Sow and tell

Our town’s annual festival was this past weekend.  It takes place on the streets by our parish and we take the opportunity to offer tours of our church.  People love to see our beautiful stained-glass windows that were commissioned by the G.C. Riordan company in 1911.  For us, it is a chance to also share our faith with people who would not normally enter a Catholic Church.  We explain the Biblical events depicted in the windows, give short biographies of the statued Saints, and talk about the tenets of the Catholic faith, especially the Eucharist.

I was one of the tour guides.  Most of the people I took through the church were not Catholic.  Several told me they had never been in a Catholic church before.  Others said they had ancestors or relatives who were Catholic or raised Catholic which I assumed meant they no longer practiced the faith.  For some, I was able to engage them in conversation about their spiritual life.  My hope was to plant seeds that might bear fruit someday.  

One woman who came alone spoke of being Catholic but not attending Mass.  She said she could not believe a just God would send someone to hell for missing Mass on Sunday.  She was a spiritual person who prayed and felt confident that God loved her.  She seemed comfortable talking to me and I sensed that maybe she was looking for affirmation that she was in God’s good graces.  I wanted to respond to her in such a way that might cause her to realize she was missing something important without discouraging her or driving her away.  When these opportunities arise, I usually end up kicking myself later for not coming up with the right words to make a positive impression.  I told her I could tell she loved God and God loves her, but she is missing the Eucharist when she does not go to Mass.  

Thinking to myself the three things necessary for a sin to be mortal, I told her missing Mass might not be mortal for her salvation if her conscience truly tells her otherwise, but I suspected her conscience might be bothering her since she brought up the topic.  I wish I had placed more emphasis on the importance of forming our consciences properly.  I did tell her that missing Mass on Sunday would be a mortal sin for me because that is what I believe.  She said she appreciated me being open minded.  I don’t think I am very opened minded, but okay.  

Making an impact is difficult when you have just met a person for the first time, will likely never see them again, and only have a few minutes to interact.  As we parted, I told her to go home and read John, chapter six.  I thought maybe the Bread of Life discourse would open her eyes.  She said she would, and I believe she will.