When I was growing up, most Catholics I knew felt the best way to handle these door-to-door religion sales persons was to slam the door in their face as quickly as possible. They seemed to think that this was the best way to put these people in their place. Now that I have a home and family of my own, I cannot rudely dismiss people who are doing what they think is right. One cannot expect them to find the true Church if the members of it will not take a minute to talk to them. I want to treat them like people. If all I accomplish is to send them on their way, musing about the polite Catholic they met, I have done my job as a Christian.
The two ladies who visited my doorstep last week were a little more responsive to discussion than other meetings I have had with this sect. They had questions and were not so much trying to tear down my Faith as to really find out why I believed as I do. I got the usual questions about ‘worshiping Mary’. I answered from my heart and they seemed to respect that. Now at this point, they must have realized that they did not have a potential convert at this home yet they had more questions and they listened to my answers. They were knowledgeable about the goings on in the Catholic Church and were amazed when I had responses.
One a final note, they asked me how I felt about artificial birth control and the many different stands on this subject that were appearing under the guise of the Catholic Church. I said that the Church ruling on birth control was not just the whim of some elderly man in Rome. They totally agreed with me that life began at conception and abhorred abortion as much as I did. We were basking in the glow of harmony when I went on to say that it was sad that a woman on the pill could be aborting several babies a year. The younger of the two women looked startled, recovered and said that this was true of the IUD but not the pill. I explained the properties of the birth control pill and could see the inner struggle in her eyes. She said she had never heard this before. I assured her that it was correct. As we continued the subject, her hands reached down and clasped themselves on her abdomen as if protecting something. She kept looking down at her hands, at the baby she had with her, and at me. Maybe she did not totally believe me but I know I planted a seed in her heart.
In all likelihood, I did not convert a Jehovah Witness. Our conversation had a happy and a sad note to it. The young lady would never take a birth control pill again without remembering our discussion. That was a good thought. The sad part of this encounter is something they said as they were leaving. One woman said it was not very often that they ran across a Catholic who could talk about her Faith with any conviction.
We are all looking for ways to earn the grace to gain Heaven. Thank about all the doors you may have slammed in the face of sources of possible sanctification
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