语言

Franciscan at Home

Forming those who form others

Gifts of Faith and Discipleship and the Call to Evangelize

In reflecting on my life and those closest to me that I love and cherish dearly (my family and friends), I often wonder how and why I received the gift of faith and maybe not some of them. Why did God choose me to practice my Catholic faith that was handed on to me by my parents? Why did God have mercy on me and pull me out of sin and death and from the pits of Hell? Honestly, there have been points in my life where I was headed on a path that wasn’t toward Heaven. There have been moments in my life where I should have been dead from all the stupid things I’ve done. What makes me so special that the Lord came to me and offered me the grace of salvation? Of all my friends and family members, why am I the one that has received and responded to God’s grace and mercy?

The rest of this online article is available for current Guild members.

Join the Guild today!

Sean Martin has been working in the Lord’s vineyard for the past sixteen years in the field of education and catechesis.  He currently serves as the Director of New Evangelization, Catechesis, and Family Life for the Diocese of Sioux City.  He has participated in the New Evangelization through door to door evangelization, walking across the US for pro life with Crossroads, evangelizing on the beaches of Florida, giving talks and retreats throughout the country, youth ministry, and teaching high school religion.  Sean has been featured on EWTN’s Life on the Rock with North American Lourdes Volunteers, and has authored numerous articles published in a couple of Diocesan newspapers.  Sean is married and has four children, and loves spending time camping outdoors or indoors with them!   

This article is from The Sower and may be copied for catechetical purposes only. It may not be reprinted in another published work without the permission of Maryvale Institute. Contact [email protected]

Categorized Under
Categorized Under: 
Issue: 

Articles from the Most Recent Issue

Editor's Reflections— The Eucharistic Congress and the Missionary Year

Catholics in the United States have a long history of hosting both national and international Eucharistic congresses. The first of these was in Washington, DC, in 1895, and the last was in Philadelphia in 1976. If your ancestors were Catholic and lived in North America, they may have participated in one of these congresses—in St. Louis (1901), or New York... Read more

Missionary Worship

There is an interesting phenomenon that occurs in nearly every culture across history: man ritualizes worship. All over the world the similarities are astounding—animal sacrifices, burnt offerings, gifts of grain, the joy of ecstatic praise. It points to a universal sense within man that not only recognizes that there is a God but also knows that man is called to... Read more

Ask, Seek, Knock: The Pitfalls and Potential of Catholic Door-to-Door Evangelization

“He’s just too small,” sobbed a woman we had just met. It was a sunny summer day, and the pastor, transitional deacon, and I were out knocking on doors within our parish boundaries. This woman’s door was within eyesight of the rectory, and it happened to be the first one we had visited. The conversation had started off just as... Read more
Designed & Developed by On Fire Media, Inc.