Evangelizing to "worldly" Catholics

  • Thread starter Thread starter yellow8yellowM
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Y

yellow8yellowM

Guest
I am surrounded only by atheists, agnostics, and fallen away Catholics, and virtually no evangelical Christians or protestants. How do I best evangelize to the fallen away Catholics and agnostics whose life infrastructure is set up based on the culture and the world?

For example:
  1. People whose career is so important to them that they “must” use contraception because they have no time for kids.
  2. People who have bought a mansion, and give no money to charity because they have no money left over after their mortgage payment. They also have no time to help the poor because of their career.
These are very hard obstacles to overcome. People aren’t going to just quit their jobs, sell their house, and stop using contraception immediately. How do you recommend helping them slowly accept God in their lives?
 
I don’t know about the money thing. It seems people think they need to overextend.

About contraception, I just continue telling people how it works and how beautiful the Church’s teaching is on the family, the body and men and women. I hope they think about these things after our conversation.
 
yellow8yellowM said:
I am surrounded only by atheists, agnostics, and fallen away Catholics, and virtually no evangelical Christians or protestants. How do I best evangelize to the fallen away Catholics and agnostics whose life infrastructure is set up based on the culture and the world?

For example:
  1. People whose career is so important to them that they “must” use contraception because they have no time for kids.
  2. People who have bought a mansion, and give no money to charity because they have no money left over after their mortgage payment. They also have no time to help the poor because of their career.
These are very hard obstacles to overcome. People aren’t going to just quit their jobs, sell their house, and stop using contraception immediately. How do you recommend helping them slowly accept God in their lives?
Click to expand...
Here’s the challenge you have:

They probably see nothing wrong with the lives they are leading, therefore they see no “need” to change their lives at this point and no “need” for God in their lives.

Unless they come to “see” and “feel” that need, there will be no conversion. Chances are, if they are “worldly” they will see rosaries, scapulars, talks about large families (contraception) as quaint things from the past and have no meaning for them in their lives.

Preaching will not work, plain and simple, in my opinion. What you see as sharing the word of God is perceived by them as nagging.

What usually works? In my opinion and my life experience has shown me that it how YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE. Are you more joyful than they are? Are you more at peace at your core than they are? Do you actually trust God in your life or just say you do?

Bottom line: If they don’t see any difference in you from what they see in the mirror, why should they change?
 
yellow8yellowM said:
I am surrounded only by atheists, agnostics, and fallen away Catholics, and virtually no evangelical Christians or protestants. How do I best evangelize to the fallen away Catholics and agnostics whose life infrastructure is set up based on the culture and the world?

For example:
  1. People whose career is so important to them that they “must” use contraception because they have no time for kids.
  2. People who have bought a mansion, and give no money to charity because they have no money left over after their mortgage payment. They also have no time to help the poor because of their career.
These are very hard obstacles to overcome. People aren’t going to just quit their jobs, sell their house, and stop using contraception immediately. How do you recommend helping them slowly accept God in their lives?
Click to expand...
I think there comes a point where we, as Catholics need to understand our role as being distinct from the Holy Spirits role…

God will infuse trials or opportunities in people’s lives through the HS, and it is up to them, with their own free will to act on or reject.

As Catholic people, we need to focus on following through on our own obligations both as followers and as example setters. We should expect some people to resent us, be jealous and condemn us. Some others may see what we do and view it as good… But our role as evangelizers is seperate from Gods role.
 
yellow8yellowM said:
I am surrounded only by atheists, agnostics, and fallen away Catholics, and virtually no evangelical Christians or protestants. How do I best evangelize to the fallen away Catholics and agnostics whose life infrastructure is set up based on the culture and the world?

For example:
  1. People whose career is so important to them that they “must” use contraception because they have no time for kids.
  2. People who have bought a mansion, and give no money to charity because they have no money left over after their mortgage payment. They also have no time to help the poor because of their career.
These are very hard obstacles to overcome. People aren’t going to just quit their jobs, sell their house, and stop using contraception immediately. How do you recommend helping them slowly accept God in their lives?
Click to expand...
Great topic. Some ideas, all taking advantage of the “middle but substantial ground” and friendship.

In the first example…1. People whose career is so important to them that they “must” use contraception because they have no time for kids.

At lunch or over a beer, tennis game. (…and this presumes you are good friends already…if not become better friends…)…ask about vacation plans…a reminder to him of balance…or ask how his spouse is doing…gets his mind off of himself. Talk about culture…reminder of beauty…science…reminder of truth…talk about some recent event that reveals heroism, sacrifice…this is a reminder of goodness. Truth, beauty, goodness topics are “substantial but safe topics”…and, importantly, only one step removed from the supernatural topics and God. This is the great middle ground for the “apostolate of friendship”. No evangelizing…but instead quiet apostolate…slow boil. God is the source of all truth, beauty and goodness.

Lots of topics…see this link: wdmr.org/sanctifying-our-conversations-with-other-minded-people/

In the second case…maybe invite him to a habitat for humanity project, some building project for others…get sweat out of him, quietly with no…absolutely no accompanying preaching. The Holy Spirit can do more with sweat, than we can with our talk.

Just some thoughts.
 
TEPO said:
I think there comes a point where we, as Catholics need to understand our role as being distinct from the Holy Spirits role…

God will infuse trials or opportunities in people’s lives through the HS, and it is up to them, with their own free will to act on or reject.

As Catholic people, we need to focus on following through on our own obligations both as followers and as example setters. We should expect some people to resent us, be jealous and condemn us. Some others may see what we do and view it as good… But our role as evangelizers is seperate from Gods role.
Click to expand...
True wisdom here.

My advice is similar. If you have friends/family/ect who are money oriented, and preoccupied with careers, best thing to do is become very active yourself in helping others who are in need. Share these stories of helping others with them and your life will inspire as the Holy Spirit works in your life. And as for those who are to busy to have kids, or to participate with the body of Christ, that is, the church, make it a point to share the joy of having kids and of participating!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top