Does anyone here do any Witnessing?

  • Thread starter Thread starter gusano
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
G

gusano

Guest
Jesus said:…
**“You will receive power when The Holy Spirit comes down on you ; then you are to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, yes , even to the ends of the earth”

“All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”**

Acts 1: 8 and Romans 8: 14

Just to mention a couple reasons why…

Has anyone here experienced an occasion or two to witness to anyone anywhere, …
before, during, or after the Liturgy
in church, in the parking lot,
away from church,
Miles away from Church,
at home,
as far away from home or church as possible ?

What was it like ?

The reason I ask this is because I hear much too often:
"Catholics don’t witness."

God Bless you
and meet you
in your efforts to “WITNESS”.

gusano
 
I’m mennonite, but I witness every day. I am honest with my customers, co-workers, and boss. I try to be Christ to them as much as I can. This doesn’t mean I always suceed but I try. The key is witness with actions instead of words.
 
We all witness, for better or worse, with every interaction we have with another person. Every word, every action, should be a witness to our faith. If not, then those words and actions are witnesses to our lack thereof.
 
40.png
bauerice:
Read my signature!👋
Click to expand...
so true… 🙂

so much more effective witness to show faith, than to talk faith…

but, i realize the thread is concerning verbal witnessing to people,
and yes… being a converted Baptist, i have lots of chances to
discuss my beliefs…

🙂
 
Well, I’m a bit of a hermit, living and working at home most of the time. But, I was involved in a writers’ group for several months in which 2 of us were Catholics and 2 of us were not. One of the gals who was not Catholic was a young wife and mother who had been brought up ECUSA, been involved with the Baptists during her college years, and then married a guy who had been brought up in some very strict and abusive form of “Old Catholic.” They are now members of an independent Pentecostal sect.

One day the topic of the Catholic faith came up, I can’t even remember how, but both non-Catholic gals were there, but not my fellow Catholic gentleman. They had a lot of questions and we spent about an hour talking about a wide range of issues. The young wife and mother had the most questions–good ones, respectfully asked with a sincere desire to understand (which is really the best way to “witness” to anyone, IMHO).

She had sometimes driven me home from our meetings and had asked questions then, too. It’s such a joy to see “the lights come on” as you explain the teachings and some of the spirituality of the Catholic faith. For her sake alone I wish we were still meeting because I feel certain that in time and with much prayer and perseverance she and her husband might come home to the Church. I am hoping to keep up an email correspondence with her, if she wants, not only to share more of the faith with her, but because I would hate to lose my new friend.
 
Absolutely- friends,co-workers even people I just meet. Sometimes words, sometimes actions.
 
40.png
Shlemele:
I’m mennonite, but I witness every day. I am honest with my customers, co-workers, and boss. I try to be Christ to them as much as I can. This doesn’t mean I always suceed but I try. The key is witness with actions instead of words.
Click to expand...
I am Catholic. And I agree with your statement, even as you quote St. Francis of Assissi. “Preach the Gospel always, and when necessary use words.”
 
40.png
gusano:
Just to mention a couple reasons why…

Has anyone here experienced an occasion or two to witness to anyone anywhere, …
before, during, or after the Liturgy
in church, in the parking lot,
away from church,
Miles away from Church,
at home,
as far away from home or church as possible ?

What was it like ?

The reason I ask this is because I hear much too often:
"Catholics don’t witness."
Click to expand...
God Bless you
and meet you
in your efforts to “WITNESS”.

gusanoThose folks have never met me… 🙂

I’m probably their very worst nightmare…a “witnessing” Catholic.

I’m a cradle Catholic that fell away at about 17 and returned about 30 years later after being everything from a “Jesus Freak” to a Southern Baptist and a deacon in the Assembly of God and even a non-denom. I know and love the Word of God and I know Christ as my savior but I am commited to the truth and that commitment is why I came home. I’ve been through some serious stuff and it wasn’t easy, but I have seen the hand of God on my life in way too many ways to doubt the Holy Spirit’s leading.

Do I share that faith? You betcha! 👍

Read my testimony
Pax vobiscum,
 
Since I don’t get out much anymore, I do my best witnessing right here in my home to electricians, plumbers, gardeners…

A few moths back a plumber noticed the Rosary on my TV on BCTV, a local Catholic Network and stopped to tell me how much it offended him to see the children in front of a statue praying to Mary…
I asked him what religion he was… A fallen away Catholic who happens to be a non-Denom. Well…when I got through w/ him he was taking home a Rosary, a book on how to pray it and…he noticed Catholicism for Dummies on a stool in the bath…gave him that too…
I need to call him again for some more plumbing problems…I wonder what he’ll have to say???
 
40.png
Annunciata:
Since I don’t get out much anymore, I do my best witnessing right here in my home to electricians, plumbers, gardeners…
A few moths back a plumber noticed the Rosary on my TV on BCTV, a local Catholic Network and stopped to tell me how much it offended him to see the children in front of a statue praying to Mary…
I asked him what religion he was… A fallen away Catholic who happens to be a non-Denom. Well…when I got through w/ him he was taking home a Rosary, a book on how to pray it and…he noticed Catholicism for Dummies on a stool in the bath…gave him that too…
I need to call him again for some more plumbing problems…I wonder what he’ll have to say???
Click to expand...
fantastic :clapping:
 
Once I was invited to a Protestant luncheon Lenten retreat event. Each of us was asked to witness. Turns out all the Protestants talked about themselves and their lives for their witness. Turns out I was the only one witnessing about Jesus, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. Funny thing, I never got invited back to another event at that church. Guess they were worried that I would single-handedly convert them to Catholicism.

Once at a Mass on a very liberal State University Campus when we were allowed to stand up and contribute our own prayer petitions, I shocked the room into stunned silence by asking that we pray for the conversion of Russia as Our Lady asked at Fatima.

Once at that same college in a mandatory health class, in front of the other 200 or so students, I debated the professor one-on-one for an hour and a half on the topic of birth control, myself taking the pro-life position, of course. Years later at a March for Life in Washington, DC, out of a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people, a lady came up to me and announced, “Hey, I know you! You were the one who stood up to that professor in health class!”

I also witness when absolutely necessary, telling the truth in love, to any priest standing outside after Mass shaking hands, to what the Vatican actually teaches if his sermon happened to be clearly opposed to Catholic Church teaching, and to any eavesdropping elderly couples nearby in the parking lot who make the mistake of trying to shame me into keeping quiet. As well, when a priest gives a good sermon, I am lavish with praise, thanks, and compliments to the best of my ability.

I witness at work when so-called Catholics undermine the importance of following the Pope, like the time when a Catholic wanted to order a pepperoni pizza for the office on a Friday in Lent. I refused the pizza, politely reminding him of the need to abstain from meat. He scowled and said he’d eat whatever he wanted. However, that Friday I noticed that not a single person in the office ate pizza. In fact, that Catholic and even a Protestant quietly opted for a meatless lunch!

There are days when I feel like Gandalf when he was being called Storm Crow for saying truths people don’t especially want to hear. But I’ll continue saying what I’m led to say.

~~ the phoenix
 
I will pray before meals regardless of my company, not make a show out of it but not be scared to pray and do the sign of the cross.
This is hard to do, especially in an area where people are openly opposed to the Catholic Church.

I witness as much as possible, but it is common for people to shy away from informed Catholics, in my experience. From time to time though I find open minded people who will discuss the Catholic faith and not just launch into attack mode.

God Bless
Scylla
 
40.png
geezerbob:
We all witness, for better or worse, with every interaction we have with another person.
** Every word, every action, **
should be a witness to our faith. If not, then
those words and actions
are witnesses to our lack thereof.
Click to expand...
Hi geezerbob,
Lots of good posts here…
I like your post because you include words and actions together.
I think our witnessing is far more effective as we use them both together.

I have become interested in "The Word of Life."

Gusano
 
40.png
johnshelby:
so true… 🙂

so much more effective witness to show faith, than to talk faith…

but, i realize
** the thread is concerning verbal witnessing**
to people,
and yes… being a converted Baptist, i have lots of chances to
discuss my beliefs…

🙂
Click to expand...
Hi Johnshelby,
I apologize for giving the impression that this thread is about VERBAL witnessing only.
The way I see it…Witnessing is like walking; since we have (2) legs, it works much better if we use both of them. 😃

I try to also use a third leg;
Discern WHAT… The Holy Spirit is prompting me to say or do ?

Gusano
 
Gusano,

It is my experience that people (especially my kids) learn more from me by what I do when I am not trying to teach them anything than they would (or have) from anything I have said to them. That said, people around me know that I am not just Catholic, but aggressively Catholic.
  • Liberian
 
I hope sincerely that the best witnessing I will ever do will come through my actions…showing that Catholics and Christians are really not evil and hypocritical to people who believe otherwise by always being as Christ-like as possible is the best form of witnessing there is…wow, that was a poorly constructed sentence, sorry all:)
 
The fact of the matter is that all witnessing (or faith sharing as we Catholics call it) requires that we live a compassionate life that is as Christ-like as possible. (See Matthew 25:31-46 & Luke 10:29-37) As the saying goes…“Talk is cheap.”

1st Peter 3:15 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.

Pax vobiscum,
 
Dear Lord, please give me only as much zeal for you and for your holy Word as other people can handle . . . .
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top