"I recently had coffee with a fellow Catholic who gloomily shared his ongoing struggles with overtly living out his faith in the real world and reluctance to discuss his faith with others. He made it clear that going to Mass on Sunday was all he could or should be doing. Unfortunately, this is a very common tale. The conversation became really interesting and a little uncomfortable when we discussed why people become apathetic about their faith, hesitate about converting or leave the Church altogether.
"It became obvious to me after a few minutes that how my coffee companion presented his faith to the world and how others view the Catholic Church may be connected.
"Why do some of our Catholic brothers and sisters lose their enthusiasm for the Faith? Why do some leave the Church? Why do those curious about the Church have reservations about converting? The unfortunate truth is that many (not all) of us make being Catholic look about as exciting as having a root canal. Each of the groups identified in these questions may be looking for inspiration from people who are truly joyful about Christ and the Church He founded. They want to see us have genuine passion for the Eucharist and the other Sacraments. They would love to see us have prayer lives worth emulating. Does the thought ever occur to us that our actions as well as our words are being observed by others and this places an important burden on our shoulders?"
In a recent commentary, writer Randy Hain, Senior Editor for The Integrated Catholic Life, reflected on the importance of Catholics being "islands of joy" reflecting the light of Christ to others. He also offered a number of suggestions designed to open oneself to Catholic joy (including giving burdens to Jesus in daily prayer and being thankful for blessings.
To access Mr. Hain’s complete post, please visit:
The Integrated Catholic Life: Six Practical Steps to Catholic Joy (16 OCT 14)
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