what Jesus says just before that – “When you say this prayer, with a contrite heart and with faith on behalf of some sinner…”
We need to come to the Lord with a contrite heart and determined faith. We must be invested.
Praying the rosary and offering some manner of fasting for the person is a powerful combination. So is spending time in Eucharistic adoration for them. So is going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation for any ways that we have failed in charity in our relationship with them.
You know what happens when we pray and sacrifice like that for someone?
Our heart burns for them.
And that brings us to “the key, to the key” – Jesus’ opening cry-of-the-heart to St. Faustina, “I desire that you know more profoundly the love that burns in My Heart for souls…”
When our hearts burn for our loved ones (and really, for all souls) we come to understand in a very personal way Jesus’ words from 2,000 years ago, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!”
Blessing on your journey with Christ –
Steve and Karen Smith
Interior Life