Fr. Thomas M. Pastorius
December 14, 2014
Spiritual Ponderings
7 Virtues of a Good Evangelizer

As we strive to live out our Catholic faith we know that Jesus desires that we bring His good news to those around us and as Catholics we call this evangelization. It would therefore be helpful for us to look at what were the virtues or good habits good evangelizer develop so that we can make them our own. For help with this let us turn once again to Mark Brumely and his book: How Not To Share Your Faith: The Seven Deadly Sins of Catholic Apologetics and Evangelization will act as a guide for us. Quotes from his book will be in bold and my thoughts will appear in the normal font.

2. Study
Prayer is not enough; the apologists must also study. The apologists must be competent. Competence requires study. And the study must be ongoing because we never wholly master the faith or the objections raised against it. There is always more to learn. Thus, we must acquire the habit of study—study of the Catholic faith and whatever opposes it.

I think most people would be surprised to discover that the preferred undergraduate degree for seminarians is philosophy and not theology. The Church knows that it is important for seminarians first know how to think before they begin to mess with God’s Divine Revelation. After 10 plus years of priesthood, I believe the thing that amazes me the most is the stuff that I still do not know. I just finished a three year program in Ignatius spirituality and Spiritual Direction and was blown away by what I did not know about prayer and spiritual life. I currently read about a book a month, subscribe to three magazines, and sign up for a week long study course each year and there is still stuff I do not know. I also know as a good Catholic I also need to know what has gone in the world (if you don’t know your history you are doomed to repeat it) and what is currently going on. How can I vote responsibly or lift the world up in prayer if I do not know what is going on?

3. Dialogue
The Third Habit of Effective Apologists is dialogue. Dialogue here does not mean an occasional conversation with someone you disagree with but a habitual inclination to discuss—truly discuss—apologetic issues. Dialogue puts into practice what apologist learns through study. It is one thing to formulate arguments on one’s own, another to present them to someone who can argue back. The give and take of dialogue can help the apologist find weaknesses in his own arguments and understand the real issues dividing people.

I love dialoguing with people but I hate getting into a conflict with someone. What is the difference for a dialogue and a conflict? For me it is simple; in a dialogue both parties are searching for the truth or the best way to do something but in conflict one or both parties are out to win at any cost. There is no winner in a conflict.

One of the greatest books in the business world is Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. The aim of the book is to help people learn that the best way to convince people is not through demands and force but rather through caring about them. I believe that Dale Carnegie’s book could be very helpful in evangelizing. Here are his nine principles for my commentary on these principles please check out the evangelization section at www.mayjesuschristbepraised.com

Principle 1: Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
Principle 2: Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly.
Principle 3: Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.
Principle 4: Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
Principle 5: Let the other person save face.
Principle 6: Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be “hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise.”
Principle 7: Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.
Principle 8: Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
Principle 9: Make the other person happy about doing the things you suggest.