Evangelizing Wisdoms Born of the Tragedy on 9/11

Posted on September 10, 2021 by Terry and John

[John writes] On the morning of September 11, 2001, I stood at an office window in Plainfield, NJ, with tears in my eyes and fear in my heart.  From there, I could see the World Trade Center Towers burning, exploding, collapsing. Eight members of our office staff were on planes departing from NYC. Were any of them on the plane that struck the Twin Towers? We did not know.  Was this a single terrorist attack or an act of war? How would this horror touch our families and loved ones? It was a terrible, overwhelming day for us, for our whole country, and a shock to the world. For weeks, the air around the NYC area had a smoldering heaviness. It stank of a caustic mix of jet fuel, vaporized buildings, and even incinerated human flesh.

This tragedy had a massive effect on the hearts and souls of many. Some people turned to God in prayer. Crowds appeared in parks and intersections, praying the “Our Father,” and singing songs like “Amazing Grace.” Catholic Churches in the North East corridor of the USA were packed with people, alone and in groups.  My wife, Therese, was drawn into intercessory prayer: during the attack, for the people trying to escape and for our son-in-law who was in the area: later, for those suffering from PTSD.

As a speaker, I received a staggering number of requests for a workshop entitled, “Walking with Jesus in Great Suffering.”  As someone in ministry, I met with dozens of people drowning in grief. By the Holy Spirit’s power was I able to share ways that the Gospel message brings meaning, especially as we join ourselves to the grief, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Seven lessons about Catholic evangelization emerged:

  • Suffering brings us face-to-face with the truth that our lives are ultimately not under our control. It is an illusion for us to imagine that we are the masters of our own reality. God is God, and we are not.
  • When we suffer, we have the opportunity to grow in compassion and in empathy those who are weighed down by excruciating pain. Our hard hearts can be pried open by the Holy Spirit. Jesus can heal us, giving us hearts of flesh and gentleness, to replace our hearts of stone.
  • Suffering is an opportunity to turn to God for help, a prompting to deeper intercessory prayer for those who are suffering. A kind of prayer that goes beyond words and into tears, groans, music, or charismatic tongues.
  • Our prayerful response can be an inspiration to others in agony. A study called, “Faith Development in the Adult Life Cycle,” concludes that if someone who is suffering is supported by friends who believe in God, they move closer to God. If their friends are unbelievers, they tend to move away from God.
  • Suffering can open our ears to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who from the Cross joins us in our suffering, as the Great Evangelizer.
  • Offering to pray aloud with someone who is suffering is an act of evangelization. the Holy Spirit can help us put his or her needs and emotions into God’s presence.
  • Jesus invites us to offer our presence and love to those who are suffering. It is an act of evangelizing mercy. Jesus can empower us to embrace what Pope Francis calls the “art of accompaniment.” “Someone good at such accompaniment does not give in to frustrations or fears. He or she invites others to let them­selves be healed, to take up their mat, embrace the cross, leave all behind and go forth ever anew to proclaim the Gospel” (The Joy of the Gospel, 172).

The tragedy of 9/11 rocked the world, but in many ways, it was a dress rehearsal for future, worldwide tragedies like the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions have suffered and died from this illness. Millions have been traumatized by the more than 650,000 deaths in the USA alone. This disease touches all of us, offering another opportunity to reach out to, walk with, and evangelize those around us who need Jesus Christ, the healer of all suffering hearts, the Savior sent by our Father-God.

Posted in evangelizing events unplugged, growth for evangelizers | Comments Off on Evangelizing Wisdoms Born of the Tragedy on 9/11

Evangelizing Moments: Big and Small

Posted on August 11, 2021 by Terry and John

photo by Hans Moerman

July 17 marked the 25th anniversary of TWA Flight 800’s explosion and crash during takeoff. Wreckage plunged into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Center Moriches, New York, on the south shore of Long Island. All 230 people on board were killed.

In the days that followed, more than 5,000 family members, federal investigators, and news reporters descended on this town of 6,000 residents. And today, there are memorials and plaques at the Smith Point and Center Moriches beaches dedicated to those who died in the crash. But there are unseen, spiritual consequences, also, that remain in people’s lives.

St. John the Evangelist Parish in Center Moriches was at the heart of this tragedy. Six members of the parish were on the plane. The pastor, Fr. Jim, quickly opened the church and school buildings for whatever relief services were needed. He celebrated Mass every day to comfort workers and victims’ families during this terrible time. Parts of Fr. Jim’s daily homilies were featured each night on national news broadcasts. He often spoke about the cross of Jesus as the only way to make sense of such suffering.

Parishioners stepped forward in large numbers to serve investigators, media and families in any way they could. A few months later, at an evangelistic Ash Wednesday service, parents of a young woman who had died in the crash spoke about the hope they felt in Jesus Christ, through Fr. Jim and the people of St. John’s.  Fr. Jim also spoke later, “This is the worst of times for our parish! It is one of the most difficult situations I have ever faced. Yet I realized something while I was praying–that maybe this is one of those ‘evangelizing moments’ we learned about. Maybe this is a moment rich with opportunities to evangelize people to Jesus Christ and to him crucified!”

Yes. This was a big “evangelizing moment.” But within the parish’s response were hundreds of small acts of faith and love. And, yes. Even today, there are still more moments presented to all of us in everyday life, if we pay attention to the Holy Spirit working in, around, and among us. Some opportunities are hidden in small and large tragedies, others present themselves as opportunities for small acts of kindness.

For example, a close friend, named Norman, headed off for a routine appointment with his neurologist, even though he felt dizzy and was experiencing low blood pressure. During the visit, Norman asked the nurse to check his pressure again. She took it a few times; then told his wife to take him to the Emergency Department immediately! Half a dozen tests later, he was admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of A-fib and heart failure.

During Norman’s echocardiogram, the technician, Sally, asked him what he did for a living. He explained that he was retired, but volunteered to help Catholics learn how to evangelize inactive Catholics and the unchurched. At the end of the test, Sally explained that she was a convert to Catholicism and had wondered why Catholics weren’t more active in sharing their faith. During their conversation Sally took notes, especially about the website www.catholicevangelizer.com  and the Facebook page, “Holy Spirit Calling.” Norman left on a gurney, rejoicing over this small “evangelizing moment” and the grace to share faith and his excitement about evangelization.

Later, during Norman’s hospital stay, he asked a nurse about her decision to become a medical professional. She explained that her Catholic upbringing in her home country had led her to give her life to serve as a nurse. “But during the pandemic, I have been so sad that I could not go to Mass.” She asked what parish Norman belonged to. So, he shared what he liked about his parish and invited her to come to Mass there.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops summarize this awareness of “evangelizing moments” in their document, Go and Make Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in the United States, “Each individual Catholic is to look at his or her everyday life from the viewpoint of evangelization. Take note of the many opportunities to support another’s faith, to share faith, and to help build up Jesus’ kingdom in our homes and workplaces, among our neighbors and friends.”

Posted in evangelizing events unplugged | Comments Off on Evangelizing Moments: Big and Small

Dare to Invite Others to Jesus, the Parish and the Mass

Posted on July 14, 2021 by Terry and John

When it came time for Therese’s grandmother, Jeannia, to enter a nursing home, her family couldn’t find a facility with a Sunday Mass, like she wanted. At first, Jeannia was extremely disappointed. But as she settled in, she established a daily routine that revolved around a televised Mass and a noontime Rosary. She graciously invited anyone who missed their parish or needed consolation. Because of her enthusiasm, Grandma’s tiny room was always full.

She instinctively knew that a personal invitation is the keystone in bringing people to Jesus and his body, the Church. And our own deliberate invitations to “come and see,” will become even stronger when we offer to accompany a person to a gathering. In this way, we mirror God’s loving call to every person. And finally, invitations create a shared spiritual destination, even if they offer only a tiny step forward.

ATTENTION: Monthly, ZOOM Course: Keys to Reaching Inactive Catholics.                             Saturday mornings       February to September

 

Many Catholics stopped coming to Mass on Sunday during the pandemic. Along with inviting these individuals to return, we can also reach out to the 80-85% sacramentalized Catholics who were not pre-pandemic churchgoers. Testing the waters first might help though. Try wondering aloud with relatives, friends, and acquaintances about what brought despair or hope during the pandemic. Respect all responses.

A second, deeper question might be, “Where do you think God has been in all of this?” or “Did you try any of the televised Masses?” Keep in mind, many people stopped going to Mass because they do not get anything out of “it.” “The Eucharist is Jesus Christ Himself, both divine and human.  [who we can encounter at Mass.] The Eucharist is a ‘He,’ a Person, a divine Person.” ** We might include in our conversations one brief example of how we encountered Jesus during communal worship. Then listen again.

Listening without judgment to each person and responding to him or her with love is important. At the right time, a further question might be, “Can you share what going to church has been like for you in the past?” Labels, like fallen away, lapsed, or backsliding Catholic might best be left out of our conversations. Such terms can easily imply blame, rather than open doors to healing.

Here are some opportunities with spiritual potential for which you might extend an initial invitation:

  • Collecting food for parish-sponsored food pantries.
  • Community prayer services (small or large) for those who have lost family, jobs, or suffered breakdowns in relationships during the pandemic.
  • Visiting a neighbor in need together.
  • Participating in a parish walking group, exercise class, or a walk for hunger.
  • Service at a soup kitchen, food pantry, or homeless shelter.
  • Helping at a parish festival or seasonal gathering.
  • Online or in-person retreats, prayer groups, Bible studies, pilgrimages, or Masses.
  • Attending a Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Sunday Mass together.

Remember. Mass may not be the first or most appropriate starting invitation. Coming to one of these other activities might be a good beginning, especially if we follow-up by asking, “What was this experience like for you?” Then listen. Such open-ended conversations can bring relationships to a new and deeper spiritual level. Then Mass becomes easier as a second or third step. Now is the time. Many are hungry for community and spiritual compassion after a pandemic year of deprivation.

**(Dr. Peter Kreeft, Ph.D., Ask Peter Kreeft–The 100 Most Interesting Questions He’s Ever Been Asked: Sophia Institute Press).

(Find more about inviting others to Christ and the Church in Sharing the Faith That You Love by John and Therese Boucher)

Posted in evangelizing events unplugged, how to share faith | Comments Off on Dare to Invite Others to Jesus, the Parish and the Mass