While sitting in my office today, I got a message from the HOT TOPICS at Catholic Answers Forum, so I perused some of the topics. Well, those of you who know me should know the ones that really caught my attention. "Catholic Street Preaching"!
Lawd have MERCY…some of the comments are just so funny to me. For those of you who might not know…but this is how our Ministry, Qorban Ministries, got started four years ago. Going out on the street corners and passing out bibles and plastic crosses. I had not Seminary Training, no PHD or Masters in Divinity, no Bachelors in Theology or Sacred Scripture, but what I did have was a DEEP LOVE for reaching others. A DEEP LOVE for wanting to five OTHERS the blessing and love that I had been given; this is what we are ALL CALLED TO DO, but so many people are so scared about doing it and the majority of comments I saw was, "Well, what if a Protestant comes up to you and wants to debate…you need to have some tracts to give them, yeah…have some information to give them…" NO YOU DON'T! You don't need all of that STUFF! Now, it's nice to have, but it is not needed.
All God wants is someone with a DESIRE! Someone who is AVAILABLE and ABLE to do HIS work. Let GOD be God while you are on the street and not YOU! You are not going out there to preach a Homily; you are not going out there to even CONVERT anyone! You are simply making yourself AVAILABLE to God, for Him to use you to touch the lives of others.
The key thing to fellowshipping with Protestants… (THIS IS THE SECRET!!!) Don't talk about what separates us….talk to them about what brings us all TOGETHER! JESUS!!! But to many times we as Catholic's can't talk about Jesus, without quoting the Catechism, or without an RCIA Guide or a Pamphlet or we have not had that course yet, or that has not come up in our fellowship meetings, etc. TALK to our brothers and sisters about the "RELATIONSHIP" YOU have with Jesus! HMMMM, I could do a whole nother blog on RELATIONSHIP with Jesus! You see, our Protestant Brothers and Sisters have a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus…they have overtly or made an OVERT ACT of RELATIONSHIP with Jesus…in 'Accepting Him as my Lord and Savior', where we as Catholic's say… "Umm, yeah I say 10 Hail Mary's everyday and 5 Our Fathers….I recite the Memorare and say the Chaplet of Divine Mercy…", and don't get me wrong…these are GREAT things to do and pray every day…all day…, but are we in RELATIONSHIP with Him? What is RELATIONSHIP…Loving Him, morning, noon and night, saying Good morning, going to Mass Frequently, visiting Him in the Sacraments Frequently, calling him 20 times a day like you would that new sweet love in your life, to we treat Him as the LOVE of our LIVES? THAT is Relationship brothers and sisters!
Yeah I know, I went on another rant. LOL, when we go out into the streets, it's not to convert everyone, only the Holy Spirit can convert someone, we are just there to PLANT SEEDS in them. Give them a free Bible, give them a simple 10 cent plastic cross…Mother Teresa said, "You can save someone's soul with just a SMILE!" Did you smile at someone today? Have you told someone JUST HOW GOOD GOD IS? Have you given a TESTIMONY of just how Jesus has made a Way out of NO WAY in YOUR LIFE?!?!
Do it….. JUST DO IT!!! Jesus said, "Be Not Afraid!" JUST DO IT Brothers and Sisters…JUST DO IT! You will be surprised at the amount of Angels God will send to minister to YOU while you are doing HIS Will!
Peace be with you!
Richard Lane, Qorban Ministries
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