Curious Like Nicodemus

29 Tuesday Apr 2025

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization

Tags

christianity, Evangelization, Faith, Fear, Friendship, Grace, Jesus, Jn 3:1-15, Nicodemus, Prayer

Jesus and Nicodemus, Crijn Hendricksz Volmarijn, c. early 1600s

The Gospels for yesterday and today (Jn 3:1-15), put us in the scene with Jesus and the renowned Pharisee, Nicodemus, who came to Jesus under the cover of darkness to ask questions about his ministry. We are led to believe that Nicodemus must have seen or heard of Jesus’ healing miracles and wanted to learn more about him. We know that Nicodemus eventually converted to be a secret follower of Jesus, so we can surmise that his curiosity was genuine and not a ploy to trap Jesus.

The fact that he came to meet Jesus at night may also give us a clue about his intentions. A nighttime rendezvous would be less conspicuous. If he was genuinely interested about Jesus, he may have feared being observed by other Pharisees that could result in his condemnation and rejection. In his position, he would have accumulated wealth that supported a luxurious lifestyle, which would have been jeopardized if his clandestine meeting had been discovered.

When I placed myself in this scene, I pondered Nicodemus’ motive and his dilemma. He had to satisfy his curiosity for truth, but the answer could result in his ruin. His fear of the environment and exterior influences would ultimately cause him to lead a secret and unfulfilled life.

There are millions of Nicodemuses in our world today – men, women, and teens, who are searching for truth, who are curious about Christianity, and who would like to know more but, because of negative social influences, balk at publicly asking questions for fear of what others will think or what they might lose. They are hiding out there in our workplaces, our schools, and our neighborhoods. We should be looking and waiting for them with intentionality, ready to answer their questions and allay their fears.

When a modern day Nicodemus does muster the courage to step out and seek answers, he may simply want to learn more about Jesus, or he’s aware that there’s possibly a different set of beliefs and a better way to live than he’s ever experienced. His curiosity may manifest itself by privately asking questions to a Christian friend or acquaintance. When he does, he is giving us an opportunity to evangelize, and we need to respond utilizing good listening skills. His questions may be phrased in ways that hide their real intent, and we may have to look behind the words. We should not make stuff up, nor answer questions with excess theology. He needs simple answers, and if we don’t know an answer, we should say so and endeavor to find the answer for him. We should try to avoid vocabulary that is foreign to non-Catholics.

Like Nicodemus, his questions may appear antagonistic but probably aren’t meant to be so. Instead, they are likely due to his personal cynicism and relativism that has developed over years. He’s not ready to reveal that he’s on any kind of spiritual quest. He is curious but cautious, and still needs to feel safe and unthreatened when asking questions. We should respond in a friendly manner to increase the trust that has allowed him to ask questions in the first place.

Our gentle evangelizing should have an eye towards bringing this person from a a place of curiosity to being open to exploring the idea that God is a personal God rather than a concept, and that we can have a relationship with Him. We can introduce him to Jesus and the story of His passion, death, and resurrection in atonement for our sins. And we should be patient and pray for him, being grateful that, while he may not yet be making a commitment to spiritual or personal change, he no longer rejects the idea.

“Heavenly Father, I thank You for the virtue of fortitude given to me with my Confirmation that has prepared me to proclaim the saving message of salvation of Your Son, Jesus. May I ever be vigilant and prepared to welcome anyone who is curious about our Christian faith. I pray that Your Spirit affords me the grace to respond to them lovingly with humility and gentleness. Amen.”

(Curious Like Nicodemuswas first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2013-2025 Reflections of a Lay Catholic. Reposting and sharing of material in its full and original content is permitted, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author(s) and Reflections of a Lay Catholic.

From the Archives: Five Words

04 Saturday Jan 2025

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Charity, Discipleship, Evangelization, Jesus, Jn 1:35-42, John the Baptist, Lamb of God

In my morning meditation on today’s Gospel, John 1:35-42, I was thinking about how John the Baptist made pointing others to Jesus look so easy. All he said was, “Behold, the Lamb of God”, and two of his own disciples immediately began following Jesus. I thought, “What might I say to others that might lead them closer to our Lord?” And then, in a deja vu moment, I remembered I’d asked that question a couple years ago and posted a reflection entitled Five Words. After re-reading it, I thought it was worthy of posting again as a reminder that it is our mission as Christians to be like St. John and point the way to Jesus.

______________________________

St. John showing Christ to St. Andrew, Ottavio Vannini, c. 17th Century

Happy New Year everyone! I pray this finds you in good health and full of hope for a safe and prosperous new year.

Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Or are you like me and know that you will break them at the first opportunity? Generally, I tend not to make them but prefer, instead, to make daily resolutions gleaned from what I hear God’s will for me is that day based on my morning prayer and meditation. However, one thing that’s been on my mind these last few days is understanding what I can do this year to help lead more people closer to Christ.

In yesterday’s Gospel passage, John 1: 35-42, I read, “John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God.’ The two heard what he said and followed Jesus.” (Jn 1:35-37, NAB) John the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus brought Jesus his first two disciples. And all it took were five words: “Behold, the Lamb of God.”

Any good Jew would have understood “the Lamb of God” as indicating the Messiah, the One Who, according to Isaiah the Prophet (Is 53: 7, 10) would accomplish the Lord’s will and lead Israel out of slavery. These were the words they had longed to hear for generations. He was their hope, their salvation, the answer to their unhappiness. He was their rescuer.

Meditating on this passage, I wished it was that easy to convert people today, to help them recognize Christ as the answer to their problems, the One Who can bring peace in a stressed out world. All it took was for John the Baptist to say five words! Five words that hit home with people who were looking for peace, freedom, and a better life. I thought, millions of people today are searching for exactly those things and many of them are right here in my own community. I wondered, “What five words could I use to attract them to our Lord?”

As I pondered this question, I realized I would have to first work on getting my little ol’ self out of my introverted comfort zone. My first five words ought to be directed to Jesus Himself, “Lord, give me courage. Amen!”

I know that evangelizing can be more effective if a friendly relationship is first built with someone rather than shouting through a bullhorn from a street corner. What five words could be used to initiate a new friendship? A few that came to mind were:

“Hello, my name is __________.”
“Good morning, what’s your name?”
“Hello, are you new here?”
“Let’s get together for coffee!”

We all have friends we know very well, and we routinely meet people for the first time, who, if we are observant, we can tell are hurting in some way, either physically, emotionally or spiritually, and they need lifting up. What five words can be used to bring the love of Christ to them, to let them know we care?

“Can I pray for you?”
“How can I help you?”
“A penny for your thoughts.”
“You look lonely. Wanna talk?”
“What struggles are you having?”

And, then there are those who we see routinely at mass, who attend simply because they are supposed to or it’s what they’ve always done, yet are lukewarm in their faith. Many of these folks have let worldliness obscure their vision of Christ as the ultimate good. Their lives are out of balance and they know something is missing but they’re not quite sure what to do about it. What five words can we say to them to help them realize their situation, start them on the road back, and rekindle or strengthen their relationship with Jesus?

“How’s your prayer life, friend?”
“What graces have you had?”
“Where’s Jesus in your life?”
“Come, let’s go to confession!”
“Join me in Bible study?”

Five words for courage. Five words to make a new friend. Five words to show you love and care for someone. Five words to help someone who can’t see the forest for the trees. That might be all it takes. Of course, six, ten, or two dozen words might work even better. It’s really not that difficult if our hearts accept the mission given to us by Jesus to be disciple-makers.

“Dear Jesus, I love You because I know You love me. I want to share it with others who need to know Your love as well. Help me, Lord, to recognize the opportunities before me to evangelize, to summon up the courage to reach out, and to trust the Holy Spirit to give me the right words at the right time. Amen.”

(From the Archives: Five Words was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2013-2024 Reflections of a Lay Catholic. Reposting and sharing of material in its full and original content is permitted, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author(s) and Reflections of a Lay Catholic.

Rehabilitating the Labor Force

07 Saturday Dec 2024

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Bible Reflections, Christian Life, Evangelization

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Tags

Charity, Christian living, Cleanse the lepers, Cure the sick, Drive out demons, Evangelization, Faith, God, Jesus, Master of the harvest, Mt 10:1-8, Mt 9:35-38, Prayer, Raise the dead

In today’s Gospel, Mt 9:35 – 10:1, 5-8, Jesus shows his compassion for the many people who’ve come to him to hear his teaching and to be cured. As I imagine myself in that scene, I sense Jesus is overwhelmed because He knows there are so many more people who need to be cured, who need to be preached to, but He simply can’t get to them all. He needs help and he tells His disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” Then, rather than just wish for help, He commissions His twelve disciples, giving them authority to drive out unclean spirits and cure every disease and illness.

Whether you like it or not, Jesus is talking to us – to you and me. He’s asking us to not only be productive laborers but to increase the labor force. For most of us, that’s a scary thought, and a task that’s all too easy for us to turn from and walk away. We feel either incompetent or it’s inconvenient for us and low on our to-do list. But, it’s a condition of employment, so to speak. In a way, the compensation we receive will depend on how well we accept and perform that job requirement.

But Jesus is a fair and just employer. He doesn’t expect everyone to aspire to be upper level management. He just wants us to do the best job we can in the jobs we have – our particular vocations. We don’t have to be priests, religious, or parish Directors of Evangelization. He doesn’t expect us to quit our jobs as parents, siblings, friends and neighbors to be something we’re not. He just asks us to help Him in the roles we’ve chosen and the environment in which we work.

Often we get so wrapped up in our jobs that we forget that the mission of the company is to provide a service or product that is needed by others. It’s that way with our Christian faith, in which our mission is to serve others so that they will discover the saving grace of Jesus. Jesus trains us through Scripture and the Sacraments, through which He gives us the knowledge and tools to do our jobs well.

Where do we start? Well, Jesus asked his disciples to begin by asking “the master to send out laborers.” He’s telling us to pray, to pray to God for insight for whom we can reach out to join our labor force. This may be a new hire to our faith, or someone already on the payroll who’s not quite pulling their weight. If we pray, and if we pay attention, the Holy Spirit will put someone on our hearts.

But prayer is just the starting point. We have to use the knowledge and skills we’ve been taught through our faith formation, from what we’ve learned at our weekly meetings (Mass), and how we’ve seen other top producers (the Saints), do their jobs. By applying what we’ve learned, and with the support we will be given, we can add to our ranks and grow our business.

Many people, though, need some form of rehabilitation before they can become productive co-workers. Jesus has conferred on us degrees in Occupational Therapy. Like He gave His twelve disciples, He’s given us the authority and ability through the gift of charity and friendship to cure the sick– those who are spiritually ill, who are suffering from infectious diseases caught in the secular environment; and to raise the dead – those who were once alive but have succumbed to one of these fatal infectious diseases.

And, like the disciples, we can cleanse the lepers – by offering love and respecting the human dignity of those who aren’t exactly like us; who are rejected or who are outcasts from society because of decisions they’ve made or unfortunate circumstances that have occurred in their lives. And, we can drive out demons – by being good friends who, with compassion, help those who are controlled by vices such as pride, anger, envy, lust, gluttony, sloth, and greed, – all of the things the enemy uses to keep people from God; and help them through anxiety about worries and regrets over which they have no control.

Our Lord needs more good and able people to expand His kingdom. He’s depending on us to look within our own spheres of influence, to ask Him for guidance, and to employ all that he’s taught us to rehabilitate co-workers and new hires alike, so that the harvest will yield more fruit per acre.

“Lord Jesus, thank You for teaching me, for setting the example of how to grow Your kingdom. I feel pretty incompetent at times, but I know You are here with me and I only have to call upon You when I need help. Help me to never forget that I can’t do this alone, that You are always by my side. Amen.”

(Rehabilitating the Labor Force, was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Evangelization Happens at the Pace of Relationship

11 Wednesday Sep 2024

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Catholic, church, Culture change, Evangelization, Friendship, Jesus, Love, Love of Neighbor, Mercy, Relationships

In just over a week autumn will be here and summer will officially be over. With school starting, most parishes have wrapped up their festival season, had their parish picnics, and are beginning to prepare for the season of Advent.

Our parish family had its picnic in August. (Perhaps I need to explain what I mean by “parish family”. We have a priest shortage forcing our Archdiocese to combine parishes into parish families. Our “family” consists of two established churches whose boundaries abut each other.) To help transition from two parishes into one canonical parish with two campuses, we had one picnic for both churches.

I made it a point to wander around and meet people I didn’t know and to get reacquainted with folks I hadn’t seen in a while. I saw one couple whom I had not seen in four or five years sitting alone. They regularly attend the church that I don’t usually attend. They were eating their meal so I sat down with my plate of food and we reconnected. I asked them how long they had been parishioners and they replied they’d been there about nine years. I said, “You must know a lot of folks here, then.” They looked at each other and replied, “No, not really.” I responded, “That’s too bad, do you feel welcome here?” They again exchanged glances and replied, “No, not really.”

Sadly, this is not an uncommon sentiment by many parishioners. I’ve met too many people who feel the same. They’ve attended church for years but have made no real friends. People from the church I regularly attend have confided the same to me. My family has experienced this with our many relocations. And these days, because my wife and I travel often, we attend Mass at more than a dozen different churches each year and it’s rare that anyone takes the time to welcome our unfamiliar faces.

It’s easy for us to say that those who feel unwelcome are partly responsible due to their own introvertedness. But that doesn’t excuse the rest of us. We’re not all introverted, but even those who are can learn to be extroverted when called to be such.

By virtue of our faith we are all called to reach out to others and build up the body of Christ, the Church. In other words, we are called to evangelize. And evangelization happens at the pace of relationship. Relationships are begotten when we intentionally meet and get to know each other. Relationships build trust, and being trusted is essential when we are trying to proclaim the Gospel and bring others to, or closer to, Jesus.

Evangelization is often considered to be something we only do outside the church doors, to the un-churched. We need to change our thinking. We have to evangelize within our church family as well. At any moment, parishioners like those I met at the picnic may decide that if they don’t meet anyone this Sunday, they’re gone! Tragically, Catholics are leaving the faith in droves, partly because they do not feel welcome. It’s a problem our Catholic culture has to overcome if we want to survive. We have to get beyond the idea that our only responsibility is to attend mass each week and go to confession once a year. Our Creed says we are “One”. We need to start acting like we are all One family and loving the other as they deserve and need to be loved.

We are called to be merciful like Jesus was merciful. That includes practicing the Spiritual Work of Mercy of comforting the sorrowful. We can’t keep looking past people like they are invisible, rather we have to understand that many are struggling, and that not everything is copacetic in their lives. People going through a tough time need a listening ear. A friendly smile and welcoming conversation can turn a difficult day into one of joy and hope. The making of a new friend can end a life of loneliness. And personally, the next new person you intentionally meet might just be your next best friend, the someone you need but just don’t know it yet.

Make it a point to meet someone new this Sunday or at your next parish activity. Be intentional. Attend a different mass, sit in a different pew, look for that spot in a pew next to someone you don’t know. Then, after Mass, turn to them with an outreached hand and introduce yourself. When they respond, take the conversation from there, listening to learn more about them. It’s not that hard and you’ll be glad you gave it a try.

“Come Holy Spirit, rekindle in me and all those who have been Confirmed the virtue of fortitude to get out of our comfort zones and seek out those who need us. Help us to look beyond ourselves and commit to bringing the love of Christ to others. I thank You, Lord, for all those you have placed in my life who have reached out with a friendly hand and a comforting smile and made me feel a welcome member of our Catholic family. Amen.”

(Evangelization Happens at the Pace of Relationship, was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Be Like St. Mary Magdalene

23 Tuesday Jul 2024

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization

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Accompaniment, Apostle to the Apostles, Discipleship, John 20: 1-2, John 20: 11-18, Mary of Magdala, Missionary Discipleship, St. Mary Magdalene

Be like St. Mary Magdalene. I don’t mean go and get possessed by seven demons. No, be like her after she met Jesus.

Today is the feast day for St. Mary Magdalene. Yes, her feast day, not just a memorial. Pope Francis recognized her important role as a witness to Christ’s resurrection and, in 2016, raised her celebration from a memorial to a feast day on the same level as the Apostles.

Today’s Gospel, John 20: 1-2, 11-18, recounts the event of the morning after Jesus was crucified and buried. Out of love for Jesus and a burning desire to be with Him, Mary of Magdala went to Jesus’ tomb at the break of dawn, only to discover that the stone had been rolled away and Jesus was no longer there. She ran to tell the news to Peter and John, who raced back to the tomb to see for themselves. Acknowledging that Jesus was gone, but not understanding why, they left and returned home.

Mary, however, stayed at the tomb and wept for her beloved Jesus. She entered the tomb and was approached by Jesus whom she mistakenly thought was the gardener. Jesus told her to stop holding on to Him, and sent her to tell His brothers that He had not yet ascended to the Father. She obeyed and returned to the disciples announcing that she had, “‘Seen the risen Lord,’ and what He told her.”

By returning to her friends, the disciples, Mary became the Apostle to the Apostles, and was the first to evangelize and proclaim Christ’s resurrection, thus earning her place in that select group.

What do I mean by saying “Be like St. Mary Magdalen”? Well, first, we need to develop a loving relationship with Jesus like she did. We need to allow Jesus to save us from our sins. Then, like Mary, we need to spend time with Jesus, building and strengthening that relationship through prayer, listening to Him, and living our lives as He would have us live them. And, finally, we need to heed Jesus’ words to her and tell others about His resurrection. Jesus is sending us on mission. We are all called to be apostles, called to evangelize.

But, you might argue, Mary was sent to the Apostles who already believed in Jesus, men who already had a relationship with Him. That’s right, and we are sent to do the same. We often think of evangelizing as proclaiming the gospel to those who don’t believe. It certainly is, but we can also evangelize those who come to mass every week or most of the time; those who might occasionally attend a study class because they are wanting to learn more; and those who secretly have their doubts about some aspect of our faith. We are called to help others grow in their relationship with Jesus. Like Mary, we can do that by showing our love and devotion to Jesus in prayer, in the Eucharist, and not keeping our faith private. We can reach out to friends and acquaintances, delighting in them and valuing their dignity by inviting them into conversation and offering friendship and hospitality.

Evangelizing in this way will move those who believe but who minimally live their faith, and those who are seeking and growing in their faith, towards being fully missionary disciples. If we are to live out the central mission of our Catholic faith, we are required to make disciples of all nations. We can only do that by building an army of missionary disciples who are willing to evangelize both externally and internally.

You can be like St. Mary Magdalene.

“Heavenly Father, thank You for the St. Marys of Magdala that You put into my life. I would not be the disciple that I am today if missionary disciples who had an intense love for You and a desire to proclaim Your Kingdom had not accompanied me on my faith journey. Lord, I pray for the grace to pay this forward and help others draw closer to You and Your Son, Jesus. Amen.”

(Be Like St. Mary Magdalene, was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Are You In or Out?

16 Thursday May 2024

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization, Faith

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Bible, Catholic, christianity, Discipleship, Evangelization, Faith, Fear, Jesus, Jn 16:33, Jn 17:11-19, Trust

It’s Wednesday, May 15th, but I know this won’t get posted until tomorrow. I’m writing this right after my morning meditation on today’s Gospel, John 17:11-19. After Jesus informed his disciples that he is going away (Jn 16) and they will have to take over from Him, He warns them of the trouble they will encounter from the world, but to have courage because He has conquered the world. Now (Jn 17), He prays to God before them to consecrate them to the truth, sends them forth into the world to continue His mission, and prays, “for those who will believe in me through their word”.

As I put myself in that scene as one of the disciples, I feel anxious. I am alarmed and sad that my Messiah, the One I love, is leaving me, and I am fearful because I now have a tremendous responsibility to carry on His mission even though I am hopelessly inadequate. At the same time, I think about all the good He has brought to the world – the miracles, the lessons about right living, the healing, the interior peace – lessons that simply cannot be set aside and forgotten. I have a decision to make: do I just remember Jesus as a friend, teacher, and miracle worker, or do I continue His work, sharing this beautiful life, and help others come to know Him?

I realize that it’s really a no-brainer. Up until now, I’ve just been tagging along on His robe-tail, letting Him do all the work. Now He’s asking me, and trusting in me, to step up and take command. He’s even asked God directly to help me…and I have no reason to believe His prayer won’t be answered no matter how afraid I am. I have never felt more loved than when I’ve been with Him. He has asked me to love others as He has loved me. How can I do otherwise?

My decision: I’m in. I know it won’t be easy but I trust that He will be with me. I’ll make mistakes. I’ll fall occasionally. He told me the world will work against me. I’ll accept that, but I’ll find ways to deal with it and evangelize nevertheless.

What’s your decision? Are you in or out?

“Lord Jesus, thank You for inviting me to a deep relationship with You, and Your trust in me to lead others to You. Thank You for the gifts You give when I receive You in Communion, the gifts of love for others, and of courage and strength to overcome my fear of evangelizing as I bring that love to them. Amen.

(Are You In or Out? was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Biscuits and Gravy

11 Thursday Apr 2024

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization, Faith, Friendship

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Biscuits and Gravy, Catholic, Evangelization, Faith, Friendship, Missionary Discipleship, The Rescue Project

My southern-raised grandmother had a saying when she received something good over and above what she expected: “Well, isn’t that just gravy on the biscuit!”. This Lent our parish offered a faith-filled “biscuit” and got a heaping ladle of “gravy” thrown in.

Approximately ninety parishioners and parishioners-to-be gathered to experience The Rescue Project, a faith-building/evangelization program. Participants sat at the same table of eight, and, over eight weeks, filled their bellies with good food and their minds and souls with delicious “biscuits” – an expected deeper understanding of our Catholic faith.

The “gravy” came in the form of evangelizing through developing friendships. Many at the tables were strangers to each other, so table leaders had to be intentional about creating an inviting atmosphere for everyone to comfortably share their personal insights and what they received from the presentations. This intentionality had to stem from a genuine interest in the other person and a desire to get to know their story. With each successive week, participants became more comfortable and trusting, laughed and cried together, and became close friends. Since the program ended, table members have arranged to meet for meals, for prayer, and have stayed in touch supporting each other in their daily walk with Christ.

Everyone who attended The Rescue Project came to be inspired in their faith, and they left with much more – new friends with whom they could share their love for Jesus. But, those ninety folks are not unique in the world. There are millions just like them eager for friendship and the chance to tell their story if only someone is interested enough to listen. They are in our parishes, our neighborhoods, and our workplaces. They are the people sitting next to you in the church pew, or the new parishioner who’s just moved to town and doesn’t know anyone. They could be someone who is lost and despairing, who is blindly looking for salvation. God put you in their path on purpose.

To be missionary disciples, we need to intentionally seek opportunities to be friends who can bring others to Christ. We need to be welcoming and hospitable, and help others find joy in the world by delighting in them and helping them feel relevant, that they are beloved sons and daughters of God. God made us for each other. He shows His love for us through other people. Your next best friend may just be the person you’re about to meet. Delight in them. Be the “gravy” on their “biscuit”.

“Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of faith, for the gift of friendship, and the opportunity to bring the two together. Thank You for Fr. John Riccardo and his ACTS XXIX team for developing The Rescue Project. Thank you for putting it on the hearts of so many in our parish to participate and bring the love of Christ to others. Amen.”

(Biscuits and Gravy was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Ephphatha!

27 Wednesday Mar 2024

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Catholic, Curing of the Deaf/Mute, Ephphatha, Evangelization, Faith, Grace, Holy Saturday, Holy Spirit, Is 50:4-5, Mk 7:31-37, Prayer, RCIA

This Saturday morning, Easter Saturday, I will have the pleasure of leading eighteen adults and youths in the final rites before they are baptized and enter into full communion with the Church that evening at the Easter Vigil Mass. One of those rites is the Ephphatha Rite, the opening of the ears and mouth of the Elect to help them more clearly hear and proclaim the Word of God. The Rite is based on the curing of the deaf and mute man in Mark’s Gospel (Mk 7:31-37).

Saturday will be exactly eleven years to the day since I received this rite, the day I was baptized and became a Catholic Christian. A remembrance of this came back to me this morning as I read today’s first reading:

The Lord God has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to answer the weary a word that will awaken them. Morning after morning he wakens my ear to hear as disciples do; the Lord God opened my ear, I did not refuse, did not turn away. – Is 50:4-5

More happened that day than my conversion becoming official. God truly opened my ears and my tongue as well as allowing the words to flow from my brain through my hand to pen or computer keys. I was never one to journal or record my thoughts on paper, in fact, I abhorred writing, was terrible with grammar and punctuation, and, most of all, didn’t dare say anything about a belief with which someone else might contend. Yet, within two weeks, I began writing articles on this blog as a means to evangelize and lead others to a better understanding of their faith in hopes that they would grow closer to Jesus. Now, eleven years and 300 blog posts later, I still feel the call.

On March 30, 2013, I would have said you were crazy if you’d prophesied the future and said I would retire, go back to school to become a certified Catholic Spiritual Mentor mentoring dozens of men, and eventually be re-employed as Director of Evangelization and Adult Faith Formation within our parish. Miracles happen, and, with God, all things are possible.

“Good and gracious God, by Your grace, You joined me with holy people who accompanied me on this journey ever since I chose to follow You. Through them, You taught me how to pray, how to converse with You, how to tell You what is on my heart, how to listen to Your promptings, and, especially, how to help others do the same so that their interior lives can flourish. You opened my ears and loosened my tongue so that others may hear Your Word. I give You thanks every day that when I heard Your calling, ‘I did not refuse, did not turn away.’ Amen.”

(Ephphatha! was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Faith is Personal…but Should Never Be Private

26 Tuesday Mar 2024

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Catholicism, Confirmation, Evangelization, Friendship, Holy Spirit, Prayer, Virtue

Jesus Sends the Apostles – Duccio di Buoninsegna, c.1300

We all know people who claim to believe in God but then won’t talk about it. They clam up and say their faith is personal…end of discussion. They are right, one’s faith is, and should be, personal. But Jesus never intended for it to be private. He tells us in the Gospels to go and be disciples. How can we evangelize if we keep our faith private?

The most common excuse for keeping one’s faith private may be that the basics were never learned well enough in the first place to share it with, or defend it before, others. One can easily deflect blame onto one’s teachers or parents, but to remain in this state is to succumb to the deadly vice of sloth, which is a laziness or a lack of love for the ways of God. The virtue opposing sloth is diligence, which may simply mean spending a little time each day learning more about one’s faith through daily prayer, reading scripture or other Catholic publications, or listening to Catholic television, radio, or podcasts, all of which can help us increase our understanding of our faith.

Another is our failure to fully understand and accept the graces we received at our Confirmation. The infusion of the Holy Spirit supernaturally strengthened the virtue of fortitude within us, enabling us to share in the mission of Jesus Christ to spread and defend our faith. Like a child who receives affirmation from a parent over a good behavior continues to improve in that behavior, we, too, simply have to believe we already possess what we need.

And, finally, the exigencies of modern life can make us forget that we need other people. Jesus didn’t live as a hermit. He gathered family and friends with whom He shared life. St. Paul urged the Corinthians to not live their faith privately but in community with one another. Like an ember that falls away from a fire and dies out, we can grow cold if we don’t stay close to others who are on fire with their faith, and others can grow cold if we don’t bring our fire to them.

To effectively evangelize, we can’t be passive. We have to actively learn, strengthen our relationship with Jesus through prayer and study, and build friendships with those whose fires need stoking.

“Lord Jesus, I pray for the grace to love You more dearly, and to exercise the grace which You’ve already bestowed on me in my Confirmation to bear fruit for Your Kingdom. Amen.”

(Faith is Personal…but Should Never be Private was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Relationship vs. Religion

09 Saturday Mar 2024

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Catholicism, christianity, Evangelization, Evangelizing, Faith, Friendship, Jesus, Mental Prayer, Prayer, Relationships, Religion

In many previous posts I’ve mentioned the need to develop a close personal relationship with Jesus through prayer, especially mental prayer or mediation, in order to make our evangelizing authentic. In prayer, we spend time with Jesus, we converse, and we build a friendship with Him that becomes so exciting that we want to introduce Him and share Him with others!

As Catholics, we are fortunate to be able to claim two thousand years of tradition in our lineage. We are the original Church, instituted by Christ Himself, and built on the rock of Peter. We have thousands of saints to whom we can look as role models: men and women who performed incredible acts of charity, who evangelized savage cultures at the risk of losing their lives, and who staunchly defended their faith and were martyred. Our faith is deep, and we have a plethora of books, magazines, podcasts, television, videos, and speakers to help us learn and go deeper into the finer details of Catholicism. It’s all good and exciting stuff and we can easily get lost in it. So lost, in fact, that we can begin to think that our religion, our Catholicity, is first and foremost. And, when we do, Jesus gets relegated to the back seat. Our excitement about Catholicism becomes a hinderance to actually promoting Jesus.

If we read the Gospels closely, we see the popularity of Jesus. People heard of his miracles, and they flocked to Him. They were cured of sickness and demons, and, as they told more people about Him, more and more people followed Him everywhere He went. During Jesus’ public ministry, His disciples didn’t tell people to come join them in a new religion. The term Christianity was not coined until a few decades later. Rather, they simply invited them to encounter Jesus. People got excited about Jesus and not some new religion.

If we’re not careful, we can fall into the trap of thinking we are evangelizing when, instead, we are selling Catholicism rather than sharing our love for Jesus, and hoping that an interest in Him will ensue. We have it backwards. We ought to follow the example of the Apostles and invite people to meet Jesus. Once they find and get excited about Him, then we can introduce them to the beauty and truth of our Catholic faith.

How do I know this? Because it worked on me.

“Dear Jesus, thank You for Your love, for drawing me closer to You each day. I love You, and in our friendship, Your love overflows so that I may offer it to others who may not know You…yet. Amen.”

(Relationship vs. Religion was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)