How much effort is required?

[jen71]

How much effort is required to make sure we evangelize? Are we supposed to bring up Jesus & Church teachings to everyone we know? What if people don’t want to talk about it?

I struggle with impatience so any negativity directed towards Church teachings would likely cause me to be become angry & get into an argument.

A few times when I felt moved to discuss something Catholic in nature because I saw an opening, the other person didn’t seem all that interested.

I also don’t feel qualified to give in depth answers, and I do not want to give someone wrong information.

How concerned am I supposed to be with everyone else’s salvation when I’m trying to work on my own? Am I supposed to believe that God puts every person specifically in my life, and I need to attempt to evangelize *each & everyone of them *(I’m not talking about a cashier in a store, but people with whom you have more than just a 5 minute conversation)?

 

[Other_Eric]

How much effort is required to make sure we evangelize? Are we supposed to bring up Jesus & Church teachings to everyone we know? What if people don’t want to talk about it?

I struggle with impatience so any negativity directed towards Church teachings would likely cause me to be become angry & get into an argument.

A few times when I felt moved to discuss something Catholic in nature because I saw an opening, the other person didn’t seem all that interested.

I also don’t feel qualified to give in depth answers, and I do not want to give someone wrong information.

How concerned am I supposed to be with everyone else’s salvation when I’m trying to work on my own? Am I supposed to believe that God puts every person specifically in my life, and I need to attempt to evangelize *each & everyone of them *(I’m not talking about a cashier in a store, but people with whom you have more than just a 5 minute conversation)?

If you wish to discuss the Catholic position on certain things but do not feel qualified to give in-depth answers, then, logically, the answer is to become qualified. It is likely that in the process of learning about the Church that you will also learn how best to defend her in any number of different situations.

 

[Julian0404]

With the Sacrament of Confirmation, in which we become “soldiers of Christ”, we assume two obligations, i.e. To Evangelize the faith and To Defend the Faith.

St. Francis of Asissi taught his monks, to “evangelize always, and if necessary, use words”, clearly meaning the way you live, the choices and comments you make is your opportunity to evangelize. People should “know” you are Christian by the way you “walk-the-walk”, live the Christian example.

Defending the faith is more hands on. St Paul teaches us in the Gospel to always be ready to explain your faith when approached and asked. This is where many of us are lacking. After H.S. the required CCD classes, we all lapsed and forgot to continue to study, and we each come back at different stages and ages of our life. But we are still bound to Defend.

So, do not feel inadequate. The Holy Spirit will put the words into your mouth, and it is not up to you or your level of education to produce a result, that is up to the Holy Spirit. You only need to speak the truth.

However as a primer, I would get hold of as many of Scott Hahn CD’s as you can. Scott is a very educated Catholic who has a way of explaining the faith in very basic easy to learn terms. In fact carry a few in your purse, and just hand them out when challenged. Here listen to this and then let’s have coffee.

 

[jen71]

St. Francis of Asissi taught his monks, to “evangelize always, and if necessary, use words”, clearly meaning the way you live, the choices and comments you make is your opportunity to evangelize. People should “know” you are Christian by the way you “walk-the-walk”, live the Christian example.

Defending the faith is more hands on. St Paul teaches us in the Gospel to always be ready to explain your faith when approached and asked. This is where many of us are lacking.

This is somewhat helpful to make two distinctions. I see that I have much work to do, but the living the Christian example is something I can try working on immediately. But it’s going to be difficult if I can’t quickly grow in the virtue of patience!

 

[Ralph4454]

I agree, start by leading by example and avoid arguments.

 

[musicality]

Most of the evangelization that I see happening in my life just comes from being open about my faith in general. I have friends and acquaintances who are not religious, so if they hear me say that I’m going to Mass or going to a bible study, they often come to me with questions about my faith.
Because I’m a college student, there is a great curiosity with the fact that someone my age is actually a practicing Catholic. So, the first question is usually something along the lines of: “So how religious are you? I mean, do you go to church every Sunday?”

I feel as though I don’t need to put a ton of effort into evangelization other than being aware that I am called to be an example for others and to take hold of the opportunities they create for conversation. Wherever it goes from there is up to God.

 

[puzzleannie]

How much effort is required to make sure we evangelize? Are we supposed to bring up Jesus & Church teachings to everyone we know? What if people don’t want to talk about it?

I struggle with impatience so any negativity directed towards Church teachings would likely cause me to be become angry & get into an argument.

A few times when I felt moved to discuss something Catholic in nature because I saw an opening, the other person didn’t seem all that interested.

I also don’t feel qualified to give in depth answers, and I do not want to give someone wrong information.

How concerned am I supposed to be with everyone else’s salvation when I’m trying to work on my own? Am I supposed to believe that God puts every person specifically in my life, and I need to attempt to evangelize *each & everyone of them *(I’m not talking about a cashier in a store, but people with whom you have more than just a 5 minute conversation)?

I think you have stated very succinctly what evangelization means, and you have made the point very well that success begins with ourselves, with the practice of Christian virtues. Someone whose issue is impatience or anger works on cultivating the opposite virtue. Someone who struggles with a particular sin works on overcoming it. Someone who lacks knowledge of the faith studies scripture and good catechetical writings to learn more. Someone who struggles in their prayer life learns to pray more and better. Yes God puts each and every person we encounter in our life so that we may evangelize but the most effective means is not conversation, it IS our life and to the extent we conform our lives and wills to His, we evangelize.

 

[KingAlfred]

How much effort is required to make sure we evangelize? Are we supposed to bring up Jesus & Church teachings to everyone we know? What if people don’t want to talk about it?

I struggle with impatience so any negativity directed towards Church teachings would likely cause me to be become angry & get into an argument.

A few times when I felt moved to discuss something Catholic in nature because I saw an opening, the other person didn’t seem all that interested.

I also don’t feel qualified to give in depth answers, and I do not want to give someone wrong information.

How concerned am I supposed to be with everyone else’s salvation when I’m trying to work on my own? Am I supposed to believe that God puts every person specifically in my life, and I need to attempt to evangelize *each & everyone of them *(I’m not talking about a cashier in a store, but people with whom you have more than just a 5 minute conversation)?

I don’t openly talk about it. I prefer to show it, through personal example, even if that example is somewhat unpopular. Most of my co-workers are very liberal. Many are confessed atheists. Because religion is the most important thing in my life, I feel a bit estranged from them, and lead a solitary life at work, with regard to colleague interaction. It doesn’t depress me, however, because I feel strongly that’s what God wants. In fact, if I were to throw away my Christian dignity, and join them in their ‘worldly’, group antics, I’d feel spiritually destroyed by the end of the first day. No thanks.

 

[Ralph4454]

Keep up the good work music. We need more young adults like yourself to lead by example.

 

[losh14]

How much effort is required to make sure we evangelize? Are we supposed to bring up Jesus & Church teachings to everyone we know? What if people don’t want to talk about it?

There’s a difference between effort and method. You should live with all your strength directed toward loving the Lord. HOW you go about sharing it depends on situation. I’ve found that many of my friends whom I’ve influenced towards Christ has been because of the way I live and interact with others. You don’t have to preach to reach - and some people aren’t ready for preaching.

I’ve got a co-worker who is into the Way of the Master, which essentially involves tearing a person down by reminding them of sin, telling them that Christ is their only hope, asking for a conversion on the spot, and leaving the person there as a ‘new creation’ but with little or no more direction than before. All of these things are true, but they’re heavy-handed, dependent on emotion, and likely to run into resistence. It’s also easy to derail the WOTM script of “Are you a good person?” by responding “No, I’m a terrible sinner. I was at least having a good day, why would you bring up my faults like that?” But that’s besides the point.

Being love is the first step in evangelization. I don’t just mean opening the door for people, I mean real acts of love and charity. Live peacefully, make amends with those who wrong you, speak out for the oppressed and against the oppressors. That all sounds grand, but it can be something as simple as standing up to a workplace bully or taking the time to really listen to someone who feels overburdened.

I struggle with impatience so any negativity directed towards Church teachings would likely cause me to be become angry & get into an argument.

It’s a little unfair for someone to tell you that you must defend every single teaching of the Church in order for them to come to Christ. It’s likewise a stumbling block for many - I have friends who’ve left the Church because they don’t like the teaching on homosexuality. I think it’s fair to say you don’t have to embrace the teaching on union membership or health care to embrace Christ. Now, if someone wants to disagree on Jesus’ divinity, that’s another story…

A few times when I felt moved to discuss something Catholic in nature because I saw an opening, the other person didn’t seem all that interested.

We’re not the hip, fun, happy-clappy people all the time. And the Church tends to weigh in on matters of substance which a lot of people avoid. Keep it as personal as you can - what you do with your life, what matters to you. Is your loudest calling the Church the call to charity and acts of love? Then talk about wanting to help others.

I also don’t feel qualified to give in depth answers, and I do not want to give someone wrong information.

It’s good to know when you don’t know everything. You’re not a theologian, you don’t have a D.Div. You shouldn’t be called on the carpet for everything the Church does. Likewise, no one has the right to say “How can you be Catholic when there were the Crusades and the Inquisition?” - you could just as easily ask “Why do you pay taxes to a country that massacred Native Americans?” You had nothing to do with either and shouldn’t be expected to answer for it.

Where you feel inadequate in knowledge, seek and find. You have a LOT of resources at your disposal.

How concerned am I supposed to be with everyone else’s salvation when I’m trying to work on my own?

A friend of mine is a Deacon and he is of the mind that God gives him a person for maybe only a few minutes but that may be the only time they have to hear about the Lord. I think that reflects his Pentecostal upbringing, and it puts a lot of pressure on him to look for an opening. He’s learned to pray for those he can’t find an opening with, and to pray for an opening for everyone else he meets.

I think that approach is stressful, really. God’s not going to give you a wall and tell you punch through it. If you see a door, He may tell you to open it (even if you have to tear the hinges off) but He’ll give you the tools to do it - the key or the screwdriver. You should witness Christ to everyone in your life, however imperfectly, and at least by the way you live your life. But you don’t have recite the Gospel to all of them. Pray on the openings and be the love you receive.

 

[Highwayhound]

How much effort is required to make sure we evangelize? Are we supposed to bring up Jesus & Church teachings to everyone we know? What if people don’t want to talk about it?

I would say daily effort.

I struggle with impatience so any negativity directed towards Church teachings would likely cause me to be become angry & get into an argument.

The first chapter of James covers this. Give it a read and let me know if it helps.

A few times when I felt moved to discuss something Catholic in nature because I saw an opening, the other person didn’t seem all that interested.

Keep planting the seeds as you never know which ones will sprout.

I also don’t feel qualified to give in depth answers, and I do not want to give someone wrong information.

Here are some simple ideas to help with this.

1. Watch one video about the faith per week for a year. Simple, enjoyable and effective.
2. Read short books about the faith, maybe one per month.
3. Pick one virtue to focus on for a year and then throughout the year pick ways to practice that virtue. If you are impatient you could pick one virtue per month that way you could go through several in a year.
4. Pick one way to volunteer at your parish.
5. Each time you come to Catholic Answers go to the library and read one tract or one article from This Rock magazine. When done reading then come join everyone one the forums.

All these ideas will help you slowly add depth to your understanding of the faith. The greater depth you have then it will be less of a burden to explain matters of faith.

How concerned am I supposed to be with everyone else’s salvation when I’m trying to work on my own?

One of the coolest facts about love is that it is unlimited. So all of us can at the bare minimum pray for others.

Am I supposed to believe that God puts every person specifically in my life, and I need to attempt to evangelize *each & everyone of them *(I’m not talking about a cashier in a store, but people with whom you have more than just a 5 minute conversation)?

I like the sound of this.

God bless