Sharing: anyone else have fear to be openly Catholic

Last week something interesting happened at work that bears on this. James a 40 something heavy metaler and gig organiser, complete utube Atheist ,sat beside me at work. James has hair down to his backside, dark music t shirts and has come with a totally materialistic world view point. I enjoy keeping him going very gently about this and he laughs and we joke about this. He is , despite appearances a very gentle good mannered person and I suspect someone who would be sensitive and easily hurt. I sense he is not threatened by my keeping him going about his rigid unbelief and rather enjoys it. Who knows? Perhaps something of my ribbing sinks in, I hope so.

However the other morning a lady, Kitty, came up and hearing me laughing with him about his atheism began to quiz him quite forcibly about this.

To my surprise James at once began to get angry and defensive. He has never been like this with me... I at once left the conversation. I think this was a warning to me that intellectual arguments can only go so far. Everything we do and say must be couched in terms of pure love.

 

At Mass this morning our priest gave one of his better sermons. He quoted a saying of Mahatma Ghandi (which i've looked up)

I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.

Pasted from <http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/mahatmagan107529.html>

I am so aware from observing within my family that if we are not leading a life of love that it will be counter-productive to evangelize.
But we are called to evangelize. Therefore we must lead a life of selfless love.

 

Yes Jerry, if they don't like us, they'll never like anything we say.

 

So true!

Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!

 

"The Holy Spirit gives us joy. And he is joy. Joy is the gift in which all the other gifts are included. It is the expression of happiness, of being in harmony with ourselves, that which can only come from being in harmony with God and with his creation. It belongs to the nature of joy to be radiant; it must communicate itself. The missionary spirit of the Church is none other than the impulse to communicate the joy which has been given."
-Pope Benedict XVI, Christmas Address to the Roman Curia, 2008

 

I try to follow St. Francis of Assisi's advice:

“Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.”

In other words, live the Gospel and be an example to others.

 

I have heard this quote associated to St Francis many times and always liked it. However, I was watching EWTN Live with Fr Mitch Pacwa one day and he said that St Francis never actually said that. That it was a myth that started. He said that this quote actually hurts the evangelization cause because it gives people reason to not openly evangelize with words.

 

Fr. Mitch is right. Francis used more words than many were used to hearing in his day. He was an animated preacher, often dancing and as we know, he would preach to anyone who would stop to listen, including birds and who knows what other creatures!

The quote that he actually was recorded to have said that is anywhere close to the famous one is:

"No brother should preach contrary to the form and regulations of the holy Church nor unless he has been permitted by his minister . . . All the Friars . . . should preach by their deeds."​

This says make sure your deeds match your words (practice what you preach), and make sure you preach what the church teaches and approves. While there's good sentiment in the other statement, it does not align with St. Francis' own practice. Which is good news for me because I am very fond of using lots of words! LOL
Here is one place that talks about this:
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/07/11/factchecker-misquoting-francis-of-assisi/

A Friar's Musings:
http://friarmusings.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/preach-the-gospel-at-all-times-if-necessary-use-words/

 

I think the saying though is a good one in context. I like to think it means to have your life and actions be living the gospel for all to see, and then if they need it also use words.

 

Bingo Carmel!! You nailed it!

 

I like what Pope Benedict say.
If people see us happy they want to be like us and be happy too.

It reminds me of what St Teresa of Avila said, 'God save me from sad faced saints'.

 

I guess I got over the shyness of saying grace in public many years ago. I know my boys were shy about it especially as teens but we continued on. I wear a scapular under my clothes but always wear a Miraculous Medal (or a Crucifix) during Lent. At first I did not feel worthy but it is not about being worthy, in a way, but being a witness. Of course then you have to also clean up your act! No off color jokes, cut out the gossip, etc. I always wear a skirt to holy Mass which makes me stand out for that alone. The veil I wear at a TLM but not to the novus ordo since I already dress different and if I want to set an example for others, I think it best not to be too extreme.

I am not ashamed of being a Catholic Christian! And I am also a "pro-lifer" which the U.S. gov't. says is being a terrorist. Praying at the demonic abortion mill regularly has cured me of any remaining shyness concerning my faith and what it and what I stand for. Today was a big day at the killing center, by the way, and even though I go to the Blessed Sacrament, my heart stayed a bit heavy.