Random Access - Our Readers

Teach Your Teachers Well
Readers share their experiences of random opportunities to share the Catholic Faith with others.

An "A" for effort
Earlier this fall I enrolled in a Survey of European History course taught by a Non-denominational Evangelical professor. In an attempt to present the Reformation era in an amusing and scholarly manner, she worked into lectures her "personal accounts" and criticisms of Church doctrine. My continual attempts to challenge her interpretations were cut short or dismissed, and I eventually acquired the reputation of a raving religious lunatic. Coming to class clutching my Bible and Catechism in either hand, I would watch the impassioned professor wave her arms and turn red in the face as she taught the Catholic "doctrines" of Mary's divinity, forgiveness of sins being contingent on monetary offerings, and justification by works alone.

Eventually, I followed my professor into her office to voice my concerns. Praying that my grade wouldn't plummet along with my reputation, I found her attitude surprisingly curious. We huddled in her office for the next three hours, she taking notes while I ran through scriptural support for Purgatory, the papacy and the Real Presence, to mention a few. Eventually she voiced frustrations concerning the liberalism and lack of structure in the Protestant denominations. After praying together, she promised to retract her errant teachings, and I agreed to step off my soapbox.

Andrea Wray, New Canaan, CT


No talk, no time, no problem
A group of women at a local parish invited me to speak on the subject of Mary. They were trying to organize a sodality, but were encountering resistance from other parishioners who could understand neither the rosary nor Marian devotion as a whole. I prepared long and hard for my talk, for I need extensive notes when speaking publicly. Despite my efforts, just half an hour before I was to speak, I felt the Blessed Mother telling me she didn't want me to present the material I'd worked on. My old notes went into the garbage, and a new talk was written on the way to the church.

Upon arriving, I was informed that the room previously reserved for us couldn't be used, so we had to hold our talk in the church itself. When I walked in, I immediately saw why the Lord had switched the venue: On the altar was a life-like six-foot tall statue of Mary. So, with the Blessed Mother looking down on us all, I spoke about my personal experiences with Marian devotion. I explained how Mary brings us always to her Son, and that the rosary is a meditation on the life, death and resurrection of Christ, seen through the eyes of His mother. When I finished, a woman approached me, tears in her eyes. "I didn't want to come tonight," she said, "but God dragged me here. Now I know why. I understand now that a 'yes' to Mary is a 'yes' to Jesus. And during your talk, I said 'yes.' "

What a gift our Mother gave both of us that night. All for the glory of God!

Nancy Flynn, Bethesda, MD


Ambushing, Catholic-style
While walking home recently, I was greeted by two young men. They were representatives of a small "Bible believing" church in the area and invited me to worship with them on Sunday. I told them I already went to church. "God bless you!" one of them said. "He has," I replied.

After I got home, I saw them again up the block. I ran to my files and found one of Catholic Answers' tracts, "Bible, Tradition, or Both." When one of the young men came to my door, I greeted him again and said I'd trade my leaflet for his. He took it, and went back down the steps reading it. I hope that through friendliness, seeds have been planted that will lead these young men to the fullness of truth.

Christine Heuser, Bellingham, WA


Healing wounds from half a world away
Unlike most weekday mornings, I remained alone after Mass for a period of private prayer. After leaving the church, I noticed a small Asian woman hesitantly approaching me. In broken English, she asked what kind of church this was. I told her it was Roman Catholic. She explained that she was a Buddhist from Vietnam and asked if she was allowed to go into my church. Smiling, I assured her that she was welcome and offered to take her inside. She eagerly accepted. For the next two hours, I answered her questions about the altar, the tabernacle, the crucifix, the stations of the Cross and the Eucharist. She wanted to know more about Jesus and about the Catholic Church, so I invited her to Mass the next day.

When she arrived for Mass, she walked partway down the aisle, stopped and on both knees, gracefully put her hands together in front of her and bowed so deeply that her head touched the floor. It was such a beautiful and profoundly devout gesture that it stunned all of us who witnessed it. She and I met at weekday Mass for several months, and I introduced her to all my friends there. Each time she entered or left our church, she humbly genuflected in her special way. She devoutly received a blessing from Father at Communion.

Over time, she shared her story with me about her difficult life in Vietnam. Her only relative was a son who had treated her so badly, she came to the United States to get away from him. After several years, she received a message from him saying he had converted to Catholicism and was getting married. He wanted her to come to the wedding and live with him. Since she didn't know anything about Catholics and didn't know if he had changed, she was leery of his offer. She had gone for a walk and prayed for a sign the very day we met. After learning about Jesus and Catholicism and getting to know all of the nice people at daily Mass, she decided that she wanted to go back to Vietnam. She looked forward to seeing her son again and wanted to learn more about the Jesus he now followed.

Mary Jo Paul, Gaithersburg, MD


Hashing it out over hash browns
I had just finished a Legion of Mary meeting and proceeded to the local McDonald's, where a few of us got together to discuss the week's festivities. After a few sips of coffee, I overheard some people criticizing Catholics for "worshipping" Mary. As it turns out, they were from the Baptist church up the street. Thinking the direct approach was the best, I asked them, "Why did our Lord say from the Cross, 'Woman behold your son,' and to the disciple, 'Behold your mother'?"

"To take care of her physical or earthly needs," they responded.

So I told them to consider the fact that, in this verse, the Creator of the universe is worried about His mother's well-being. This is the same Lord Who said, "God knows all your needs, look at the birds in the air, they neither sow nor reap, yet not one of them falls from the sky without the Father knowing it." I emphasized the fact that, while Catholics don't worship Mary, we properly honor her, in line with His command. He did, after all, call Mary our mother. And what does a mother do? She helps to guide and prepare her children for life — in this case, eternal life.

I don't know if this convinced them, but Our Lord at least helped me understand Mary's role a little better that day.

Mike Trotter, Perkasie, PA


Flying the friendly skies
The plane was packed. I was exhausted and talking wasn't a top priority. God, however had other plans, and sat me next to a woman and her fidgeting son. Realizing that sleep was not going to be an option, I attempted to be social. The woman told me she was visiting from Argentina. After some small talk about the weather, I introduced the topic of faith — the Catholic Faith in her country.

We focused on marriage, and how foundational Catholicism is in any truly successful union. As a single Catholic, I remarked that the Faith is important not only in matrimony, but also in the process of finding a spouse. My new friend told me about the legion of unsuccessful marriages into which her friends had fallen, none of which were based on Christ. When a couple lacks that anchor, they soon drift into materialism and meaninglessness.

It was incredible to sit and watch this woman reflect on how being Catholic has given her a basis for lasting love. Her family was not just composed of two parents and some children, but a group of people bound together through God's love. He had an eternal plan for her to meet her husband, a man for whom she had been created. As we said our goodbyes, I was glad that we had talked. Not only did we each gain a new friend, but we walked away with a richer appreciation for the power of God's love, shown through the sacrament of marriage.

Elisabeth Vandenberg, Toronto, Canada


Send your Random Access encounters with friends, coworkers or family members to: Random Access, Envoy Magazine, P.O. Box 1840, West Chester, PA 19380, or e-mail us at mattjpinto@aol.com.