Sharing our faith without
being awkward, by Father Michael Shields of The Heart of Jesus, September 2014
( CatholicAnchor.org )
How do we share our faith?
Honestly, the answer most Catholics give
is,
“I don’t know.”
There is a very clear and biblical model
that is open for anyone who has friendships. I call it friendship evangelization.
Our three young missionaries from Ohio
Christianity is first and foremost based on
relationships — relationship with Christ and relationships with his body the
church.
Therefore friendship is the most natural
way we introduce others to our faith.
So how do you practice this form of
evangelization?
When you meet someone, be your most
authentic self.
As a friendship develops do these very
simple things.
Let people know you are a Catholic
Christian (in a natural, unforced way).
Ask friends about their faith — and just
listen.
Listen to your friend’s problems — maybe
offer to pray for them.
Share your problems with them — testify to how
your faith helps you.
Give them a book to read on the spiritual
life.
Share
your story of faith in an authentic way.
Answer objections to Christianity and
questions that might come up.
Be a true apologist.
Don’t apologize for Christianity but share your
hope and if you don’t have an answer to a
question, be honest and say, “I don’t know but I will find out.”
Have the answer next time when you meet.
It is very natural to invite someone who is
a friend to an enjoyable event, lunch or a movie, so why not invite them to the
most amazing event on Sunday morning where they meet Christ and his body.
Offer to take them to church and introduce them
to others in the parish.
What would a parish look like if 20 percent of
the people practiced this form of evangelization?
It would look alive and friendly.
This is not about manipulating or using
your friendships, it is about sharing what is most important to you.
How important is your relationship to
Christ and his body, the church?
The three young missionaries that came to
Magadan witnessed that their relationship with Christ and his church informed
all other relationships.
Now that they are gone I am meeting with
some young people who say something has changed for them.
They witness to the fact that although the
young women were religious and open about their faith, they were also normal
and natural.
This is attractive, and as one young man
said,
“Because of their friendship I have a
spiritual hunger now.”
When a new friendship begins, it should begin with
the hope that it will someday lead to a friendship with Jesus.
Christianity is really about authentic
friendships.
The
writer is pastor of the Church of the Nativity in Magadan , Russia
http://www.catholicanchor.org/forum/sharing-faith-without-awkward/
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