I felt so ignorant!

[John_Russell_Jr]

Dearest friend

It’s good you feel that way. Use it and study and pray. And yes, apologetics. Don’t be disheartened if you feel you didn’t make a good defence. The main thing is to try. It’s the Holy Spirit who makes our efforts fruitful and he can do that without our efforts. So just try, and learn.

I have 2 stories that I think are interesting for you. You may like them. I’m off to bed after this.

1. When I was new to the faith I met a man I did a delivery to. I found out he was a christian and made arrangements to come and see him after work. I did and found out he had not long left the catholic church and joined a fundamentalist church. The reason he did this was because in his whole life, maybe 40 yrs, he had never met a catholic who was enthusiastic about his faith. I didn’t know very much at all and couldn’t hope to convert him with knowledge. I don’t know what happened to him but he said one intersting thing to me - he could not believe how enthusiastic I was. He had never met an enthusiastic catholic.

I know this surprised him and I assured him there were plenty out there. Perhaps he had just been unlucky. Who knows? Maybe he came back?

1. I have a friend named Allen. He was telling me how sad he was about his brothers and family, and in particular his brother Gus. He was very sad because they all left the church young and were atheists. I said to Allen to just try and talk to Gus. Allen didn’t want to because Allen was no where near as intelligent as Gus and also Allen was worried he’d lose his brothers friendship. I explained to Allen that he had to try and if he just tried our Lord would do the rest. We just have to make a little effort. So Allen agreed and went to his monthly get together with Gus armed with a catholic newspaper to give him. That’s what he thought he’d do. When Allen went to speak to his brother a stranger, a Chinese woman, just came right up to Gus’ face before Allen spoke and said , “Jesus loves you.” Allen was shocked because there is no way this woman could have known what was going on. They were speaking Arabic by themselves for starters. When the woman said this she looked at Allen out the corner of her eye, and Gus was dazzled a bit. He had a sparkle in his eye like he’d been touched by grace. He said, “Oh! That’s nice.” The woman walked off and seemed to disappear when Allen looked back. Allen thinks it was an angel. Wouldn’t surprise me. That was maybe 3 yrs ago. Gus is not completely back yet but he’s getting there. His daughter came back and is working on the parents. Gus is an occasional mass goer right now. But after this Allen had a brother who’d been away too long die 2 yrs ago and he found out he’d come back in time and left his house and everything to a church at Campbelltown here. A lot of money. There is another story in that I’ll leave. Allens brother Mark has come back too- he’s dying right now. So good timing. Another brother has regained faith but not mass yet. And some family members are on the way etc I think. It all started because Allen who was hopeless at apologetics made an effort and offered prayers etc for them.

God bless and good night:thumbsup:

 

[Monica4316]

Don’t feel bad hugs
These people, they are probably trained in this. They’re sometimes taught how to talk to Catholics and what Scriptures to bring up. It just took you by surprise. It’s always a good thing to learn more about our faith, and the beautiful thing about the Church is that the teaching is so deep, we can just keep on learning all our lives
I’ve noticed that many Bible verses they bring up don’t even relate to Catholic teachings!! For example, the verse they brought up about the Church not being a building… but we don’t believe it’s a building either! We do believe that it’s the Body of Christ. If you tell them this, and they say - “so non Catholics are not part of the Body of Christ?” you say - non Catholics are united to the Church through their baptism but not in full communion. (this is in the Catechism).
About Mary being a virgin - in the Bible when it says that Jesus had “brothers”, - actually in the language they spoke, “brother” meant any relative. They could have been cousins.

Don’t worry… I think it’s very rude what the man said at the very end! clearly they’ve had these discussions before, and that’s why they knew what to say.

God bless!!

 

[nana3]

I don’t understand the point of having these discussions with door-to-door people. If I decide to talk to them, it’s not because I’m going to change my faith in catholicism. Their intentions are to convert me. My intentions would be to convert them. If neither one of us is truly willing to listen to the other, then what’s the point?

They said that their church was new and they had some simple questions to ask me and they would leave. I invited them in for two reasons. I was outside standing with them and it was hot and to be polite I invited them in but most of all because I have a bad back and can’t stand in one area for too long. When I saw that the questionaire was not short, I invited them in. IT started as a simple question and answer thing and got out into a discussion on salvation and differences in our religions. But just so that you know I did tell them that they would not be able to convert me and I knew they were strong in what they believed and would not be able to convert them, but that is when the husband said what he did when exiting my house.

 

[nana3]

JohnRussel and Monica thank you for your words of support and encouragement.

I did want to say John that your stories did remind me of my past. I remember how the Lord used me so many times to help another who was completely lost to return to the Church and I knew less than I know now. I remember being in the Veterans Hospital and this was when I was single and I was in the pain program. At the time, they did not have a women’s ward so I was on the ward where they had active duty enlisted men who were injured while on duty. I remember one young man who was about my age and in a wheel chair. He was active duty Navy and had some heavy metal plate land on him. I didn’t exactly understand what. It is something found on a naval ship. They thought he died, but he survived. They moved him from Germany to Tampa and that is where I met him. He was a fallen away Catholic. Since he liked girls, any girls, he started to talk to me. He told me about his life. He led a life of sex and more sex. I asked where did God fit into his life and he said he did not go to Mass. I had to stay in the program for 6 weeks. I did not go home on the weekends. In six weeks, I got to know him and it was during Lent time too. Easter was soon approaching. One day he asked me this question: “Do you think that the devil did this to do like my Baptist friend told me?” I told him that I did not think that the devil did this to him but that God allowed what happen to him to happen for his life was not heading in the way He intended him to live in this life. I told him the devil would have been happy with the way he was living his life. We talked a lot on God and His Commandments. Anyway, on his own, just from talking to me and I guess following my example, he decided to go to Confession. I told him I was going to confession before Easter. He told me that he had not been to confession in over 6 years. He went to confession and came out and was glowing and so happy. His first words to me were, “I feel so clean.” He then said to me, "Thank you. " I did not realize what I did but he thanked me for bringing him back to the Church. I pray for him daily still so that he will stay in the Church. He will never walk again but I told him that with God all things are possible. Before I left the hospital, he was taking little steps and shocking the doctors. I have more stories like that for he was only one man that approached me while I was in the VA hospital. I had no romantic interest in these men for I was interesting in being a nun at the time and was so happy that the hospital had a Blessed Sacrament Chapel on the same floor I was on. That is where I spent a lot of time and where I found many men crying at the foot of Jesus. Many were not Catholic and didn’t seem to care that I was not protestant.

So thank you John for helping me remember that I did help others in my life time by praying with them or being an example. I may not have been a theologian, but the Holy Spirit used me to help them and that is what matters. I even remember a couple who were living together who I never talked to about the Catholic faith being Catholic only because they saw me go to Mass every Sunday.

I did pray to the Holy Spirit to help me when these Baptist where in my house, but maybe these people were not open to Him for everything I saw was not good enough. There lost!!

 

[Paul2274]

Shin, I WANT one! I was trying to make this myself, but it’s hard tracking down all those verses. I’ll have to order one.

Here is an Apologist CHeat-Sheet that I keep on hand and even in my wallet… never know when the conversation may come up.

I have one that I found in PDF format that is too big (1.4mb) to attach here but anyone feel free to PM me with email and I’ll send it out to you. It’s a nice one that you can laminate.

Paul

 

[nana3]

Here is an Apologist CHeat-Sheet that I keep on hand and even in my wallet… never know when the conversation may come up.

I have one that I found in PDF format that is too big (1.4mb) to attach here but anyone feel free to PM me with email and I’ll send it out to you. It’s a nice one that you can laminate.

Paul

Thanks Paul, this is great! By the way, this same couple were out again this past weekend again. I saw them at some of my neighbor’s houses. I know the ones they went too are Christians, but not Catholics. I talked to these neighbors and the two I talked to said that they both would not they them in their homes and said they would not debate their religions with them and closed the door on them. Interesting that Christians who were not Catholic didn’t even allow them in their homes or treat them with kindness and here I am a “hated going to hell Catholic” who invited them into our home and treated them with a smile and kindness. My husband wanted to invited them again into our home, but we were just walking our dog and heading out to Sea World. I told him that we didn’t have the time for a long debate today. I am sure they are going to be out next weekend again. They say they are out inviting people to their church and doing a “survey” but in fact are trying to “convert” people into their religion. I even talked to my daughter’s piano teacher who is one of our neighbors and she won’t have anything to do with Baptist. She is Lutheran but doesn’t like the way Baptist “work.” Apparently, her daughter is being attacked by one in college on and being told she is going to hell also. I guess that is what they like to do is tell people they are going to hell. In her daughter’s case she is not Baptized and is 19 years old. I didn’t correct the mom, but her daughter really should be baptized soon but I guess her mom is not going to force nothing down her throat for she said it is between her daughter and God. I disagree with her there too, but we both agreed on the way that Baptist work is not right.

Thanks for the information, Paul.

 

[Paul2274]

Thanks Paul, this is great! By the way, this same couple were out again this past weekend again. I saw them at some of my neighbor’s houses. I know the ones they went too are Christians, but not Catholics. I talked to these neighbors and the two I talked to said that they both would not they them in their homes and said they would not debate their religions with them and closed the door on them. Interesting that Christians who were not Catholic didn’t even allow them in their homes or treat them with kindness and here I am a “hated going to hell Catholic” who invited them into our home and treated them with a smile and kindness. My husband wanted to invited them again into our home, but we were just walking our dog and heading out to Sea World. I told him that we didn’t have the time for a long debate today. I am sure they are going to be out next weekend again. They say they are out inviting people to their church and doing a “survey” but in fact are trying to “convert” people into their religion. I even talked to my daughter’s piano teacher who is one of our neighbors and she won’t have anything to do with Baptist. She is Lutheran but doesn’t like the way Baptist “work.” Apparently, her daughter is being attacked by one in college on and being told she is going to hell also. I guess that is what they like to do is tell people they are going to hell. In her daughter’s case she is not Baptized and is 19 years old. I didn’t correct the mom, but her daughter really should be baptized soon but I guess her mom is not going to force nothing down her throat for she said it is between her daughter and God. I disagree with her there too, but we both agreed on the way that Baptist work is not right.

Thanks for the information, Paul.

Glad I could help.

Paul

 

[John_Russell_Jr]

JohnRussel and Monica thank you for your words of support and encouragement.

I did want to say John that your stories did remind me of my past. I remember how the Lord used me so many times to help another who was completely lost to return to the Church and I knew less than I know now. I remember being in the Veterans Hospital and this was when I was single and I was in the pain program. At the time, they did not have a women’s ward so I was on the ward where they had active duty enlisted men who were injured while on duty. I remember one young man who was about my age and in a wheel chair. He was active duty Navy and had some heavy metal plate land on him. I didn’t exactly understand what. It is something found on a naval ship. They thought he died, but he survived. They moved him from Germany to Tampa and that is where I met him. He was a fallen away Catholic. Since he liked girls, any girls, he started to talk to me. He told me about his life. He led a life of sex and more sex. I asked where did God fit into his life and he said he did not go to Mass. I had to stay in the program for 6 weeks. I did not go home on the weekends. In six weeks, I got to know him and it was during Lent time too. Easter was soon approaching. One day he asked me this question: “Do you think that the devil did this to do like my Baptist friend told me?” I told him that I did not think that the devil did this to him but that God allowed what happen to him to happen for his life was not heading in the way He intended him to live in this life. I told him the devil would have been happy with the way he was living his life. We talked a lot on God and His Commandments. Anyway, on his own, just from talking to me and I guess following my example, he decided to go to Confession. I told him I was going to confession before Easter. He told me that he had not been to confession in over 6 years. He went to confession and came out and was glowing and so happy. His first words to me were, “I feel so clean.” He then said to me, "Thank you. " I did not realize what I did but he thanked me for bringing him back to the Church. I pray for him daily still so that he will stay in the Church. He will never walk again but I told him that with God all things are possible. Before I left the hospital, he was taking little steps and shocking the doctors. I have more stories like that for he was only one man that approached me while I was in the VA hospital. I had no romantic interest in these men for I was interesting in being a nun at the time and was so happy that the hospital had a Blessed Sacrament Chapel on the same floor I was on. That is where I spent a lot of time and where I found many men crying at the foot of Jesus. Many were not Catholic and didn’t seem to care that I was not protestant.

So thank you John for helping me remember that I did help others in my life time by praying with them or being an example. I may not have been a theologian, but the Holy Spirit used me to help them and that is what matters. I even remember a couple who were living together who I never talked to about the Catholic faith being Catholic only because they saw me go to Mass every Sunday.

I did pray to the Holy Spirit to help me when these Baptist where in my house, but maybe these people were not open to Him for everything I saw was not good enough. There lost!!

My dear friend

Thank you for sharing your stories. You know the good book says you will inherit eternal life if you teach someone the commandments and how to observe them. I hope I see you there.

God bless you and keep it up:thumbsup: