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As a Catholic, you may be a bit intimidated about the prospect of evangelization. Sharing our Catholic faith is something Catholics generally shy away from, especially in the United States, mainly because it’s so easy to hit resistance from Evangelicals, or maybe it’s just a general anxiety about putting one’s faith out there. In both cases, this is most often the result of poor catechesis, and it’s easily correctable by simply getting to know one’s own Catholic faith better. Once you get a stronger understanding of your own Catholic faith, you’re not going to feel so intimidated about putting your faith out there, or even encountering resistance.
Step 1: Get to Know Your Catholic Faith Better
Of course, most Catholics will say if you want to know the Catholic faith better, just read the Catechism. While this is true, the Catechism itself can be cumbersome for some people, and sitting down to read it, cover-to-cover, can be a bit much to ask. It’s not designed for light reading. If you want something simple, an easy-to-read catechism, then I’m going to point you to you CREDO: Compendium of the Catholic Faith. This Catechism references all of the great works of Catholic teaching, including the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), as well as the old Roman Catechism (Catechism of Trent), and many other great doctrinal works throughout the centuries. Furthermore, CREDO addresses many modern issues you just won’t find in any other catechism these days. Best of all, CREDO is easy to read, uses a standard Q&A catechism format, and doesn’t get bogged down in diplomatic doublespeak. It just says it like it is, which is sorely needed in today’s society. Currently, it’s available in hardback for about $25, and eBook for about $10. If you want the eBook, just toggle the format option to “eBook.”
However, I’m also going to point you in a slightly different direction. I think people learn best through stories and personal letters. Which is why, in addition to the catechism above, I would like to point you to the New Testament of the Bible as the best way to learn the Catholic faith. I say you should concentrate on the New Testament because that’s what our Catholic faith is built on. From a layman’s perspective, the Old Testament serves primarily for context, to help us understand the history of Jesus Christ and his people. Catholics should learn from the Old Testament too, but in these early stages of self-catechesis, it’s best to concentrate on the New Testament for a while. For this, I’m going to exclusively recommend the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament. You can get it in hardback, paperback and kindle. I recommend getting the paperback or kindle, so you can easily carry it around at a fairly low price. After you read through it, and know it well, you can get the full Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, which includes both the Old and New Testaments. I would definitely wait on the whole Bible, however, until you’re very familiar with the New Testament.
By reading this Ignatius version of the New Testament, you’ll get all the study notes from the most conservative and trusted Catholic apologists and catechists. This will include explanations of difficult-to-understand passages, as well as cross-references with the CCC. So it’s kind of an all-in-one deal. All the material any Catholic needs is in this particular New Testament.
Additional books, like the CCC itself and YouCat are nice to have, if you can afford them, and I’ve linked to some of the cheapest sources that can be found online. For starters, however, use the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament, and dig right into it. This is the sort of book you can read cover-to-cover and you’ll be just fine. If you do this, you’re going to know more about your Catholic faith than most Catholics. You’ll be surprised how much your confidence builds, and how fast it happens, as you begin digging down into the New Testament, and the study notes.
Step 2: Get Your Prayer Life Going
There are only two halves to being a good Catholic. The first half is knowledge, and knowledge comes through hearing (and reading and studying) the Scriptures, as noted above. The second half is a prayer life. This is essential. You just can’t get anywhere without it. So, in addition to reading the New Testament, start doing the following…
- Go to Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days of Obligation
- Go to confession at least once-a-month.
- Pray five-decades of the rosary every day. (learn how here)
- Talk to God, every day, even if it’s just for a minute, before or after your rosary, or at any other time, and just tell him about your struggles and hopes for the day. Having a personal (not private but personal) relationship with God is essential to spiritual growth. Relationships don’t happen through silence. There needs to be two-way communication. God speaks to us through nature, Sacred Scripture, Apostolic Tradition and the seven sacraments. We speak to God through confession, liturgical participation, spiritual devotions (like the rosary), and personalized prayer. This is how the two-way communication between God and man works.
- Get these habits fully developed, and a regular part of your life, for at least six months before progressing on to Step 3.
Step 3: Show Your Faith Without Apology
When you feel ready to start talking to people about Jesus Christ and his Catholic Church, you’re going to need some conversation starters. This means showing your faith publicly and without apology. I’m not talking about anything crazy here. Rather, I’m just talking about some very practical and common-sense approaches…
- Wear a noticeable cross or crucifix.
- Say a prayer before each meal, and be sure to cross yourself.
- Carry a rosary in your pocket at all times.
- When people ask: “Are you Catholic?” Be sure to respond in a very positive and friendly tone with: “Yes, I love Jesus Christ and his Catholic Church.”
- Feel free to show off your rosary, especially if it’s a nice one, whenever it’s not awkward to do so.
Step 4: Start Answering Questions
Doing the above in Step 3 is going to start generating some questions, and that’s what you want. If you’ve followed Step 1 and Step 2, for at least six months, you’ll be ready for them. If you don’t know the answer to a question, there is no shame in saying: “I don’t know, but I’ll look into that and get back to you.” Most of the questions will likely be trivial, over little things, and that’s fine. Answer what you are able to. Your willingness to answer their questions in a positive way, that doesn’t make them feel stupid for asking, will encourage them to ask more questions later.
You can tell who is sincere in their questions and who is just being argumentative. You don’t need me to tell you how to discern that. It’s built right into all of us. Always answer sincere questions the way I described above.
Don’t ever get into a religious argument. Leave that for people experienced in such things (Catholic Apologetics). It’s bound to happen sooner or later, especially in the United States, but any Protestant-dominated country will be similar. When you get into a situation, wherein somebody is asking questions in an aggressive manner, clearly not interested in learning, and is hitting you with multiple questions before you have time to answer the last one, you need to understand this person is not interested in your answers. What you’ve likely encountered is an Evangelical Fundamentalist, a Jehovah’s Witness or some other anti-Catholic. In this situation, politely excuse yourself from the conversation, and leave the situation behind. Conversions never happen after a religious argument.
If you feel like you want to try to reach them a different way, you could refer them to RealClearCatholic.Com for answers to tough questions. I’ll take care of that for you. You could say something like: “I see that you’re not really interested in a friendly conversation, or maybe you’re trying to prove something. I don’t have time for that, so I suggest you get your answers from this source.” Here’s a QR code to this website if you like those. You can download it and save it to your phone…
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Step 5: Start Sharing the Gospel
In the course of answering people’s questions about Catholicism, you will occasionally encounter a person, here and there, who seems a little more interested than others. These people are what we call “seekers,” meaning that while they may already be attached to one religious tradition or another, or even no particular tradition at all, they are looking for something a little different. At the very least, they are curious. These are the people you will focus on with a little more effort. You don’t need me to tell you who they are, or what to look for. You have that ability yourself. You will know who is more interested than others. It will be obvious.
I would recommend getting these people to Mass as soon as possible, but I wouldn’t make it a strictly religious event. I would recommend inviting them to Mass first, and then going out for coffee (or lunch, or something) afterward. It’s the afterward that’s really important, because the liturgy of the Mass is going to invoke more questions, and your afterward time is what you need to “close the deal” as they say. So make a regular habit out of this.
All the while, you don’t want to pressure them, or ask them if they want to join the Catholic Church. That will happen on its own in time. Just keep them going to Mass with you, followed by some kind of afterward time. It’s okay to talk about other things besides religion too. Remember, we are all human. Sometimes other topics will come up, and it’s fine to talk about that. Sometimes people just need a friend they can dump their cares and concerns on. It’s also okay for this to be more than one person too.
If you have two seeker friends, or three, or four, that’s fine. Just make sure the afterward time is available to all, and nobody ever feels “stupid” for asking questions. Always respond with “Good question!” or “Wow! That’s thought provoking,” or some kind of other positive response, before answering the question. Remember, it’s important that people feel free to ask you whatever they want. You don’t want them feeling “dumb” or being discouraged for “seeking.” And it’s always okay to say you don’t know the answer to something, but you’ll find out and get back to them about it. For example: “Wow! That’s a good question. Now you’ve really got me thinking. I’m not sure what the answer is, but I’m gonna look into it more and get back to you on that one. Such a smart question. Thanks! I love a challenge.” Anyway, maybe phrasing it that way is too corny. I don’t know, but you will figure out your own way of saying it.
Keeping all of this in mind, here is the basic pathway toward leading a seeker into a relationship with Jesus Christ through his Catholic Church…
The Roman Road is a simple Evangelistic tool that’s been used by both Catholics and Protestants for years. It’s a simple method that can be easily committed to memory, and utilizes just one book from the New Testament: St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. This is a letter written by St. Paul to the Church in Rome (Yes, that would be the Roman Catholic Church, which was the first See of the ancient Catholic Church). So it’s a very “Catholic” letter. Granted, all the epistles in the New Testament are Catholic, but this one is just more so, because it’s written to the Catholic Christians living in the City of Rome, as the Roman See of Peter was in the process of being established. St. Paul has a lot of profound things to say to them, and his Epistle to the Romans can be used by Catholics today to bring people to Christ through his Catholic Church.
The Roman Road…
Romans 3:23: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.“
Everyone, except for two people (Jesus and Mary), has sinned. Therefore, all of us are in need of God’s help, because sin is offensive to God, therefore only God can help us. Even Mary, because she was human, required God’s intervention at her conception (the Immaculate Conception) to keep her free from sin. Nobody can avoid sin without God’s help. Likewise, nobody can be free of sin without God’s help. Jesus, however, is God. So he is incapable of sin.
Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The penalty for offending an eternal God is eternal separation from God. This is called spiritual death, since God is the source of all life. Sin separates us from God. Therefore, to be separated from God is to be separated from life. Physical death plays a role in teaching us what that is like for God. Imagine somebody you know dying, and having to go to their funeral, never to see them again. This is what it’s like for God whenever we sin. We become dead to him, and he doesn’t like that. If we physically die in this state of sin, the separation becomes permanent. We call that permanent separation from God and life “Hell.” Again, God doesn’t like this. He doesn’t want us to be separated from him. At the same time, however, he will not force himself on us. He wants us to be free to make our own choices. That, however, doesn’t mean he has to like our choices. And he always provides for us a way to change our mind, and easily return to him, so long as we remain physically alive and able to make choices. Physical death has a way of cementing (making permanent) the choices we make in this life. So it’s important to choose now, in this life, and not wait too long. Jesus Christ provides the way to return to full-communion with God.
Romans 5:8: “But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”
This is how God provides a way out of our separation from him (spiritual death), caused by our sin, and back into full-communion with him. It is his love for us that made this possible. This love is expressed through Jesus’ self-sacrifice on the cross, using the old Mosaic Law to offer himself as a sin-offering, a substitute, to be punished for us, like an older brother taking the punishment for something we (the younger siblings) have done. In other words, God used the Mosaic Law to express his love for us in an unforgettable way. He didn’t have to do it this way, but he chose to, so as to demonstrate to us just how serious our sin is to him, and at the same time how great his love is for us. This one-time sacrifice manifests itself to us today in three very direct ways. The sacraments of baptism, Eucharist and confession are intimately connected to Christ’s sacrifice for us on the cross. Baptism (going under water by either immersion or pouring water over the head) symbolizes our death to this world and rebirth in Christ. This was made possible by his death on the cross. The Eucharist brings that bodily sacrifice to us in a living way, for it is the literal body and blood of Jesus Christ, having once been sacrificed on the cross, now resurrected and living again in the Eucharist. Confession is the way we continually repent and recommit to following Jesus. For each time we confess our sins, we are throwing them under the cross of Jesus Christ, who made atonement for them.
Romans 10:9: “if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
This is how we receive God’s gift of salvation. We must receive it, and we do so by accepting it, just like we would any other gift. For adults, and anyone old enough to speak freely, it starts with a verbal confession of faith. It could be as simple as: “Lord Jesus, I believe in you and your resurrection.” In the Catholic Church, however, we actually have a formal, and more perfect prayer for this. It’s called the Apostle’s Creed…
The Apostles Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by
the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into Hell; the third day He arose again from the dead;
He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of God
the Father Almighty, from thence He shall come
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church,
the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
By reciting this prayer and creed, out loud, we have taken the first step toward our reconciliation with God. Any person who recites this creed, has just asked to take their first step into a relationship with Jesus Christ through his Catholic Church. Without being pushy, or impatient, but by waiting for the right time, try to get seekers to say this creed out loud with you. Recite it to them first, so they know what they’re praying in advance, then ask if they would like to make the same confession of faith. If they do, then recite it with them, one line at a time, with them repeating after you, one line at a time. So you really have to make sure you know the Apostles Creed well and can recite it from memory very easily. Burn this creed into your brain. You’re going to need it.
Romans 10:13: “For, ‘every one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.'”
Once the Apostle’s Creed is recited, this passage should be used to invoke joy, and encourage the seeker that he (or she) is on the right path now, and is beginning to make reconciliation with God.
Romans 5:1: “Therefore, since we are justified by faith, let us have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Our faith in Jesus Christ is how we receive the gift of God, which leads to our full reconciliation with God. Faith alone is not enough, because true faith is always accompanied by action. Nevertheless, it is a start, and one cannot do what comes next without first making a confession of faith. Don’t let the seeker fall into the Protestant error of thinking that a mere confession of faith is all one needs. That’s not what St. Paul is saying here, as we read in Philippians 2:12-13: “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Our peace is in knowing that God is at work in us now, with the intent to bring us into full reconciliation with him. For St. Paul also said in Philippians 1:6: “he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” So it’s a process. And saying the Apostles Creed is the first step. We know that God is working in the seekers life now, because St. Paul also said in 1st Corinthians 12:3: “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.” And the Apostles Creed explicitly says that Jesus is not just “Lord” but “our Lord.”
Romans 8:1-2: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death.”
This verse should also be used as assurance that one is now on the right path. It also reinforces, however, what is written above. For once the confession of faith is made, one moves from death to life, but the journey doesn’t end there. No. It’s just beginning. The confession of faith must be followed by catechesis (teaching) and baptism. It is now time to talk to a priest about getting those things set up. Offer to join the seeker through the process, even acting as his or her sponsor for OCIA (formally RCIA).
THIS is how it’s done. This is how every single Catholic can become a Catholic evangelist, and in the process even make new friends. Some people are called to stand on street corners to hand out rosaries and Catholic gospel tracts. Others go door to door. Still others, like me, provide resources online. For the average Catholic, however, it’s just about being a good Catholic, knowing the Catholic Faith well enough to answer some basic questions, memorizing a handful of Bible passages and what they mean (as demonstrated above in the Roman Road), and accompanying new friends into the Catholic Church. Yes, you can do this! Any Catholic can. You’ll not only be helping others, but you’ll be helping yourself too. So follow the fives steps above and start evangelizing!
Shane Schaetzel is an author of Catholic books and he is an Evangelical convert to the Catholic Church. His articles have been featured on LifeSiteNews, The Remnant Newspaper, Forward in Christ, and Catholic Online. You can read Shane’s books at ShaneSchaetzel.Com
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