Responsibility for evangelization? Refusal leads to hate.

By Dr. Jeff Mirus ( bio - articles - email ) | Jul 03, 2026

It is not always easy to speak up about our Faith, especially when others have shown their irritation at being “harangued” (reminded) about Christ and His Church. I once had even a relative exclaim: “Catholic, Catholic, Catholic! That’s all you ever talk about.” On that occasion, I was discussing things with family, many of whom were on my wavelength (or, more hopefully, Christ’s wavelength). But among strangers or casual acquaintances or even those closer to us who have fallen away, it isn’t quite as easy to get rolling. In addition to the awkwardness of it all, as Fr. Jerry Pokorsky points out in Family Bonds as Occasions of Temptation, “we often confuse Christian love with human affections”.

But there is more to the dilemma even than that, for as Our Lord Himself cautioned, “Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under foot and turn to attack you” (Mt 7:6). So apparently, there are right times and wrong times to preach the Gospel, though we shouldn’t forget St. Paul’s second letter to Timorthy:

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. [2 Tim 4:2-4]

Still, we must keep in mind that this was advice to a person who had the ecclesiastical charge of souls in a particular church. After all, even Paul sometimes left infertile mission territory to evangelize elsewhere. It is one thing to exhort one’s own Catholic flock; in this instance it is salutary for those who deviate from the true Faith either to be corrected or to become annoyed and leave the Catholic community. Both results are an important part of tending the sheep and protecting them from wolves (yes, even wolves in Catholic clothing).

But it is another thing to preach to everybody out of the blue, without discerning whether they are interested in Christ or not. With any particular person or group, continuation will depend on the results of a trial run. And it is still a third thing to preach to those we already know to have no interest in Christ or His Church, or no interest beyond hostility. Clearly, this is the case envisioned by Our Lord when he spoke of casting pearls before swine. In other words, our evangelistic responsibilities depend significantly on discernment. The problem with that, of course, is that discernment in the absence of courage is too easily twisted into an excuse.

Gaining trust

Nonetheless, an important procedural issue is that we are unlikely to convert anyone unless we have first gained their trust. In this quest, however, it is easy to fall into the excuse of never witnessing to Christ except under perfect conditions. This is one reason clerical dress or a religious habit is so often valuable. It sends a signal that people can either welcome or avoid (or attack). It is, so to speak, fair warning that every encounter and every friendship will include Christ openly; indeed, it becomes a scandal whenever this does not prove to be the case. For unconsecrated laity, however, the signals are more subtle, and it is usually visible integrity, genuine kindness and sensitive friendship that open the way to effective witness.

One challenge we all face is crossing the line that separates mere acquaintanceship from genuine friendship. An acquaintance can see occasional manifestations of our piety and decide whether or not he wishes to become a friend. But once he or she becomes a friend, the opportunities for deeper conversations will emerge naturally. There may be some risk in the early stages, and I make the assumption that it is perfectly reasonable to proceed gently, which means that there should be a gradual self-disclosure between and among acquaintances as they get to know each other better. The relationship will either become comfortable and bear fruit, or the budding friendship will fail to blossom.

These relationships are very sensitive. Prayer for others is like water for plants: It is not optional. But for people, good example is a second major priority. It will be noticed if we do not participate in certain kinds of conversations and activities, or if our judgments are both reverent and without rancor, or if we are generous without demanding anything in return. And it is extraordinarily helpful if it is clear to others that, precisely as Catholics, we are discernibly and deeply reminiscent of Christ. We must be aware that we are not the only ones who judge others. Of course, we are told not to judge, lest we be judged. But in a subtler permissible sense that is wholly free of condemnation, we all evaluate each other constantly, though prudence demands that this be done cautiously and provisionally.

The point here is that this sort of ongoing assessment not only goes both ways but is essential both to friendship and to any genuine helpfulness.For example, it is helpful to others if they can actually tell by our speech and our behavior that we are Christians.

What is negotiable?

There are few things in the spiritual life that are non-negotiable. When directly challenged, we cannot deny Christ or the Church without committing grave sin. But we can proceed with caution in witnessing to others. We are required by God not to deny our Faith, but we are generally not required by God to proclaim it in ways that are deliberately calculated to get ourselves injured or imprisoned or killed. On the other hand, we will sometimes be challenged, either by situations or accusations, and there comes a point at which we cannot hide our faith without sin. Prudence is one thing, but deliberate Christian invisibility is not only a heresy but a betrayal.

Fortunately, most of us do not witness to Christ under life-threatening conditions. Our unwillingness to express and share our Faith openly arises from either embarrassment or timidity. Here we have at least one feeling and one vice which we are supposed to overcome. A few things, of course, are non-negotiable. For example, we have no wiggle room in whether we must raise our children as practicing Catholics. I am reminded here of the strange sect in the sixteenth century called Nicodemists which took its name from the man who visited Christ by night, keeping his faith secret. Thus, the Nicodemists refused to let their faith be visible—which, taken to an extreme as if it were a virtue, would make it impossible even to pass on the faith to the next generation.

We do much the same thing today by not raising our children as actively practicing Catholics. The result is identical. The Nicodemists did not last long; it was almost impossible for them, on any strict interpretation, to pass on their beliefs. We must always remember that an alternative spelling of “Christianity” is M-I-S-S-I-O-N. Followers of Christ are not entitled to keep the Gospel secret. But there is always a significant difference between prudence and cowardice, even if it may take some prayer and sacrifice to discern that difference.

Our Lord advised us not to be “anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit” (Mk 13:11). He was specifically explaining how to behave when others “bring you to trial and deliver you up”, but much the same is true of our fear of rejection, or even of ineffectiveness.

Christians are by their very nature called to color outside the world’s lines. This is witness, and it explains why the Greek for witness is martyr. Christianity invokes a supernatural presence, it is missionary by design, and the attendant suffering is salvific. Our Lord is quoted in the Gospels as having said “Follow me” nineteen times. We are privileged to have received this invitation, which already means Christ cannot be kept secret and the effort to do so will turn our recognition of Christ into our rejection of Christ. In fact, the very first decision, as to whether we really intend to follow Christ at all, is urgent. As both Matthew (8:22) and Mark (9:60) have reported, we have no time to bury our dead. Our refusal to follow promptly may well be the very refusal of risk that leads us to reject the truth.