E
EdClarke
Guest
Hello all,
Recently, a good friend and I went to an evening weekday Mass and afterwards went out for a drink at a place that knows us very well.
I am involved with volunteering around at different parishes - organizing and volunteering at Masses.
Thus, I went to this Mass this particular night to discuss some logistics about an upcoming Mass with one of the head organizers.
At the place where my good friend and I were getting a drink - someone who knows us well at the place noticed that I was very well dressed (I dressed in a suit that night - I even wore cufflinks with the cross on them) and they asked why I was dressed such.
I replied to the effect: “I had a meeting tonight to discuss some things about a project.”
The person continued to press me and I replied:
“This Sunday there we have an event so I needed to meet with one of the organizers to finalize it all.”
I also noted that I do volunteer work often.
Was I under any obligation to fully profess that I volunteer at Masses and that I was finalizing details of a big Mass that Sunday? Was it a grave sin to be so vague?
I greatly suspected the people at the location who we know well were very secular and a part of me didn’t want to have a big theological conversation in that setting. I was not ashamed of my beliefs whatsoever but I simply didn’t want to be drawn into a big theological debate in that setting. Also, in this case they might have judged me and shut me out - effectively denying any future opportunity for me to bring up religion on my terms if and when prompted by the Holy Spirit.
I also thought it wasn’t the right time to bring up religion - I was under the impression that this just was not the right time to evangelize them with words and that when the time is right, the Holy Spirit would prompt me to do so. In this case something inside me was just holding me back.
Was this misguided?
God Bless and Thanks,
Ed
Recently, a good friend and I went to an evening weekday Mass and afterwards went out for a drink at a place that knows us very well.
I am involved with volunteering around at different parishes - organizing and volunteering at Masses.
Thus, I went to this Mass this particular night to discuss some logistics about an upcoming Mass with one of the head organizers.
At the place where my good friend and I were getting a drink - someone who knows us well at the place noticed that I was very well dressed (I dressed in a suit that night - I even wore cufflinks with the cross on them) and they asked why I was dressed such.
I replied to the effect: “I had a meeting tonight to discuss some things about a project.”
The person continued to press me and I replied:
“This Sunday there we have an event so I needed to meet with one of the organizers to finalize it all.”
I also noted that I do volunteer work often.
Was I under any obligation to fully profess that I volunteer at Masses and that I was finalizing details of a big Mass that Sunday? Was it a grave sin to be so vague?
I greatly suspected the people at the location who we know well were very secular and a part of me didn’t want to have a big theological conversation in that setting. I was not ashamed of my beliefs whatsoever but I simply didn’t want to be drawn into a big theological debate in that setting. Also, in this case they might have judged me and shut me out - effectively denying any future opportunity for me to bring up religion on my terms if and when prompted by the Holy Spirit.
I also thought it wasn’t the right time to bring up religion - I was under the impression that this just was not the right time to evangelize them with words and that when the time is right, the Holy Spirit would prompt me to do so. In this case something inside me was just holding me back.
Was this misguided?
God Bless and Thanks,
Ed