We live in a society that bombards us with ads and commercials. Websites and apps are full of ads, and it’s hard to watch any kind of video without having to endure lots of commercial fluff. Billboards line the roads and ads are even on the sides of vehicles. Companies want to make money, and in order to do that, they need to advertise their products. Even the most popular products still require advertisements to maximize profits. Our Catholic faith is also something that needs to be promoted in order to thrive and grow.
Jesus came to give us a path to Heaven. We might assume that a faith that guarantees eternal happiness would be popular. However, it’s not, because the road it takes us down is a difficult one.
After Jesus taught His apostles the faith and went through His passion, He didn’t just leave it up to fate to see if the faith would continue. Jesus called His apostles and disciples to spread the good news. He created the Catholic Church and appointed Peter as the head of it. Other faiths have since risen up with changes to the core beliefs and have created their own following. As a Catholic, I believe that the Catholic Church provides the fullness of truth and gives people the best and easiest path to Heaven. If we truly believe that the Catholic faith is best at getting people to Heaven, we should want to get the word out about the faith and promote it.
We are each tasked with spreading the Catholic faith in our own way. Our unique talents and opportunities allow us to spread the good news. We can even promote the Church by being a good Catholic and by following the teachings of the Church. If someone met us, would they recognize us as Christians? If they spent some time with us, would they know we’re Catholic?
If we support things that our faith opposes like gay marriage, an over-sexualized culture, and abortion, we are leading people away from God. When we keep moving the bar as to what’s acceptable behavior, we make the wide road to destruction even wider. Ultimately, we want all of our loved ones to go to Heaven, so we need to be willing to speak up when needed. It’s hard to tell someone that what they are doing is wrong but what may hurt them now, may bring them eternal happiness later.
After saying all of this, I should mention that one of the things I hate the most is ads. I can’t wait to click “skip ad” when it pops up. Know that you will not be liked if you go out into the world and advertise your faith. There’s also a difference between being an annoying ad and a classy, humorous, or fun-loving ad. Good advertisements can strengthen loyalty and bring in new people. Let’s all work together to advertise, in a classy way, the narrow road that leads to God and eternal happiness.
