Good evening, father

I had written to you some time ago about a confession I intended to make. In the end, things did not turn out as I had hoped.

I did not return to Church, however, I continued to pray at home.

Yesterday my mother saw me praying and I told her that I would like to go back to Church.

Today we spoke about it again and she asked me where this came from, I explained and then she confided that she too sometimes prays.

Then we talked about death (I told her I believe in hell), divorce, homosexual unions.

At this point all hell broke loose, she accused me of being an extremist, saying that it’s okay to pray a little but this is going too far and  that Christian martyrs were exaggerated, etc., and she even started crying and I cried too.

These accusations were also joined by my sister.

Anyway, they finally said they will take me to the church and I am happy about that.I just wanted to inform you and ask you what I should do.

God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin assist you.

The priest’s answer

Dear friend,

1. I am glad about your willingness to return to the Church and access the sacraments again.

It is the Lord who is working inside you. Holy Scripture says that “God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work” ( Phil. 2,13).

That is, evidently, if our intentions are good.

Thank God right now you sense that something is missing in your life, that there is an inner emptiness that can only be filled by His presence.

2. You tell me that all hell broke loose when you touched some sore points.

This happens when we forget that the goal of our present life is not a quiet life in this world, while waiting for death, but holiness, our union with God.

3. It does not take much to understand that some attitudes of life are incompatible with holiness and our union with God.

This is why Our Lord wanted the first words of His preaching to be written in the Gospel: “Repent (do penance) for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 4,17).

It is not necessary to be converted to be successful in this world. Nor is it necessary to convert in order to give oneself to entertainment.

Instead, it is necessary to convert in order to become holy and to enter heaven.

4. This need is all the more compelling if we keep in mind the words God has spoken through St. Paul: “I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want. (…). 

Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal 5,16-17 19-22).

5. It is when you are faced with a strong word that you feel the need to change your life, to convert and to lead a holy life.

In your discussion you shouted, improper and offensive words flew, such as extremist or exaggerated, addressed to you and the holy martyrs.

But if someone had suddenly read the words of Gal 5, 16-22 you would have all been dumbfounded.

6. About prayer: if you knew what the effect of prayer is, you would never say: it’s okay to pray a little, but this is going too far.

Prayer makes Jesus Christ present and working in our hearts and in the hearts of the people we pray for. Is this exaggerated?

Giorgio La Pira, the saintly mayor of Florence, was right when he responded to those who told him that praying so much (he prayed intermittently from six to nine in the morning) was wasted time: “Well, instead I tell you that time taken away from prayer is wasted.”

Just as it is never exaggerated how much time is spent in praying to the Blessed Virgin Mary to make her present and operative in our hearts and in the hearts of so many people we entrust to her.

If we saw the effects of prayer, we would say with Giorgio La Pira that the only time wasted is the time taken away from prayer.

7. I am glad with the positive outcome of your heated discussion: they will take you to church. Take the opportunity to go to confession as well, if you happen to find a priest available.

It would be a good thing if your mother and sister also took advantage of it. Confession is the sacrament of Christian healing.

It is a remedy and defense of the soul and also of the body.

If they knew this, they would not easily desert it.

For all this to happen, I assure you of my prayers and bless you.


Father Angelo

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