One of things we do as a first year on a new campus is just sit around on campus and be present. Every once in a while we will make conversation and see people we have encountered before. After mass and prayer this morning, I was sitting there organizing my e-mails/working on a time sheet and so forth when the table next to me were being quite loud.
"What religion are you?" one the gentleman asked the other. One of them said, "I am Buddhist" and went on and on how the Buddhist is the best religion because no one makes fun of them or no one every gets in trouble for practicing such a religion. At the end of he claimed..."At least I am not Catholic." My heart just sunk to the floor. I thought, "What do I do now? Catholicism is my life." I sat there going back and forth in my mind on the conversation I could have with this fellow. As I packed my bag and walked to his chair, I said in my head, "Mother Mary, HELP ME NOW."
"Excuse I didn't mean to over hear your conversation, but I am actually a Catholic missionary and if you ever want to talk about religions and faith, let me now." and I handed him my card. He was caught off guard and said, "Oh, okay thanks." He didn't make eye contact whatsoever, but I walked away thanking the Lord.
We have those moments in our everyday life where we can speak the truth. What's keeping us from telling others the reason for our hope. 1 Peter 3:15
- Touch - It's my love language and I am pretty sure I can never get enough hugs. I thank my friend for showing me my love this weekend.
- School Bus - At UNO, there are shuttle buses that go from north campus to south campus, back and forth all day. I sat with a student to take a tour of campus. Yeah it's a good life I leave, we entered the same stop we were dropped off in.
- Tennis - I enrolled in intramural tennis here at UNO. The amazing thing I won, I won my first ever sports competition. I don' t know what happened, but God, I thank you.
- High School dance - Saturday night, I went to Hastings to hang out with a friend. She lives next door to a Catholic school. We walked with another high schooler to a homecoming dance. Lord, pray for all those high schoolers out there. High school is a time of confusion and I pray that our Mother Mary is guiding them to their Son.
- Forgiveness and Understanding - I love the Sacrament of Confession. A friend told me over summer training, "Saints have past, Sinners have futures." I guess there is hope for all of us.
1 comments:
I AM SO Proud of YOU Miss Jaqueline! I would have been so flustered, but you handled it so well. One time Msgr. Bergman told me, "Don't be afraid to be bold for Jesus". You did it girl.
One thing that makes me wonder how his thinking is messed up is he said, "no one makes fun of them (the Buddists) or no one ever gets in trouble for practicing such a religion." And then he himself slams the Catholic religion with his next breath, At the end of he claimed..."At least I am not Catholic." This is exactly why God has put you in this place Jackie. You are such a good testimony to our Lord and our Catholic faith and He is using you in such wonderful ways. You helped that young man learn that he should always measure his words carefully in public and he did exactly what he claims his religion is safe from. I bet he is thinking about that today. I know I would be.
Thanks dear heart for being bold for Jesus. Keep my boys in your prayers too, it could have been one of them in that young mans shoes. Not that they are Buddists, they are not anything right now and I don't know which is worse. God bless you sweetheart.
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