In our Living Jesus Chat Room this Sunday, we discussed these points:
• What aspects can we imitate in St. Francis de Sales’ ‘man-to-man’ approach to evangelization?
• St. Francis’ lifestyle was one of poverty and simplicity. How did this help his mission of preaching?
• Both love and logic can be used to evangelize. What are pros or cons of each? Which is more powerful?
• From reading the entire article, what was it about St. Francis de Sales that touched people’s hearts?
Guest: I am very excited to be talking about how to evangelize like St. Francis de Sales
Sister Susan Marie: Yes I agree
Aug 4 2013, 7:31 PM
Sister Susan Marie: St. Francis de Sales was young when he started out with an incredible challenge
A: I have several questions. How he evangelized is how I would like to.
Sister Susan Marie: Sure. I’ll see if I can answer them. He’s a great intercessor
Sister Susan Marie: You know his family was against his evangelizing in the area he went to.
So he had alot of courage!
A: First I want to talk about the man to man approach of evangelizing. What I feel led to do is to kind of “adopt” a few people in need and to take care of them one on one. However, sometimes I feel called to do a more general appeal as in giving money to organizations.
For example, I am currently using my extra funds to help a few people with their physical needs as opposed to giving to the Church. Is this wrong?
Sister Susan Marie: Both are good. But the approach of “friendship- that one on one- or adopting as you put it, is what can touch hearts
Sister Susan Marie: No not at all.
Sister Susan Marie: In fact, again, it’s personal touch, and if you are doing this for the glory of God as well, it will bring grace to those people
A: I have also started an online blog for people and post things on facebook about the Lord. I do not know if this is too impersonal and in the spirit of St. Francis de Sales. I am using the blog as a starting point to meet people I can talk to one on one via chat
Sister Susan Marie: Sometimes we give to organizations to be sure we can give help to those we might not be able to reach personally
Guest33 (guest): Good to be here. St. F. de Sales is one of my favorites.
A: Welcome
Sister Susan Marie: St Francis de Sales was a great communicator and would have used all the modern means we are pretty sure!
Sister Susan Marie: There’s a great painting by Br Mickey McGrath with St Francis sitting at a computer!
Sister Susan Marie: You show determination and seriousness about your purpose by setting up facebook etc about the Lord.
Guest33 (guest): St. fdS had a beautiful human based approach to evangelism, concentrating first on friendship and compassion.
A: Also along the lines of a man to man approach. I have a hard time discerning when the bring up the Lord during a conversation and when to talk about their lives. How do you determine when is a good time?
A: I get accused of being too preachy
Guest33 (guest): I find that when a person trusts you to be open to their own views, they are more open to listen to my views.
Sister Susan Marie: One way, depending on the persons, can also be to share a short heartfelt prayer with them and bring the Lord directly into their midst
A: The people I deal with one on one are open to this, so I will be sure to do a prayer with them before starting our conversations
Sister Susan Marie: Soak yourself in prayer and ask for the Holy Spirit to work through you before you meet with the people too. Then you don’t have to worry about how to do things, He will
Guest33 (guest): St. FdS preferred dialogue to confrontation, charity to accusation. He always kept Jesus name in his mind as he reached out to others, envisioning Jesus as humble, gentle and merciful.
A: One of my favorite qualities of Jesus is His gentleness. I definitely need to pray for understanding of that. I should make a notecard and carry it around with those three qualities on it to remind me
A: I wanted to talk about St FdS poverty and simplicity too:
Angela S: I am having trouble explaining why poverty is important. Why we can’t just love the gifts and the Giver. Any insights?
Guest33 (guest): Certainly we can love the gifts and giver; the problem is when we focus on material things over spiritual.
Sister Susan Marie: Jesus, as a preacher, went about with very little and encouraged his followers to take no walking staff, extra sandals, etc. So firstly, we are simply following Jesus’ counsels.
A: But why did He choose that?
Sister Susan Marie: He knows how material things can distract us from our focus. Conversion of souls is serious business and we can’t be distracted because we forgot where we put our walking staff, so to speak.
Sister Susan Marie: Also the beatitudes speak of blessings for those with the spirit of poverty because then we are totally dependent on God, not ourselves
Aug 4 2013, 7:52 PM
Guest33 (guest): Too much “stuff” clutters not only our homes, but our minds, our time. Also, by depending on God for things instead of ourselves, we admit to needing God.
Sister Susan Marie: After all, it is the Lord who effects conversions and it is His power and love. We enter into that when we accept an evangelizing mission but we need to be as closely resembling Him as possible and rely totally on Him to receive the grace
A: I think that is the key point. Our need for God needs to be admitted to ourselves.
Guest33 (guest): It takes trust. Do I trust that God knows what I need, more than I do?
Guest33 (guest): What about simplicity, Sister?
Sister Susan Marie: We could look at simplicity as being down to earth- unpretentious- as Francis de Sales was in his sermons for ex.
Sister Susan Marie: So if we are sharing our faith or evangelizing we don’t want to be pretentious either, but simply tell the Truth about the Lord
A: I think that preaching simplicity is hard in today’s technological world. For me to preach like St. FdeSales, should I give up my smartphone? I use it often in the service of God, but not all the time.
Angela S: Should we go down to the “bare bones”
Sister Susan Marie: ST Francis worked with the poor and as well as those at court. I think he would meet each where they are. So if your smartphone will make a person uncomfortable because they can’t afford one, don’t us it in their presence perhaps
Aug 4 2013, 8:02 PM
Sister Susan Marie: We have to live in the era we’re in but again meet each one where they are
A: ok. I do often think of it as an extravagance. The more I work with people who go without, the more I realize how little I really need.
Guest33 (guest): So, according to St Francis, we must be careful not to seek our own glory while evangelizing, not to let our egos take over. Yes, Sister–not showing off wealth, perhaps?
Sister Susan Marie: What about love vs logic in evangelizing- or reason vs faith? Can we meld the two ?
Guest33 (guest): I think we need both.
Sister Susan Marie: Yes we do it for the glory of God, not ourselves
A: I seem to lean toward logic more than faith
Mary Roberta Viano: I agree there has to be a balance between reason and faith.
A: I think that stems from a lack of trust in God at times
Trusting that prayers for conversion are being answered
Mary Roberta Viano: That’s why we’re in the Year of Faith – that lack of deep trust in Our Lord.
Mary Roberta Viano: We’re often TOO reasonable for our own good!
x: i think faith comes good reasons,truth so i think logic and faith goes hand in hand as long as its true and just
Guest33 (guest): Logic helps when discussing my Catholic beliefs with, say, other faiths who come door to door.
Aug 4 2013, 8:07 PM
Sister Susan Marie: I think the love can usher in the logic. If the person you’re reachng out to feels loved or cared for, they are more likely to be open to your reasonable statements about the faith.
Guest33 (guest): exactly what I was about to say! I try to start put with something we can all agree to, like God loves us all
x: its the devil that make us not fully trust not just reasoning
Sister Susan Marie: But sometimes years can go by and there does not seem to be any ground gained. Patience is definitely necessary in evangelizing
A: Yes, patience and perseverence
Sister Susan Marie: and prayer!
Sister Susan Marie: Poverty
Hope in God Alone
Daily Mass and Prayer
Respect and Charity
An apostolate of Contact
Jesus in Heart and Vision
Simple relationships
Love of Scripture
Perseverance, charity, faith and courage
Sister Susan Marie: Uncomplicated
Aug 4 2013, 8:13 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: with no ulterior motives
Sister Susan Marie: Honest
Mary Roberta Viano: recognizing the other as a brother or sister in Christ
Guest33 (guest): So true!
x: so complicated relationship is bad?i mean like broken family or dysfunctional relationship?
Sister Susan Marie: But obstacles can come flying against all those above dispositions when we are in the midst of a challenging evangelizing meeting
Guest33 (guest): It is easy to get focused on winning a point…
A: I have a hard time with charity when someone is attacking the Church. How did St. FdS handle this
M
Mary Roberta Viano: more like wanted to get something from another person, rather than appreciate who they are for themselves
A: That is one of the things I like about St Francis de sales
Sister Susan Marie: Patience, perseverence and prayer
A: His perseverence
Mary Roberta Viano: Patience, which is so connected with HUMILITY!
Guest33 (guest): That sounds like St. Francis de Sales–patience and perseverence. It won hom a lot of respect from those he evangelized.
Mary Roberta Viano: Duns Scotus in the film kept going into the chapel to kneel before Our Lord in the Tabernacle – and then return to the debate.
Mary Roberta Viano: P and P: That’s how SFdS won back the Chablais region to Catholicism.
Guest33 (guest): The Lord in exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is very powerful!
Sister Susan Marie: Poverty
A: In a debate setting
Sister Susan Marie: St Francis himself took great pains to control his personal anger
x: aw ok,well people are more into take and take these days
8:17 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: Stay away from formal debates on the faith.
Mary Roberta Viano: Live the faith first
A: I do. I post things on my facebook about the Catholic Church, and people make inflammatory responses. I would like to know if I should respond or not
Aug 4 2013, 8:18 PM
Sister Susan Marie: St Francis FELT but was blessed to learn to control and focus on that gentleness. But he knew the emotions were rising within him
Mary Roberta Viano: That’s the “honey” that attracts more “flies” than the “vinegar” of logic, says SFdS.
Aug 4 2013, 8:18 PM
Guest33 (guest): St, Francis was unique, in that he had uncompromising firmness in upholding the Churchs views when it came to political issues, but he was almost the opposite with personal encounters, very open non judgemental.
Sister Susan Marie: Respond in a gentle way on facebook after you reach peacefulness and approach it with logic then
A: Should I correct in charity?
Sister Susan Marie: Yes, correct gently with charity and clarity, when you are able
Sister Susan Marie: Have you read any portions of his Catholic Controversy? It’s on line
Aug 4 2013, 8:20 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: Check out all the EWTN shows on Catholic apologetics – and the “Journey Home” show on what convinced converts to convert.
Angela S: No. I will look it up and read it
Sister Susan Marie: You’ll see logic love but also that firmness and sometimes a strong firmness!
Sister Susan Marie: The arguments he dealt with are not all that different today
Aug 4 2013, 8:21 PM
Guest33 (guest): By genuinely wanting to know what others believe(and why) we can avoid appearing to “cram our belifs down someones throats”. Dialogue, vs. debate.
Sister Susan Marie: Scott Hahn would also have solid statements
Mary Roberta Viano: Keeping the Catholic Catechism on hand is helpful. I refer to it often in talking with our high school girls.
Guest33 (guest): Definitely, we cannot preach a faith that we do not ourselves reflect in our lives.
Mary Roberta Viano: Right!
Sister Susan Marie: That’s also why St Francis was so successful- he was so faithful- to the Church of his time, to Trent, the most recent council at the time, to what God spoke to him in prayer
Guest33 (guest): He “lived Jesus”!
Mary Roberta Viano: That’s it! That’s what we’re all challenged to do.
x: very true
A: there are many voices out there trying to take you from the Church. Pray to the Holy Spirit for the Truth to be revealed. That will ALWAYS lead you back to the Catholic Church. Know the Bible. Know the Catechism.
Mary Roberta Viano: Make them your SHIELD!
Guest33 (guest): I found going thru RCIA helped me alot, and later, teaching catechism to sixth graders taught me alot too!
Sister Susan Marie: Remember we need to EVALUATE but not JUDGE3,
Mary Roberta Viano: Pope Francis is a good example of a priest living Jesus and explaining why.
A: I have to go now. Thank you for all the insights and advice. It was very helpful. I have made my notecards up with the advice
Aug 4 2013, 8:37 PM
Guest33 (guest): Bye, A!
Aug 4 2013, 8:37 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: Bye
Sister Susan Marie: Thank you so much for coming and sharing your insights too!!!
Aug 4 2013, 8:38 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: It’s this kind of chat-room dialogue that keeps us connected with one another.
Aug 4 2013, 8:38 PM
Guest33 (guest): This has been a most thought provoking discussion, tonight!
Aug 4 2013, 8:38 PM
Sister Susan Marie: Yes I think it really does!
Aug 4 2013, 8:38 PM
Sister Susan Marie: That’s what we want-real solid discussion
9 PM
Guest33 (guest): With both love and logic !
Aug 4 2013, 8:39 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: Yes!