Sharing The Joy of Knowing Jesus Christ

Opticom

The Bishops Conference of England and Wales is distributing one million 'faith' cards to 24 dioceses in order to cultivate evangelisation among Catholics.

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2012/03/15/1-million-faith-cards-arrive-in-parishes/





The credit-card-size resource features on one side a clear statement that the carrier is a Catholic and a list of six things that Catholics are called to do. There is also a sentence that reads: “In the event of an emergency, please contact a Catholic priest.”

The other side of the card has a quote from Blessed John Henry Newman, focusing on the call to serve and affirming that everyone has a mission.

“God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. I shall do good and be a preacher of truth in my own place.”

So, my question is, how as Christians, Catholic or otherwise, can we "share with others the joy of knowing Jesus Christ" in the modern world ?

Doc Farrell

First of all, get the basics right. I just watched Louis Theroux with the Westboro church and it was scary. Extremist judgmental hate filled hell condemning whack jobs should be kept well away from kids.
Second, behave decently to your neighbors.
Third, increase your circle of friends and enjoy life.
That's it.

Onesimus

By actually becoming Jesus and following the example of the Saints. There is a difference between ''knowing about God'' and ''knowing God''. It's impossible to preach to others the latter and it is this we want others to acheive. But if we want others to truly know God, we must truly know him ourselves. We then become a beacon of light and allow the Holy Spirit to work in us to convert others without even saying a word. It's how we live that really shares the faith not by what we say. Yet holy cards like the above and pictures and saying something to someone can get them thinking about Jesus and Mary and the beyond.

But it's always nice to introduce them personally to Jesus by allowing Jesus to take hold of us and be transformed in him. Whenever you meet a holy man like Padre Pio you meet Jesus is what I'm saying.

HamletOrHecuba

Doc Farrell wrote: »

Third, increase your circle of friends and enjoy life.
That's it.

"Woe unto you who laugh now! for you shall mourn and weep" (Luke 6:25).

“Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Cor 15:33).

"But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one." (1 Corinthians 5:11).

Doc <snip> please take a look at actual Christians from pretty recent times who were given to preform miracles and actually bring hundreds if not thousands of people to salvation for instance St John of Shanghai and St Padre Pio; what was their approach, what they did teach? Something very different from your "get out and enjoy yourself" and "hug a Trantric god king" world view that you fanatically and judgementally believe in. Indeed both those righteous men would probably have gotten banned from here for warning about you know who (indeed most of St John's family were cruelly murdered by you know who along with millions of their fellow countrymen and women- but how many Russians are worth one of their finger nails in your new theology?- that is a serious question by the way).

martinedwards

as a christian of over 30 years, I agree with MOST of Doc ferrell's post.

I didn't see Lois Theroux's program, but if you are a

Extremist judgmental hate filled hell condemning whack job

then you

should be kept well away from kids.

Second, behave decently to your neighbors.
Third, increase your circle of friends and enjoy life.

no problems there.

but once you've increased your circle of friends THEN you can tell them about Jesus

martinedwards

Opticom wrote: »

There is also a sentence that reads: “In the event of an emergency, please contact a Catholic priest.”

somehow that seems a little......

all encompassing?

maybe police/ambulance/anti-terrorist force/gas engineer etc might be more fitting in certain circumstances!!

Doc Farrell

martinedwards wrote: »

as a christian of over 30 years, I agree with MOST of Doc ferrell's post.

I didn't see Lois Theroux's program, but if you are a

Extremist judgmental hate filled hell condemning whack job

then you

should be kept well away from kids.

Second, behave decently to your neighbors.
Third, increase your circle of friends and enjoy life.

no problems there.

but once you've increased your circle of friends THEN you can tell them about Jesus

Matthew 22: 36-40
Fairly simple stuff. <snip>

Opticom

God wants spiritual fruits, not religious nuts.

Most of us in Ireland today know about Jesus, rather than know him.

To me, the people that know Jesus show it in their daily lives. They are at peace with themselves and others. They act in love, they pursue holiness, they touch the untouchable, love the un loveable, and give grace to everyone they meet.

“A peaceful man attracts peace into his environment.” Proverbs 16:7

Love is being patient and kind.

“ . .to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. . . If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.” Luke 6:27-35

“Let us keep the joy of loving Jesus in our hearts. And let's share that joy with everyone we meet. Passing on joy is something which is very natural. We have no reason for not being joyful, since Christ is with us. Christ is in our hearts. . . Am I convinced of Christ's love for me and mine for Him? This conviction is like sunlight which makes the sap of life rise and the buds of sanctity bloom. This conviction is the rock on which sanctity is built. What must we do to get this conviction? We must know Jesus, love Jesus, serve Jesus.” – Mother Teresa

I've a long way to go, but by the grace of God and by prayer, I hope I can continually improve and show the joy of knowing Jesus Christ to others by my words, thoughts and deeds.

Benny_Cake

Opticom wrote: »

Most of us in Ireland today know about Jesus, rather than know him.

To me, the people that know Jesus show it in their daily lives. They are at peace with themselves and others. They act in love, they pursue holiness, they touch the untouchable, love the un loveable, and give grace to everyone they meet.

I think that sums it up perfectly. For some many of us, "religion" is a simply a long list of strictures and rules - little wonder so many reject it! I'm lucky enough to have met a few such people and they don't need to tell you about their faith as their lives are a better testimony of faith in Christ than any words.

Onesimus

Benny_Cake wrote: »

I think that sums it up perfectly. For some many of us, "religion" is a simply a long list of strictures and rules - little wonder so many reject it! I'm lucky enough to have met a few such people and they don't need to tell you about their faith as their lives are a better testimony of faith in Christ than any words.

Not true at all. You can not have spirituality without the religion. Meaning... if you reject one you reject the other.

Religion clean and undefiled before God and the Father, is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation: and to keep one's self unspotted from this world. ( James: 1:27 )

Benny_Cake

Onesimus wrote: »

Benny_Cake wrote: »

I think that sums it up perfectly. For some many of us, "religion" is a simply a long list of strictures and rules - little wonder so many reject it! I'm lucky enough to have met a few such people and they don't need to tell you about their faith as their lives are a better testimony of faith in Christ than any words.

Not true at all. You can not have spirituality without the religion. Meaning... if you reject one you reject the other.

Religion clean and undefiled before God and the Father, is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation: and to keep one's self unspotted from this world. ( James: 1:27 )

I don't necessarily disagree with you, I was referring to the popular view of religion. It's a word which means different things to different people. I've always liked that verse btw, and I quite like the idea of those cards at the top of the thread.

Doc Farrell

HamletOrHecuba wrote: »

Doc Farrell wrote: »

Third, increase your circle of friends and enjoy life.
That's it.

"Woe unto you who laugh now! for you shall mourn and weep" (Luke 6:25).

“Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Cor 15:33).

"But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one." (1 Corinthians 5:11).

Doc <snip> please take a look at actual Christians from pretty recent times who were given to preform miracles and actually bring hundreds if not thousands of people to salvation for instance St John of Shanghai and St Padre Pio; what was their approach, what they did teach? Something very different from your "get out and enjoy yourself" and "hug a Trantric god king" world view that you fanatically and judgementally believe in. Indeed both those righteous men would probably have gotten banned from here for warning about you know who (indeed most of St John's family were cruelly murdered by you know who along with millions of their fellow countrymen and women- but how many Russians are worth one of their finger nails in your new theology?- that is a serious question by the way).

Please don't misquote me. Quotation marks are not that complicated to use.

Doc Farrell

Opticom wrote: »

l

So, my question is, how as Christians, Catholic or otherwise, can we "share with others the joy of knowing Jesus Christ" in the modern world ?

This question is one of the few important ones we get to ask ourselves.
I was watching the news tonight and on it an 81 year old man received a prize as carer of the year. He cared for his wife until she died and now cares for two of his middle aged children, one who has down syndrome and the other who was badly hurt in a car accident.
No matter what our religious affiliations are unless we can find a way to share joyfully or positively our lives with others, we can never possibly know any kind of happiness or contentment.
It's a short life and, without love, a desperately unhappy one. Fortunately, if we're willing to give it a shot, there's more than enough love to go around for everyone. The question is, have I got the guts to make it my priority?