Instruct the Ignorant
"Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” He replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him" (Acts 8:30-31).
To instruct the ignorant is to learn about our faith and be open to talking with others about our beliefs. There is always something more to discover about our faith. What is not known or understood can hurt a person, not only physically or legally, but also spiritually. It is merciful to inform someone about the faith and assist them on the road to their eternal salvation. Below are some suggestions to consider:
-
Pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance as to how to best approach a person, what to teach, and how to teach it. Approach with love and compassion.
-
Think about ways in which you can impart your knowledge of the Catholic faith to help lead people closer to God. The recipient might be someone who is taking the first steps in faith (a child or someone who has never encountered Christ) or someone who is on a different journey (someone who has rejected faith or been led away from the Gospel).
-
Volunteer to help with religious education programs at your parish.
-
Invite someone to go to Mass with you this weekend.
-
Complete a service project with someone who has been away from the Church.
Stories of Service from around our Diocese
- "My faith influences everything I do." - Harvest magazine
- Decades of dedicated service at Maine Catholic Schools - Harvest magazine
- Walking and serving among the poor of Brazil - Harvest magazine
Scripture
"Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:35-36).
"Do you not yet understand, and do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many wicker baskets you took up? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up? How do you not comprehend that I was not speaking to you about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Then they understood that he was not telling them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees" (Matthew 16:9-12).
Bishop Robert Deeley
“We shy away from using the word ‘ignorant’ because it has pejorative connotations but, in fact, at its base it means, ‘without education or knowledge.’ Of itself, ignorance is the state we are all in until we learn what we do not know. Education overcomes that deficit of knowledge. It can lead someone from a state of unknowing to a deepened appreciation of the world and the person’s place in that world. Such knowledge is a good. Such a knowledge of life, and faith’s role in life, is also helpful as we try to answer some of the questions which raise doubts in the lives of those we encounter.”
