GOING THE DISTANCE - PATRICK MADRID

We've Only Just Begun
Putting Envoy together isn't as hard as painting the Sistine Chapel - but it's close.

Pope Julius II often asked Michelangelo, "When will you finish?" Well, the agony, so to speak, of launching Envoy is behind us, and now we're hoping for some ecstasy. So far, the reactions we've received have been almost completely positive, but there has been one observation I've heard that I'd like to share with you.

A few folks have commented that Envoy is a mite too "flashy" for a Catholic magazine. I disagree, but I can see what they're driving at. Envoy is a different kind of magazine than what many are used to, no doubt about that, and its approach to graphics is different too. But the graphics are at the service of the content. We want the magazine to look interesting as much as we want it to be interesting. This look, we hope, reflects our efforts to take Catholic apologetics to a higher level - the "next generation," as we're fond of saying. This means trying to be innovative as we explore new and exciting ways of presenting the timeless truths of the Catholic Faith. In coming issues you'll be seeing refinements and, we hope, advances in our graphical presentation. If you'd like to weigh in with your comments or suggestions, please write or e-mail us (editor@envoymagazine.com).

New Arrivals

As I mentioned in our Premier Issue, we'll be introducing several new departments in coming issues. I'd like to introduce you to two of them that make their debuts in this issue. First is "All Scripture," edited by Jeff Cavins. This department focuses just on Scripture as a whole, giving you a "macro" look at the Bible. Jeff explains particular aspects of Scripture, starting with this issue's look at the "big picture." What is the Bible, how is it relevant to your daily life, and how should you read the Bible to get the maximum benefit? In future issues, Jeff will examine topics such as inspiration, inerrancy, the canon, and the cohesion between the Old and New Testaments. His background as a biblical scholar and professor of Hebrew, combined with his extraordinary talent for teaching Scripture and memorization techniques to lay people, gives this department a lot of zing. Turn to page 42 and see what you think.

Next up is "Satellite Snapshot," our calendar of events department. This is where we keep you up to date and informed about events going on in the Church that pertain to apologetics and evangelization. Wish you knew in advance about conferences, debates, seminars, new book releases, and other special events across the U.S.? You will, with "Satellite Snapshot." It gives you a valuable overview of what's happening. You'll find the first installment on page 35.

I promised you more from our resident moral theologian and contributing editor Dr. Mark Lowery (see his article critiquing arguments for homosexual "marriage" in Envoy's Premier Issue, pages 38-41), and in our next issue I'll pay up.

His department is called "Gray Matters," because it deals with the gray areas we face in the moral realm, issues like contraception, new birth technologies, euthanasia, war, and capital punishment. A professor of moral theology at the University of Dallas, Mark has studied, written about, spoken about, and advised people on just about any moral question you can think of.

When opportunity knocks . . .

Some people dread visits from door-to-door missionaries. I think of them as laboratory experiments. Discussions with real live Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons are the best way to hone your apologetics and evangelization skills. One way to make use of their visits is to play dumb. Stalk them for awhile before you get down to business (plenty of fun there). You'll learn a lot about how they approach a subject and the kinds of arguments they use. Eventually you'll have to make your move and reveal that you know more than you were letting on - usually, that's when the conversation grinds to a halt. But in the meantime, you can test your arguments to see which ones work and which ones don't. Remember that Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons have received quite a bit of training in how to proselytize Catholics. So if you aren't confident you can handle whatever they throw at you, then direct the conversation to a subject you're prepared to talk about. Observe which of your arguments seem to be more effective and jot down the questions and Bible passages they bring up. This will help you prepare for the next time you hear that knock at the door.

If you don't say what you mean, do you mean what you don't say?

Have you noticed how silly modern society has become in its rush to eliminate guilt and personal responsibility for our actions? Unpleasant or less-than superlative (ie. mediocre or lousy) things that prior generations had no difficulty recognizing and calling what they were are now routinely sanitized with euphemisms. Here are a few of my favorites: Achieve a deficiency (fail); aesthetically challenged (ugly); differently logical (wrong); differently organized (slob); differently ethical (dishonest); factually unencumbered (ignorant); follicularly challenged (bald); horizontally gifted (fat); vertically challenged (short); voluntarily leisured (unemployed); least best (worst); motivationally challenged (lazy); nonspecifically destinationed person (vagrant); ontologically challenged (fictional); petroleum transfer technician (gas station attendant); unaffiliated applicant for private-sector funding (panhandler).

Meanwhile, back at the home office . . .

In November I was in Rome to deliver a multi-day series of apologetics lectures to the philosophy and theology seminarians at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical Athenaeum (that's city-folks talk for a "university"). We covered an overview of apologetics, methodologies for dealing with the various sects, a lengthy biblical and historical critique of the Protestant position of sola scriptura, and how to defend various Catholic doctrines. When I wasn't behind the podium I traipsed around the city, visiting basilicas by the score, catacombs by the hectare, and Roman ruins by the Tiber. I also gobbled up Italian food by the, er . . . ounce. It was wonderful to visit Rome again. The night before I returned home, I went to St. Peter's Square near midnight to take a last look at the Home Office. Two windows in the Holy Father's private apartment were illuminated. Was he studying? Meeting with a cardinal? Writing a new encyclical? Praying? There was no way to know, but I do know one thing: Pope John Paul is pouring out his life selflessly for the sake of the Church. As I stood under the cold night sky, I whispered a prayer of gratitude to the Lord for His gift to the Church of this magnificent and tireless Shepherd.