Faith Today Supplement, The Message, Catholic Diocese of Evansville, November 11, 1988 3
iain reluctance
even politics. Itowevcr, she
the conversational line at faith
faith.
Your religion is vital, it bcc()mcs
of you and it l)ecomes sort of
to talk about it," says Ms.
a lifelong Catholic. But
Is different.
it is awkward and I don't
it's even ncces,sary to bc talk-
personal faith anymore
It is to talk about a lot of other
things," says Ms. O'Connor,
g copywriter for a
publishing house in
"I think this business
evangelists talking about how
Jesus -- I don't really
that needs to be discussed."
O'Connor's feelings aren't
by everyone, but they are
by others who, while willing
questions about their church
talk about religion in general,
from personal discussions
Workings of faith in their lives.
some people this may be a
from an upbringing where
Wasn't much discussed. They
be reacting against a stereotype
h01d of the sort of person who
expresses faith in
For parish groul leaders and
others, it is worth noting that at a
tinle when nlany people make per-
sonal faith part of groul3 discussions
and private encounters, this dc)esn't
just "comes naturally" for everyone.
"it's awkward for me because it
w;tsn't something I was trained to
do -- talk about my faith," says
Robert Koenig, a communications
professional who works for a non-
denominational health care organiza-
tion in Philadelphia. "My faith was a
given with the people I was sur-
rounded by, but now it's not.
'Tve never been the type of person
who's been out to convert the rest of
the world. However, I think I do try
to show by example," Koenig adds.
"It's certainly not my style to talk
too much about God," says Ann
O'Neill, a homemaker and mother of
three. "Yet I certainly don't mind
talking about my faith at all.
"I don't think as a whole that we
Catholics talk about our faith very
much," Mrs. O'Neill says. "I don't
think it's a question of timidity. I
think it's more the way we are
raised."
(Ms. Landregan is a free-lance
writer in Philadelphia.)
for expression
rnabashedly the people shared
experiences of God not only
the circle of the family and
community. They proclaim-
experiences to the world at
will give thanks to you
the peoples, O Lord; I will
Your praise among the nations,
kindness towers to the
and your faithfulness to the
108:4-5).
too, are filled with
of people who quite span-
communicated their ex-
to others. When Jesus cured
on the gentile side of the
man "pleaded to remain
But Jesus would not permit
told him instead, 'Go home
YOur family and announce to them
b n! at the Lord in his pity has done
You. Then the man went off and
began to proclaim in the Decapolis
what Jesus had done for him; and all
were amazed" (Mark 5:18-20).
Of course, verbal communication
is only one way to share one's faith.
Actions speak louder than words.
Paul frequently speaks to his con-
verts about the powerful sign that
their lives can be. He urges the
Philippians to live in such a way
"that you may be ... without
blemish in the midst of a crooked
and perverse generation, among
whom you shine like lights in the
world" (Philippians 2:15).
When people share faith, their
action proclaims that God is indeed
alive and active in people's lives.
(Father Castelot is a Scripture
scholar, author and lecturer.)
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
rn There are times when it is important to speak of your faith, but that doesn't
.lake it easy to do. Awkwardness and discomfort are common feelings for peo-
e Who attempt to put their faith into words- even at home.
)i ", *Wha t are some occasions when you think putting faith into words is
! hnPOrtant?
tour writers distinguish between speaking about faith or religion and ex-
i Oressing or sharing faith in words. What do they mean?
00Socond Helpings. possible to make spirituality an integral part of
it
,,m!ly life? At home, the demands of caring for others and the pres of responsl-
i". es might at first seem to compete with efforts to nurture a spiritual life. But
'eding God at Home: Family Life and Spiritual Discipline, Ernest Bayer Jr. sug-
sts that these need not be competing claims at all "You feel yourself an inhab-
itant of two worlds, but a citizen of neither You feel always off balance. And
Yet this sense of imbalance is part of the solution, not part of the problem," he
Writes. This is an easy-to-read book in which Bayer, a husband and father, writes
t out of his own experience in a family setting. Parents will find this writer sym-
pathetic to their situation as they seek to five by actions of faith at home. (Harper
Row, 10 E. 53rd St., New York, N.Y. 10022. 1984. Paperback, $7.95.
This religious educa- |
tion supplement is read by
countless individuals at
home, when they are at
their leisure. And it is put to
use in educational groups of
many kinds -- in parishes,
schools, homes. This pull-out
supplement supports the
ongoing work of religious
educators through materials
that are easy to read and
interesting to discuss.
Faith Today
another valuable service of
your Catholic newspaper
Faith Today is a,publication of the National Catholic News
Service, which also publishes:
• TV & Movie Guide. A weekly four-page publica-
tion that is invaluable in the age of television and the
home videocassette. Offering discussion of the coming
week's TV shows of note, reviews of current theatrical
films and ratings for films showing in theaters and on
cable movie channels, as well as films available in video
stores.
*Origins, NC Documentary Service. This weekly
16-page publication presents the complete texts of cur-
rent documents in the news of the church and its peo-
ple. A unique format, along with weekly cross referen-
cing and detailed quarterly indexing, makes this publica-
tion doubly useful.
I
*Catholic Trends. Each edition of this four-page,
biweekly newsletter reports on current events in the
church and serves as a forum of information on the
pastoral activities of today's church communities. You'll
be surprised how much is found in each edition.
To obtain o free sample copy of any of these pub#ca-
tions, simply write or telephone: Mrs. Bessie Briscoe; NC
News 5ervice; 1012 Moss. Ave. N. W.; Woshington, D.C.
20005. Phone, 202-652-6742.
38
