
- Home
- Blog
- Calendar
- Get Involved
- National
- Resources
- Partners
- Donate
- Prayer Requests
Keeping Us Busy - 2024-01-07
January 14, 2024
We stand for Truth and encourage people to pray. So thank you again for your prayers for the Boise Catholic street evangelization effort.
Three men approached the table intent on challenging the Catholic Church. While the older man engaged e. Lucy and e. James in argument (see below), the other two stood off to the side offering their tracts to people while e. Chuck offered the same passersby a Rosary. Finally, e. Chuck introduced himself to the two men and asked what they were up to. Only one spoke to the evangelist, his name is “Nick” and he’s the pastor of a start-up church planted by a big, out-of-state megachurch. His church had come downtown to carry signs and hand out tracts (two of which the evangelist later found under the windshield wipers of his truck). It was a polite, sensible discussion and though Nick was surprised that the Catholic Church actually put its faith in Jesus Christ, he also seemed skeptical of what the evangelist told him. His wife, children, and some other members of his church arrived to say they were cold and ready to leave. So, the discussion ended. Pray for pastor Nick, that his professed devotion to truth will lead him to find it and accept it.
“Richard”, from the same non-Catholic Christian church, engaged e. Lucy in very one-sided rant, starting with the role of “tradition” in faith, then quickly accusing us of “speaking with the dead”, and continuing in a non-stop “doctrinal dance”, switching from objection to objection without waiting to hear our answers. “Richard”, it turns out, had turned his back on the Catholic faith he’d been baptized in. His mentor had been a piest, steeping him in suspicion about the Novus Ordo Mass. After his mentor’s death, Richard received a sudden freedom from alcohol addiction during a non-Catholic Christian service. Judging that Christ makes Himself present only within that denomination, he turned his back on Catholicism and began looking for supposed flaws in Catholic teaching in order to justify his leaving the Sacraments. Of course, he considers himself his own authority on what is true, and trusts completely in his own interpretations of Scripture (despite the fact that his misinterpretation of Psalm 31:14 had justified his slide into addiction in the first place). He did accept a copy of our “Praying to the Saints” pamphlet, with the encouragement to sit down and pray over every passage of Scripture listed in it. He said he would. He ended by trying to find a passage in our copy of the Bible to “prove there is no Sacramental priesthood”, but couldn’t spot it. E. Lucy invited him to return next Sunday. Lord, open “Richard’s” mind to actually understand Catholic teaching and bring him back to the Church that You founded.
A 20-something man named “Joshua” pointed out that his name is from the Hebrew version of Jesus’ name, and indicated that, because of that name link, he is obsessed with Jesus. He showed us a series of pictures of Jesus he had collected on his phone, many of which were meant to be humorous (such as: “weightlifter Jesus”). So, the evangelist recommended he pray the Rosary and meet the real Jesus, the God Who became man to save us. As the evangelist talked to him, Josh studied the pictures of Jesus in the pamphlet and on the Rosary’s Crucifix, still seemingly obsessed with images of Jesus. Pray that Josh meets Jesus the Savior in faith and truth.
The woman of a couple, in their 20s or early 30s, paused to show e. Chuck her homemade prayer beads. There was a Crucifix on it, but otherwise it seemed to be just a random number of beads on a string. (This may be the same couple that we sometimes see selling strings of beads near us in the business park.) The boyfriend had crosses dangling from pierced ears. The evangelist gave the woman a copy of the Rosary pamphlet, showing her how the prayer puts its focus on Christ and would help her prayer life. Pray this couple’s faith remains grounded in Christ.
Three high school girls, led by one with a wide smile, came to the table wanting Rosaries. The leader asked e. Chuck for prayers for protection for her and her friends and, as we began to pray, she crossed herself and admitted she was Catholic. After the prayer, she encouraged her friends to pick out Rosaries. All of them accepted the pamphlet as well, and listened to e. Lucy’s explanation of the prayer. Please pray for this young evangelist and her friends, that the family of God will continue to grow.
Just as we finished praying with the girls in the above story, “Justin” passed by with a scowl on his face and a snarky comment about “imaginary friends”. Please continue to pray for this man, may he hear Christ knocking at the door to his heart.
Two teen Christian fellows accepted Rosaries and pamphlets. One teen said he was attending Bible class at a non-Catholic Christian church in a neighboring city. E. James pointed out the Scriptural references to each Mystery in the Rosary pamphlet.
Another Christian couple in their early 20s didn’t know about Rosary, but listened to e. Lucy’s brief explanation of the devotion. They then each accepted a Rosary and its pamphlet.
A man in his 30s, carrying hockey gear and wearing dark glasses, took a Rosary and its pamphlet. He told us that he wanted to grow closer to his wife in Christian faith. May God grant them that growth.
A big-boned man in his 20s, wearing a tan “Santa Cruz” sweatshirt, said he learned how to pray the Rosary in high school. He took a Rosary from the table and accepted the pamphlet on how to pray it.
A foreign woman, wearing a black coat and headscarf, made the Sign of the Cross as she approached table, letting us know she is Catholic. She gratefully accepted a Rosary and its pamphlet.
A tall, thin runner paused just long enough to grab a Rosary, saying he’d pray on the run. When we remarked that we were glad to have a jogger stop by, he gruffly replied, “I’m not a jogger; I’m a runner!” May God grant him the grace to forgive our mistake.
Altogether, we gave away 20-25 Rosaries and its pamphlet, as well as a “Praying to the Saints” pamphlet.
Please pray for us again today? Ask God to send people to us with hearts prepared to perceive their need for Our Savior Jesus Christ and His Holy Catholic Church, and that much good fruit for His Kingdom comes of today’s efforts.
The Lord kept us busy with visitors, hot and cold toward the Faith. So thank you again for your prayers and other support for this apostolate. In turn, may God protect and greatly bless you and all those you love!
“Go with the strength you have” (Judg 6:14).