What do you think is the most important tool in evangelizing?

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Although, I believe it is important to has logical, rational, reasonable explanations for our faith but I think charity and compassion are the most important. I have to remind myself that the devil is my enemy not human beings. Human beings are my brother and sister, valued at the high price of Jesus’ body and blood.

I sang a funeral today and there was a row of obviously homosexuals in the pew. I had such love and compassion for them. I thought" Here is a sinner, just like me, here is one who needs Jesus so desperately, just like me, here is one who is deceived, confused, searching, longing, needing, just like me. Here is one who fears the rejection of God, just like me. Here is one that Jesus wants, just like me." I thought of the scripture, “While you were still in your sin, Jesus died for you.” I wanted to go up to them, hug them and tell them how happy I was that they were at Mass with me (I was singing so I couldn’t). In them, I saw my wounded Jesus, often rejected, weak, shunned, and I loved them.

I thought of how scary it might be to be asked to leave everything behind. To leave all that gives you a sense of security, identity and acceptance and to abandon that which you think makes you feel loved to live a life of indefinite chastity. Very scary, I think.

I sang. I sang my heart out for love of them, trying desperately to translate the love that Jesus has for them, a love so magnanimous that it would convince them to take a leap of faith. Even if the leap was only an inch for one inch closer to God is…closer to God.

Jesus, draw all of us with bleeding and broken hearts closer to you. Do not let us make our sin a barrier to receiving your love and being transformed by it. Do not let us get discouraged by our feeble efforts, our weakness of faith, our fears, our low self-worth, for we are so far from perfection. I see your mountain of perfection, with its steep climbs and sheer faces of rock. I look at myself with broken legs, broken arms, a broken heart and a broken spirit and get discouraged. If you do not come a rescue me I should be lost forever! You, Lord did descend from heaven to me for I could never reach you, Thank you. Thank you, Thank you.
 
Lady_Love said:
I think charity and compassion are the most important.
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Agreed! I believe this is true and that the Saints would agree with you.

The biggest tool for evangelization is how we carry out our every day lives. Many witness us…our families, our friends, our coworkers, and all the other people we interact with each day (clerks, doctors, etc.). How do respond when people are unkind to us? How do respond when we have wronged someone? How do we act when our patience is tested? Are we honest? Do we think of others, or only ourselves? How do we treat the people who we cannot stand? People notice these things!

“Proclaim the Gospel, use words if necessary.” - St Francis de Sales

We are to proclaim the message of the Gospel with our lives, first and foremost—more importantly than with just our lips. It is easy to speak about the Gospel, but even harder to live it out–especially when we have to go against our will in trying situations.
 
Father Barron has a pretty good video addressing this question. His main point, using Cardinal Dolan as an example, is that “spreading the contagious joy that comes with being a friend of Jesus Christ” is the most effective tool for evangelization. This made a lot of sense to me, and I try to remember that when I am tempted to get into theological arguments, which sometimes only push people away if not handled correctly. Where by spreading joy, along with charity and compassion, as you guys stated, people tend to have a more open mind, and the rest falls in place by the power of God!

Here is Father Barron’s video if you are interested…

m.youtube.com/watch?v=KfpdpvZPwrg

God bless!
 
Lady_Love said:
Although, I believe it is important to has logical, rational, reasonable explanations for our faith but I think charity and compassion are the most important. I have to remind myself that the devil is my enemy not human beings. Human beings are my brother and sister, valued at the high price of Jesus’ body and blood.

I sang a funeral today and there was a row of obviously homosexuals in the pew. I had such love and compassion for them. I thought" Here is a sinner, just like me, here is one who needs Jesus so desperately, just like me, here is one who is deceived, confused, searching, longing, needing, just like me. Here is one who fears the rejection of God, just like me. Here is one that Jesus wants, just like me." I thought of the scripture, “While you were still in your sin, Jesus died for you.” I wanted to go up to them, hug them and tell them how happy I was that they were at Mass with me (I was singing so I couldn’t). In them, I saw my wounded Jesus, often rejected, weak, shunned, and I loved them.

I thought of how scary it might be to be asked to leave everything behind. To leave all that gives you a sense of security, identity and acceptance and to abandon that which you think makes you feel loved to live a life of indefinite chastity. Very scary, I think.

I sang. I sang my heart out for love of them, trying desperately to translate the love that Jesus has for them, a love so magnanimous that it would convince them to take a leap of faith. Even if the leap was only an inch for one inch closer to God is…closer to God.

Jesus, draw all of us with bleeding and broken hearts closer to you. Do not let us make our sin a barrier to receiving your love and being transformed by it. Do not let us get discouraged by our feeble efforts, our weakness of faith, our fears, our low self-worth, for we are so far from perfection. I see your mountain of perfection, with its steep climbs and sheer faces of rock. I look at myself with broken legs, broken arms, a broken heart and a broken spirit and get discouraged. If you do not come a rescue me I should be lost forever! You, Lord did descend from heaven to me for I could never reach you, Thank you. Thank you, Thank you.
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How could you tell they were gay?
 
Two things.


  1. *]Knowing the faith.
    *]Prayer, prayer,prayer, and then still more prayer.
 
“I think charity and compassion are the most important.”
Practicing charity and evangelizing are two very different duties each Christian is supposed to fulfill.
GodsLittleChild said:
“Proclaim the Gospel, use words if necessary.”
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This is an apocryphal quote invented by an unknown person who was trying to get away with not evangelizing.

The most important tool in evangelization? A solid religious education.

frenchandcatholic.wordpress.com/
 
The most effective tools to evangelize. Perhaps your parish and church
 
PeterJohn said:
The most effective tools to evangelize. Perhaps your parish and church
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The most effective tool for evangelization is the Word of God.

[1] You must be saved and know it - 1 John 5:13
[2] You must know the gospel of salvation - 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Eph. 2:8,9
[3] You must be trained by the pastor/teacher to do the work of the ministry- Eph. 4:11-15
[4] You must understand that the 4 gospels record our Lord’s ministry to Israel, under the Law. You must be in Paul’s epistles to learn the “gospel of the grace of God.”
[5] When you are trained, as an ambassador for the Lord Jesus Christ you are then able to preach the word of reconciliation - 2 Cor 5:16-21
[6] To sum up, you must know the Word of God and how to “rightly divide it.”

Grace and peace,
QC
 
“Evangelize always and if necessary, use words.”

Hopefully we all evangelize by living our lives with charity, compassion, integrity, etc.
 
French_Catholic said:
Again: this is an apocrypha quotation. You have to use words to evangelize. If you don’t, you’re not evangelizing: you’re just hoping that people are going to notice that you’re a nice person and evangelize themselves!

frenchandcatholic.wordpress.com/
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I agree that this quote is often used to absolve people of their Christian duty to proclaim the Word of God in season and out of season - however, it is also true that if we are lacking inner joy and inner peace in our proclamation of the Gospel, then it is for nothing, since what we want to do in our proclaiming is to let people know where the depth of our peace and joy is coming from. Also, if one is a notorious sinner, then one’s proclamation of the Gospel would be made void - we have to live what we proclaim.

But, for sure, no one can hope to stand in the same heaven as the Martyrs, if he is afraid of what people might think. 🙂
 
French_Catholic said:
Again: this is an apocrypha quotation. You have to use words to evangelize. If you don’t, you’re not evangelizing: you’re just hoping that people are going to notice that you’re a nice person and evangelize themselves!

frenchandcatholic.wordpress.com/
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Actually, no. There’s a whole other approach to evangelizing…it’s really more aptly named apostolate. One can engage in an apostolate by being a cheerful, generous, constant friend to people. In fact, there’s a strong argument that unless you’re a friend to someone, you have no business evangelizing. The transcendent matters are so personal and important, most if not nearly all “evangelizing” to people not your friends, actually has the opposite effect.

Be an available, constant, hard working, cheerful, well-equipped, confident friend…and slowly over even years your friends will ask you about your peace and your joy.

And it’s actually their initiating approach that moves their heart more. It’s their choice to ask. So they are naturally a bit more receptive.

Sure, you may then use words to describe your joy, your prayer life, your faith, your knowledge of God, but the hard work has already been done. The ground has been prepared all without words.
 
Scratching someone where he itches.

So if someone is a Bible-Alone Christian, use the Bible, alone, to evangelize.

If someone eschews Scripture for the empirical evidence of science, use science.

If someone is hungry for beauty, take him to a Cathedral.

etc etc etc
 
Edward_H said:
One can engage in an apostolate by being a cheerful, generous, constant friend to people. In fact, there’s a strong argument that unless you’re a friend to someone, you have no business evangelizing.
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I beg to differ.
 
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