By: John Murray, P.P.
"I DON'T feel threatened by your friends," Tom said. Rosaleen stopped
her ironing and looked around at her husband. "What do you mean?" she
asked. Up to that moment, the kitchen conversation was typical of a
thousand similar ones in housed up and down the country: two people,
husband and wife, exchanging the notes of their day, while clothes
were pressed and potatoes peeled. Then Tom began to share.
She had always yearned for him to become Catholic. Years ago they had
married out of love – and madness. It was a whirlwind thing, and they
enjoyed those early years. Her faith was not important to her then,
though she and her parents wanted a church wedding.
He was nominally Christian, having been baptised in another
denomination. But he never practised and described himself
as "agnostic at best". Some years into their marriage, his drinking
became a problem for them both. The relationship deteriorated and
years of separation followed. She survived.
Then she found God again as if for the first time, but this was
different. She could echo the poet T.S. Eliot's words, "The end of
all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the
place for the first time". In time it led her back to Tom. "Could we
start again?" she asked one night as she stood in the rain outside
his bed-sit door. Nine years had passed since then and they were
still going strong.
"When I'm with some of my old friends," Tom went on, "they're always
dropping hints, asking questions: "When are you coming to church,
Tom?" "There's a great preacher coming soon to the hall" "Can I give
you this pamphlet?" I feel more comfortable with your friends,
Rosaleen. They don't ask questions."
What he hadn't said was that he was also more comfortable with her
and her new-found faith. She hadn't preached, though she still longed
for him to know the Jesus she knew and had rediscovered. Sometimes
she felt guilty in not pushing him more. Often at the prayer group
she had heard stories of people coming t o Christ through the
boldness of someone's testimony and she wished that she could do the
same.
But then she read some words attributed to St. Francis of
Assisi; "Preach the Gospel every day – sometimes use words." And she
knew that one day he would know too, and that he would no longer feel
threatened. He would believe because he belonged.
"I DON'T feel threatened by your friends," Tom said. Rosaleen stopped
her ironing and looked around at her husband. "What do you mean?" she
asked. Up to that moment, the kitchen conversation was typical of a
thousand similar ones in housed up and down the country: two people,
husband and wife, exchanging the notes of their day, while clothes
were pressed and potatoes peeled. Then Tom began to share.
She had always yearned for him to become Catholic. Years ago they had
married out of love – and madness. It was a whirlwind thing, and they
enjoyed those early years. Her faith was not important to her then,
though she and her parents wanted a church wedding.
He was nominally Christian, having been baptised in another
denomination. But he never practised and described himself
as "agnostic at best". Some years into their marriage, his drinking
became a problem for them both. The relationship deteriorated and
years of separation followed. She survived.
Then she found God again as if for the first time, but this was
different. She could echo the poet T.S. Eliot's words, "The end of
all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the
place for the first time". In time it led her back to Tom. "Could we
start again?" she asked one night as she stood in the rain outside
his bed-sit door. Nine years had passed since then and they were
still going strong.
"When I'm with some of my old friends," Tom went on, "they're always
dropping hints, asking questions: "When are you coming to church,
Tom?" "There's a great preacher coming soon to the hall" "Can I give
you this pamphlet?" I feel more comfortable with your friends,
Rosaleen. They don't ask questions."
What he hadn't said was that he was also more comfortable with her
and her new-found faith. She hadn't preached, though she still longed
for him to know the Jesus she knew and had rediscovered. Sometimes
she felt guilty in not pushing him more. Often at the prayer group
she had heard stories of people coming t o Christ through the
boldness of someone's testimony and she wished that she could do the
same.
But then she read some words attributed to St. Francis of
Assisi; "Preach the Gospel every day – sometimes use words." And she
knew that one day he would know too, and that he would no longer feel
threatened. He would believe because he belonged.