Catholics: Do you know how to share your faith or "witness" to others?

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MariaG,
I couldn’t’ve said that much better. Thanks!

SW,
You seem to think that I haven’t heard what your message is so many times that I can recite it in my sleep (which I can). I thought as you do when I was out of the faith, but I know now just how wrong that is and I will never return to that partial truth. Like Steph700 says, I regret my own a-C days and I tend to take the misguided efforts of such without much grace. I believe that a great deal of a-C evangelism is not really motivated by love, but of greed since to embrace Catholicism would blow most of the “preachers and ministers” out of their careers. It takes great courage to embrace the truth when it will cost you your career, friends, and maybe even more. All it cost me was my deceptions.

Now, when it comes to spreading the faith, I take all I learned about “Witnessing” and apply it to Catholicism and that seems to work very well. Most of the n-C witnesses that I encounter are taken aback by the fact that I can match them move for move and that in the end they get an invitation to embrace the truth and become Catholic. It really rattles “ex-” Catholics. 😃

In order to share the faith one MUST know the faith and this is not a new message since the CCC and His Holiness John Paul II stated the very same thing. With great courses like the ones at CHSS amm.org/chss/chss.htm
and materials from CA (Of course!) and folks like San Juan Catholic Seminars catholicapologetics.com/
The Mary Foundation catholicity.com/
and The Catholic Society of Evangelists saint-mike.org/cse/default.asp
and The Bible Christian Society biblechristiansociety.com/
there’s really no excuse for all of us not to find all we need to be able to speak the truth in love in season and out and be able to give a reason for the hope that is in us.
It’s just a matter of obedience.
Pax vobiscum,
 
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SPOKENWORD:
Church Militant:
Hi C.M. You know God is in control. Gods timing is perfect. Maybe He wants you to hear what I have to share? :confused: God Bless
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We’ll still be listening when you come back home.
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  1. I go about my life struggling to be a good Catholic. I wear my crucifix for all to see.
  2. Occasionally I recognize a holy moment in listening to some else talk. I realize that that person is searching.
  3. It is critical to be able to discern between the genuine questioning of a searcher and the prelude of the disingenuous preparing to attack. I ignore the latter. I meet the former by asking questions.
  4. If people are determined to attack my faith in the company of those who are genuinely seeking answers, I say something like this, “I think you are looking for a fight and I think you don’t know what you are talking about. I am advising you that I do know what I am talking in quite some detail and, if you continue in your attack on my faith, you had better know more than I do which you don’t.” I deliver this with a quiet tone of voice but a no-nonsense expression with one eyebrow up.
  5. I tend not to react to the troll questions of attackers, but respond instead with my own questions which I know they can’t answer.
  6. With genuine seekers, I give limited information and always end on a question. I try to engage the seeker in the excitement of the hunt for answers.
Less is more.
 
God love ya Ani! I appreciate your honesty and your love for Our Lord and our most holy faith. No one ever promised us that our paths would be a walk in the park…in fact, Jesus pretty well promises us that things will be crazy in life but that He will be there with us all the way. (The Beatitudes) In my struggles, I often recall that Jesus promised that they who hunger and thirst for righteousness would be blessed and filled. I call upon Him to fill me on a very regular basis, because I always seem to hunger and thirst for Him…I just can’t get enough.

Sharing my faith is just a natural part of what I do. I really don’t think about it per se, but if someone else comes along and indicates that same hunger and thirst…I have to share what I have from Him out of His own love and compassion.
Pax vobiscum,
 
I can share my faith without much hassle. I had to work my way back to the faith so it’s all fresh in my mind and I’m always reading anyway.

SPOKENWORD…you sound like a guy who’s heard the same message that St. Francis of Assisi did…
 
2Rollin'Stoned:
I can share my faith without much hassle. I had to work my way back to the faith so it’s all fresh in my mind and I’m always reading anyway.

SPOKENWORD…you sound like a guy who’s heard the same message that St. Francis of Assisi did…
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2RS, I think you’re right! 👍
 
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Fidelis:
when travel, I try to leave Catholic tracts in places where you usually find Jack Chick or JW material. If I stay in a hotel, I take along a copy of the Catholic Answers booklet *Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth *and place it inside or under the Gideon Bible (or Book of Mormon, if I am in Utah).
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Wow, that is an excellent idea. Thanks for sharing that with us.
 
I worked my way back to the Faith too. Now I read and study a little bit every day so that I can learn how to share my Faith and how to defend my Faith. I too struggle every day and lately have been trying to use The Little Way to guide me. I get so discouraged about my life that I have to work hard to remember how blessed I am! You have all taught me so much that I feel, truly, part of a Catholic community which I have never really felt before - of course, I don’t think I ever really wanted it either!:o

Thank you ALL and May the Lord continue to Bless you EVERY DAY…:dancing:
 
I am a cradle Catholic and attended Catholic Schools and had a basic understanding of what it meant to be Catholic. A couple of years ago I had a situation in my life that I could not deal with emotionally with rationality and in the past my life was filled with turmoil. Driving aimlessly one day I found myself in my local parish. I spoke with Mary and then Jesus and the tears just would not stop flowing. I gave my suffering to Jesus as my gift and apologized to Jesus for not knowing him the way I should. A feeling of euphoria overwhelmed me and since then I cannot get enough of church, the Bible, and above all else communion. At times now going to communion brings me to tears. All in All I would say I am a nut or had a true holy spirit experence. Nothing now including suffering will take off that smile I put on my face everyday and the peace I feel in my heart. I have made it a point to be foward in my wearing apparrel weither it be a bracelet or crucifix. This alone brings numerous discussions with others. Prior to this I would avoid discussing Jesus and my faith. The cock that crowed. I have made a solemn promise never to deny Jesus again. When I knock on the Door of Jesus I do not want him to say I do not know you. My children think I have become a little bit fanatic however I have since made sure my Grand children are now full members in the Catholic Church and am praying for my childrens full return to the Catholic Church. I do know that this new change has brought people that know me to wonder as to this positive change.
 
Hi c659smith!
You’ll find quite a few folks on here that cry with joy at communion, (myself included). This is really a good “testimony” and I find that most n-Cs just flip when they encounter a Catholic who recounts a living faith experience like that, since they think we are all a bunch of pharisaical rules lawyers or something and can’t possibly have any real joy in our relationship with Our Lord. It would almost be funny if it wasn’t so wrong. :rolleyes:
God bless you and know that I’ll include your family in my prayers. Please offer the same prayers for my sons as well.
Pax tecum,
 
I went to the Carnival that is in town this weekend and stopped by the Are you Saved? booth, which is in most Carnivals. I talked with the guys over there about how happy I was to be in the Catholic Church and the reasons I came back to it.
After answering some of their questions and I think giving myself a little credibility when one of them asked “what about 2 Timothy 3:15 ?”, thanks be to God I recognized it and started quoting it more or less.
“From childhood you have know the scriptures…etc” and thanks to listening to John Martignoni I was able to explain this passage and get their attention.
In the end we ended up talking about the Church and they want to read a Scott Hahn book since I mentioned him. One of them then mentioned how he had recently spoken to another Catholic who made an impression on him and he wanted to know more.

I should note these weren’t the usual guys who hand out Chick Tracts, they were much more moderate and had their own tracts they made.

There are many times where we need to just trust in God and take that step in sharing our faith. It is a beautiful thing to share and be a part of.

God Bless
Scylla
 
…seriously want to share your faith… try living it… example my friends, example…👍

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It depends on what the attitude of the person I’m talking to is. IF they are tolerant of other faiths, I have no problem explaining what I believe or why I believe it.

I have not met a hard core evangelical to discuss such things (at least not off-line). I have no fear of encountering someone like this but I doubt they would listen to what I have to say. I suspect they would be no different in person than they are on web sites.

I don’t happen to memorize chapters and verse, but I remember a lot of quotes or can paraphase the verses that I find appropriate. I especially like to reference stuff from the books that they don’t have in their KJV, and the quotes from Christ about the real presence in the Eucharist.

They probably think I’m just another poor dumb Catholic, fated to fry forever. But I really don’t much care what they think, I only need to consider what God thinks. If God thinks I’m doing well, I don’t give a rat’s behind what these other guys think.

wc
 
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thessalonian:
The poll needs an all of the above.
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I fully agree. Unfortunately the dork who put it together didn’t think of that or the system that allows multiple choices. (yours truly :o )
 
space ghost:
…seriously want to share your faith… try living it… example my friends, example…👍

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Mr. Clemens was certainly correct SG, and I offer as futher support 1st Peter 3:13-15
“13 And who is he that can hurt you, if you be zealous of good? 14 But if also you suffer any thing for justice’ sake, blessed are ye. And be not afraid of their fear, and be not troubled. 15 But sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts, being ready always to satisfy every one that asketh you a reason of that hope which is in you.”

Still one needs to able to give that answer in both love and well informed knowlege. Without the good example of our lives, 1. who would bother to ask and 2. who would think it worth having?
Pax tecum
 
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