I am attempting to do a few projects and nothing but brick walls in the way.
Me too!! Could you share an example of what ideas you have?
Maybe different things are effective for different people/parishes. In listening to conversion stories, I am always surprised at the variety of ways in which people’s interest in Catholicism is piqued.
For
me, at least, in my parish, I think more prayer and patience is in order, and just maybe a little (or a lot) more creativity. The great CDs I put in the library weeks ago have not been touched, so maybe more prayer, and a church bulletin ad informing about availability of specific types of materials or new offerings (e.g. children’s books, teen apologetics CDs and CDs on the sacraments) that is printed consistently week after week. And then, more prayer.
Don’t give up!!! We ARE the Church, so don’t get too disappointed in Its lack of zeal in evangelizing – well, at least not in your own parish; maybe just continue your efforts and work tirelessly. I am just realizing that the $3 St. Joseph CDs that I purchased and requested to be put “under glass” with the other religious materials for sale at our parish will probably sit there a long time, because it might be most parishioners’ practice to only check the glass cases and book cases every few weeks, to see if there are finally new offerings, or as their need for a rosary, etc., arises. Then, I’m thinking it will be several weeks more before they take time to listen to a CD they might purchase. Then I will wait a couple weeks more before they might think to offer feedback – IF they even do! And I am so very impatient, that the realization of this “waiting game” is making me crazy, but I need to pray again, for much patience. I am just a tool (and maybe even a tool in the modern sense of the word, but humble is good, right?), but this isn’t about me! (There goes that pride.
) I even bought a nice little cardboard CD display case for a few dollars, just like the one you see pictured at
www.catholicity.com for The Mary Foundation CDs, but blank, so you can print out something and paste info about your offerings on there – or pay to have it customized – nah!
But that person that buys the St. Joseph CD along with his rosary and doesn’t give us feedback might, just might, never give feedback but might share his CD with a couple more people! We don’t know how God might use us or our efforts/prayers. It seems like often it is not as we expect.
We can plant that seed (HUGE!), make materials available, share our understandings about doctrine and our zeal for the faith, and pray without ceasing, but after planting that seed, which I DO think we need to do, we can let the Holy Spirit do Its work and will get the credit for whatever might happen. We are the hands and feet and mouths, etc., of the body, and I hope you don’t give up on your projects!! Maybe you can figure out a way to get around the walls or knock them down, or find another route altogether, maybe talk to different people, share different materials, or pass them off to different people, maybe not even the ones who appear to be receptive.
You just never know how much good you are doing by your zeal and your great example and prayer. And we don’t know God’s timetable! If you plant a seed, don’t just continue to rely on yourself to get results. That’s the mistake I keep making! But it really isn’t us doing the work anyway, but Christ in us, as we cooperate with Grace.
Who knows? Maybe there will be a long plateau of seemingly no one getting fired up, and then months/years from now, maybe there will be a little explosion in your parish of RCIA candidates, or church attendance up amongst some people that once rarely came, We just never know how God works. I am giving this pep talk for myself as much as anyone!! I don’t want to beat my head against those brick walls that keep popping up anymore.
I would love to hear you share your ideas/projects for evangelization.
Keep the faith (in your projects too)!
