Ten Little Ways to Spread Our Catholic Faith

In today's society, it's a real challenge to spread the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus. In the U.S. we have a diversity of religious beliefs (and no beliefs) which has caused many to fear being seen as offensive to anyone who doesn't agree with our religious viewpoint. So how do we safely preach in a litigious world?

Here are ten “little ways” to spread the faith in public today:

1. Say The Grace Before Meals in a restaurant.

How: Make the sign of the cross. Then say a prayer such as: “Bless us oh Lord and these thy gifts that we are about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord. Amen.” Finish with the sign of the cross.

2. Wear a scapular or religious medal.

When I was a (public school) seventh-grader I had a gym class which required us to change in the locker room. I wore a scapular which I always folded up and placed with my regular clothing. I found out years later that one girl in my gym class told her mother that I wore a scapular and her mother instructed her to make friends with me (they were Catholic). So not only do we spread our faith by wearing religious things, but we make nice friends too. And perhaps chase away bad ones.


3. Wear a religious-themed tee shirt.

EWTN has some cool ones:

https://www.ewtnreligiouscatalogue.com/Catholic-T-Shirts

 4. Set a good example each Sunday.

How?  By going to Mass and avoiding unnecessary work. When we leave for Mass each Sunday, we set an example to our neighbors that Sunday is special.

 5. Bless yourself when you pass a Catholic Church.

This used to be something taught to Catholic school kids. Since Jesus is present in the Eucharist, we honor Him and teach others this Catholic Church is a special place for us. It also comforts us to know we never walk alone in this life.

 6. Say a prayer for the dead when passing a cemetery.

This one may be less of a public display than the others, but it helps our children and grandchildren to remember to pray for the dead. Of course it may get difficult on long car trips with many various cemeteries, as our children tend to be very enthusiastic about this one so they never let go of an opportunity to point out a cemetery.

Also, say a prayer or make the Sign of the Cross when an ambulance passes.

 7. This may not be for everyone. Get a religious tattoo.

True story—I was in an elevator of a hotel and a big guy with loads of tattoos walked in and I was a bit nervous. But I noticed one tattoo had a religious quote from the Bible (from the Gospel of John) and I relaxed. "He is one of us," I thought. I actually struck up a conversation with him about his tattoo.

 8. Put up a sign in your yard for any Church activities like a fish fry or festival.

It reminds society we have a vibrant and welcoming community of believers. A more year-round approach might be to put up a statue of Mary or your favorite saint.

 9. Bless yourself if you hear someone take the Lord's Name in vain.

Or say a prayer to yourself or aloud if you are brave. People don't like to be corrected so discern on a case-by-case basis. Sometimes I say a prayer quietly, sometimes louder if I think it might do some good.

 10. Participate in Eucharistic processions if you are able-bodied.

There is a revival of these traditions and I think it's great. We may never know how many people we reach, but God does. There is also a Eucharistic Walk taking place this May-June-July which looks to be a lot of fun (and there are opportunities to eat food!):

https://www.eucharisticpilgrimage.org/

If anyone has any other ideas be sure to share them in the comments section!