Catholics Come Home: Part 4

Yesterday I began giving my suggestions as to what can be done to encourage those who have left the Catholic Church to return home. Today I would like to pick this back up again…

5. Don’t be a Ninja Catholic
The ninjas of Japan were known for their stealth, their ability to go unnoticed. In fact, there were many legends circulated that they could even make themselves invisible. Don’t imitate ninjas in this regard!

What do I mean by this? Don’t be ashamed to be identified as Catholic. It may be as simple as praying before meals, wearing a cross or talking with your friends about parish life.

“Let your light so shine before men…” – Matthew 5:16

 How will someone ask you about your faith if they don’t even know you’re a Christian?!

6. Live the Gospel…
Your life may be the only Gospel someone ever “reads”. Therefore, live it all for the glory of God. Here is what Pope Benedict wrote in his encyclical about hope:

“The one who has hope lives differently; the one who hopes has been granted the gift of a new life”
– Spe Salve

If Jesus makes a difference in this world, your life should have a different quality. This attractive quality will draw people to Him, much in the same way the holiness of the Verbum Dei missionaries attracted me. To quote Pope Paul VI:

“’Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses’ … It is therefore primarily by her conduct and by her life that the church will evangelize the world….by her living witness of fidelity to the Lord Jesus – the witness of poverty and detachment, of freedom in the face of the powers of this world, in short, the witness of sanctity” – Evangelli Nuntiandi, 41

7. …but be ready with words
However, living a life of sanctity is the beginning of evangelization, not the end. If you live a life of holiness, at some point, you will be asked questions. You will be asked why you are Catholic, why you believe in God etc. Be ready to respond when the opportunity arises.

“Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence” – 1 Peter 3:15

I would suggest that it’s a good idea to be particularly prepared to give a response to the “hot button” issues, such as the question of women priests, science vs religion, abortion, contraception etc.

At the conclusion of the conversation I think it’s a good idea to say something like “Thanks for asking about my faith. If you have any other questions in the future, please always feel free to ask me”. It’s important that the person you’re speaking to knows that you’re a “safe” and welcoming person with whom to speak.

If you’re asked a question to which you don’t know how to answer, don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know, but I will get back to you”. Don’t guess. Your honesty will be appreciated. However, make sure you do actually research the question and get back to the person who asked you.

After you have given an answer, I’d suggest following up with some materials if possible. Materials which can be easily consumed are preferable, such as CDs, MP3s, YouTube videos etc. Make it as easy as possible. I’m a reader and love books, but not everyone is a reader (“I asked you for an answer and you instead gave me a library!”). It’s important not to hand over material you haven’t read/watched yourself. This way you’ll know the stuff you’ve handed over is orthodox and you’ll be ready to answer any follow-up questions.

8. Stay abreast of the current issues in the media
The news will rarely comment on Christian-related news even-handedly so stay abreast of what’s going on in the news. Your comments at the water cooler may be the only counterbalance heard by your coworkers.

9. Invite
This is really important. Encourage people to come to Church events by personally inviting them. Sometimes you will have to invite someone many times. Be persistent, but gentle. If someone takes you up on your offer, make sure you turn up too!

Look out for events which are particularly appropriate. For example, if you have a friend with hearing impairment, invite that person to an event if you know there’ll be an ASL interpreter. If you have a friend for whom English is not her native language, invite her to events which will be in her native tongue.

It’s also important not to restrict yourself to spiritual events. A social event can open up contact and make attending any subsequent spiritual events at some later point in time less intimidating.

Finally, if there aren’t appropriate events happening at your parish or within your Diocese/Eparchy, don’t wait for them to be started by someone else, start them yourself!

We’ll continue with this tomorrow…

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

The article Catholics Come Home: Part 4 first appeared on RestlessPilgrim.net