Catholic Witness

In this Year of Faith, Catholic witness is important.  Not only are we called to grow in faith; we are also called to be witnesses of Christ in the world.  We must show the world via our lives why it is worth it to be Catholic.  In today's world where doubt is growing; citing Scripture, Church dogmas etc, will not do much to sway harden hearts and minds.  When the Christian life is lived publicly, then this will sway many.

Human beings are wired to learn visually.  This is why it is important for children to use blocks and other objects that stimulate tactile and visual experience.  It is by this that we learn about the external world.  In child psychology, we learn that from about ages 2-4, children become "scientists."  They study everything and do their own experiments by testing how things work.  It is by this exploration that children begin to learn about the world and how they relate to it.

This does not end at childhood.  We still continue to learn in this manner.  Children learn the abc's and 123's faster with instruments that present these visually than by simply verbalizing them.  If I tell a child "A" or "1," my doing this will not guarantee that the child will learn what these are.  However, if I show them the letter A and number 1, then these images will remain in his/her brain and from there, he/she will be able to achieve mapping and encoding with them. 

Similarly, preaching the Word of God can only go so far unless we present it to people in a visual and tangible way. If I preach about love, then that message will come alive when those I preach to see me loving others.  If I preach about truth, then that message will come alive when people that I preach to see me telling the truth always.  If I preach about poverty and helping others, then this will come alive if people I preach to see me detached from material goods and see me provide for those in need.

This is why Pope Francis chose the name "Francis."  He wanted to imitate St. Francis who preached the Gospel not only with words, but through action.  Pope Francis has made it a mission to speak nearly daily on Christian behavior.  From saying not to be hypocritical, to having "funeral faces;" to recently stating that we must watch our tongues and how we talk about others; Pope Francis is reminding us the important of Christian witness.

As St. Francis is believed to have said: "Wherever you go, preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words."