Denver Catholic

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AND REDUCE HOME AND REDUCE HOME MAINTENANCE MAINTENANCE Last year 9,000 older Coloradoans were hospitalized due to falls Jim Chevarria Chevarria Insurance Group 2014 Best Businesses of Lakewood Award www.chevarriainsurancegroup.com If you needed long term care who would be your caregiver? Your Spouse? Your Children? Who would care for you? Long Term Care Insurance not only provides expanded care options, it provides loved ones the ability to maintain their quality of life. Call (303) 955-6837 for a no-risk consultation. Protecting Your Future...Today organized testimony for the the Cat- the best preparing for catechism and one way of preparing one- Hoeck said. Rite of (RCIA) at Centennial, defend his study. non-denominational beliefs about abstaining to give his wife, know. it on my surprise that just what Christian said. convinced began a learned the the prac- Catholics is enough," said Christian, who's taught RCIA for 15 years. "They know the 'what' but they don't know the 'why.' Once I learned the reasons why, I said to myself, 'I need to share this.'" Sharing the faith can be done with words, best delivered in a non-confron- tational and kind way, Christian said. In the process, faithful can turn to the saints for an example and support. Derek Barr, instructor for the Catholic Biblical School, said St. Paul is an exam- ple of perseverance. "When Paul would speak out, he would personally su•er many persecutions," Barr said. "He would not stand down; he would not waiver. He would only speak the truth and he paid dearly for that again and again and again." By their baptism, all faithful are called to defend their faith in another way—by witness, Father Hoeck said. "Jesus calls each one of the baptized to give witness to our faith every single day of our lives, through acts of faith, hope and charity," he said. "The actions, the deeds that we can show to the world, is a 24/7 demand. We're never o• the hook. We're always called to give a good witness, which is the positive way of defending our faith." Gail, 53, and David Simonton of St. Thomas More Parish said they witness to their faith when sharing their decision to reverse a vasectomy. For nine years they were sterile until they came to under- stand Church teaching on the dignity of life and openness to it. "We've made a 180-degree turn," Gail said, who added, "We're open to life. Period." Several miscarriages and adoptions later, neighbors and friends will ask about their decision to raise seven children. "They think we're totally crazy," she said. But sharing their story can serve to witness to the faith. "I just always step out there and think to myself, 'This is my chance to speak out about it.'" Sharing personal testimony is the most positive way to defend the faith, Father Hoeck said, and can lead to martyrdom. "Martyrdom is the supreme witness and defense of our faith," he said. "To be a martyr means to be a witness. The Lord asked us to give witness to the Son of Man so he will testify in your favor at the end of (time)." i RESOURCES • Catholic Answers www.catholic.com • " How to Defend the Faith without Raising Your Voice" by Austen Ivereigh • Catechism of the Catholic Church www.usccb.org/catechism Principles of faith sharing • Look for the positive behind the criticism. Rather than the arguments you are going to face, consider the value your critic is upholding. This has a disarming e£ect. • Shed light, not heat. Be a keen listener to the other's views and let chinks of light in on the subject, while holding your own views and staying calm. • Show, don't tell. Supplement your arguments with anecdotes of personal experience, stories, or hypothetical situations that help make your point. • People will remember how you made them feel. It's not simply about the lucidity of your arguments, but the e£ect your words have on others. • Be positive. The Church is against many things because it is for so much more. Bring discussions back to the positive vision the Church has for people. • It's not about you. Good communication means putting your ego in the backseat. Critics are not failing to respect you but what you represent. SOURCE: " HOW TO DEFEND THE FAITH WITHOUT RAISING YOUR VOICE"

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