Please note: The reflections and opinions expressed in this piece are those of the author and are shared in the spirit of personal faith and contemplation. They do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Diocese of Palmerston North.
Often, an ordinary conversation can unexpectedly open the door to talking about faith. As missionary disciples living and working in everyday society, these encounters are part of our mission field.
For me, these encounters often become sacred moments, even though they still take me by surprise. Here are a few examples.
A woman sat beside me at Mass, having returned for the first time in five decades. She wept throughout the liturgy, and I sensed the Holy Spirit had touched her deeply. Feeling a responsibility to support her, I stayed with her afterwards. At her request, we arranged to meet the following day, only for her to later cancel by text. I respected her decision and left her free to contact me whenever she wished.
Following a school Mass, a mother who had never before entered a Catholic church found herself drawn to the liturgy. Pointing around the church, she asked about the tabernacle, altar, cross, lectern, sacred vessels, statues, baptismal font, and coloured vestments. Much to her amusement, we were the last two people to leave.
Thirty years ago, a newly confirmed Catholic drifted away from the Church and began attending other denominations. We kept in touch over the years and, now living elsewhere, she expressed a desire to return “home”. I hope she receives a warm welcome from her parish community.
While sharing a café table with a stranger, he noticed my silver cross and correctly guessed I was Catholic. He told me he was Muslim, and we spoke about our differing beliefs regarding Jesus. As the conversation ventured into areas I knew little about, I felt somewhat out of my depth. Yet it reminded me that even brief encounters can open the door to respectful interfaith dialogue.
Prior to Easter, I found myself chatting with an American couple visiting New Zealand on a short-term business contract. They were Episcopalian and lamented how many people today are unfamiliar with the true meaning of Easter. I invited them to attend the Good Friday service. When they entered the church, we recognised each other immediately.
Coming from a family whose Catholic faith stretches back more than 200 years, I realise I have never personally experienced the search for faith in quite the same way many seekers do. Yet these encounters have taught me the importance of respectful invitation and patient accompaniment. No two stories are ever the same, because each person’s journey with God is unique.
In a world of instant communication, quick results, and constant demands on our attention, the value of face-to-face conversation can easily be overlooked. Yet it is often through these simple, personal encounters that God quietly works in people’s hearts.
We may never know where a conversation will lead, or what fruit it may bear. Our task is simply to be present, to listen, to accompany, and to trust the work of the Holy Spirit.
The hoped-for outcome of our accompaniment is that all seekers may one day gather with us around the Table of Plenty, sharing fully in God’s life and delighting in the intimacy of the sacraments.
As Pope Francis writes in Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel): “Evangelization consists mostly of patience and a disregard for constraints of time … The first step is to become involved.”
Experience has shown me just how right he is.