S
Sherlock
Guest
Good point.
Why aren't more involved in the missionary work required of us by Christ?
- Status
D
deb1
Guest
I became a Christian because of a dear, sweet woman who **never **talked to me about Jesus.She was a Christian, but it was her life that led me to Christ. She was one of the kindest, gentlest souls that I have ever come across. She never knew that she was a major influence in my life or the reason that I became a Christian.
When I was a troubled 16 year old, a dear older woman would take me to Mass with her every SUnday. That had a tremendous influence on why I am Catholic now. I recently-after leaving home for 17 years-got the opportunity to talk with her. This Easter, she will be my daughter’s godmother. I am 38 years old now, it took me 20 years before her effort with me took effect.
S
Sherlock
Guest
That’s a wonderful story!
P
Philthy
Guest
Could you please show me your source of info?
Phil
E
EsclavoDeCristo
Guest
I totally agree with you. I guess I could modify the question a little and ask, why aren’t there more Catholics answering the call radically. St. Francis didn’t just live a normal life. He gave up everything. If I recall correctly, he was rich and from a noble family. St. Francis gave up his family and all material possessions, even the clothes off his back! I guess my point is that God is the same yesturday, today and tomorrow. So has God quit calling people to give their lives radically or have we stopped listening? Get what I’m trying to say?
C
Catilieth
Guest
EsclavoDeCristo,
there are literally thousands and thousands of Catholics that do just that. What do you think that the thousands of professed religious in the many orders within the Catholic Church are doing??? The Missionaries of Charity, Salesians, Franciscans, etc…etc…etc…they give up everything and go where they are sent, to the four corners of the world to peach and teach the Gospel and to serve the poor. Even in this day, many are martyred.
E
EsclavoDeCristo
Guest
I agree with you and am aware of this but can you honestly say that the majority of Am Catholics know about these orders or that our young people have been encouraged to seek out their vocations and the will of God in their lives? It is a blessing and awesome wittness that those who are religious have said yes to the Lord but I still believe that vocations to consecrated life are not encouraged for the most part in this country and within the developed world.
When is the last time you heard prayers of the faithful at Mass for our brothers and sisters who are tortured and martyred for their faith? It hasn’t happened in any church I’ve attended.
I pray for them daily and hope that one day I may have the courage and fortitude in my faith which they posses.
C
Catilieth
Guest
I have the blessed good fortune of living in a Diocese with a fervent, orthodox Bishop and an equaly orthodox pastor. We pray for vocations at every Mass, we have missionaries from various parts of the world at various Masses throughout the year talking about the missions, a holy hour each week expressly to pray for vocations, and we have an active evengelization commitee. Our parish is bursting at the seems, we have 7 Masses each weekend, and several of the Masses, if you arrive right on time, you will not be able to get into the Church because it is so full.
But, we are completely, unashamedly Roman Catholic. Now, if you have the terrible misfortune of being in a parish of “Am-Catholics”, my heart goes out to you because they are starving the people. They do not hold with orthodoxy and are depriving the people of all the riches of our faith. I have no doubt the picture is much different there.
The rest of the picture has to do with human nature…apathy is, i think, one of the devil’s favorite tools…and that goes for Christians of every stripe.
But, we are completely, unashamedly Roman Catholic. Now, if you have the terrible misfortune of being in a parish of “Am-Catholics”, my heart goes out to you because they are starving the people. They do not hold with orthodoxy and are depriving the people of all the riches of our faith. I have no doubt the picture is much different there.
The rest of the picture has to do with human nature…apathy is, i think, one of the devil’s favorite tools…and that goes for Christians of every stripe.
S
StCsDavid
Guest
First of all IMHO a majority of Catholics are apathetic and/or ignorant of most aspects of this beautiful faith…so missing the message to evangelize the world is not a big surprise is it?
Second, not everyone has the charism to evangelize. Some people couldn’t put a coherent thought on paper let alone proclaim it if their lives depended on it, but God has given them other gifts, and they can certainly support the efforts (financially, in prayer, etc.) of those who do have the gifts that allow them to evangelize.
Third, if you feel so strongly this way, how is it that you have access to a computer? Shouldn’t you be proclaiming God’s word in the underground church in China where one can be executed for having an unauthorized bible? I say that tongue in cheek…not as an insult.
This is a faith of action which does get lost on many. One of my favorite priests gave a homily where he said…
"I was hungry…and you went to the adoration chapel to pray for me.
“I was thirsty…and you formed a comittee to study the water supply.”
“I was naked…and you told me you would pray for me.”
His point was often it’s easy to forget that sometimes you have to get your hands dirty to help others. Prayer is great, but it’s only part of the solution.
E
EsclavoDeCristo
Guest
I’d love to go to China, unfortunately that door hasn’t been opened up to me. South and Central America are another story…
Your priest makes a good point. However, without the prayer and Christ centeredness, the good works are worthless. You cannot give what you have not received. When in Honduras, there were many days when the only thing that sustained me through the intense suffering, poverty and downright wickedness that I wittnessed on a daily basis was my time with Christ in prayer, Mass and adoration.
S
StCsDavid
Guest
Praise be to God for your work, Esclavo de Cristo, and all of our foreign missionaries. Check out the web site at the bottom of Esclovo’s message…this looks like a fantastic ministry.
P
puzzleannie
Guest
there is no need to travel to a foreign country to evangelize, or to perform acts of Christian charity. Begin in your own parish, community, diocese. A good place to start is by not driving away from your local parish those who are already Catholic, but are newly arrived, may not speak the same language or share the same culture as the majority of parishioners. By refusing to welcome our own, we are sometimes guilty of driving them into the arms of pentecostals and evangelicals who are more than glad to take them in.
P
Pug
Guest
When I was a 10 year old child, my cousin became an atheist. He gave me various arguments one evening about unstoppable forces and impervious brick walls and an “all-powerful” God. I had no idea what to say to him. I had no preparation for such an event in my life as meeting an atheist on the attack.
I think it helps to have training, spiritual formation, a real prayer life, and basic sound catechesis before doing some things. I think Americans sometimes lack one of these, and they often know it, so they don’t open their mouth.
If you make it to adulthood without getting these things, it takes substantial time to remedy a lack of, say, catechesis. It is hard to spread the wonderful news about Jesus if you don’t really personally know why it is wonderful and what the news is!!!
T
trogiah
Guest
I think I have some idea of what you are trying to say. I know I am well short of the complete answer but I think a radical response to the call today will look rather different than a radical response in the time of St. Francis. For instance, do you have any idea how difficult it is, at least in this country, to give away the clothes off your back? Unless they are clean and in good condition Goodwill is not very interested in them although you could probably sneak them in to a donation site with some never used appliances that are probably sitting somewhere in your house.
My point is that we (in the US and in many other countries) live in a world of such enormous material wealth that it is fairly difficult to find someone in true desperate material need. I know it is not true everywhere in the world but even in other places, the problem is rarely the unavailability of material goods but rather corrupt or inept government or tribal, ethnic, or national conflicts of some kind. So how do we respond to that?
I think at least one radical response to Jesus’s call is to simply be as free as possible from being “possessed” by our own material possessions. Are you able to do without your favorite chair, favorite meal, TV, Internet, whatever and simply be satisfied with your own basic material needs met - needing nothing more than the love of God in your heart? What that would look like and what that means in your life is certainly nothing I could say. I am well short of understanding it in my own life but I think it is a radical and truthful response to God’s call.
peace
-Jim
C
CarolAnnSFO
Guest
Even St. Francis didn’t expect everyone to live the exact type of life that he did. His own words:
“I have done what is mine to do; may Christ teach you what you are to do.”
There are many ways to serve, and many ways to be missionaries. And yes, there are needy right in this country. It is a mistake to think that the entire US is affluent.
It isn’t realistic to expect the entire population of the US (or even the entire Catholic population) to become missionaries in other lands. My prayers are with those who do have that charism; I know that they often have to place themselves in grave danger, and they do it willingly, for the love of God.
Crazy Internet Junkies Society
Carrier of the Angelic Sparkles Sprinkle Bag
S
Sherlock
Guest
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head—a lot of people don’t know their faith (though rotten catechesis and, frankly, some laziness on their part) and so simply are unable to give what they themselves don’t have. I think that when people really are taught well, then they are more likely to be excited by the faith and will desire to spread it to others, as well as living their own faith in a way that others will see.
E
EsclavoDeCristo
Guest
I agree! There are awesome holy people in all vocations and in all sort of ministries.
Sometimes I think the reason God continues to extend so much mercy to us is because of all the little old ladies that spend tireless hours in churches before the Blessed Sacrament praying for the Church and for the world!
T
THEOPHILUS
Guest
If Roman Catholic missionaries are more than other missionaries, then again we don’t need this thread, because people here are saying that Protestants are putting you to shame…
And as for the term “Roman Catholic”, I don’t agree with you that all Catholics in the East are related to Rome, because I am baptized in a Church which is also Catholic ( the Armenian Apostolic Catholic Church ), but this Church doesn’t have anything to do with Rome.
THEOPHILUS†
T
THEOPHILUS
Guest
And the Bible says:
“faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” ( Romans 10:17 )
And you see all the Christians and Apostles preaching the Word of Christ.
Now if St Francis ( you think
) is consistent with the Bible, he must have meant that our deeds must show the genuinness of what we are preaching. He couldn’t have meant that this “necessary” is just a few times, or else he would be contradicting Jesus. I know about St Francis, and I don’t think he would contradict Jesus.THEOPHILUS†
T
THEOPHILUS
Guest
What were you before becoming Christian?
†
- Status