You Just Never Know….

Last night I went to the local watering hole with my eldest son to shoot some pool and share a pitcher. After about an hour a man came over introduced himself and asked “you go to my church, St Charles, don’t you”. I, of course admitted my involvement and he continued with how I shouldn’t worry because even “Jesus drank wine”. He went back to sit with his companion continuing to chit-chat.

As I have been thinking this encounter over I realized the great responsibility that we as Catholics have in our responsibility to evangelize. This mission lies not only in the sharing of the Word of God but just as importantly it lies in how we conduct ourselves in public. Our life, our reverence, our faith does not end when we leave church on Sunday but in actuality begins. When we profess our Catholic faith, when we publically proclaim Jesus Christ as Savior through the one true church of God others will judge our sincerity not on what comes from our mouth but from our actions. If we are hypocritical in the faith then how can we expect others to see Christ in us? If we pick and choose only those rules of conduct that is acceptable to us, like a cafeteria, then how can we be surprised when someone else does the same?

Going out with my son and having a few beers was not wrong. But going out and acting a fool is and by the grace of God I didn’t. I was not pious or holy but nothing vulgar escaped my lips nor did I consume too much of fermented barley. Drinking too much is the way of Satan because it is when we are weak and out of control that he strikes and leads us to many unholy activities and thoughts. I should know…I have history.

So I say be careful how we act in public because “you just never know who is watching”. But to take this a step further or maybe I should say to back this up. Our conduct should also reflect our faith not only in public but at home behind closed doors. Because it is our Christian based conduct that will most affect our children and our families. For example in my family my mother in law is Catholic but married to a Jehovah Witness. Now she does not follow her faith nor does she project any semblance of Catholicism and he also does not project any form of Christianity. But they know that my wife and I do and that we strive to live Christian lives. So at the minute that I or my wife or my children fail they immediately suggest that we are hypocritical. Sometimes directly and other times indirectly but regardless they notice. Or when my wife and I quarrel in front of the children is bad. But when we quarrel and not show the act of Christian love through forgiveness and reconciliation then the children have conflicting messages. There are many examples but I hope you get the point. Acts of love and charity and self constraint should not be limited to inside of a church but in fact should be open for all to see.

So again I say “Put on the full armour of God” so that we may always act in a manner pleasing to God because you just never know who is watching and you never know when you might be used by our Lord to bring another into the fold.

Ephesians 6: 11-17

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