Question: How does a Catholic lead someone to Christ?

Answer: In much the same way a beggar leads another beggar to food. The mystery of the Christian life is that the Church is itself one gigantic sacrament at work in the world, and that each one of us is a little sacramental to our neighbor. 

A sacrament is a "sign that does what it symbolizes and symbolizes what it does." What that means for you and me is that our outside and our inside have to be in harmony. If we experience the love of God through prayer or the sacraments or the reading of Scripture, it is not enough for us to just hold that special moment in our hearts. We should find a way to share it with another person by loving them in some way, whether through service or prayer or encouragement or however. That way, our "inside" of love is made manifest on our outside, just as the "inside" of the Eucharist (the actual presence of Jesus) is made manifest on the "outside" (through the symbol of bread that feed our bodies and souls). 

Conversely, if our "outside" is the sort of person who loves to talk about and express the truths of the faith, we have to make sure that our inside is not living a double life empty of the love of God. If we allow God to make us sacraments of his love, people will respond. As Jesus said, ""You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:14-16).

Practical ways of making our lives a sacrament that leads to Christ must always be rooted in prayer and in the celebration of the sacraments, particularly Eucharist. As Jesus said, we are the branches and we draw nourishment from the vine. So a regular contemplation of Christ in his word and a reception of him in his sacraments is vital. Beyond this, it is important to seek whatever ways come to hand to do his word as well as to meditate on them by, for instance, feeding the hungry helping the poor, teaching the faith, comforting the afflicted, forgiving offenses and so forth. This means, above all, "speaking the truth in love" because love does what it talks about just as a sacrament does what it symbolizes. 

Proclaiming the Good News of Jesus is like singing a song: there has to be both the "words" (the doctrines and teaching of the Faith) and the "tune" (the real love we give to others). Words without tune are lifeless; tune without words is content-free warm fuzzies. When people encounter the tune and the words together, they are drawn to the source of the love and truth they hear, at which point you can tell them the source and invite them to prayer or even to experience the liturgy with you. If your neighbor wishes to become a follower of Jesus, you can be the first person to begin teaching him or her how to pray and ask Jesus to guide them.

Asking Jesus to be Lord of our lives necessarily involves seeking the sacrament of baptism for those who have not yet been baptized. As Jesus said, we must be born again of "water and the Spirit" (John 3:5). That means you need to be able to recommend your neighbor to a reliable catechumenate or RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) program in your diocese (or better yet, be involved in helping to teach one yourself or to sponsor your neighbor).

From your Evangelization Committee