My son is dating a delightful girl named, Molly. She is currently studying to convert to Catholicism and often contacts me to ask questions. The other day, she wanted to understand why we pray to Mary and why she plays such a large part in our faith life.
I thought about my response for a minute and offered a little prayer up for wisdom of the Holy Spirit. I asked Molly if she wanted a Biblical answer, Catholic answer or a “Molly” answer. She answered quickly, “A ‘Molly’ answer please!”I asked her how she would feel if my son ignored her mom. She replied that it would anger her greatly and she would think it was disrespectful. Then I questioned her about why she turns to me when she has struggles in her relationship with my son. “Well, you know him best,” she answered. “You can help me understand him.”
I could see the light going on as we spoke! “So, if we ignore Jesus’ mom, He may consider that disrespectful. Mary knows Jesus and can bring us closer to Him and help us get to know him!!” Bingo!
Sometimes, when we share faith, we can get so deep in teaching that we miss the common sense connections. By making Molly’s question personal rather than abstract or theological, she was able to make a personal connection with Christ and His love for His mother.
I do not believe that I had this wisdom, but that my small prayer was heard and I was given the understanding to share my faith with Molly.
Steps to sharing faith:
*Pray first!
*Know the person you are sharing with. Try to connect with them where they are.
*If you don’t have the answers direct them to a trusted source, or ask if you can get back to them.
*Continue to learn. The wealth of Catholic teaching is endless, we can always explore more, learn more and teach more.
*Pray again! Consider offering a Rosary, a Mass, or a Novena for someone who is struggling with faith.
God bless you!
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