A Simple Invitation

In the first few months of my priesthood, I had virtually the same experience with three different people on three different occasions. The first was when I went to the hospital to visit a patient there who turned out to be a lifelong Protestant and, while I was there, I half-jokingly suggested that if he should want to come into the Church, I could make that happen. The second was, upon hearing about this, another parishioner came to visit me and told me that that was essentially how she had come into the Church herself: through a simple invitation. Later that day, I came across an article on Facebook suggesting that, as modern evangelizers, the goal should be to invite people rather than try to outright persuade them of the truth.

These experiences have led me to wonder: why is it that so many people wanting to find Christ, even arguably on the verge of conversion, have waited so long to do so? Perhaps it is because they have never had an experience to make them feel welcomed. They have encountered the Faith, seen Jesus from afar (so to speak), but never actually had that invitation to come into the group. How many out in the world today are like this, perhaps? How many have seen the good that the Church does, how differently Christians live and want that for themselves, but are awaiting the simple invitation to come and enter into it for themselves? 

In our efforts to evangelize our neighborhood and spread the Gospel, let us not forget that the most effective steps we can take are sometimes the smallest of gestures. Sometimes we do not have to prove ourselves right but simply give a kind word of welcome or support. Sometimes a simple invitation can be the first step on another person’s journey toward sainthood. Sometimes we do not have to do anything at all except just be there for the person and let the Spirit work through us. Remember, it is not our work but the work of the Spirit through us as His instruments of grace. If you know someone like the people I mentioned above, suggest that they reach out to the parish office and ask about the OCIA. You may be surprised at who has been thinking about it.