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22 Pope Benedict XVI, in his first encyclical as Pope, writes the following: "We have come to believe in God's love: in these words, the Christian can express the fundamental deci- sion of his life. Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a loft y idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direc- tion" (God is Love #1, Pope Benedict XVI). These words challenge us to think differently about how we share our faith. It is not a lifest yle that we are trying to convince people of, though that will certainly follow. We should desire to evangelize because we want to share our experience of a God who loves us, who would do anything for us, and who has given us everything we have. With this in mind, evan- gelization is no longer a sales pitch approach, but a heart-level conversa- tion to have with someone. What is a heart-level conversation? These are conversations that reach a deeper level than just small talk. They can be with people that you've known for a long time, or with someone you've not known long at all! Espe- cially in our current age of isolation, privacy and loneliness, heart-level conversations are the best defense against spiritual poverty, an increas- ingly worrying problem in the United States. It is all too often in today's world that "trust" with neighbors, colleagues and even family members is implied but not actually developed. Without trust, isolation builds and relationships are stunted. To introduce a friend to a new relationship with God, it is essential to have a friendship with them first — a friendship without defensiveness, without judgment, and with openness and love for the other person (See the attached snippet from "99 Wondering Questions" by Doug Pollock as a starting place!). When the opportunity arises, don't be afraid to share moments where God "inter- rupts" your life. Whether it's a big life change, a decision you must make, or even a person you are called to for- give, sharing how these moments are an encounter with God are crucial to demonstrating his love for us. It is primarily through these heart- level conversations that God puts his proverbial foot in the door to some- one's heart. While someone who is far from the Church cannot hear God's voice, trust and vulnerability with one of his people eventually leads to curiosity and openness in that person. There is great power in testifying to your personal encounters with God, all the things he's done for you in your life, and how even in your dark- est hours, he's always been with you. Just a crack in the door of someone's heart can be enough for the Holy Spirit to begin to work in them. In the meantime, it is important to remem- ber that while the person in front of you may not recognize God's voice, the Holy Spirit is within you in these conversations: "It is the Holy Spirit who, today just as at the beginning of the Church, acts in every evangelizer who allows himself to be possessed and led by him. The Holy Spirit places on his lips the words which he could not find by himself, and at the same time the Holy Spirit predisposes the soul of the hearer to be open and receptive to the Good News and to the kingdom being proclaimed" (Evangelization in the Modern World, #75, St. Paul VI). The work of evangelization isn't always going to bear visible fruit. As much as you would like to, you cannot reach into the chest of the person in front of you and convert their heart. Only God can do that. As a people of free will, we must first be willing to allow him to convert our hearts, which is where our witness in our relationships plays a crucial role. While the person in front of you may not be able to recognize God's voice, they recognize your voice, and if you have trust with them, they are willing to listen to you and your experience of God's love. It is in these moments of witness that the work of evangeli- zation lies waiting for us. Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction." POPE BENEDICT XVI APR-MAY 2024 | DENVER CATHOLIC