Disappointed and discouraged.

[Karen_C]

The wife of the repair shop owner who does our vehicle repair is a very devout Pentecostal. I’ve known her for years and she is a very deeply faith filled woman. About 2 weeks ago I was paying for a repair and happened to be wearing my Miraculous medal. She gave no indication of having noticed it. I paid my bill and left. Yesterday, I was there to have my vehicle inspected and we chatted for a few minutes. I don’t know how the subject came up but she began talking of a fallen away catholic friend of hers and proceeded to make some rather rude remarks about catholics and the Catholic faith. I was not expecting it. It caught me off guard. I wondered about saying something to her but didn’t want to embarrass her by letting her know I’m Catholic. So I basically just smiled and nodded and left soon after. It was only later when I remembered having worn my medal 2 weeks earlier that I felt she may have intentionally introduced the subject of Catholicism and her disparaging opinion of it. For years I’ve read apologetic material hoping for an opportunity to share my faith with someone who perhaps had misunderstanding of what we believed and the one good opportunity I’m given, what do I do? I freeze up, afraid of offending someone’s sensibilities. Other than for my own edification and instruction, what good have all these years of study and reflection done for my ability to share my faith if fear is going to set in and make me clam up?

 

[Trishie]

You were caught off-guard, she ambushed you.
Don’t beat yourself up, Karen.
You are a courteous person who wouldn’t dream of treating anyone else as she treated you, so it’s natural that you weren’t prepared.
Apart from anything else, she was outrageously rude.

Her attack was oblique. She didn’t refer to the medal, so you weren’t in a position to state the case for Catholics in that matter.

You can, and will of course, pray for her and others who react and believe as she does.
Your words might never make headway, but God’s grace can.

Bless you!
Trishie

 

[Marie5890]

The wife of the repair shop owner who does our vehicle repair is a very devout Pentecostal. I’ve known her for years and she is a very deeply faith filled woman. About 2 weeks ago I was paying for a repair and happened to be wearing my Miraculous medal. She gave no indication of having noticed it. I paid my bill and left. Yesterday, I was there to have my vehicle inspected and we chatted for a few minutes. I don’t know how the subject came up but she began talking of a fallen away catholic friend of hers and proceeded to make some rather rude remarks about catholics and the Catholic faith. I was not expecting it. It caught me off guard. I wondered about saying something to her but didn’t want to embarrass her by letting her know I’m Catholic. So I basically just smiled and nodded and left soon after. It was only later when I remembered having worn my medal 2 weeks earlier that I felt she may have intentionally introduced the subject of Catholicism and her disparaging opinion of it. For years I’ve read apologetic material hoping for an opportunity to share my faith with someone who perhaps had misunderstanding of what we believed and the one good opportunity I’m given, what do I do? I freeze up, afraid of offending someone’s sensibilities. Other than for my own edification and instruction, what good have all these years of study and reflection done for my ability to share my faith if fear is going to set in and make me clam up?

First of all…HUGS!!!
I know what it’s like to be in your shoes. It’s easy to be disappointed in our selves and become discouraged when we think we have missed an opportunity.

But you dont know if you really did at that point. Since you didnt even remember how you were wearing you MM that day (I have one I wear, too) perhaps the Our Lord didnt want you to engage this woman at this time esp if she was being rude in what she said.

Engaging in sharing the faith with someone, who at the moment, is in an anti-Catholic stance, often doesnt do any good and just leaves both people feeling angry and irritated.

That is not of Our Lord.
Perhaps (and this is only a suggestion) you can say a prayer for this woman, and ask Our Lord that the next time you see her, even if it’s not for a while, you can go up to her and say something to her to the effect and in great love “I dont know if you remember the last time that we met, you shared with me some of your feelings about Catholics. Well, I just wanted to tell you, I am Catholic and I feel a need to correct some of your misunderstandings”

Or whatever kind of conversation that you feel works for you based on what happened.
But dont engaged in a long draw out argument with someone who may have some venom in their souls about Catholics. Just do it will love, thank her for listening, and wish her a good day.

Or again, something along those lines.
Sometimes it’s just not the right time to engage someone who at the moment is in a very anti-stance. It chases away love. It’s not helpful or healing.

God Bless!!****

 

[Karen_C]

Thank you Trishie and Marie. It has bothered me a lot because I’ve replayed in my mind all the things I would have liked to have said and wonder if I’ll ever get the opportunity again. She really is a very good person and being we’re in the south, where there a lot of misconceptions about the Catholic faith, I don’t fault her because I know she is very sincere in her beliefs and is only going by what she was taught. I just feel like I let our Lord down.

Years ago, my husband, who is not Catholic, made a comment about Mary being a sinner like everyone else, and all I could do was mumble under my breath, “No she wasn’t”. How does one overcome the fear or shyness in speaking up for the truth? I’m not talking about in a confrontational way. I just wish I could find my nerve.

 

[xzereus]

The wife of the repair shop owner who does our vehicle repair is a very devout Pentecostal. I’ve known her for years and she is a very deeply faith filled woman. About 2 weeks ago I was paying for a repair and happened to be wearing my Miraculous medal. She gave no indication of having noticed it. I paid my bill and left. Yesterday, I was there to have my vehicle inspected and we chatted for a few minutes. I don’t know how the subject came up but she began talking of a fallen away catholic friend of hers and proceeded to make some rather rude remarks about catholics and the Catholic faith. I was not expecting it. It caught me off guard. I wondered about saying something to her but didn’t want to embarrass her by letting her know I’m Catholic. So I basically just smiled and nodded and left soon after. It was only later when I remembered having worn my medal 2 weeks earlier that I felt she may have intentionally introduced the subject of Catholicism and her disparaging opinion of it. For years I’ve read apologetic material hoping for an opportunity to share my faith with someone who perhaps had misunderstanding of what we believed and the one good opportunity I’m given, what do I do? I freeze up, afraid of offending someone’s sensibilities. Other than for my own edification and instruction, what good have all these years of study and reflection done for my ability to share my faith if fear is going to set in and make me clam up?

Karen,

It’s quite easy to respond incorrectly when first confronted with things like this, especially when taken off guard. I think all of us, at one point or another, have done a poor job at defending not only our Catholic faith but also our faith in Christ as a whole. If I were you, I would pray that God would give you the ability to speak with this woman again very soon. You might initiate conversation by asking about her fallen away Catholic friend.

The most important thing to bear in mind, I think, is your personal testimony. My father, a Protestant minister, always said that there is but one thing which no one can refute, and that is your personal testimony. One way I have done this is through speaking on Confession. One thing that I always felt as a Protestant, and that all of my close friends admitted feeling at one point or another, is a feeling that I must apologize to God endlessly for the same sins. Through confession, thank God, this feeling has been lifted.

Although I got a bit off point, I mean to say: don’t be discouraged. Apologetic materials only mean so much, and the most meaningful argument you can make for your faith is your personal experience with God.

Xzereus

 

[thequeen]

The wife of the repair shop owner who does our vehicle repair is a very devout Pentecostal. I’ve known her for years and she is a very deeply faith filled woman. About 2 weeks ago I was paying for a repair and happened to be wearing my Miraculous medal. She gave no indication of having noticed it. I paid my bill and left. Yesterday, I was there to have my vehicle inspected and we chatted for a few minutes. I don’t know how the subject came up but she began talking of a fallen away catholic friend of hers and proceeded to make some rather rude remarks about catholics and the Catholic faith. I was not expecting it. It caught me off guard. I wondered about saying something to her but didn’t want to embarrass her by letting her know I’m Catholic. So I basically just smiled and nodded and left soon after. It was only later when I remembered having worn my medal 2 weeks earlier that I felt she may have intentionally introduced the subject of Catholicism and her disparaging opinion of it. For years I’ve read apologetic material hoping for an opportunity to share my faith with someone who perhaps had misunderstanding of what we believed and the one good opportunity I’m given, what do I do? I freeze up, afraid of offending someone’s sensibilities. Other than for my own edification and instruction, what good have all these years of study and reflection done for my ability to share my faith if fear is going to set in and make me clam up?

Hello Karen I would like to add my hugs to Marie’s for you and don’t be ashamed of being Catholic I don’t know if this will make you feel better but do not be afraid to share your faith with someone like this although i can understand how you were caught of guard but i say that because at one time I was one of those pentecostals but thanks be to God now am a member of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church Founded by Jesus Christ and I can say that it has been the best almost twenty years of my life. Oh and by the way I also wear a miraculous medal.

 

[Karen_C]

Thank you so much to all of you who responded. You’ve all given me the encouragement I needed to hear. God bless you all.

Karen