“ …Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the foremost of sinners; but I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience for an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. “
— 1 Timothy 15-16
Before we can be successful in leading people home to Jesus and His Church, we need to grow closer to God ourselves. Few people are convinced into conversion by argument. Rather, as with St. Paul speaking to Timothy, we serve as examples to others who see Christ in us and want to experience Christ in themselves. Jesus has risen and is alive with us today, for “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive." (Luke 20:38). The Church has always taught that we can have a personal relationship with God and grow ever closer to him to the point that He lives in us and we in Him. How do we grow closer to someone? We grow closer by spending time with them, talking with them spontaneously through the day as we share our joys, sorrows, dreams, and troubles. Developing a relationship, let alone falling in love with someone, would be particularly difficult if we limited our time together to one hour every Sunday morning.
This “spending time” with Jesus is also known as “prayer”. There are many ways to pray (see “19 Ways to Pray” on our website): reading scripture, the rosary, asking for intercession of the saints, journaling, etc. But it is often the off the cuff “Help me Jesus,” or “Jesus, I trust in you,” or sometimes the plaintive “Jesus, what do I do now?” that makes His presence more real to us. St. Teresa of Avila actually complained to God once, after she fell in the mud: “If this is how you treat your friends, it’s no wonder you have so few”. These extemporaneous talks combined with receiving the Eucharist deepen our relationship with Him to the ultimate degree. One could win a chance to talk to their favorite actor on the phone for an hour and truly say they formed a personal relationship with him. To receive the Eucharist is to have that actor ring your doorbell and come into your home and spend the day with you face to face.
“It is necessary to awaken again in believers a full relationship with Christ….Only from a personal relationship with Jesus can an effective evangelization develop.”
— Blessed John Paul II
What Does the Bible Say?
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’”
— Isaiah 6:8
Evangelism Challenges This Week
“I want to have a deeper relationship with Jesus, but how do I listen to His Voice?” It is difficult to hear a quiet voice when we are bombarded by lots of noise. God speaks to us in the depths of our hearts, but in order to hear Him we need to take time to quiet the noise around us, whether it be the noise in our ears or the noise in our hearts. Listening is the first step.
Seek out a quiet space to listen to Him this week. Prayer begins by opening our hearts to Jesus in silence. Turning our minds and hearts to God opens us up to hear His voice.
· Spend 10 minutes each day in complete silence. Reflect on what God means to you.
· Say a prayer of thanksgiving for something that you are grateful for.
· Compliment a family member. Tell them how much you love them & are grateful to have them in your life.
Lectio Divina
An ancient form of Christian prayer that opens our hearts to the voice of God is called Lectio divina (holy reading) in which we use reading, silence and meditation in conversation with God. In conversation with God through the word of God, we become more deeply united to God, our Father.
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