For a friend who has the call to join Holy Orthodoxy but fears the thoughts of his family.
From him:
The lure of the Orthodox church is and, in retrospect, has been for quite a while so strong on me, but I'm still disillusioned. What if I make the leap and it turns out we were both wrong? What happens to me then? What do I tell my parents? How will they react? My mother has said many times to me that she "Wouldn't allow me to go to any church that doesn't recognize the pope," so what happens if I do and she finds out? My younger sister wants me to sponsor her at her confirmation this spring. I can't do that if I'm not, in my heart, a member of the church and what kind of a brother would I be if I go and leave the church right when I'm supposed to be acting as her role-model in it? So much to think about, so much to worry about.
Lord, have Mercy!
