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Invite a friend to Mass
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October 4, 2017Father Frank X. Martinez, STL
is pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Corpus Christi.
he or she may just say ‘sure’
Whatever happened to simply inviting a family member, friend, co-worker or neighbor to Mass? According to the Pew Research Center, an invitation to church is still an effective way to reach those who do not attend Mass. Sixty-seven percent of Americans say a personal invitation from a family member would be very or somewhat effective in getting them to visit a church.
The Center also reports that:- 63 percent say a personal invitation from a friend or neighbor would be very or somewhat effective in getting them to visit a church;
- 63 percent are willing to receive information about a local congregation or faith community from a family member; and
- 56 percent are willing to receive information about a local congregation or faith community from a friend or neighbor.
Why do you think many of our friends and family members are ready for an invitation to come to Mass? Mathew Kelly (“Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic”), Dan Ebener (“Servant Leadership Models for Your Parish”), along with other Catholic writers, have recently offered a similar observation. In our post-Christian nation, people who are skeptical of faith and authority are often attracted to the Christian community before they are attracted to the Christian message. Therefore, inviting people into our parish family becomes an important aspect of their journey of the faith.
Being in a community church family of hope, love and respect is what we should offer to our visitors and more. As beings created in the “likeness and image of God,” we need to be in relationship with each other. We reflect the face of God, the communion of persons, with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in perfect fellowship with one another. This necessitates our innate need for community.
The personal invitation is an effective way to break down any real or perceived barriers one might have to walking into a church building or being willing to engage in a new circle of people. We cannot underestimate the power of a personal invitation.
We live in a world where people are more connected than any previous generation, and yet are lonelier than ever before. Social media may allow us to keep up with other people, but invitations to join a church, small church community or relational circles are the only way for people to truly connect with others in a world that is so disconnected.
We cannot mistake information for intimacy. We cannot mistake communication for community. Virtual relationships are not complete. To put it another way, community is not truly experienced apart from actual relationships in physical time and space.
St. John Paul II pointed out that our culture is driven by individualistic, hedonistic and money-centered lives. We honor the person who goes their own way and values self-reliance. This pattern has resulted in an individualistic spirituality that has fragmented our families, country and Church. We are erecting barriers for people connecting in churches and cannot allow our culture to influence our love for our Trinitarian God, which calls us to be relational.
Far too often, individualism not only becomes the silent killer of community with in the Body of Christ, but also the hindrance to seeing spiritual growth in our Church.
Therefore, the question is: how can people be added to our church family unless they experience the “welcoming and inviting” nature of our vision and the presence of God within our Church family? And how can they experience our Church family unless someone invites them? If many of our un-churched friends and family members are ready for an invitation to church, what are we waiting on?
I invite you to pray for family members or friends that need God in their lives. Begin by praying right now for someone you would like to bring to Mass. Speak to your family member or friend. Talking to people about “religion” can be a fearful thing; however, I figure if Jesus could open his arms on the cross for us, then I can open my mouth for a friend. This does not have to be mechanical or weird. Just kindly say, “Hey, would you like to come to Mass with me Sunday?”
This may seem kind of scary since Catholics rarely do this; however, you just might be shocked and surprised! Because of one point—God is already working and softening the heart of that person. So, decide right now—WHOM will you invite to Mass? Team-up with other friends. Chances are that you and other Catholic friends, especially those who have made an ACTS retreat, been through the RCIA program, attended The Encounter, Bible classes or youth group, know the same lost discouraged persons.
Perhaps all of you can invite this person or people and then take them to lunch after Mass or invite them to attend your ministry. Some parishioners have started small church communities and you can invite them to visit your community.
There are a lot of ways to be creative and courageous. There are open doors and opportunities all around us. The question is will we be too busy today to do the things that could have the single greatest eternal impact on a person?
Your simple, loving and kind invitation to our Church family could radically change someone’s eternal life with Jesus! Do not be anxious over “how” to do it. Just rest in him, be yourself, and trust him to do the hard stuff.
I pray God will richly reward your desire to bring a guest to Mass with you.
