Milwaukee, WI. In the whole of life, we should treat others as fundamentally equal to ourselves. So too the evangelist should always see the evangelized as, fundamentally, equal to himself. Authentic evangelization demands this. It is not just that people are much more likely to listen to someone who respects them, rather than someone who sees them as a means to the end of “making converts,” it is also that people are owed such respect.

Part of the way that we put this respect into practice is being open to prudent personal sharing and connection with those that we evangelize. Evangelist David exemplified this quality during a recent outing:
“I spent a few hours at a downtown Milwaukee park where they have a winter ice rink. When I was setting up, a man had just arrived with his family, and I offered him a rosary; but he refused and shared with me he was an ex-catholic. We actually attended the same Catholic high school, but he’s seven years younger than I. He shared with me that when he was wandering he found Jesus Christ and is now born again. I gave him some literature about returning to the Catholic faith, and shared with him why I never left. I shared with him many stories regarding the Eucharist and he seemed very interested, and I told him to read Scott Hahn’s book ‘The Lamb’s Supper,’ and ‘Rome Sweet Rome.’ We had a lot in common. Both of our sons suffered with addiction, and we shared some stories on that as well. We both promised we would pray for each other’s sons. Before we departed he did take a miraculous metal from me we shook hands, and he gave me a hug. He was very strong in his faith, and I said ‘We need men like you back in Catholic Church to spread the Word!’”