Defending Our Faith

Recently, I received a hand written letter from a woman I never met nor heard of; I still have no idea where or how she acquired my name and address.  Hmmm…? Curious…She offered only her first name and last initial.

In the envelope she included a pamphlet inviting me to  “Pursue Peace”. It turned out that the sender is a member of the Jehovah Witnesses! Her letter indicated that she had some “good news” for me, and continued to inform me that, “The days we live in are so dark and filled with anxieties and uncertainty”. She went on to invite me to attend a “Pursue Peace” convention. To give you just a few bits of information of the The Jehovah Witnesses….their religion was started in 1870; some of their beliefs are: they do not believe in the Trinity, that Jesus is not God but was created by God and was only spiritually resurrected, and they have their own Bible.

So, what do I do? I could simply ignore the letter and throw it out. But then I thought, “No, I’ll respond to her. If she can make the effort to write and proselytize me…then I can make the effort to evangelize her.” Below is my letter in response to her and to the Jehovah Witnesses organization. I wanted them to know the richness of our Catholic Church, the One true church established by Jesus Christ. We have been commissioned by Him to “go out to all the world and make disciples of all nations, teaching them all that Jesus taught”. I also included a brochure for this year’s Catholic Women’s Conference….
I haven’t heard from her yet…don’t know if I will!
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Dear XXXXXX,

In response to your letter of July 30, 2022, I have some Good News for you! (My handwriting is terrible so I’ve typed this letter).

Through these dark and difficult times, my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, through His Catholic Church, gives me the peace that people are searching for…the peace that no one can ever take away!

I am very, very happy and blessed to be an active member of the only One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church that was instituted by Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the most Holy Trinity, the Savior of the world and mine. “…Blessed are you Simon, son of Jonah,…and so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” (Mt. 16:17-19)

The Catholic Church is rich with the sacraments instituted by Jesus:
Through the Sacrament of Baptism, we are cleansed of the original sin of Adam and Eve and become children of a Holy, mighty everlasting God and thus heirs of Eternal Life!

I/we Catholics have the privilege to receive the ACTUAL and REAL BODY, BLOOD, SOUL and DIVINITY of Jesus, our Lord & Savior, every time we attend holy Mass and receive the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist (Holy Communion). “…Jesus said to them, ‘I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world’…Amen, amen …unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life… For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink’.” (John 6:51-55)

We have the sublime honor and privilege of knowing that Jesus forgives our sins each time we receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. “…Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Mt.18:18)  “…And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgive them, and whose sins you retain are retained’.” (John 20:22-23).

We enjoy the many benefits of prayers offered for us by the Church, the angels and saints who intercede for us, when we ask for prayers and when we receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.

We receive the fullness of the immense gifts of the Holy Spirit…wisdom, knowledge, understanding, fortitude, counsel, piety, and fear, filial, of the lord (awe), through the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Although you know my last name and address, (I don’t know how you got my information), for some reason you did not feel you could share your last name; please feel free to contact me, (XXXXXX), because there is much, much more of the richness and beauty of the Catholic Church I could discuss with you if you wish to learn more. 

May the peace of Christ, which is beyond all understanding be with you!

God bless!

Sincerely,


Maria Sciannameo

P.S. I am enclosing a pamphlet regarding this year’s Women’s Catholic Conference should you be interested. You may want to check it out…


My friends, we have been charged by Christ to teach all that He has taught. Know what Jesus taught, learn it and ‘Do not be afraid’ to stand up for your Catholic faith!

 

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