How to Love Your Difficult Parents

If someone sees this, please pray for my difficult relationship with my mother. It has been something I've struggled with all of my life. I so want to honor her, and I always end up failing (not to be pessimistic). I pray God gives me the strength and peace to be able to just be respectful toward her, even when she doesn't seem to take me into account or understand me.

Hey guys pray for me and for my parents and brothers and sisters. And we are praying for you ❤️✝️🙏🏼

I never felt like my mother loved me. I've spent most my life trying to win her love. But the closer I come to God the more he shows me that all I need is him. He has shown me how to love her as my mom and respect her as such but not to put my needs in her.

This is something I really struggled with in 1994-97. Mom was a violent drunk and Dad ran off with literally a very petty controlling blonde bimbo. I was on my own at 14 because they were so dang focused on selves. God bless the elderly women in my town that took me under their wing. If it hadn't been for them I'd never done more then repeat my parents behavior. I'm working on my graduate degree at 40, raised 2 men, held strong to my ethics and grew out of drama/stupidity.

"Every Christian vocation has its difficulties", you got that right!! 😂

Father Mike, I basically did all that you have said. My mother had been quite abusive to me as a child, I still felt obligated to honor her a person and to care for her in her old age. I was actually paying the rent and caring for her when I was 16. I have no regrets. I think that a good thought for parents would be to love and care for their children, someday the parent will need the love and care of their adult child.

For real, like every time on of these videos comes out, they are immediately applicable to something in my life or someone I love. Please pray for the strained relationships my fiance has with her divorced parents!

My sister and I were literally discussing how to cope with our divorced, toxic parents and their bad habits. It’s been so difficult to manage since childhood and they are now still refusing to share their new grandchild with each other as they did with their children. Thank you so much Father Mike for dropping this video, it is truly a blessing and provides so much needed guidance. Godspeed always Father Mike and thank you for all you do🙌🏻 —online pew parishioner

I love that you mentioned 3 different kinds of respect: basic base line respect for all humans because we were all made in the image of God, then respect for elders and authority (but this may be removed if the person does not fulfill their role responsibly), and finally individual respect which is earned through kindness or accomplishment.

I'm not even Christian but this made so much sense and was very comforting to hear as a person of faith. Thank you!

Both my parents ended up being toxic, narcissistic, living in perpetual mortal sin. Both have abandoned the faith. One has swung between addictions and we kids literally let that person hit rock bottom. It was the best thing we could do. Today they're doing better but has a long road ahead. The other is in a lifestyle we don't like but know there is no openness to change so we love that person by just noting our objections and saying live your best life all things considered and love them as best we can. Not ideal, but we take what we can get, just like Jesus choosing us despite our sinfulness.

Wow I needed this. Not too long ago I learned that my dad cheated on my mom. It’s been so difficult to find forgiveness and still honor him in the same way but this video helped tremendously, thank you.

I love my dad, but I feel guilty because I don’t like to be around him. He makes me uncomfortable and I feel intimidated. I do anything and everything for my parents, I’m there for them always, and I love them very much. I enjoy visiting with mom and we’re very close, but I avoid my dad as much as I can. I have good reason for doing so, but have been feeling bad about it. I’ll always be there for him if he needs me, but I can’t be in his company, it takes a lot of effort on my part. I always felt like I was obligated to go see him and visit with him, but lately I just couldn’t bring myself to do it anymore, and it’s been feeling so liberating. Anyway, since yesterday I’ve been feeling like talking about it with our parish priest, and then I see Fr. Mike has made a video about this topic! Wow! God bless everyone.♥️

i am caring for my 90-year-old dad, and i find our roles have reversed. i am more like the parent, and he the child. the role of dependence has certainly changed, and i feel i have to walk with him through his golden years. i had a hard time with him when i was growing up, but now i adore him so much.

Prayers for peace and healing and delierence in the mighty name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth threw out the whole world 🙏🏽 and 🙏🏽 alleluia

I just finished my therapy session and this topic is what I’m dealing with right now. 🙏🏽❤️

My parents are (Baptist) believers, but are being super influenced by my secular brother. I’m trying to be an example and good influence, but I need prayers. He’s now out of their house, and that may be a great help regarding his influence.

Bless you Father Mike. I've been struggling with my father for many years, and my mother enables his behavior. I also find Paul's letter to the Ephesians 6:4 helpful, "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."

I was so blessed to have holy and loving parents. I will pray for those that did not.

Thank you Fr. Mike!!! I so needed this. My widowed 90 yr old mother is still trying to manipulate and bully me into her way of thinking. And now she is trying to turn my young adult children against me. She is beyond exhausting and I have spoken with my parish priest many times about her. Thank you for putting this out there. This is a huge issue and the covid crisis made things exponentially worse. God Bless you!