Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

o' Thursday, November 9, 2000 Faith Alive!! The Southern Cross, Page 9 Proclaiming the Gospel, sometimes even with words By Daniel S. Mulhall Catholic News Service s 'ports figures, I’ve noticed, often use religious gestures: the sign of the cross before batting; pointing to the heavens after making a goal; giving God credit for vic tory. But some sto ries go deeper. Recently The Sporting News fea tured an interview with Chicago White Sox manager Jerry Manuel, who spoke about how someone drew him in an un predictable way to Christianity. A group of players were trying to make the major league team. These were athletes whose lives revolved around achieving the pinnacle of pro fessional success. As they individually were called and sent back to the minors, gloom filled the room. Except for one man who smiled with delight and said that now he was free to spend more time growing closer to Jesus. Manuel said that this man’s state ment helped him to realize that there is more to life than baseball. He de cided then to find out more about Jesus. As Catholics we are called to take the message of Jesus to everyone, ev erywhere. But why is it that some people don’t easily grasp what we mean? Sometimes the message runs counter to people’s immediate inter ests or desires. But sometimes, per haps, we don’t speak or act as if we actually believe it ourselves. St. Francis of Assisi is famous for many things: renouncing wealth, kissing the leper, creating the Na tivity creche. He also gave advice on proclaiming the Gospel: Do it non stop, using words when needed. That reflects the old American ad age: Actions speak louder than words. During the year-2000 World Youth Day celebrations, when 2 mil lion pilgrims filled the ancient, nar row streets of Rome, a solitary young woman of 17 approached me and asked if I spoke English. Hear ing “yes” in my southern drawl, she smiled with megawatt brilliance. A pilgrim from Australia, she was lost. Not finding her street on my map, I led her to a nearby hotel that was housing a large group from the United States and whose desk clerk I knew spoke English well. The clerk knew ex actly where the young woman’s hotel was and suggested that she take a cab. This sent the smiling lass 1 am called to go the extra mile to help others before someone else forces, pesters or embar rasses me into it.” CNS photo by Nancy Wiechec into a tailspin, the floodgates about to open — for she didn’t have the money. When the desk clerk suggested that she take public transpor tation (free during World Youth Day week), she was frightened even more, since that was how she had become lost in the first place. FAITH IN THE MARKETPLACE We had reached an impasse: The clerk had spent too much time on a nonguest, the girl was near panic and I was reaching into my pocket for the money to send her by cab. Then some thing happened: The clerk’s eyes soft ened. The clerk asked, “Would you like for me to write directions for you and ones in Italian you could give the bus drivers so they can tell you when to get off?” The megawatt smile returned: ‘Yes, please.” Jesus told stories about the judge who gave in to the widow because of her persistence; the desk clerk helped the young woman because of ours. As I reflected on the event, I came to another conclusion: I am called to go the extra mile to help others before someone else forces, pesters or embar rasses me into it. I should do it be cause that’s who I am (a follower of Christ), not because I hope for any reward or gain. It is a question of proclaiming the Gospel, using words when needed. (Mulhall is assistant secretary for catechesis and inculturation in the U.S. Catholic Conference Depart ment of Education.) What do people of your world fear or doubt most? Can your faith address this fear or doubt? “I’m a teacher and parent, and my fear is the violence that can corrupt the minds of our kids. My fear is that our children can get sucked up into the negativity which surrounds them.... With faith in God, I can teach children to the best of my ability. But I also know that there can be outside forces beyond my control that can enter their lives. In the end, it all comes down to trusting in God.” — Sue Bata, Langdon, N.D. “People fear the instability of their jobs, the constant threat of violence, terminal illness and death. They doubt God’s unconditional love and the honesty and integrity of others, especially political figures.... Jesus constantly exhorts us to trust, and he promises us a peace that the world cannot give. Models of faith give us courage and an example of how to live in perfect peace and love.” — Sister Patricia Cigrand, ASCJ, Johnston, R.I. AX An upcoming edition asks: What does the word “strength” mean to you? What makes strength a virtue? If you would like to oWV—) respond for possible publication, please write: Faith Alive! 3211 Fourth St. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20017-1100. Pizza parlors and spiritual hungers By Father Herbert Weber Catholic News Service X watched in fascination as a man set up his easel and flip charts on the sidewalk in front of Chicago’s famed Water Tower on Michigan Avenue. It was nearly lunch time, and hundreds of pedestrians were passing by. When the man turned on his portable microphone and began to preach about salvation, a few folks stopped and lis tened. When he drew diagrams of sin, loss of grace, forgiveness and justification, more people gave him their attention. This modern street preacher had lna Nutshell The places people gather may he secular, but those gathering there still experience a spiritual hunger. A modern public forum may differ from the public squares of St. PauTs time. Modern mission “lands” range from hospitals to cyberspace, from health centers to schools to sports arenas. To the extent we have appropriated the Gospel in our lives, we will be able to share it with others by word and/or example. courage and a simple message: Believe and be saved — or else! The public forum is often different today from what it was in the days of St. Paul. Street preaching is not the only way to share the Gospel message. There are many other ways in which words of faith and values can enter the secular world. When I was involved in campus ministry at an Ohio state university, I witnessed particular times when people hungered for a faith response to some world event. A week before the bombing began in the Persian Gulf War, I was part of a panel that addressed a jam- packed auditorium on the campus. I’d been asked to explain the just-war theory and how it might apply to the impending war. It was a secular setting with a mixed crowd looking for ethical guidelines. My role as one who could bring a faith mes sage was obvious. Yet not everyone was happy with my words because they chal lenged listeners to think in new ways. More often, ministering in the public forum took place with small groups of students. For example, it was not un common that I would join a group of young men and women attending a current movie, especially a thought- provoking one. Afterward we would gather at a pizza place to review and critique the film. Knowing that I was not a cinema expert, the students looked to me, in stead, to help evaluate the values and principles presented in the movie. For many, it was a time of spiritual insight. Other times, as a campus minister I was able to bring faith into the resi dence halls, for example, by speaking to those on the floor when a fellow student died. There also were the times I guest lectured for various professors on the church’s approach to AIDS and its vic tims. And, of course, faith was brought to the football team when I served as chaplain! The places where people gather may be secular, but those who gather in them still have a spiritual hunger. Often the message of faith is heard clearly in those settings because only it can satisfy that hunger. (Father Weber is pastor of St. Peter’s Parish in Mansfield, Ohio.) All contents copyright ©2000 by CNS