For a long time I’ve been hoping a close relative of mine would come back into the church. She’s actually the reason why I am Catholic. But whereas I left the faith then returned, she has stayed away. She even claims not to believe in God.
This pains me very much, and I have tried in subtle ways—unsuccessfully—to encourage her to rethink.
I brought this up to my parish priest, who said the one thing I should do is pray for her.
After this conversation, I began zealously praying for her, wishing her happiness and sending out strong messages of goodwill, as well as hoping she would reconsider her negative feelings about God.
This continued for several months, and it became a habit for me to pray for her. Then, out of the blue, I received a phone call from her. It wasn’t about the hoped
