Sharing the Fruit of Faith: A Lenten Challenge

This Lent challenge yourself to invite someone to pray with you. It can be as simple as: will you go to Mass with me? Will you join my rosary group?

This simple invitation to pray with you is a form of evangelization. We as Catholics struggle with evngelization. God forbid we impose our Faith on someone else! I'll let you in on a little secret: Evangelization is the greatest form of Charity you can perform. Our faith is true! We need to stop hiding it under a bushel and start sharing it with those around us. Not everyone will join us - they have free will, but like God we must be constantly be reaching out to them.

Right Ordering Our Lives: God First

In the Old Testament, the first commandment was: ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me." Jesus told us the greatest commandment is love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind. That is why Jesus told Martha that Mary chose the better part. Jesus also warned us that if we fail to acknowledge him before others, He will not acknowledge us before his Father. God needs to be the center of our lives, not on the periphery.

Mass attendance is down. We blame Vatican II, the pandemic, culture, the Church hierarchy, Pope Francis or the Priest scandal. But Jesus told us in Luke 6:43-45 why this is happening: a rotten tree does not produce good fruit; nor does a good tree produce rotten fruit. Pope Benedict XVI lamented that we live in a time in which Catholics, and indeed most Christians, scarcely know their own faith. Evelyn Underhill, the Christian mystic, would agree: That Life [God] indwells the world and the world knows it not; largely because those to whom it is given fail to disclose it. The harsh reality is our fruit is rotten because God is not central to our lives.

Transforming Sour Fruit to Sweet

This Lent we can change rotten fruit to good sweet fruit by sharing our faith with those around us. Invite a member of your family or a friend to pray with you. Maybe it can be as simple as saying grace before meals if that isn't already your practice. Pray with your children before bed. Many Easter baskets are filled with chocolate bunnies or marshmellow chicks, but how many will have a necklace with cross or sacred heart? I once had a co-worker ask me to go with him to a church near where we worked and to pray. We prayed and then grabbed a sandwich. I was honored that he asked.

Growing up attending Mass together was often part of our family celebrations - major anniversaries, work accomplishments, graduations, weddings, birth of children, funerals, or some other event. We would meet at Church, feast on the word of the Lord, thank him for his blessings, consume his body in the Eucharist and then head either to a restaurant or our home for a meal. Aunts, Uncles, family and friends would join us. Some of our friends were not Catholic, but they would join us for the service. Maybe if you are hosting an Easter brunch or dinner, you could invite your guests to join you at Mass before coming to your home.

Last year, we celebrated a family reunion. Over 80 people attended the celebration - including Uncles, Aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews - from newborns to 90 year olds. It was great to see them all, but less than half of them joined us for Mass. Some attended their own service, but others just opted out. We love them and pray for them - and you can bet we are going to make the invitation again.

Making a Difference with Your Invitation

Sometimes asking can be uncomfortable or unpleasant. It can lead to arguments and even being mocked. If that happens, know that you did the right thing by God and pray for them. Ask God to give you St. Monica's strength and persistence - and don't be afraid to ask them again.

The invitation to pray together is a simple act that can have a profound impact. It is the greatest act of charity we can offer. As Catholics, we are called to share our faith openly and invite others to experience the joy and truth. By doing so, you may put them on the path to salvation - and that is the sweetest fruit of all.

This Lent, take up the challenge to invite others to pray with you and play a vital role in the Church's mission of going forth and spreading the Good News.