Hi Maria & Prayer Warrior,
Thanks for you kind words...it is good to hear from you Maria. I hope you both had a wonderful Easter.
You both are very kind but you give me too much credit. I wish I did measure up to all that you have said.It is a daily struggle for me. Someone once said...don’t know who...but I think of it often..."Faith isn’t faith until it is the only thing you have left to hang onto." Believe me I have been there!!! I have begged God and Our Lady to help me because sometimes things have been so bad that even my grasp on my Faith begins to slip.BUT....they have always helped me.
I am so grateful for my Catholic faith because as far as I know it is the only faith that believes that our sufferings have merit. If we are going to have pain and tribulation we have the consolation that we can offer it up for something of benefit...help a soul in Purgatory, reparation for our own sins, etc. We are very blessed.
Both my adult "children" have left the Catholic Faith and it saddens me also but there is a little prayer I say that seems to help me..."O Loving and Merciful God, You know everything and Your love is perfect, please take (-----) into Your hand, and do what I long to do, but cannot. Only You know the real problem and I place my trust in You."
God bless you all and all those you love.