Evangelization Begins with Friendship

29 Monday May 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization

Tags

Acts 2:2-3, Commencement, Disciple-Maker, Discipleship, Evangelization, Friendship, Friendship Deficit Syndrome, Holy Spirit, Mt 28:19, Pentecost

I went to a high school graduation party yesterday for a young friend of mine, Thomas, with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working side by side as a volunteer repairing people’s homes, and who has been a great help to me in maintaining my own property. After writing a note to him in the obligatory greeting card, I realized that my sentiments were not so much congratulatory as they were well wishes for the future and an affirmation that he will do well and go far. Thomas, is bright and hard working and I believe he will see his high school graduation not as the end of something, but as the beginning, or “commencement”, of a promising future; that his diploma is more than a confirmation of a job well done, but a conferring of responsibility to do something great.

While I was at the party, it occurred to me that it was my second event of the day to celebrate a “commencement”. The first was attending mass on Pentecost Sunday, the day on which the Apostles utilized the gifts of the Holy Spirit which had been conferred upon them in the upper room. It was the day they graduated from simply being disciples to becoming disciple-makers.

Unlike Thomas and other graduating seniors who will go on to college before they effectively utilize all that they’ve learned, the Apostles, didn’t waste any time. When the Holy Spirit descended on the Jews in Jerusalem, Peter became the first to accept the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19). With fortitude, he proclaimed the Gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ. When he was done, three thousand Jews converted.

Pentecost serves as a reminder to all of us Catholics that, by virtue of our own Baptism and Confirmation, we have the right and duty to utilize the gifts which the Holy Spirit has conferred upon us to discover how to bring the message of salvation to other people.

It’s doubtful that we will experience a noise like a strong driving wind, or tongues as of fire (Acts 2:2-3) that prompt us to take action, but we all do experience opportunities to begin the process of saving souls through Jesus. I’m not talking about evangelizing by standing on a street corner preaching through a bull horn. No, it’s much simpler than that. It begins with friendship and a love that desires good for the other person. And, there’s no greater good than to know Jesus Christ.

Our society today is starving for true friendship. We have what my friend, Dr. Mike Scherschligt of the Holy Family School of Faith, calls FDS – Friendship Deficit Syndrome. Virtual friendship through social media platforms isn’t working. Loneliness and depression caused by a lack of personal interaction and friendship are the leading causes of an alarming increase in suicides. People are lost. Many don’t know who they are or what they are. They don’t know what love is. They don’t know what brings happiness. And, they no longer know truth. They don’t know God. Souls are waiting to be saved through friendship.

Through friendship, meaningful conversation, and hospitality we build relationships. We get to know and understand each other and we build mutual trust. It takes time, but when a friendship develops to this level, the friend who is far away from our Lord is much more likely to accept an invitation from you to explore or go deeper in faith. The door is opened for you to arrange an encounter with Jesus. That encounter may come from inviting the person to a small group discussion, a bible study, to attend mass, spend an hour in Adoration, or pray a Rosary with you. As they get more comfortable, you walk as their companion on their journey while they establish their own relationship with Christ. It’s the ultimate win-win for everyone – they discover the love and mercy of our Lord, and you receive abundant graces for your effort.

It works. Two men who, in honoring their duty, made it their mission to get to know me. They followed up by building a relationship with me based on trust. Then, they brought me to an encounter with Jesus. The rest is history.

“‘Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful, enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Send forth Your Spirit so that we may be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth.’ Lord, open our hearts to Your Spirit so that we, like the Apostles at Pentecost, will boldly step out of our comfort zones and graduate from simply being disciples to being disciple-makers. Amen.”

(Evangelization Begins with Friendship was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2013-2023 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.

Some Will. Some Won’t. I Tried. Who’s Next?

19 Friday May 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Acts 18:1-8, Ascension, Evangelization, Friendship, Mt 28:19, Prayer

Yesterday was the Feast of the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven. One of the last things Jesus spoke to the Apostles was to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19). In yesterday’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Acts 18:1-8, we read about St. Paul once again doing just that, preaching the salvation of Jesus Christ to the Jews in the synagogue, “Every Sabbath, he entered into discussions in the synagogue, attempting to convince both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 18:4). We can tell from Scripture that evangelizing wasn’t a walk in the park for him and we can imagine how frustrating it must have been.

I try to imagine what it would have been like to be a fly on the wall during one of those “discussions” in the synagogue. Who did most of the talking? Was there dialogue or was it mostly one-sided? Were there questions and answers? Were the conversations civil or were they heated arguments?

Have you ever stopped and wondered why he continued to preach so fervently when it must have seemed he was beating his head against a wall? Why did he keep going back for more disappointment? I imagine that each and every conversion renewed his zeal, making it worth the struggle.

I don’t think his goal was to impress upon people that he was right and they were wrong for pride’s sake. No, I suspect he preached from a position of love. He had a love for the Lord, and a love for the well-being and salvation of the soul of every person he met. St. Paul may have never actually met Jesus, but he knew Jesus through the Holy Spirit and a deep life of prayer. He knew Christ’s love, and he took to heart the Great Commission of bringing that same love to other people.

We know that St. Paul was tenacious. He didn’t give up until he’d exhausted every effort to bring men to conversion. He persisted until the opposition and revilement (Acts 18:6) indicated he was at a hopeless juncture and it was obvious that he ought to move on and evangelize someone else.

With respect to our efforts to evangelize, what can we learn from St. Paul’s style? I think we have to be clear as to why we’re evangelizing in the first place. Are we trying to convince someone we’re right and they’re wrong? Or is our concern truly based on our love for them, wanting their good and the salvation of their soul?

When we operate from a position other than love for another person, when we focus on our rightness and their wrongness, effective dialogue becomes nearly impossible. Evangelizing becomes an argument. It prevents us from understanding and accepting that the other person’s perception of truth is based on their education and life experiences, things that may be totally different from our own. We lose sight that, for us to be believed, the other person must see us as authentic and trust-worthy. That trust can only be won through listening, which is often hard to do and sometimes even painful. Rather than make the effort to listen and understand the other’s story, we have a tendency to give up too soon when a conversion may only be one conversation away.

But, like St. Paul, we may have to eventually accept failure knowing that we gave it our best shot. We may have to take the attitude of a friend of mine, a committed disciple maker, who says, “Some will. Some won’t. I tried. Who’s next?”, and move on to the next person who is searching for, or open to, the love that can only come from Jesus Christ. We may need to give up on an individual, but we can never give up on the mission.

“Dear Jesus, today, on this feast of Your Ascension into Heaven, help me to realize the grace from the Advocate as you promised. With Your help, I resolve to grow my friendship with You through prayer. And, I commit myself to deeper friendships with others as a disciple maker, bringing them into a friendship with You. Amen.”

(Some Will. Some Won’t. I Tried. Who’s Next? was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Angling and the Art of Evangelization

12 Friday May 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Adoration, Angling, Evangelization, Fly Fishing, Mt 28:19

At my holy hour of Adoration this week, I knelt before our Lord in the tabernacle and, as sometimes happens, my mind, after a while, began to wander. This time it drifted to a trip in July to Montana where I’ll have the opportunity to do something I love – fly fish. Although it’s two months away, I’m already excited about it because this will be a special trip as I’m taking a good friend with me who has never angled for trout in a mountain stream.

I dreamed about preparing my equipment, of examining my fly box, and wondered what will attract the fish this time. I visualized sections of streams where I’ve caught fish before and of making the perfect cast into the perfect spot. I sensed the patience and anticipation, and the sound of the rushing water as I stood in the stream with the beauty of the mountains surrounding me. It was an excellent daydream!

When I came out of it I felt guilty that I had been distracted from my adoration of Jesus. I know that distractions in prayer are sometimes the devil dividing my attention away from Him. But, I’ve also experienced times of distraction that left no doubt that it was the Holy Spirit Who had led me there. This, I believe was one of those cases.

In March I came out of retirement and began working as the Director of Evangelization in our parish family. It’s a job I am loving and excited about, and a challenge which, I hope, will help bring other people to Christ. As I was coming out of my daydream I was suddenly inspired by the parallels between fly fishing and evangelizing.

Intentionality – In most of America, you can’t just go fly fishing for trout at the drop of a hat. You have to be intentional about it and you have to plan for it. The trout stream doesn’t come to you, you have to go to it. Evangelization, I think, is like that. In most cases, someone who doesn’t know Christ isn’t going to come looking for you. Rather, you have to make yourself available to them. And, you have to go into it seeking to make a friend with whom you can build a trusting relationship.

Preparation – A successful fishing trip requires up front preparation: checking your equipment, your leaders and tippets, the flies in your fly box, your waders for leaks, etc. Preparation is required for successful evangelization, too. You need a firm relationship with Christ, the One Whom you are going to introduce to someone. You need to know how to respond to a few questions such as, “Why are you a Christian?”, “Why are you Catholic?”, “Who is Jesus?”, etc. And you need to be prepared to stay with a potential new friend on their journey.

Love – Angling, I believe, requires a real love for the sport. Anybody can thread a worm on a hook, put a bobber on a line and toss it in a pond. It doesn’t take a lot of love. But fly fishing is an art form that can only be truly appreciated with a love for the craft. Likewise, evangelization is an act of love. In evangelization, our love is expressed by truly desiring the good of the other person, and there’s no greater good to gift someone than a relationship with Christ.

Meet them where they are – Unlike pond fishing where you randomly toss your line out and hope something will bite, in fly fishing you have to read the water. You have to find that boulder, or the slot on the edge of the turbulence, where the fish are waiting. You have to meet a trout where he is because he’s not going to swim out of his way to take your fly. In evangelization, one needs to meet people where they are. Everyone is at a different place in their spiritual life, and it’s necessary to ask a few questions to understand where they are.

Feed them – Trout are always hungry but they are picky eaters. They won’t eat just anything. They know what’s common to the stream, they know what insects are emerging and coming off the water. Just any old fly won’t work. Similarly, someone looking to understand Christianity is looking for that one thing that will click with them, that will entice them to take a second look.

Presentation – You can pick the right fly and float it past a trout, but if it doesn’t look right, forget it, they’ll let it go. If it’s moving too slow, too fast, or in a different direction than everything else in the water, it’s suspicious to them. Presentation is important in evangelization, as well. Get too preachy and the person is turned off. Too nonchalant, and they won’t take you seriously. You have to be authentic, real, because they’re looking for someone they can trust.

Patience – Fly fishing requires patience and experimentation. Sometimes it takes time to find where the fish are lingering, what’s on the streams natural menu, and how you’re going to “plate” the fly. You may have to try different tactics to get that first strike. Evangelizing is no different, it takes time and patience to find that one thing that will catch a person’s attention.

Persistence – Fly fishing isn’t a lazy person’s sport. You have to work at it. You can’t sit on the bank and wait. You have to be active, wade in the stream, and risk slipping on a slimy rock. If you don’t, you’ll become discouraged and give up. Then you’ve failed. As Christians, it is our duty to evangelize. We’re not allowed to give up. We can take breaks, we may fail occasionally, but we can never give up.

Our Lord said to his disciples, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…” (Mt 28:19). If Jesus hadn’t had a lot of other things on His mind, I think He’d have told them to go and learn to fly fish for trout, too.

“Heavenly Father, I pray for the grace to listen to your Word, and to let the Holy Spirit lead me in building a culture of evangelization in our parish. Lord, inspire our faithful to grow closer to you and form an army of intentional disciples. Help us to be fishers of men and women. And, if it’s Your will, for a successful fly fishing trip in July. Amen.”

(Angling and the Art of Evangelization was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

How to Evangelize Like St. Philip

01 Monday May 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization

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Acts 8:26-40, Ethiopian Eunuch, Evangelization, Evangelizing, Jesus, Love, Mt 28:19, St. Philip the Deacon, St. Philip the Evangelist

In last Thursday’s first Scripture reading, Acts 8:26-40, we read where St. Philip the Evangelist (the deacon, not the Apostle), at the prompting of the Holy Spirit, met, instructed, converted and baptized the Ethiopian eunuch. Philip took to heart the Great Commission handed down by Jesus to, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” (Mt 28:19).

Let’s take a look at evangelization. What is it exactly?

In a very simple sense, it is telling someone else about something near and dear to your heart. Something you love. People know that I love pizza, I love my wife and family, I love to mow grass, and I love to fly fish in a mountain stream. They know these things because I talk about them. I don’t keep them a secret.

But, there’s something I love even more than pizza, my family, my zero turn mower, and fly fishing. I love Jesus. People who know me know this because I tell them. And, to people I don’t know, I write about my love for Him in this blog. It’s one way in which I spread the Gospel (which means “Good News” by the way). It’s really no different than telling someone the good news of when you have a new grandchild, when you get a new car, or when you’ve become engaged.

Sadly, the word evangelization makes people uncomfortable. It brings about visions of knocking on doors, of preaching from a street corner with a bull horn, and of putting one’s self in difficult situations where you might get asked questions to which you don’t have answers. But, turn that around and look at it from the other side. There are millions of people out there who have questions and are seeking answers. Questions about how to be happier, how to feel loved, how to deal with suffering. Questions about God and Jesus. Questions that are just waiting for answers from those of us who experience the happiness associated with Christ’s love, and the value of suffering that comes with our faith. Answers that will help bring about positive change in another person. Answers that will ultimately save souls.

We all know people who are searching for something better. They may be family, friends, a co-worker, the next door neighbor, your child’s little league coach or piano teacher. People you know who see you and see what you have and want some of it for themselves. They may not feel comfortable in coming to you directly. But, if you’re observant, you can see the signs – signs that they’re hurting, lonely, afraid.

My conversion experience began with two men who befriended me, saw my struggles, and with love and patience, brought me to an encounter with Christ where I had a “Pauline” experience and got knocked off my horse. And, then, those two men and several other “Ananaises” brought me even closer to our Lord and helped me get to know Him.

With my conversion, I immediately felt Christ’s love for me, but I’d be lying to say I was immediately an evangelist. No, it took a while for me to learn to love Him back and to build up my faith with a strong interior life. That transformation took place through deep and consistent daily prayer during which my relationship with Jesus grew stronger. I talked to Him and, in meditating on His Word, I listened to what He had to say to me. By acting on His promptings I grew in virtue, in holiness. People noticed. They began coming to me for answers of how to know Jesus better.

So, how can you evangelize others? First, get to know them (and that applies to family members as well as strangers). Invite them into your life. Make friends with them. Build relationships. Share meals and good conversations. Get to know what makes them happy and what their struggles are. Create an atmosphere where they feel comfortable asking the questions for which they are desperately seeking answers. And, most of all, pray for them!

At some point you can begin talking more openly about your faith, telling them about Jesus. To start, maybe you invite them to the parish picnic. Soon, they might join you in a Bible study. Perhaps, then, they will come and experience mass with you. As they start growing in their relationship with Jesus, take them deeper in understanding His life by leading them in a meditation of the mysteries of the Rosary. And, never stop praying for them. Put all these things together and you have become an evangelist. You are making disciples.

The Ethiopian eunuch whom St. Philip evangelized went back to his country and began spreading the Good News to his queen and fellow countrymen. That one disciple became a disciple maker. Soon, Christianity spread throughout that region and the Catholic Church in Ethiopia became one of the first Orthodox Christian Churches outside of the Roman Empire and is still strong today.

Jesus not only gave the Great Commission to the Apostles, he gave it to us. We are called to make disciples who will go on to become disciple makers themselves. Our parish needs it. Our Church needs it. Humanity needs it.

With whom will you meet today or tomorrow that will bring an opportunity to begin a beautiful new relationship that will ultimately bring them to Christ? Be like St. Philip the Evangelist!

(How to Evangelize Like St. Philip was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Believe and be Rewarded

18 Saturday Feb 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization, Faith

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Catholic Spiritual Mentorship, Discipleship, Evangelization, Faith, Friendship, Hebrews 11:1, Hebrews 11:6, School of Faith, Seek God

When I cracked open my Bible this morning to today’s first Scripture passage I saw that it began with the familiar, “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for, and evidence of things not seen.” (Heb 1:1, NAB). I immediately sensed I should pay attention because something profound was yet to come. Five verses later, there it was, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him [God], for anyone who approaches God must believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who seek Him.” Those words evoked a beautiful memory of a life-changing event….

Midnight, Saturday, April 14, 2012 – I had just spent one of the most uncomfortable days of my life – the first day of a two day Catholic spiritual retreat at which my attendance had nothing to do with my spiritual life. Rather, I was there to get away from the stress of life, from the loneliness of spending countless time away from home due to work, the loneliness of having made no real friends since I’d moved to town six years prior, and to think about how I was going to dig myself out of the mire of depression into which I was falling. After the first couple hours of the retreat, I felt like a fish out of water. I had seen more praying than I’d seen my entire life. Although I’d been married to my loving and devout Catholic wife for 30 years, I was a NONE, with no real convictions about God. Jesus was not part of my life.

I was getting ready to hit my bunk for the night when I fell into a conversation with a man that I had come to know fairly well. We were friends although we’d never actually shared our lives with each other as I now know that true friends do. Eric asked me how my day had been. I opened up to say that I honestly didn’t know what to think. I had never heard men talk like those whom I had heard that day, disclosing such personal and intimate experiences, and avowing how God had helped them through their struggles. I allowed that this was new territory for me, that I tried to live my life as morally as I could and with kindness to others, but that I’d never felt called to fully believe in God. Eric replied, “Brother, you’re doing the good things God wants you to do! Just open your heart to the Holy Spirit like you heard today, and God will give you the gift of faith.”

2:00 a.m., Sunday, April 15, 2012 – After two hours of insomnia, thinking about the experience of the day, and going over Eric’s advice in my head a million times, I asked myself, “What would I pray for if I was to pray for something?” Two things came to mind: first, that I would get some affirmation that my wife and daughters knew how much I loved them, and that I would receive some reinforcement of their love for me; and, second, that I might develop some friendships with these men on the retreat who seemed to be taking an interest in me.

Summoning up the courage to roll out of my cot, I found my way into the chapel. I took a pew near the back on Joseph’s side and looked forwards. Eric and a woman were up near the altar praying. On the altar was what I had heard them call a monstrance, a cross-looking thing in which a consecrated host was on display. Kneeling there, I wasn’t sure how to start my prayer so I said, “God, I don’t know how to pray. I don’t know for sure if I believe you are real or not. But, after what I’ve seen today, how these men can be so happy in spite of the difficult situations they’ve faced, I want to believe in you.” And then, for the first time in my life I prayed. I prayed for those two things: love and friendship.

11:45 a.m., Sunday, April 15, 2012 – After a few more testimonials that morning I was given a large envelope stuffed with dozens of other smaller envelopes. As I delved into them I found letters from the men who were giving the retreat thanking me for attending, praying for me, and offering to walk with me in faith. There were cards from people I didn’t even know saying they had been praying for me all weekend that I might experience Christ’s love. And, to my surprise, there were letters from my wife and daughters, parents, brother and sisters. Each and every one was a love letter letting me know how much they loved me and that they knew my love for them. That’s when I discovered I had what a friend later explained was the Gift of Tears.

I found more than the love of my family in those letters. And, I found more than new friendships that weekend. I found the love of Christ, a love deeper and more profound than any love I’d ever known. I realized all that i had been missing for fifty-five years. I started life anew that weekend when I cracked open the door of my heart. I found the source of happiness, and I wanted more of it. I was given the gift of faith through the realization of things I had hoped for, because I had been given evidence of something i couldn’t see. That weekend I became a Christian. One year later, I became Catholic.

The scripture says we must believe God exists before He rewards those who seek Him. But, I think He is a loving and merciful God, One Who bends His own rules, when He sees fit, and rewards those who seek Him because they want to believe.

I imagine there are hundreds of people in every community, yours included, who fit that description, who want to believe, but have no one to show them the way; men, women and children who are waiting for someone to reach out to them in friendship and invest in them and encourage them to crack open the door of their heart to let the love of Jesus rush in. Won’t you let that someone be you?

Lent begins next Wednesday. Perhaps a Lenten resolution would be to meet and strike up a conversation with a neighbor whom you don’t know well; smile and introduce yourself to someone who looks sad, bewildered, or hurting; or honor the Sabbath by setting aside work and, instead, invite over for dinner someone who is alone. God gave you an imagination. I’m sure you can use it to come up with your own ideas of how you can be a disciple for Christ.

This week, almost eleven years after my conversion, I am helping a class of eighty men and women learn and grow in their faith, forming them to become Catholic Spiritual Mentors so that they may more effectively lead others closer to Jesus. On April 13th, 2012, I’d have said you were crazy if you had suggested I would be where I am today! I praise and thank God every day for this life to which he has brought me, for the men and women who have led me along the way, and for the desire to help others grow close to Jesus.

The Catholic Spiritual Mentor class of 2025 is forming now. If you are interested in learning how to become a guide to another in his or her quest for friendship with Jesus, you can visit the School of Faith website for more information, or if you are interested in having a Spiritual Mentor of your own, you can find more information here.

“Dear Jesus, thank You for placing those undesirable and uncomfortable situations in my life that drew me to an environment in which I learned to seek You and receive Your gift of faith. Thank You for loving me through good men who offered friendship to me, and thank You for a loving wife and children who supported me as I grew to love You more. Thank You for giving me the desire to be a disciple-maker for Your Kingdom. Amen.”

(Believe and be Rewarded was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Is Your Faith Contagious?

06 Tuesday Sep 2022

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization, Faith

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

Bring a friend to Christ, Evangelization, Faith, Jesus, Jesus the Divine Physician

Jesus, the Divine Physician – St. James Catholic Church, Duluth, MN

In today’s Gospel, Luke 6:12-19, Luke tells of the great multitude of people who sought out Jesus to be healed of their diseases and to be cured of the torment of unclean spirits. Luke doesn’t elaborate on how this great multitude of people learned about Jesus’ healing. But, I suspect it happened by word of mouth, by those who heralded the healing and curing power of Jesus to their family and friends.

Reflecting on this passage, I related to the poor tormented souls as I recalled a time when I was overwhelmed by stress and the exigencies of life which brought so much unhappiness. I wasn’t looking for Jesus to cure me, but I let friends who knew I needed Him carry me to His emergency room, an ER with zero wait time!

So, I ask myself today, have I been one of those friends who, after being cured, or having witnessed His healing, made the effort to tell others who need Him? I can say “Yes”, but reservedly. This blog is one way I get the word out. I evangelize through spiritually mentoring other men to develop their interior lives and their relationships with Jesus. I share my faith in small groups with other men who already have a strong faith. But, do I reach out effectively and proclaim the Good News to those who have not heard it or are indifferent to it? Is my faith contagious? I think I can do better.

How about you? Is your faith contagious? In what ways do you tell others about Jesus and His saving grace? How might you do better?

“Lord Jesus, I thank You for Your constant presence in my life. Lord, open my heart to new ways to bring others to You, and, through Your grace, help me to realize the virtue of fortitude I need to be outgoing in bringing Your Word to others. Help me, Jesus, to live my life in a way that others want some of what I have. Amen.”

(Is Your Faith Contagious? was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2013-2022 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.

Be Like St. Mark

25 Monday Apr 2022

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Daily 100, Evangelization

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Evangelization, Mark 16:15-20, St. Mark, St. Mark the Evangelist

St. Mark the Evangelist, Frans Hals, 1625

Today is the feast of St. Mark the Evangelist, the author of the second Gospel. Mark tells us that Jesus told the eleven Apostles, “Go into the world and proclaim the gospel.” Tradition tells us Peter preached in Turkey and Italy, Thomas in India, Philip in Greece, Andrew in Ukraine and Russia. Mark evangelized Egypt. Others went elsewhere. Together, risking their lives, they spread the Good News.

But, they didn’t get everywhere. They saved the low risk people for you and me: our next door neighbors, brothers-in-law, hair dressers, and plumbers.

Be like St. Mark. Go and evangelize!

(Lord Jesus, I give you thanks for the grace of fortitude bestowed on me in the Sacrament of Confirmation that overcomes any fear I may have of evangelizing to those who may not know you. Help us all, Lord, to complete the work of the Apostles, St. Mark and the other Evangelists. Amen.)

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

Finding Peace In The One Who Is Really In Charge

25 Wednesday Nov 2020

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Peace, Trust

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Allegiance, Catholic, Christ the King, Election 2020, Evangelization, Lk 21:12-19, Peace, Politics, Ps 98:9, Rv 15:1-4, Trust

It’s been twenty two days now since the U.S. presidential election. And, it’s been over thirty days since I’ve checked any news source to see how the election went down. I’ve not watched television, read a newspaper, listened to the radio, or ventured onto social media. I did stop by a friends house on Thursday evening after the election and he had his television on with election coverage. It seemed there was yet to be declared a winner because of evidence of voter fraud in some states. By now, that could even be old news. I wouldn’t know and I have no interest in finding out anything more. I will learn when the time is right. But, for now, I am at peace.

I am not a very political person in the first place, but I did vote for my preferred candidate. I voted my conscience, which was guided by my faith, and for what I thought was best for the future of America. Beyond that, there was not much I could do to affect the outcome other than pray that God’s will be done…. and hope that it matched mine. Yes, like most folks, I have my concerns of how life will be if the election goes opposite of the way I would like.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us, “they will seize and persecute you… have you led before kings and governors….and you will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.“ (Lk 21:12-19) The day may come when I am indeed persecuted, but I’ve decided I will not let it disturb my peace of mind and heart.

I found I was losing that peace by allowing myself to get caught up in the pre-election noise and angry vitriol that was being spewed from both camps. I’ve been voting for forty-four years and, although this is nothing new, I’ve never seen our nation as polarized as it is now, nor as divided between good and evil.

To compound my disillusionment with the whole mess, I sadly noticed that many people on social media who professed to be Christian, fellow Catholics included, were equally offensive. The Christian faithful, in defense of their candidates and moral beliefs, seemed all too eager and willing to join in the artillery battle and retaliate by lobbing an equal number of bombs on their opponent. For a child of the Cold War, it conjured up visions of a nuclear holocaust where he-who-runs-out-of-bombs-first is the loser when in fact everybody loses. Eventually, someone will hold the office as the next President. But, whichever way it falls, the character of our country has already suffered crippling losses because the morally right allowed themselves to be drug down from the mountain and into the muck.

I wondered if a non-Catholic who knows that we are called to love our neighbor even when a part of us might wish he or she would get run over by a beer truck would recognize us by our words and actions? It seemed to me that, in our Christian parlance, we hated the sinner and anyone associated with the sinner as much or more as we hated their sins. Anyone who might have been considering joining our Catholic ranks could easily have deduced that our faith was in one political party or the other and not with Jesus Christ, himself.

Life is full of hard times and unpleasant circumstances – difficulties which we do not like, do not choose and cannot change – that go against our will and cause us grief. Politics is simply one of those circumstances. You have only a fifty-fifty chance of being satisfied with the outcome. God doesn’t create the outcome to be viewed as punishment for those who don’t get their way. But, He allows it for the purpose of a greater good to be realized. We are not God so we don’t have the inside scoop on what that greater good will be. But, we are called to have faith, a faith that accepts that all will work out well for those who love and trust in Him. Thus, anyone who finds themselves either overly ecstatic or depressed by the election outcome has placed their faith in a human being instead of God.

As Catholics, we are called to evangelize, a job at which, I admit, we are not very effective. But, I can’t imagine that Jesus intended for us to evangelize by placing our faith in a political party and then beating the other side over the head with it. If anything, we are called to have such a strong trust in His will that we are willing to turn the other cheek. Rather than expending so much energy frustratingly trying to change other’s political views that don’t match up morally with our own, we ought, instead, to be putting our effort into living virtuously, making friends with people, getting to know them and understanding why they believe what they believe. We might learn something and they might become open and comfortable to do the same with us Catholics, thus opening the door for us to introduce or reintroduce them to Jesus Christ. Is this not what the early Christians did while they were being persecuted during that first three hundred years after Christ’s death? Are they not the ones who, per today’s first reading are those who are “standing on the sea of glass”, “who have won victory over the beast”, and who are singing, “the song of the Lamb” (Rv 15:1-4)?

You might think that I, by choosing to not follow the election coverage, don’t care about what’s going on in our nation, about all its problems and lack of unity. You’d be wrong. I care so much that I want to focus my efforts on what I believe are the root problems, namely a lack of faith and virtue, and a departure from the moral values inscribed on our hearts by our Creator. I choose to turn my back on the one-sidedness of the news media, and ignore the anxiety to which the world would have us fall prey and which causes us to lose hope. It may feel as though the world is going to hell in a hand-basket but I refuse to let it steal my peace. Nor will I allow it to make me live my life worrying about the future. The future is in good hands with God. He will come, “to govern the world with justice and the peoples with fairness.” (Ps 98:9)

This last Sunday morning, as I walked out of church after Mass, at which we celebrated the Solemnity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, two friends began to complain about the election not knowing that I have chosen to remain reclusive with respect to the media. I quickly raised my hand to signal resistance, let them know that I did not know where the election stood, and politely asked them to not spoil it for me. Then, in response to their confused looks, I explained that, for me, no matter who wins the Presidency, the real One Who was, is, and will forever be in charge is He Who was raised to His throne by being hung on a cross. He brings me peace and, in Him, I place my faith, trust and allegiance.

In whom do you place your faith, trust and allegiance? Does that one bring true and everlasting peace to your soul? Are you inviting chaos and anxiety into your life and allowing the bitter dissonance of the world to control you? There is a better way – a way of faith, hope and love in Jesus Christ.

“Heavenly Father, on this day before our National Day of Thanksgiving, I give You thanks that I live in the greatest nation ever created. We may have our problems, but there’s no physical place, economic or political system on earth better than the United States of America. I pray that we turn to Your Son, Jesus, as our guiding light, and for the fortitude to bring others to Him. I pray for the intercession of our Mother Mary, to whom our great nation is consecrated, to protect us under her mantle from the Evil One. Amen.”

(Finding Peace In The One Who Is Really In Charge, was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2013-2020 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.

Tuesdays at Five

05 Wednesday Sep 2018

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization, Faith, Prayer

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Action, Evangelization, Faith, God-moments, Prayer, Thanksgiving

Every Tuesday evening at five o’clock after my Adoration hour, I meet with a small group of two to three other men to share our faith over the last week. This summer when the weather has been nice we’ve met on the bleachers in the shade of the trees behind the baseball field backstop at our parish school. We take turns talking about our progress in piety; the sincerity of our study to learn and grow our knowledge of our faith; any action we’ve taken to help others grow closer to Christ; and to relate any close God-moments we’ve had where we’ve seen or felt God’s presence at work in our lives. We also take this opportunity to help hold each other accountable.

Yesterday, it was my turn to go first. I shared that my prayer life had improved from a couple weeks prior, and, uncharacteristically for me, my study had taken off like a jackrabbit. I’d read four books in the last week – one on meditative prayer, one on life in the Spirit, a short book on devotion to Mary, and Pope Paul VI’s encyclical, Humanae Vitae – as well as listened to some of my classroom lectures. I had a couple action items worth honorable mention, and concluded that I’ve struggled lately with actively recognizing when God has been working in my life. I simply haven’t had any tremendous revelations to speak of.

Next up was my friend Mike. When he got to his study sharing he confided, with a wink in his eye, that he used to read a blog called Reflections of a Lay Catholic but for some reason it’s author had stopped writing. He added that, in fact, he would often get some of his weekly God-moments from that blog site.

Of course, his comments were intended to be a friendly jab at me for slacking off in my writing and they were taken as such. Nevertheless, I made a mental note to double down on living in the present so that I might better realize, when they come along, those small God-moments about which I often write. After my other friend, Paul, finished his sharing, we, as always, held hands, prayed for special intentions, and then together prayed the Lord’s Prayer.

During the forty-five minutes that we sat there sharing, the parking lot had filled up with the minivans and SUVs of soccer moms and their sons eager to get on the field and play. When the three of us finished our prayer we stood and walked to our own vehicles. Mine was the farthest away and as I neared my pickup truck a young mother caught my attention and told me with a sincere smile, “That was a beautiful display of your faith, the three of you praying together in public. I am so glad that my ten-year old son got to see that! Thank you so much!”

I didn’t know what to say other than, “Thank you!”. I think, but can’t say for sure, that I babbled something about doing that every Tuesday evening. I know I said, “Thank you!” more than once and I know at least one of those expressions of gratitude was not just back to the young woman but to the Lord above for creating that special moment and for allowing me to experience it.

Before driving away I sat in my truck and reflected on what had just happened. I thought about the Gospel passages from our daily scripture this week from Luke, chapter 4, the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, and how He calls us to minister as well. I thought about the quote attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, “Preach the Gospel at all times. And, when necessary, use words.” I thought about how I often fail to use words as much as I should in proclaiming my faith, but, in this case, I was grateful for the affirmation that my actions spoke so loudly.

I thought about how, just possibly, that ten-year old boy might remember, years down the road, the moment when he saw three old men sitting on the bleachers praying together, and that he may decide to do the same. I thought about the young mother who’s faith may have been severely shaken in light of the current crisis in the Church, but may have just had that same faith reawakened. I thought I will probably never know but I can hope that good will come from it.

Finally, I took a moment to give thanks again to God for allowing me to experience that moment, for showing me that small acts done with love and gratitude are especially appreciated.

And, this morning, I give thanks to God again for giving me the fodder I need to post again in Reflections of a Lay Catholic so that my friend Mike will have something to read for his daily inspiration.

“Father, I love You and I know You love me. You are there for me each and every time I turn back to You after journeying away. Thank You, Lord, for my faith in You and for allowing me to share it with others. Please, Lord, let this ministry be efficacious in bringing others closer to You. Amen.”

(Tuesdays at Five was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2013-2018 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.

Be Like Paul

09 Saturday Jun 2018

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Daily 100

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Evangelization, Faith, finish the race, Glory, keep the faith, St. Paul, Truth, Virtue

In today’s first reading (2 Tm 4:1-8), we see first hand St. Paul’s character. He follows sound doctrine, knows the truth, is self-possessed, evangelizes, competes well, finishes the race, and keeps the faith. He knows he’s near the end of his life but he still “sings [God’s] glory every day” (Ps 71:8) and, “speaks of the mighty works of the Lord.” (Ps 71:16).

As I try to grow in virtue I know I can never be perfect like Christ. He is God. But, with His grace, maybe I can get closer to being like Paul.

(Be Like Paul was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)