[Jamillah Grant]

After prayer, I asked the holy spirit to help me not only reveal to whom I should explain the kerygma but how to verbalize it in such a way that they will listen and be attentive. These are the words used to explain Kerygma to my gnostic friend.

“As the most benevolent Father, God gave us free will. He also gave us the ways to survive with less stress and to thrive under his umbrella. He codified the dangers to avoid which is called sin. Sin causes damage to self and collateral damages to others that result in unintentional consequences.

In the Old Testament, He promised to send us an example of his goodness, so he sent his Son Jesus Christ, to show us the way of truth and light.

If one ask for forgiveness for the times one does not follow his Way and tries to emulate his Son, then one lives under His Umbrella. He gives us the fruit of his Spirit and the Holy Spirit dwells within us. St. Paul describes how we know that the Holy Spirit dwells in someone. They have patience, kindness, gentleness, joy and Love”.

Since my friend is not a Catholic, he was not able to comment on how well I explained Kerygma. Therefore, I invite your comments.

[Jamillah Grant]

Aaron,
The Holy Spirit works in its own way and on its own time. While praying for someone and asking intercession for them is always good. One cannot predict when God will answer. It may take years, months, days or just a few hours. So it might not be possible to know when their conversion occurs.
However, if it is possible to obtain an ongoing relationship their conversion will be a joyful occasion even if it may not be a direct results of your actions. Steve Ray’s 7 ways to communicating with family and friends has been helpful to me. Sometimes, we need to pray that God will send a non-related person to intercede and help with their conversion. Possibly, this might be the case for your mother. Keep praying for an additional person to intercede that will guide her.
Jamillah

[Jamillah Grant]

Part two of lesson one.
The Holy Spirit works in its own way and on its own time. While praying for someone and asking intercession for them is always good. One cannot predict when God will answer. It may take years, months, days or just a few hours. So it might not be possible to know when their conversion occurs.
However, if it is possible to obtain an ongoing relationship their conversion will be a joyful occasion even if it may not be a direct results of your actions. Steve Ray’s 7 ways to communicating with family and friends has been helpful to me. Sometimes, we need to pray that God will send a non-related person to intercede and help with their conversion.

[Jamillah Grant]

Jeff,
You were inspired to fill his need of welcoming. I have had a similar experience where the parish priest did not understand the importance of welcoming or even listening to the concerns of novice Catholics. I was great that you were able to find the right person to “quench his thirst with living water”. Sometimes, since we recognize the important of befriending others, we have to decide to be the unofficial welcoming party for our parish.
Jamillah

[Jamillah Grant]

After praying and discerning who might need conversion, two names were revealed to me.

I pray the Rosary daily and include them in my intentions.
I pray they will receive a revelation much-needed like Saul; our Apostle Paul.

Unfortunately, these two are not available where I see them daily.
However they are my sons and I communicate with them often.

I try to show kindness to them whether as part of this activity or not. As I prayed it was revealed to me to do more than kindness. Show interest in their gifts of art. Our Catholic heritage is full of art and artists.

Amazing! As I was writing this, I received a phone call from one of them.

He was happy that he was able to divorce himself from a group of men that seem to be asking for trouble. This is exciting news for me since he has gravitated toward trouble most of his life. He lives in a men’s residential community. He declared to me that he is a Catholic.
Joy filled my heart.

[Jamillah Grant]

I must confess that I have not been able to go to chapel or church in two weeks. I hurt my achilles heel tendon several months and it seems to take forever to heal. Fortunately, one of the Eucharist Ministers is a friend of mine whom I trust to give me the proper host. I have Celiac and take a special host otherwise I get really sick. So it is a real blessing for him to read the word, receive the blessing and take the Eucharist in my home. I pray daily for grace not to whine about my health and my lack of the ability to receive regular communion. I have felt like a misfit not being able to partake of communion with the congregation. The Holy Spirit reminded me of Matthew 13:13-32. So I am confident that God will use my temporary disability and my inabilities for His Greater Good. Although, I cannot define and describe what his plan is for me right now.

[Jamillah Grant]

I agree with Mitchell, having adoration chapels near abortion facilities would be helpful. Moreover, having anti-abortion activist, counselors, adoption services information etc. would provide alternatives so that it may deter the commission of this sin. I was told we have such services within our diocese. Unfortunately, it seems to be a well kept secret.
Perhaps locating these services along side a Chapel would provide more visible and accessible location.

[Jamillah Grant]

I usually start my day with a quick mantra, “This is the day the Lord has made, Let us rejoice and be glad in it”. Of Course with the Pandemic, it was extremely hard to be glad. I personally felt a great loss of two relatives and more than a few friends. So doing those times of sorrow, the mantra was followed by a more intense prayer for intercession for the healing of souls both physically and spiritually. I am attracted to the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy.

I pray daily morning and evening and sometimes during the middle of the day; whenever, I am spiritually called in my heart to do so. Sometimes, I receive texts with prayer requests and I try to pray almost immediately so I do not forget.

I always go to the chapel before going out to D to D evangelize; asking for the courage and grace that I need to fulfill this calling. After my private prayer at the Chapel; we pray outside the Chapel as a group where prayer requests are received from the group. The group is not going out during this time; so I have not been to the Chapel since before Covid 19.

[Jamillah Grant]

I have been part of a group of Catholics that go “Door to Door” in our Parish for several years. We pray in front of the chapel before heading out to our assigned street(s). We go two by two parallel across the street so that we can keep up with one another. One day a husband-wife team encountered some one that seemed to be giving them a hard time. So they sent for me. I was told he was proclaiming to be an atheist and wanted proof there was a God. I had not encountered an atheist and did not considered myself an apologetic. I prayed on my way to meet this encounter. I was gracious as I had ever been and wondered how I mustered up the courage to be so confident. We talked about proof of God existence. He rebuffed me saying that my testimony was just coincidences. I stated that I believed in divine providence and for me personally there are no coincidences. I said, Proof is what is acceptable as truth. This is my truth and trust in God. Then I politely and non-threateningly asked, “Can you prove God does not exist ?” He smiled and shook my hand. Then he said it was a delight speaking with me. I left some literature and I invited him to visit our church or attend one of our community events.

[Jamillah Grant]

This is the testimony that I have shared with others. It is only an introduction to a much longer conversation. Most ask questions and want to know more details that I have not posted here:

“I was baptized Catholic and received my First Communion at an early age. However, by the time I was a teenager my family moved to another State. This was during the time that the Catholic Church was also going through major changes. Although, I did not know or understand it at that time. I now understand that it was during the time of Vatican II. I do remember asking the Priest about it and he was very defensive, even offensive. So, I stopped going to Church. I did not know anyone and was a long way from my ancestral home. At one point, I had to walk away from all my possessions, while I still believed in God I was not a participating Catholic. Unfortunately, I was lost without my religion. When Pope John Paul II visited my area, my cousin invited me to attend the Mass in Monterey. It was there, that I had a spiritual encounter with Christ and it changed my life and my attitude. I felt the spirit of healing fall upon me and began to cry. After that experience, no longer do I depend on the acts or attitude of others to affirm my faith. No longer do I react in kind when someone is offensive even though it may be hurtful. No longer do I fail to recognize that God has provided two angels to guide me; Goodness and Mercy.”

[Author]

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