Sometimes we feel that evangelization is simply about feeding a person who has given
up on religion, with truths after truths and truths about our Catholic faith. While that
might work with a certain personality type, many people will be turned off.
Disembodied truths that only reside in the head cannot have much effect on most
people who hear them. Why? What does attract people is the lived faith of a
significant person in their lives. When asked of those who were on the road to
becoming Catholics in the parish RCIA program, what drew them into making this
decision, many replied, “It was the lived faith of a spouse or some other important
person in their lives, who relied on their faith to find meaning and joy in their lives.”
In a sense, these “hungry” people were responding to the invitation to “be our guest.”
It was their response to the thoughtfulness, kindness, willingness to listen to their
story, acceptance, love. Who could resist such a “deal?”
Pope Francis has labeled this approach the new evangelization. This kind of ministry
creates “missionary disciples” of all of us (including Associates) who are willing to share
our faith journey inviting others to “Be Our Guests.”
• Do you see yourself as a missionary disciple?
• Are you willing to share your faith journey with its ups and downs?
• If you have shared your journey, what has been the results?
O God, give me the grace to be able to share how you have entered my life.