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Evangelize the Easy Way
with Icons by Msgr. Anthony La
Femina
Topics:
Seek, Knock,
And Sup with Me (Jesus) Matt 7:7 - Rev 3:17-20
How much does
God love you?
How much value
do you place on going to Mass?
How much value
did Jesus place on the Mass?
True Beauty,
True Love,
Mary’s
Role
in our Salvation,
When does Human
Life Begin ? - Pro-Life
Why
These Icons Are So Important in Evangelization
- Mass is the most
important event for a Catholic. The
Last Supper-Crucifix (LSC) Icon is very helpful in explaining the
Mass. “The Eucharist is the source and
summit of the Christian life.” CCC 1324.
And yet, many find it boring. And
unfortunately, for too many Catholics the Mass is practically the
only source of their interaction with God and their only source of
spiritual formation. And they often don’t understand how to pray the
Mass well. It is essential that we find a way to reach both marginal
Catholics as well as those who have already left the Church. This
Icon of the Last Supper makes it easy to begin a conversation on the
important truths of our faith. It opens the door to explaining
what the rituals mean, how they relate to salvation history, and how
a person is able to participate more effectively through faith
filled prayer about their inmost needs and daily concerns so that
they may recognize what and Who they may receive through this
heavenly event.
Read more on
Mass
-
The Annunciation - Incarnation Icon above helps explains the beauty
and the foundation of Pro-Life beliefs - when human life begins.
The one issue that is most divisive is abortion. Many people
get so emotional even when they just hear the words
“Abortion” or “Pro-Life” they find it practically impossible to
intellectually consider the relevant facts. This Pro-Life Icon of the Annunciation
makes it possible to convey when human life begins in a gentle and
round about way without even
mentioning those red flag words.
Read more on
Pro-Life
- Icons capture
spiritual truths about the faith that ordinary pictures cannot.
They
are like pictures from the camera of God’s eye.
- Many people are
hurting. The LSC Icon is great for explaining how much God loves
us.
- Many people view the
moral law more as a burden than as a gift from God. The LSC
Icon helps provide the foundation for showing that the moral law is
the path to greatness and true happiness.
See
Love
- Some people are
visually orientated so these images make it easier for them to
understand the spiritual truths you are trying to convey.
- They will help the
other person remember what you say because the visual icons will
help them to make associations between your words and the images.
- Special graces will
be available to the person you evangelize. Before an
iconographer paints the image he fasts and prays to God. He
does not pray, “God please help me to do a great job so that the
world will see what a great painter I am.” Rather, he prays
that all those who look upon the image will be blessed by God with a
special encounter with Him so that they will be drawn into a deeper
spiritual relationship with Him.
The
Great Advantages of Using T- Shirts in Evangelization
- The greatest natural
obstacle in evangelization is closed mindedness.
(The largest supernatural obstacle is Satan. The
largest spiritual obstacle is my own personal sin.)
It is generally assumed by many that you should not bring up the
subject of religion unless you are ridiculing it. Religion is
viewed as “burdensome obligations that keep you from fun and
happiness.”
These shirts make it so easy to bring up
spiritual topics in a casual way.
- These
shirts enable the evangelist to
encourage other Christians to follow God’s moral law without
sounding preachy. See Closed Mindedness
B
- These shirts
enable the evangelist to bring up and to teach the doctrinal truths
of the faith in non-threatening ways. See Closed Mindedness
C, and D
- You will be
able to reach a far greater number of people because so many people
will see your shirt.
- It
also enables others who see the image to approach you and to begin
the conversation inquiring further about its message.
- It makes a great
conversational piece. It will help you avoid idle speech that
the Bible warns against.
The T-shirt makes it so much easier to get a conversation started on
a topic that is really worth talking about. You will find
yourself speaking more about God and His love and less time in idle
chatter.
- Most
evangelistic material is made for those who are willing to consider
the Catholic position. These shirts make it possible to begin a
conversation in a natural and smooth manner with those who would not
otherwise consider conversing with a Catholic about Catholic
spirituality.
- The images are
beautiful. And you will look GREAT.
See
Free Additional Resources
Annunciation Icon : Pro - Life
Last Supper Icon : Mass,
God’s Love, Suffering
Breaking Through Closed Mindedness :
How to begin a casual conversation
How to Explain the Mass
Suffering : Explaining God’s Love
Additional topics
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