Burning Desire

I listened to this on the radio this morning and it made me realize that this is why it has been so easy for Catholics to be lured out of the Catholic Church...

With a Compelling Desire

Could it be that poor catechesis could cause Catholics to be easily lured into Protestantism? Almost every Catholic I've ever heard who converted to Protestantism, has done so because they claim they never heard the truth about Christ and what he did for them until they met a Protestant who boldly claimed the gospel. Once they heard the gospel and began a real relationship with Christ, they were convinced that this does not happen in the Catholic Church... and every other aspect of Catholic teaching was misrepresented, causing them to believe that everything about the Church must be wrong... Their ears were tickled with the falsehoods propagated by good intentions and ignorance.

This is exactly how I used to speak to Catholics... "Do you have a personal relationship with Christ?" or "Have you ever accepted Jesus into your heart as your Lord and Savior?"

Catholics should be able to answer this with an emphatic, "Yes!" If any Christian is doubting the answer to these questions, there is something wrong... Faith is deeper than attending church on Sunday. It's not just something you do because you've always done it. It has to be done with purpose and understanding, growing in your relationship with the living Christ.

We must speak the gospel of Christ to all people...our friends, our family, our children... at work, in our homes, in our churches. We cannot assume that everyone has a vital relationship with Christ just because they are sitting in the pew next to us.

Even within the Church, we must be sure that everyone has a true understanding of the gospel and what Christ has done for us... We must be sure that Catholics (especially our children) are encouraged to have a burning desire to love the Lord with all their heart, mind, soul and strength... so we are not Catholic only by name but in practice! Others must be able to see the love of Christ and the fruitfulness of our faith.

What can you do to ensure that those around you truly understand the message of the gospel?