A challenge is given us in our second reading this weekend: “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence…” (1 Peter 3:15). Our society has become less explicitly religious in recent decades. Depending on the survey, “nones” — people who say they have no religious preference (including atheists and agnostics) — are about 30% of all adults in the U.S. How do we speak with people who are “nones”? It is not something that comes naturally! To do it, we have to get in touch with why we ourselves believe in Jesus Christ, and also why we believe that belonging to a church helps us believe. We need to discover words we can use that are not too “churchy,” and we have to be willing to get into these conversations. The last three popes have encouraged all of us to become evangelists, even in our own families. With the help of the Spirit, maybe a simple way to start is to send out a little faith message to everyone on our contact lists or Facebook accounts this week!
– Blog entry by Sister Mary Garascia