Greetings in that Divine and Most Precious Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
I have been very spiritually tired of my current church. It is non-denominational, and I feel that the Lord has been leading me to the Orthodox church. I live near one and am going to ask my mother if my father could take me, so please pray that she agrees. She thinks that the Orthodox "worship" the saints and Mary instead of Jesus, which is not true at all. We only ask them for prayer like as we'd do with a friend. Please pray that her heart will be softened. Thank you.
As an instructor in my parish Youth Ministry and further as a high school teacher with a lot experience with kids your age, I applaud the sincerity of your faith here! Even more so, I applaud your gracious courage to seek the truth in the spirit of meekness and humility! So many people in Orthodox even fall into the bitterness of self-righteousness and scathing condemnations of others. That you respect your parents above all else is the sign of a TRUE CHRISTIAN! Even our Lord and Savior, "went with his parents, and was subject unto them."
In most Catholic Churches there is a statue/icon of the Holy Family working in St Joseph's craft shop, and the faithful are taught to venerate this scene as the perfect Christian. Jesus Christ submitted to His parents fully even though He was God Almighty, just as we must also continually submit to God and our daily reality as it is revealed by God day to day. His parents equally submitted to Him though, and both acknowledged the place and purpose of the other in the scheme of Salvation.
We should both honor our God, and yet honor Him through our daily obligations, including reverence of our own families. God put us under our families, as He even put Himself under the same subjugation! This is a valuable lesson in faith that you are teaching us in your example. We must not be haughty or hardheaded in our approach to Orthodox, rather we should turn all our efforts to prayer as you have advised both yourself and ourselves.
God alone can change the hearts of men and women, not we ourselves or any of our charismatic ideas or staunch convictions. So continue in prayer, God will open the doors where they must be opened.
PS, in my own life even as an adult I continually have to follow your own advice, and rather then try to boss my parents around based on my own opinions and interpretations, I have found much more success in holding my peace and not speaking on matters except in prayer to God. Speak your heart to God first, and let Him do all the work. When it is your turn to speak, He will also move you in such a direction in His Grace, especially as you continually submit to Him! Again, much thanks for the sincerity and piety of your comments here, I will pray for you to find a parish and a Sacramental relationship in God in His Time.
stay blessed,
habte selassie
