Homily: Praying for the conversion of loved ones (17th Feb 2026)

Praying for the conversion of loved ones 

Introduction

Many has been the time when distraught parent have said to me, “Father, we are practicing Christians, we pray, we go to Church and we did our best to pass on the  faith to our children, But now that they have left home , married, and had children, none of them are church goers. In fact two of my daughters have not even gotten their children baptised. Don’t get us wrong, in many ways they are good, kind people. They say that while they are not religious in a churchy sort of way, they are spiritual. But nevertheless, we ask ourselves where did we go wrong, what can we do?” I usually respond by saying that there is no point in blaming themselves. There is an anti- religious bias in our culture,  the influence of peer pressure, and a lack of awareness of a supernatural realm. That said, parents and grandparents can pray, with confidence, for God’s mercy and the grace of conversion as a result of a personal encounter with Jesus and an in-filling of the Holy Spirit. That is what we will focus on in this service. 

Scripture reading 1 Jn 5:13-16

I am writing this to you so that you may know that you have eternal life — you that believe in the Son of God. We have courage in God's presence, because we are sure that he hears us if we ask him for anything that is according to his will. He hears us whenever we ask him; and since we know this is true, we know also that he gives us what we ask from him. If you see your brother or sister commit a sin  . . .  you should pray to God, who will give them life. 

Reflection

People often talk to me about how they worry because folks they care about are forgetful of God and failing to live good Christian lives. Instead,  they are involved in all kinds of sinful behaviours. When they ask me what they can do, I sometimes say that they should stand in the breach and pray for the conversion of those they worry about. In the Old Testament, “standing in the breach” meant that a person would intercede with God on behalf of others lest they should be separated from God and the blessings of God. It conjures up the image of someone standing in a broken section of wall in order to protect a city from destructive invaders. There are a number of biblical examples such as

·       In Genesis 18:16–33 Abraham pleaded repeatedly that God would spare the city of Sodom.

·       Moses asked God not only to forgive the sins of the people but give them the grace of conversion. In Ps 106:23 we read, “God declared that he would have destroyed them. But Moses, his chosen one, stepped between the Lord and the people. He begged him to turn from his anger and not destroy them.”

·       Jesus interceded for sinners when he was dying on the cross. As Is 53:12 said of him, “he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors”

·       Later in the New Testament St Paul declared in Rm 10:1, “My heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.” 

I suspect that everyone here knows a relative, friend, colleague or neighbour who has drifted away from God and his commandments.

Ø  It may be a daughter who is in a sexual relationship with a married man,

Ø  A husband or brother who is addicted to drink and/or drugs, or sexual wrongdoing.

Ø  An uncle who is in prison for the third time

Ø  Children who have  stopped going to church and no longer believes in an afterlife

Ø  A friend who is involved with the occult or some form of non-Christian belief.

Ø  A person who causes divisions by bad mouthing others, telling lies about them and wishes them ill. 

We can stand in the breach and intercede that God would forgive the sins of those we care about and give them the grace of conversion. To pray in this way is to pray within the will of God. As our scripture reading assured us, if we pray in line with God’s will for the spiritual good of another person, we know that he gives us what we ask from him. He will give new life to the person we care about. There are very many examples of this in church history, e.g., when St Monica’s prayers for her unfaithful husband Patrick and her wayward son Augustine were finally answered after many years of prayer. Her husband and son became Christians. However, I want to focus on an example of effective intercessory prayer in the life of St Therese of Lisieux.  

The example of St Therese of Lisieux

Soon after her spiritual awakening at the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve 1888, Therese of Lisieux heard how a convicted murderer, called Pranzini was facing execution. He had murdered two women and a child in the course of a robbery. Therese read in the newspaper how he had spurned the help of a prison chaplain. She said: “there was every reason to think that he would die impenitent.” Therese prayed repeatedly on her own, and later with the aid of her sister Celine, for Pranzini’s conversion. She made it clear that she offered her petitions in the expectant faith that “the abandoned wretch,” would eventually repent. Her firm faith was rooted in three convictions.

·       Firstly, she had a heartfelt awareness of the love of God as a result of baptism in the Spirit.

·    Secondly, she realized that she was praying within the loving will of God because the Spirit had prompted her to pray for sinners like Pranzini.

·       Thirdly, she also knew that in scripture the Lord   had promised to respond to such prayers (cf 1 Jn 5:14-16).    Speaking about her expectant faith, Therese declared:

“In my heart, I felt certain we shouldn’t be disappointed; but by way of encouragement in this practice of praying for sinners, I did ask for a sign. I told God I was sure he meant to pardon the unfortunate Pranzini, and I’d such confidence in our Lord’s infinite mercy that I would cling to my belief even if Pranzini didn’t go to confession and didn’t make any gesture of repentance. Only I would like him to show some sign of repentance, just for my own satisfaction.” 

The day after Pranzini’s execution, Therese read in the La Croix newspaper that just before he was guillotined, the condemned man had noticed that a priest was standing nearby with a crucifix. He cried out, “Quick, hand me the crucifix” and kissed it three times. A few seconds later he was beheaded. Therese was comforted by the conviction that her prayers had finally been answered. As she testified, “my prayer was answered and to the letter.” 

I want you to think, right now, of one person you want to pray for.  On one occasion Saint Faustina Kowalska recounted,

“Today Jesus said to me, I desire that you know more profoundly the love that burns in My Heart for souls, and you will understand this when you meditate upon My Passion. Call upon My mercy on behalf of sinners; I desire their salvation. When you say this prayer, with a contrite heart and with faith on behalf of some sinner, I will give him the grace of conversion” (Diary 186/187).

Prayer for the Conversion of a Loved One

Before suggesting a prayer that can be said for the conversion and salvation of someone you care about, let me suggest a motive for doing so. 

Some time ago I experienced, for the first and only time in my life, something of the torments  of hell.  Instead of seeing a terrifying image, I had a profound inner sense of damnation as  a total and utter separation from a sense of belonging, of relationship to God, others, and one’s own deepest self. It was shot through with a feeling of having missed the mark and of having squandered one’s potential for fulfilment. What made it feel so intolerable was the abject consciousness that all of this was definitive, irreversible and everlasting. I had a sense that in being separated from God the damned will be separated from their own humanity devoid of happiness, inner peace or hope. The experience was so mind-numbingly bad that I could only tolerate it for a few seconds. Afterwards, I recognised that it was the most negative and terrifying experience I had ever had to endure. I could appreciate why Jesus spoke about hell in such an off-putting way. In his love he didn’t want anyone to go there. My glimpse into the world of the lost filled me with the conviction that not only should I strive with all my might to avoid damnation myself, I should  also strive earnestly to help others to do the same.  Now let us pray. Think of one person that you are worried about. With that in mind, say this prayer. 

Merciful Father, You are the God who leaves the ninety-nine to seek the one who is lost. With a heart full of hope and sorrow, I come before You to plead for the soul of [Name], who walks in darkness and has turned away from Your love. 

Lord, You know their wounds, their fears, and the lies they have believed. You see the chains that bind them. I ask You to break through the hardness of their heart with the gentle power of Your Spirit. Let the light of Your truth pierce their confusion. Let the warmth of Your mercy melt their resistance. 

As Moses stood in the breach for Israel, and as Jesus prayed for His persecutors, I now stand in the gap for [Name]. Do not let them perish in their sin. Remember the blood of Your Son, poured out for all. Let it not be in vain for this soul.  

Send labourers into their life—friends, strangers, even dreams—that will speak Your word with clarity and love. Awaken in them a hunger for truth, a thirst for righteousness, and a longing for home.  

And if it be Your will, use me. Make me patient, courageous, and faithful in love. Let me never despair, for nothing is impossible for You. 

I entrust [Name] to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the refuge of sinners, and to the pierced Heart of Jesus, the fountain of mercy. Amen.

Testimony I love the passage from Hebrews

Nancy, wrote, I love the passage in Heb 10:23 – “Let us hold unswervingly to this hope that we profess, because he who promised is faithful.” It’s a perfect summation of his care for a couple I re-encountered recently. 

I met this lovely couple, Victor and Ronda,  five years ago. They were homeless and very much in need of prayer. I kept seeing them over the years and continued to pray with them and for them for their housing situation and addictions. Ronda had mentioned to me that she was in need of new clothes as some people had stolen hers. Many people were very generous and we compiled some very nice things for her. Since Covid hit I hadn’t seen them for quite a while. Today, I saw them for the first time in about two years and was overjoyed to hear how they were doing. God answered my prayers over these long years. They not only have their housing situation solved, but Victor is free from his addiction to alcohol, and their children are receiving their first Holy Communion at the nearby Catholic Church. I thank God for answering our prayers. His faithfulness and love endures forever!