Be proud of your faith. Be convinced of it.

[Denise]

Dear Catholic Friends,



Several years ago, a young man was employed to sell milk chocolates to drug and candy stores. Business was slow. After several weeks all the young salesman could show for his trouble was a long list of reasons given him by storekeepers—against his particular brand of candy.

After some serious thinking, he devised the following plan. He bought a small number of small plain white cards and on each of these wrote out one argument against his product. The next day he continued calling on customers. On the counter, he spread out thirty-six neatly typed cards, with this invitation: “Here are thirty-six reasons why you don’t want to buy my milk chocolates. Pick any one you wish.” The storekeeper smiled and selected one. “Turn it over,” politely suggested the salesman.

As the prospect did so he read on the reverse side of the card a convincing answer to the objection. Pleased and interested by this new approach, the owner read both sides of every card, and placed a good-sized order.

This story suggests one way to carry out Christ’s command that we love our neighbor—with our whole mind. Love of neighbor is proved by helping him, especially in a spiritual way. One of the many ways of doing this is to be ready to answer the questions and objections of outsiders about our Catholic religion. For every argument against our faith have the answer, just as the young salesman had the answer for every argument against his product. We must be salesmen for our religion.

In fact, you cannot be a true Catholic unless you want to share your religious riches with others. Permit me to repeat that: You cannot be a real Catholic unless you try to share with others the religious wealth that is yours. We, the laity, can reach more people than our priests and bishops can. Often, you are asked: “Why this—why that, in the Catholic Church?” Do you know the answer, a brief clear and ready answer?

What usually happens? You answer” “Oh, I’ll take you down to Father so-and-so. He knows all the answers, he studied that stuff.” Or you tell them: “I’ll get you a book on that.” Or worse still, you ignore the question, or act as if there were no answer.

I maintain that you do not love your neighbor until you prepare yourself to help him, by answering his questions. Most questions are simple and are answered time and again in Catholic periodicals. With a little effort of your mind, that mind, remember, with which you should love your neighbor, you will be ready to give the right answer.

For more than twenty years, I have been sharing the faith to groups, small and large, and one-on-one. I owned and operated a Catholic bookstore for 13 years, which was real training ground. At one time or another, I heard all the basic questions and objections, and learned to present the answers to these questions in a simple, practical, and straight-forward manner.

My book, Bible Sabotage, recounts a weekly dialogue between me and two long-time members of Calvary Chapel Church; George, who had been teaching a weekly Bible study for 15 years and his pastor, Bill. Pastor Bill had been the leader of a small Southern California congregation for many years, and was quite antagonistic towards Catholicism. He had a long list of questions and objections. Week after week, on Saturday mornings, we reviewed these objections and concerns and George and Pastor Bill were able to gain a greater understanding and appreciation of all things Catholic.

One book reviewer commented: “Finally, a book which covers all the major controversial issues of Catholicism all in one place. Bible Sabotage combines a world of knowledge in one relatively small space and in a surprisingly simply format. It is a treasure for any Catholic who has ever wondered about the Church's teachings and doctrines, and even more so, for any Catholic who has tried to explain these things to another person. Jam packed with information, teaching and knowledge, this book is both inspiring and uplifting. The writer uses his valuable experience of evangelizing two Protestant Christians as an entertaining backdrop for unfolding and presenting to the reader, the plethora of treasures, which are embedded in the heart of our Church. Through the conversation of these three men, the writer provides all the right answers at all the right times, using strikingly appropriate Scripture passages, Catechism references and quotes from the Saints to support explanations. Not only does he show us what to say, but how to say it - always with patience, love and a true desire to bring the Truth to the hearts of all people, so that they can become fully united with the Eucharistic Jesus. The book has certainly filled in many gaps in my knowledge and given shape to the thoughts and feelings I had about the Church and her teachings, but which I could not yet express in words. I know now that I will gently, yet confidently, be able to impart this knowledge to enquiring (or arguing) people. Bible Sabotage is vital for any Catholic who knows how important it is to be able to explain and support the faith of our one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church to those who need to hear it most. Indeed a valuable work with wide appeal.”

Bible sabotage may be ordered in book form at $14.95 or as an E-book for $9.95 from my website: http://www.victorclaveau.com/Bible%20Sabotage.htm. It may also be ordered by sending $14.95 + $3.00 for shipping to:

The Evangelization Station

P.O. Box 267

Angels Camp, CA 95222

For those of you who place your order within the next 24 hours, I will send a bonus CD entitled, “Where we Got the Bible: A Historical and Geographical overview.” Bible Sabotage will make a wonderful Christmas gift to family and friends.

Be proud of your faith. Be convinced of it. Go out and sell it, as did that young salesman.

In Corde Jesu,
Victor R. Claveau, MJ
claveau@earthlink.net

"I sense that the moment has come to commit all of the Church's energies to a new evangelization and to the mission ad gentes. No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to all peoples." – Pope John Paul II, Mission of the Redeemer, 3