Boise, ID
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The following story comes to us from team leader Lucy with our team in Boise, ID:
Respectful interactions seem more productive. So, thank you again for your prayers for the Boise Catholic street evangelization effort.
“Zach”, a 30ish man, dressed in black slacks and white dress shirt with a tie, approached with a nervous smile. He was carrying a Bible and a plastic bag full of those tracts that tend to be viciously anti-Catholic. He spoke in good faith, though, not wanting to put words in our mouths. He first asked how works fit in with salvation in Catholicism. We had an amicable and productive discussion over a wide range of topics and we advised him to look into why “once saved always saved” is such a recent innovation and only believed by a small portion of Protestants. He said he had just purchased the writings of the early Church fathers (praise God!) but hadn’t started reading them yet. We assured him that he was in for a treat. He would not take a Rosary, but wanted any of our pamphlets that we thought might help him. We gave him “Why Be Catholic” and “Common Objections”, as well as a copy of the Catechism, which we showed him how to use. First-time evangelist, Carolyn, accepted a couple of his tracts. Pray for Zach, that he will, like so many others, read his way into the Catholic Church.
A young-adult couple heard our offer of a free Rosary, and the woman responded, “No, thank you. I don’t support rapists.” We replied that we didn’t either but, as they walked on, she said, “You’re all rapists.” The boyfriend was shocked by her words and apologized to us, saying she didn’t mean it. So, we wished them God’s blessings, for which he thanked us. Pray for her, that she will let go of her hatred for the Church and that her more peaceful boyfriend can have a positive influence on her. Pray also for their conversion, that Christ becomes the foundation of their lives.
A young man riding a “fixie” (a bicycle with no brakes) circled back to the table and admitted he knew nothing about the Rosary nor was he a Christian. We shared the Gospel message with him and showed him how the Rosary would show him who Jesus is. But as we spoke, his countenance fell until he laid the Rosary, its pamphlet, and the Good New pamphlet back on the table, and politely said, “I will never use this so I’ll leave it for someone who will.” We tried to encourage him to at least look it over but he rode away. Pray that he will begin to listen as the Holy Spirit speaks into his life, calling him to Christ, and that the tiny seed we planted may grow into faith.
A middle-aged couple, who are not Christians, paused for a Rosary. The man said that, though he was not a believer, he was “thinking about it.” We congratulated him on thinking about the most important question of all. The evangelist continued by saying that faith was not about agreeing to an idea but about coming into a relationship with a Person, and so the best way forward would be to get to know the Person of Jesus Christ. We showed them how the Mysteries of the Rosary are a good first step in getting to know Jesus, and gave them a Good News/kerygma pamphlet. They smiled politely, but were ready to move on. So, we let them know we were there every Sunday afternoon and encouraged them to come back if they have questions. Pray for this couple, may they open the door of their hearts as Jesus stands knocking.