“…and I will make you fishers of men.”

One summer break during my college years, my father informed me that I would be accompanying my brother, Quintin, on his fishing trip to Alaska.  Quintin, a freshman in college, loved the outdoors and fishing, but could be a bit absent minded.  My father sent me to save him from being lunch for the bears.

Our plane arrived in Anchorage and we took a rental car to one of the many rivers on the Kenai Peninsula.  We stood on the bank, casting our lines into the clear, cold water teeming with salmon.  Hours passed without a single strike.  Several local fishermen were nearby catching fish, but were doing so by using a different method.  One of them, an older man in his 70’s, slowly worked his way next to us and politely asked “What are you boys fishing with?”  We held up our bass lures that had been so successful all of our lives in the ponds and lakes of Kansas and Oklahoma.  It was then that the Alaskan fisherman uttered the line that still causes laughter around family campfires today.  “You boys aren’t from around here, are you?”

As Catholics, our Father, through his Son Jesus, also sends us to save others:  “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” (John 20:21)  Jesus does not ask us, He sends us, confident that with the aid of the Holy Spirit, from the rising of sun to its setting, we will be able to bring all those who are lost back to Him.  “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)  Whether on the Sea of Galilee, a river in Alaska, or around the water cooler at work, to be successful fishermen, we must be prepared to change our tactics to meet the situation at hand. We need to follow the great Evangelist, St Paul, who said “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some,” (1 Corinthians 22)

Let’s look at the top ten reasons that people return to the Catholic Church. As we talk to our brother or sister who has left the Church, we may be able to discern which of these reasons is most meaningful to them and thus “change our lure” to ease them back home.  .

1.         Because they want meaning in Life.  In the hustle of today’s busy lifestyles, lots of people suddenly realize that their lives have lost a sense of meaning.  They begin to ask themselves, “What is my life all about?  Why do I do what I do?”  There is widespread confusion in our culture with regard to morality and truth.  The Catholic Church offers a beacon of light that gives meaning to our existence and leads to eternal life.

2.         Because childhood memories surface.  Some people say childhood memories of feeling connected to God re-surface in later life.  They begin to ask themselves, “Is it possible to recapture that simplicity of faith?  Can I ever really believe that God is watching out for me?”  The secularization of our society leads people away from the spiritual side of themselves.  The Catholic Church offers both religious and mystical experiences that free the heart, the mind, the body and the soul.

3.         Because they made mistakes. Some people become burdened with the weight of accumulated sin. They want to get rid of the guilt of having hurt themselves or others. They begin to ask, “Will God ever forgive me? Is there any way I can start over with a clean slate?” You can always tell God that you’re sorry, but if you want the complete assurance of God’s forgiveness and the grace to start again, the Catholic Church offers absolution in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Next week, we will present the next seven top reasons people give who return to the Catholic Church. Please read these over carefully. In evangelization, as in fishing, presenting your “lure” in a variety of ways increases your chance of success, and success means the return of one who was lost back to the loving embrace of the Church and the opportunities for grace She provides.

(The Ten Reasons are from Our Sunday Visitor)

What Do the Saints Say?

“The nation doesn’t simply need what we have. It needs what we are.”

— St. Teresia Benedicta (Edith Stein)

What Does the Bible Say?

“And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of full stature of Christ.”

— Ephesians 4:11-13

Evangelization Challenge of the Week

This week, end your nightly prayers with the following “God, please give me the courage to evangelize.”

We pray for a Church

where no one feels alone ● that loves God and each other ● that values each person’s strengths ● that is guided by the Holy Spirit to rediscover itself ● that continues to embrace the vision of Vatican II ● that is fully engaged ● that focuses on love, peace, justice and compassion ● in which everyone is welcoming ● that proclaims the good news of Jesus Christ in word and action ●

We pray that we will be that Church! ● Amen