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Jacinto1977sd
Guest
I was wondering how can we evangelize/catachize cultural catholics=catholics who do even go to Mass-but only out of obligation…besdies praying for them, what else can we do?
Thanks…
Thanks…
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SuscipeMeDomine
Guest
I think the most effective evangelizaton tool is to live a genuinely Christian life. If your life as a Catholic Christian is no different from that of a totally secular person except for the hour a week you spend at Mass, what good is the Church in the eyes of a cultural Catholic or non-Christian? But if your life is joyful and you are known for your Christ-like behavior, then maybe the Church is worth something. (And by Christ-like behavior I don’t mean being a prim and proper Christian who tsks at people who don’t live up to your standards. I mean being loving, giving, forgiving, and so on.)
On a purely practical level I’m a great believer in inviting people to participate in different activities that might be of interest to someone who is loosely attached to the Church. That could be anything from making and distributing sandwiches to the hungry to an interesting speaker to a retreat day in the parish. People with connections to the parish are more likely to participate in other activities. I figure it gives the Holy Spirit more room to work.
On a purely practical level I’m a great believer in inviting people to participate in different activities that might be of interest to someone who is loosely attached to the Church. That could be anything from making and distributing sandwiches to the hungry to an interesting speaker to a retreat day in the parish. People with connections to the parish are more likely to participate in other activities. I figure it gives the Holy Spirit more room to work.
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Suslar
Guest
I think it is going to be interesting to watch how Catholic leaders are embracing and engaging through social media. Fr. Robert Barron is a master at using YouTube and Facebook to hit not only cultural Catholics, but agnostics and atheists as well.
I’m taking a graduate level class on Digital Media in Ministry and it is fascinating! IMHO, we need to keep up with responding to the pace in which people want answers so we don’t lose them and so we can speak their language on their turf. I recommend getting people engaged on Facebook and thru good Catholic blogs and apps . . .it’s a new frontier in evangelization !
I’m taking a graduate level class on Digital Media in Ministry and it is fascinating! IMHO, we need to keep up with responding to the pace in which people want answers so we don’t lose them and so we can speak their language on their turf. I recommend getting people engaged on Facebook and thru good Catholic blogs and apps . . .it’s a new frontier in evangelization !
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Chris_Patterson
Guest
Check out the book, Forming Intentional Disciples, by Sherry Weddell. Great book. Great thoughts on the new evangelization. Great insights on taking folks from ground zero to saintly disciples.
One basic thought. Earn the right to be heard. In other words, be kind, be a friend, show interest, spend time, be a servant. But eventually, share who you are, and what Jesus and His Church mean to you. Then share what Jesus wants to mean to them.
Sometimes we spend our time preaching the Gospel with our actions. That’s good. St. Francis would like that. But if we don’t take time to talk about our faith, and engage so-called cultural Christians/Catholics in that conversation, they’ll have a hard time knowing that Jesus thirsts for their thirst. Sometimes we just gotta talk about it! But we’d better first be a friend, or what we say will just come off as overly pious preaching and judgment. Earn the right to be heard.
One basic thought. Earn the right to be heard. In other words, be kind, be a friend, show interest, spend time, be a servant. But eventually, share who you are, and what Jesus and His Church mean to you. Then share what Jesus wants to mean to them.
Sometimes we spend our time preaching the Gospel with our actions. That’s good. St. Francis would like that. But if we don’t take time to talk about our faith, and engage so-called cultural Christians/Catholics in that conversation, they’ll have a hard time knowing that Jesus thirsts for their thirst. Sometimes we just gotta talk about it! But we’d better first be a friend, or what we say will just come off as overly pious preaching and judgment. Earn the right to be heard.
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ajaxbogs
Guest
As a convert I am STUNNED how many cultural Catholics I’ve met. Pope Emeritus Benedict in his final tweet encouraged all Catholics “to make Christ the center of their lives”. Most cultural Catholics don’t have a clue what this means or how to nuture a relationship with Christ. In fact many cultural Catholics are STUNNED that I converted & ask why I would want to convert. This often open doors for me to share the faith.
As a devoted follower & Catholic I seek to demonstrate Christ’s love with my actions in every aspect of my life including interpersonal, social & economic arenas. Its important that they see fellow Catholics living full, sacramental lives. This is a real challenge for us to not “just go thru the motions” but to show how our devotion impacts our world for the kingdom of God. Pray to have God use you in this evangelization! There are souls in peril!
As a devoted follower & Catholic I seek to demonstrate Christ’s love with my actions in every aspect of my life including interpersonal, social & economic arenas. Its important that they see fellow Catholics living full, sacramental lives. This is a real challenge for us to not “just go thru the motions” but to show how our devotion impacts our world for the kingdom of God. Pray to have God use you in this evangelization! There are souls in peril!
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Teelynn
Guest
Excellent! I am now busy still working on myself (which will probably continue till the day I die) and in hopes that my immersion in my faith will “show through” so to speak. As St. Francis famously said: “Preach the Gospel everywhere, and when necessary use words.”
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Edward_H
Guest
Warm and constant friendships with them, in fact growing friendships with them.
Might take years, and we may not be the one to bring them back to the Holy Mass and to Confession.
But your natural warmth and generosity…actually the Holy Spirit’s overflowing in you…because of your lively prayer life with Him, because of your sacrifices, etc…will warm your friendship so that you’ll eventually have conversations on matters closer to God.
But don’t hurry the conversation…moving from work to family to sanctification in 3 sentences.
Might take years, and we may not be the one to bring them back to the Holy Mass and to Confession.
But your natural warmth and generosity…actually the Holy Spirit’s overflowing in you…because of your lively prayer life with Him, because of your sacrifices, etc…will warm your friendship so that you’ll eventually have conversations on matters closer to God.
But don’t hurry the conversation…moving from work to family to sanctification in 3 sentences.
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jimcav
Guest
Such a tough question to answer simply because there is no one way to do it.
I will tell you, that twice I had much luck when I asked the Holy Spirit to put His words into my mouth and to use my voice to project them. I had been trying to bring two of my friends back to their faith and to take Jesus Christ into their hearts. This was a long and sometimes unfruitful effort on my part but I kept chugging along. But when I felt that the time was right to really hit them hard, when the time just felt right, the Holy Spirit’s words just poured out from heart and through my lips. I must have went on for 10 minutes or more non-stop telling them why they needed to come back, why it was so important and what it had done for my life. I spoke so fast and with such authority and I never skipped a beat. Well, they were dumbfounded, as was I! These words I spoke were almost beyond my knowledge of the faith, beyond where I was in my own journey - the words were certainly from the Holy Spirit, not me. After this experience, both of my friends became open to coming back to the faith and eventually did. To this day, they ask me where those words, that speech, came from!
I don’t say this can happen all the time, or for everyone, but it did happen for me twice. The time was just right. I felt it and I believe the Holy Spirit did to, so it happened.
Sometimes, maybe we have to stop pussyfooting around and hit them hard with our knowledge of the faith and show them that the Holy Spirit, delivered to us by Jesus Christ, is with us and what they together can do for us - all of us!
I will tell you, that twice I had much luck when I asked the Holy Spirit to put His words into my mouth and to use my voice to project them. I had been trying to bring two of my friends back to their faith and to take Jesus Christ into their hearts. This was a long and sometimes unfruitful effort on my part but I kept chugging along. But when I felt that the time was right to really hit them hard, when the time just felt right, the Holy Spirit’s words just poured out from heart and through my lips. I must have went on for 10 minutes or more non-stop telling them why they needed to come back, why it was so important and what it had done for my life. I spoke so fast and with such authority and I never skipped a beat. Well, they were dumbfounded, as was I! These words I spoke were almost beyond my knowledge of the faith, beyond where I was in my own journey - the words were certainly from the Holy Spirit, not me. After this experience, both of my friends became open to coming back to the faith and eventually did. To this day, they ask me where those words, that speech, came from!
I don’t say this can happen all the time, or for everyone, but it did happen for me twice. The time was just right. I felt it and I believe the Holy Spirit did to, so it happened.
Sometimes, maybe we have to stop pussyfooting around and hit them hard with our knowledge of the faith and show them that the Holy Spirit, delivered to us by Jesus Christ, is with us and what they together can do for us - all of us!
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ProdigalSon1211
Guest
Tell them to read Matthew 7:21-27. Ask these people if judgement day were to come soon where would they end up? Heaven? Hell? Purgatory? A lot of people just go to Mass because it is Sunday. We call those people 1 hour Sunday Catholics. Some are CEO Catholics (Christmas/Easter Only Catholics). Try asking people where do they want to go in the end. Let’s hope most people say heaven.
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ajaxbogs
Guest
Well said. Sometimes I worry about coming on too strong & end up not saying what the Holy Spirit needs to be said. St Stephen (today’s reading) didn’t pussyfoot around. Bottom line is we need to stay connected w/ God & he’ll give us the words & timing.Sometimes, maybe we have to stop pussyfooting around and hit them hard with our knowledge of the faith and show them that the Holy Spirit, delivered to us by Jesus Christ, is with us and what they together can do for us - all of us!
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josh987654321
Guest
Please visit this link to my thread and show them the miracles (Katya’s stigmata caught on film) and ecnourage them to read her short books in which Jesus Christ dictates to her, especially “The Holy Mass” and “In Adoration” - forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?p=10631841#post10631841
The links are also in my signature.
Thank you for reading
Josh
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fred_conty
Guest
There is a way. Give them the miraculous medal and get them to wear it. Then as the giver,
pray a short prayer to Mary every day for that person. You know that Mary pledged to obtain for those wearing the medal? GREAT and ABUNDANT graces. In practical every day terms that means turning cold catholics into sacramental ones. And turning sacramental ones into hot ones. You don’t get better promises than this. And this has nothing to do with me. It is what she said. Do you believer her? Than what are you waiting for?
It is one of the best gifts we have right now to get people to a higher level in the life with God. Have you every given one away? We can talk about this all day long, but this is something Mary gave us to do. GREAT AND ABOUNDANT graces. What more could we ask for? Remember it is her request. If anyone can do it, she certainly can. She needs your help.
You may purchase them here for $.15 a piece by the 100 plus shpng costs.
marytown.com/ecommerce/ps-19-7-bulk-miraculous-medals.aspx
Get some and start giving them out. Give them especially to Catholics. Anyone can do that.
One the front of the Medal is the picture of…Our Lady of Grace… how appropriate.
On the back is the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate heart.
By the way, this medal was designed by Mary herself.
And here is a story of someone you may have heard about who passed them out.
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=553685&page=37
“My Japanese colleague did her Ph.D dissertation on Mother Teresa, so she actually went to meet her and live a few months with her. When my colleague returned, we were chatting, and I mentioned how I’d converted to Catholicism a few months earlier. She gave me the Miraculous Medal Mother Teresa had given her!!”
Lumen Gentium
Vatican Council II CHAPTER VIII: OUR LADY, from sections 60-62.
…she is a mother to us in the order of grace.
This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly…until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect…
…by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation.
pray a short prayer to Mary every day for that person. You know that Mary pledged to obtain for those wearing the medal? GREAT and ABUNDANT graces. In practical every day terms that means turning cold catholics into sacramental ones. And turning sacramental ones into hot ones. You don’t get better promises than this. And this has nothing to do with me. It is what she said. Do you believer her? Than what are you waiting for?
It is one of the best gifts we have right now to get people to a higher level in the life with God. Have you every given one away? We can talk about this all day long, but this is something Mary gave us to do. GREAT AND ABOUNDANT graces. What more could we ask for? Remember it is her request. If anyone can do it, she certainly can. She needs your help.
You may purchase them here for $.15 a piece by the 100 plus shpng costs.
marytown.com/ecommerce/ps-19-7-bulk-miraculous-medals.aspx
Get some and start giving them out. Give them especially to Catholics. Anyone can do that.
One the front of the Medal is the picture of…Our Lady of Grace… how appropriate.
On the back is the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate heart.
By the way, this medal was designed by Mary herself.
And here is a story of someone you may have heard about who passed them out.
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=553685&page=37
“My Japanese colleague did her Ph.D dissertation on Mother Teresa, so she actually went to meet her and live a few months with her. When my colleague returned, we were chatting, and I mentioned how I’d converted to Catholicism a few months earlier. She gave me the Miraculous Medal Mother Teresa had given her!!”
Lumen Gentium
Vatican Council II CHAPTER VIII: OUR LADY, from sections 60-62.
…she is a mother to us in the order of grace.
This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly…until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect…
…by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation.
“Great graces are often attached to what seems trifling.” St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
“Queen of angels deign to hear lisping children’s humble prayer” (hymn)
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donnmil
Guest
The best book I ever read about Catholic Evangelization is from an author called Christopher MacDonald.
You can find the book at this link ce.mdbys.com
You can find the book at this link ce.mdbys.com
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Gift_from_God
Guest
I was a cultural Catholic for the first 20 years of my life, so I have some advice based on experience
The thing to note is that most people who are cultural Catholics don’t realize it. What was instrumental for me was being invited to adoration. I thought it was pointless as first, but now I go at least once a month. It was in adoration that I declared that God was the center of my life
Another thing is good old fashioned evangelization. If the person is willing to hear some apologetics, it can go a long way. That helped me put Christ at the center of my life
The final thing I’ll say is that it’s not an overnight process. If took me about a year to have my faith strengthened
The thing to note is that most people who are cultural Catholics don’t realize it. What was instrumental for me was being invited to adoration. I thought it was pointless as first, but now I go at least once a month. It was in adoration that I declared that God was the center of my life
Another thing is good old fashioned evangelization. If the person is willing to hear some apologetics, it can go a long way. That helped me put Christ at the center of my life
The final thing I’ll say is that it’s not an overnight process. If took me about a year to have my faith strengthened
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