I started thinking about my lack of being an Evangelist for Christ when I read my friend's post about going door-to-door in his past. Then came an unexpected e-mail. Then before I could write about anything, another friend, who in the midst of describing what I did to my parents 30 years ago by describing her own son, informed me that the origin for martyr is a Greek word meaning witness. We have associated the word with what happened to early witnesses of the faith.
I am not one to go door to door, go on missionary trips, talk to strangers about faith, preach on street corners...
I do tell folk at work who ask, "are you going away over break," that I'm off for 8 days of silent retreat, and I do blog about how my walk through life is actually a journey with God. And that just may be what led to reading this line in the above mentioned e-mail...
".... Thank you for your good work in helping Catholic teachers and catechists with their faith mission."
As a man who is not Catholic I was impressed that I was managing this act, but considering the e-mail was addressed to some character named Statoz, yes the 'r" was missing, I am assuming this employee of Loyola Press ( a Jesuit press) had found my blog. It would not be hard to read all or some of the posts I have tagged: Jesuit, Ignatius..., and make the assumption that I was a Catholic.
So I am grateful that this woman sees my writing as a help to those trying to plant seeds of faith, for who knows, maybe my writing here has helped someone. I did not tell her I was not Catholic, but I did ask her to send me the review copy of a soon to be published book which was offered to me in the e-mail. It may just help me plant seeds as I continue this journey with God.
For some reason, Wayne, I had you down in my memory bank also as a Catholic. If you had informed me otherwise, I've forgotten. The post over at Quantum Theology is a great read. Martyrdom may say to most of us: an actual physical death for a cause; but, in truth, the Word speaks of there being a daily dying we all must suffer and I find it comes in various forms. Have already visited Undertheoverpasses and Weary Pilgrim this morning and found interesting food for thought. You give me dessert. Door-to-door evangelizing is as close as the other guy's heart, mind, and soul.
ReplyDeleteI did not know that you are not Catholic --
ReplyDeleteYet another interesting aspect to the internet and blogging worlds -- nonCatholic Ignaciophiles (I have no idea how one would spell that) finding one another.
I enjoyed the Quantum Theology piece, too, although I will admit to having committed my deadliest sin of envy over the idea that a child's recalcitrance about church attendance might be considered martyrdom, given all the other possibilities children offer their parents.
I once described myself to a Baptist who decided that I was a anglo-catholic-catholic.... an Episcopalian that hangs out with Jesuits.
ReplyDeleteJim--- I have been travelling to underthe..., maybe I will check out the Pilgrim this morning
GG--- thanks for stopping by in the midst of your summer. I pointed out a pair of Flickers (and their "white rumps" to my students yesterday.
A lovely post on the many ways to witness!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great story of how blogs can reach out to others in totally unexpected ways. I can see how you might be mistaken for being Catholic, though :)
ReplyDeleteAll-- and get this... I was raised Lutheran with all those stories of how we were the good folk that took on all the problems of the Roman Catholics. I was raised on stories of how it was good to split away from mother churches, but then as an adult was attracted to a church that tried to unite Christians.
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