The scenario:
Susan is a 34-year-old Catholic wife and homeschooling mother of six. She's a member of a Christian homeschooling group of about 30 families. The other moms are friendly, outgoing and, for the most part, committed to Christ. About half of the women are former Catholics who now attend Evangelical churches. The rest are Catholic. Whenever the issue of the Catholic Church comes up, Susan doesn't sense hostility, just mild but friendly disagreement over doctrines. The non-Catholic moms seem open to hearing more about the Catholic Church, but Susan doesn't feel qualified to enter into deep theological discussions, and to top it off, she becomes tongue-tied and gets a bad case of the butterflies whenever religion comes up. She wants to evangelize these women, but she doesn't want to cause confrontations or dissension. What should she do? What would you do?

First of all, Susan should not worry about whether or not she has the credentials to be considered "qualified" to discuss theology. As a confirmed Catholic, she has been established in the office of publicly declaring and defending the faith. So while she might not have the desired letters after her name, she does have the pledge of having the necessary graces needed to say what the Spirit desires her to say. "When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you" (Matt. 10:19-20).
Susan should remember to put her trust in the Holy Spirit, and pray for guidance about what to say and how to say it. Faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit, and He is the only one Who can ultimately open hearts. His guidance about both content and style should be sought, then she should move forward fearlessly.
She should also do what studying she can on points on which there might be disagreement. This could easily fit into her preparation for her children's religion courses, and so not overburden her already-hectic schedule. She should remember that it is all right to say, "I don't know," then try to find the answer and present it at a later time.
Father Jerry A. Wooton, via e-mail

If I were in Susan's position (and my own is not so very different), I would practice by myself and/or with my husband and/or my children if they are old enough.
We must be prepared to defend our Faith. As a Christian homeschooling mom, Susan is surely already teaching her children the basic elements of the Faith. It is not necessary to delve into deep theology to explain Catholic beliefs, and Susan's anxiety can be lessened by preparation, prayer and practice. That does not mean being aggressive or on the offensive.
When questions or discussions lend the opening, we should clarify the teachings of our Church in the interest of greater love and charity between Christians, not because we want to make a score. Confrontation and causing dissent are not part of evangelization. The fact that she is explaining, as opposed to arguing, should also lessen her anxiety about "evangelizing."
Susan should also pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance and the right words at the right time, asking God to use her as His instrument. There is no one more closed and defensive than one of strong faith who feels someone is trying to convert them, but one of strong faith who does not feel pressured will be open to friendly, honest explanations of differences in beliefs. Generating respect for the Catholic Faith is the most we can hope for by ourselves; conversion of the heart is God's territory.
Vivian Burns, via e-mail

I have been on both sides of this fence, being a Catholic, leaving the Church, attending a Christian church, and now trying to find where I feel the Lord truly wants me . . . Catholic or Christian church.
Personally, I don't think it's necessary for them to get into deep theological discussions. I think they should dwell on what they do share in their Christian faith -- the Trinity, their belief that Jesus died on the Cross for everyone's sins and, most importantly, their deep love of Christ. Why do they have to haggle about doctrine? They already share the most important things. Christians need to unite, not fight!
Sandy, via e-mail

I think the best answer here is to read and pray. If she reads a great deal, particularly the works of the Church Fathers, she will learn a lot about the faith. (This, of course, includes the Bible.) When she is more comfortable with the teachings and theological issues, she will feel far less fear about discussing them. With prayer, she can gain the courage to discuss them, and the wisdom to know when and how to discuss them.
Finally, I would recommend reflecting on Matt. 10:19: "When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say."
That scripture is not an excuse for not studying, but rather an assurance that if you know your faith, the Spirit will help you to present it to others.
Christina, via e-mail

Well, if you don't mind hearing from a non-Catholic. What an exciting opportunity for Susan to share about the Catholic faith! Susan could suggest to the others a time when they could get together and learn about each others' respective faiths, perhaps on a play day when the kids are occupied. It could even be a learning period where the older children could listen in and ask questions. The main focus at first would be to allay fear, which a lot of non-Catholics have concerning the Catholic faith -- fear of Mary, fear of the Papacy, fear of the priesthood. Seeing how much they have in common would make it easier to discuss doctrines they don't have in common, such as purgatory, asking the saints to intercede for us and the role Mary plays in the life of the Church.
When discussing something such as purgatory, Susan could go back to Scripture, including the Maccabees, by saying these books had been part of the Canon of Scripture for 15 centuries, and show how the verses concerning purgatory relate to others verses that are accepted by Protestants. In regard to the dogmas concerning Mary and her Immaculate Conception and the Assumption, Susan could use the earliest quotes from the Church Fathers and build from there.
The key as I see it is establishing a foundation from the very beginning of Christianity. The earliest years of the Church are crucial. As much as possible, draw from sources that are common to all churches -- Catholic and non-Catholic. That gives her at least 1,000 years of common history to work with, 1,500 if there are no Orthodox mothers in the group.
Ruth Dupre, Fort Worth, TX
This is pretty common for Catholics who have not been encouraged to evangelize. We want to be "politically correct," polite and not pushy.
However, this is a great treasure we hold, and Pope Paul VI very clearly noted our obligation to evangelize. Susan would be uncomfortable in a discussion of apologetics/theology, but what she can do is simple: Share her own faith walk. In the course of normal conversation, just naturally bring in her faith: how the Lord has helped her through prayer, relieved guilt through confession, revealed Himself through Scripture and Eucharist, etc. Just living a Christian life, and giving glory to God for that life, will speak volumes. But as Scripture says, whenever someone asks for the reason for your joy, be ready with an answer (1 Peter 3:15).
Mary Colletti, Tampa, FL

Being a 36-year-old Catholic homeschooling mother of six, the scenario Susan finds herself in sounds vaguely familiar! When my family and the other Catholic families were confronted with the uncomfortable situation mentioned in the scenario, we started a distinctly Catholic sub-group from the non-Catholics.
We centered our activities around the celebration of the Sacraments, our own Catholic heritage (which is theirs, too, by the way) and devotions. We then invited the non-Catholic members, making sure they knew they were coming to a Catholic function. Also, we invited non-homeschoolers to our group.
Eventually, the non-Catholic group adopted a doctrinal statement that stated belief in sola fide (salvation by faith alone) and sola scriptura (the Bible is the sole rule of faith). The Catholics offered some alternative wording, such as "salvation by grace alone" and "the Bible is inerrant," which they did not accept. We sent some tracts to back up our position. I actually got a call from an ex-Catholic member of the board who thanked me for the pamphlets because she had never heard the Faith explained that way before.
In the end, we ended up breaking off from the Christian group, although we do have a very cordial relationship with them. They refer all new Catholic homeschoolers to us. Our group has grown from about seven families to approximately 1,000, and as an apostolate, we help Catholics set up their own Catholic homeschool groups in their area. If anyone would like information on Catholic homeschool groups, they can contact TORCH (Traditions of Roman Catholic Homes), P.O. Box 2, Danville, PA 17821, or e-mail StrombergJ@aol.com.
Joan Stromberg, Danville, PA

Next issue's scenario:
Michael is a 27-year-old Catholic who made a recommitment to Christ a year ago on a retreat. Michael's parents consider themselves good Catholics. His father is active in the Knights of Columbus and his mother works part-time at the rectory. Since his conversion, Michael has had a hunger to learn the Faith. He reads books and listens to tapes regularly, and is just now becoming able to explain the Faith with some lucidity. The problem Michael faces is with his mother. Three months ago at a carnival, she had her cards read by a psychic, and most of the predictions came true. Since then, Michael's mother has seen the psychic monthly, and even "got permission" from the psychic to call other psychics on the popular 900 numbers, which she does weekly. Michael is worried about his mother. She doesn't see a conflict between her Faith and consulting psychics. She often says, "God knows what my future is. God wants what's best for me. Why shouldn't He want me to know my future?" Because he's still learning the Faith and not yet advanced in apologetics, Michael avoids the topic, although he very much wants to address the issue. What should he do? What would you do?

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