Here's the idea: I have had holy cards printed up with a beautiful Catholic image on the front and Bible verses on the back. It makes non-Catholics think twice--"errr a Catholic holy card, but with Bible verses??!! Maybe those Catholics know their Bible after all!!"
So for example, on the back of the image of the Blessed Mother is the text:
"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, Blessed are you among women" -- Lk. 1.28
Jesus said about Mary, "Behold Thy Mother" Jn. 19.27
Jesus commanded, "Honor thy Mother" Mt. 15.4
Mary said, "All generations shall call me blessed." Lk. 1.48
On the back of the card with Jesus in the Eucharist the text reads:
Jesus said, "Take, eat this is my body" Mt.14.22
If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh,for the life of the wordl. Jn.6.51
Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, ye have no life within you." Jn. 6.53
St Paul wrote, "The cup we bless..is a participation with the blood of Christ...the bread we break is a participation in the Body of Christ."
There is also a Divine Mercy card and a Jesus-Body of Christ-Church card.
So here's how it works: Catholics buy the holy cards and hand them out like Protestants do gospel tracts. It's real easy, at the supermarket check out you just smile and say to the person helping, "Would you like one of these prayer cards? It's a reminder that Jesus loves you and I'm praying for you" or "Why not take one of these nice prayer cards?"
Or maybe you leave it at the restaurant with your tip (but you better leave a good tip!)
Or if you're too shy to do that you put it in the envelope when you pay a bill. Somebody somewhere opens those envelopes!
You can think of more ways to share the word of God and the Catholic faith. Heck, you can stand on the street corner and hand them out!
I am encouraging our people in the parish to use them, but if you would like to purchase some of these cards they are just a quarter each. Buy 20 cards for $5.00.
Five cards of each style.
If you would like some just send me an email: and I'll tell you how to make payment and we'll send them in the mail.
Why not? Beats any Jack Chick tract!
ReplyDeletee-mail address please
ReplyDeletesorry, I must be blind
ReplyDeleteI just went back and added the email address... :-)
ReplyDeleteIt couldn't hurt. However, I don't think this will be very effective. Protestants are not unaware of the fact that a collection of a few verses can be used to apparently support anything, from Mormonism to the Jehovah's Witnesses, From the persepective of Protestants interested in the Bible, the strength of the Catholic Church is much more in its willingness to take an unflinching look at the whole Bible, including the "hard verses" the most Protestants prefer to ignore.
ReplyDeleteMaybe something like, "For a free online study Bible, see http://haydock1859.tripod.com/index.html" would work better. Or, "To see the 4 Gospels through the eyes of early Christians, go to http://www.catecheticsonline.com/CatenaAurea.php."
Speaking as a convert myself, nothing can take the place of knowing a genuine Catholic full of the love of Jesus and faithful to the Teachings of the Church.
One of the EWTN 'Journey Home' stories concerns a UK drug addict of no religion who found a Divine Mercy leaflet that had been left in a phone box and decided to visit the Catholic bookshop named on it. He is now a religious in Fr. Groeschel's order. Since watching that programme, I have sometimes left cards and leaflets at bank cash machines and (for the less fervent Catholics) in hymn books at church.
ReplyDeleteEcho that on making sure that if it's for your server at a restaurant, you should leave a good tip. Protestant tract-droppers have a notorious reputation for apparently believing that stinginess is next to Godliness and that service workers are not worthy of their pay. Most servers would rather wait on a generous pimp than a stingy preacher.
ReplyDeleteI think this is such a great idea. I hope you'll post the other four cards. The one of Christ is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking about getting some of my antique cards printed to put in the back of church at my parish.
Others have mentioned how finding a certain tract or image has helped them seek further and experience conversion. One never knows. Nothing is impossible with God.
Kay
Awhile back, you were pondering this idea of passing out holy cards. I left a reply that I thought you must be joking and that this was not a good idea! But I look at this example, and it blows me away! I'm ashamed that I ever thought this would not be a useful and helpful thing. I want one, and I think the world could stand to have these things popping up here and there.
ReplyDeleteI used to put holy cards in my bills but now I pay everything online. Other strategies? Leave a card in:
ReplyDelete1. Greeting cards to fallen-away relatives.
2. Cup holder at the theater
3. Magazines in airplanes
4. Between the pages of magazines and books you donate to charity.
5. Airline seats and bus seats
6. Taped to candy bars you pass out at Halloween.
7. Shopping cart at the grocery store.
The list goes on, but you get the idea.
the link to email is embedded in the text for 'send me an email'
ReplyDeleteI wish I had given these out as favors at my wedding last summer!
ReplyDelete