St. Joseph of the Lakes

Last Monday night I went to the Como Park pavilion where the Saints of Swing performed for an hour and a half. There was no break in the music making and the music was very good. On the outer edges of the sitting area there were open spaces which allowed for many people to dance. It was a delightfully entertaining evening! I had a perpetual smile on my face as I admired the artists (most of whom are members of Saint Joe’s) who were evangelizing in the best way possible: they were using their talents for the enjoyment of others.

The beginning of evangelization is making contact with others and building up relationships. Hopefully somewhere within those relationships a question begins to grow in the other: “what makes them so happy?” If that question emerges, then is the time to speak of your faith as a guiding principle in your life. It is not a matter of one faith being better than others but instead it is living in the sincerity of the faith and allowing the other to experience the joy it gives.

I saw a number of joyful people that night. The musicians all seemed to be enjoying themselves. They allowed others to engage in their joy of music and community. It was a great evening to see faith at work.