Catholic Evangelization: Bring Your Friends Back

I’m sure you have come across people who have stopped going to church.  What is interesting is that there are different categories of people if I may categorize them. There is probably the extreme group that has renounced their faith all together.  They stop believing that God exists.  There is another group that continues to believe that God exists.  At the same time they have chosen to stop going to church.  Let’s focus on the second group. 

Today, I meet an interesting friend. All along I knew she was a catholic and I just assumed she was a practicing catholic. While we were having a chat this afternoon she revealed to me that she does not go to church anymore.  It is not that she does not believe in Jesus but rather she didn’t see the need of going to church.  She told me that Jesus is a friend to her and she speaks to him yet strangely she has chosen to stop going to church.  I discovered that although the entire family is catholic only her mother still goes to church. She told me she is very close to her mother and her mother has actually express concerns that she stopped going to church.  Well, I wonder whether she’s inspired to return to church or not.  I later found out that he was not even planning to go to church for Christmas.

I suppose that this incident that I encountered this afternoon is not something uncommon.  I’m sure you have probably come across people in the same situation.  And sadly some of these people when they go back to church once in awhile they are among the first in the queue to receive holy communion not knowing that they are in the state of mortal sin.  What is truly disappointing is their unformed conscience.  All the years of catechism probably did not help much.  They have learned about Jesus just like nonbelievers who also know about Jesus yet they choose not to fully embrace him.

This is the reason why it is important to re-evangelize the church. If we leave the situation as it is do not be too shocked that a hundred years from now, the church in Asia would be a reflection of the church in other parts of the world where only a few elderly people attend Mass.

Hence, it is our responsibility as given by Jesus to go out there and make a difference in the lives of people around us. Reflect Jesus to them by the way we lead our lives. Speak to them about Jesus and guide them the way home. We can truly make a difference through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. God bless.