Denver Catholic

4 5 6 38 APR-MAY 2024 | DENVER CATHOLIC FOURTH, ST. PAUL TELLS US TO WEAR THE "BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS." In other words, the most effective armor that you have in this fight is holiness. You can know all the proofs for God's existence, you can be able to explain the arguments about Jesus' empty tomb or his establishment of the Church, but if you're not living like a saint, it's a waste of breath. On the other hand, Paul also speaks of "the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left" (2 Cor. 6:7). In other words, we should be "armed" with holiness. Even if you're not great at apologetics, even if you can never remember chapter and verse in the heat of the moment, even if you're the worst debater in the world, you can still be an effective evangelist simply by being loving and openly sharing "the hope that is in you." When you talk to people who have converted to Catholicism, or who have gone from being a lax Catholic to on fire for their faith, there tend to be two common elements: (1) there is almost always a personal connection—if you don't know a Cath- olic who loves being Catholic, chances are, you're not going to become Catholic, or start loving your faith; and (2) most of the time, that person isn't what you would imagine. They aren't some world-class theologian with all of the answers. Sometimes, sure! But more often than not, they're a person who was proud to be Catholic, and who took the life of holiness seriously. Pope Francis writes that "holiness is the most attractive face of the Church." And Pope Benedict XVI said: To me, art and the Saints are the greatest apol- ogetic for our faith. The arguments contributed by reason are unquestionably important and indispens- able, but then there is always dissent somewhere. On the other hand, if we look at the Saints, this great luminous trail on which God passed through history, we see that there truly is a force of good which resists the millennia; there truly is the light of light. In other words, no matter how tight your intellectual argument for Catholicism is, people can always find ways of not believing it. There are intelligent people on both sides of every one of these arguments, because God doesn't force belief. Rather, he enables faith. So the only unanswerable argument for the truth of the faith is holiness. FIFTH, ST. PAUL TELLS US TO SHOD OUR FEET "WITH THE EQUIPMENT OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; ABOVE ALL TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH, WITH WHICH YOU CAN QUENCH ALL THE FLAMING DARTS OF THE EVIL ONE." We've just established that these encounters, as innocuous and meaningless as they may seem, are points of spiritual combat, and combat against a foe who's stronger and smarter than you. In the face of this, especially if it doesn't seem to be going well, it's important to cling to the peace that only Christ can give. As he said at the Last Supper, knowing that the Apostles were about to undergo a serious spiritual trial, "Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me" (John 14:1). And a short while later: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid" (John 14:29). The devil can offer you complacency, but not true peace. And so what does he want to have happen in these encounters? For you to lose your peace, and to stop trusting that God is more powerful than Satan. SIXTH, ST. PAUL REMINDS US TO BE ARMED WITH THE "THE HELMET OF SALVATION, AND THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD." In other words, lean on God and learn Scripture. It's a great tool. When the devil tried to tempt Jesus in the desert, Jesus responded by quoting Scripture (Mt. 4:1-11). The devil then tried to get Jesus to jump off the Temple by selectively quoting Psalm 91: "He will give his angels charge of you," and "on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone." Jesus corrected him, still using Scripture. This is a lesson for us. One of the most common reasons I hear Catholics say that they can't evangelize is that they don't know Scripture well enough. Well, good, you recognize the problem! Your lack of knowledge of Scripture is impeding your abilit y to live the Christian life fully, and keeping you from bringing other people to Jesus. What are you going to do about it? Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." JOHN 14:29

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