Being a light in the face of bad influences?

[Drewww]

Hi all, I’m new to the Catholic Answers Forum and I would like to provide some context of my situation before I head into my question.

I’m a 16 year old senior in high school that is socially active, including involvement in sports, and a lion dance club (two man dance in a lion costume, common during Chinese New Year). At this point in my life, I confidently say that I’ve taken great strides towards living holier and it’s heavily influenced most aspects of my day to day activities, especially my social life. In my lion dance team, I admit that I’m not surrounded by the best influences. Gossip, vaping (the popular smoking device), swearing, promiscuity, and other sins are common in the community, and it definitely pains me to hear such things come from my fellow team mates. However, I’m conflicted because I love lion dance and I’ve developed a bond with some of these guys, I want to serve as a light in their lives and I’m constantly looking for opportunities to present some form of evangelization to them (however small it may be), starting from trying my best to live as an example. It does get hard to be around, especially at times where I’m stuck in a car with the boys on our way to our lion dance performance, with obnoxious, promiscuous music blaring from the aux and the driver yapping a lot of profanity from road rage and what not. If I can say so, it’s these times where I feel diligent in my spirituality, clinging on to God that I may not be influenced by these factors, and I’d like to say that it’s working, but of course I’m most likely being biased and I need you wonderful people to help me discern.

My question is: Can I still continue to grow more devout as a Catholic, developing a more intimate communion with Christ, while still being around these guys performing this, I guess you can call sport, that I love? I love these boys and my goal is to try to bring out the best in them while not allowing their influences to taint my soul and relationship with Christ. I also do my best to see the best in them, and I can honestly say that is true as my thoughts of these people link to the flashes of good I’ve seen or know they are capable of doing/being. Mind you that me being over-scrupulous tends to worsen my worries and anxieties, while at the same time helping me to be very prudent of what I say and my thoughts. But me being over-scrupulous is a whole 'nother thread haha. I appreciate all the help in advance and am really looking forward to what advice you fine people have to offer. God bless.

 

[David.Kers]

Hey, Drewww.

I’m currently 19 and in my second year of University, when I was in high school I had a very similar group of friends, they were drinking excessively, and swearing non-stop. The thing that really helped me was that I started praying for them, that they would see something. I read an article about how Fulton Sheen would always sign J.M.J on top of his papers which stood for Jesus, Mary and Joseph. It was a way of offering up or consecrating the work done on that page to God, so I started doing this, and my friends starting asking about it. It opened a way for me to “introduce” them to Catholicism. My Mom always told me “only God can convert them, you can only introduce them.” From this I started really growing in my faith as I searched for other ways to “introduce” them, and started praying twice as much as I used to.

So, I found that for me at least, this is not only an opportunity for them to meet God, but for you to grow in faith. Our role as Catholics is to bring people to God, to “work in his vineyard.” Although you also need to be careful that you don’t fall into their vices as well, trust in God, and continue to spread his love with yours.

God bless

P.S. That dragon dancing sounds fun!

 

[Drewww]

David,

I really appreciate your insight. I think it’s pretty cool that you mentioned Sheen’s use of J.M.J., oughtta give that a shot in some way haha. But yeah I will do my best to continue to look for ways to introduce Catholicism to the boys and keep them close in my prayers, trusting God’s process. Thanks again for your advice!

 

[anon68864946]

Hello Andrew,
I understand you completely! Us young Catholics have it kind of hard sometimes, haha But I think God places every person in our lives for a reason, and we are definitely called to be light to those around us.
If I hear a friend swear or say something sinful, I like to offer up a silent Hail Mary for them right there in that moment, and ask Mary to take that person under Her mantle I think the best thing that you can do for your friends is to pray for them. Not out of a “I’m holier than them” attitude (which I’m sure you don’t have anyway) but a “I love these people and I want them to find happiness in God” attitude, like what you mentioned in your post. I really liked what David said, about how he prayed that his friends would “see something”. That’s really beautiful!
(On a side note… I sometimes write J.M.J on my exam papers, but I admit that’s because I desperately want Divine intervention in the exam But maybe the examiners will see and it will bring them closer to God? Who knows!)
Is there any way you could join a Catholic youth group, or make friends from your parish? When I met other young Catholics with strong faiths it was extremely inspiring for me, and helped bring me closer to God.
All the best with your lion dancing! God bless!

 

[Drewww]

Thanks for the reply Petite!

I love the idea of dedicating those to the Blessed Virgin through prayer, as simply as you put it through saying a Hail Mary. I will definitely include this in my life more. As for the youth group - yeah I’m currently in a Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement, my first love haha.

 

[misstherese]

I’m 18 right now and have been having the same troubles. If these people are tempting you to sin somehow or influencing you negatively, you might want to be careful or reconsider how often you hang out with them. If you don’t find yourself influenced by them, then I would say to just pray for them and always be ready to inform them of the Catholic faith if they are curious.