When two came to evangelise

My Notebook: Printed Pages – 7

By C.E. Pereira

It was a Saturday morning. My Mum had gone to the Sundry shop. I was studying for me exams and my Dad was reading a book.

I heard someone calling out at the front gate.

“Hello!… Aunty!” Then again, “Hello!… Aunty!”.

They use the padlock to knock against the latch.

I heard my Dad jovially answer.

“Aunty tak ada! Uncle ada!”
(Aunty not in. Only Uncle.)

I was curious. I followed my Dad to the front door. Two well dressed men were at the gate. They looked liked salesmen. But they couldn’t be as they were foreigners.

“Good morning Sir,” said the tall one. “Can we come in and share Jesus with you?”

“I already know Jesus.” said my Dad.

Then the short one spoke. “A few minutes of your time and your life will change once we tell you about Jesus.”

My Dad’s answer. “I’m Catholic. I’ve known the Lord since before you were born. You should be preaching to non Christians.”

“You two must be from the Protestant church,” continued my Dad.

Then the tall one answered. “We are Jehovah followers.”

Shaking his head, Dad smiles and clucks his tongue. ” No wonder you didn’t reconize the holy picture of St Michael the Archangel over my front door.”

But my Dad invited them inside for a lemonade. And in the conversations that followed I remembered these two highlights he pointed out to the two men.

Whether we be a Catholic or a Protestant, we are all disciples and followers of Jesus Christ.

So, evangelise to non Christians. And, Protestant must stop asking Catholics if we have found Jesus. We never lost Him.

When I look back to that Saturday morning, lots of other memories come flooding in.

My Dad had stopped going to Mass since my First Holy Communion.

I never knew the reason why. But one thing I knew with certainty, my Dad believed and had faith in Jesus, always.

When we said the Rosary at night, my Dad will sit behind us quietly until we finish. Then he’ll continue whatever he was doing.

There was that time when my uncle received a holy picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as a wedding gift. And he didn’t want it.

So, my Dad told him, “I’ll take Jesus home with me.”

Today, I have the Sacred Heart of Jesus in my home. He is always in the centre of everything I do.

Coming back to the two Jehovah followers, I wonder whether they learned that a person’s faith is what defines him. And not whether you be a Catholic or Protestant.

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