What is one of the most attractive things in the world? A smile. What brightens up a person’s day? A smile. What puts people in a better mood? A smile.
The Catholic Church is big on evangelizing. We talk about the need for evangelization, and come up with all sorts of different ways to approach society: R.C.I.A., bible studies, outreach programs, and various other types of ministries that get Catholics into the streets and begin the evangelizing process.
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But have we ever considered the small things in life, like a smile?
Throughout high school, I would go with my dad to pray outside Planned Parenthood in Pittsburgh for 40 Days for Life. Being the homeschooler I was, I was too nervous and afraid to talk to anyone. And the most difficult part of the experience for me was the Planned Parenthood “escorts,” the volunteers from Planned Parenthood who would stand on either side of the Pro-life groups and escort the young women to the door, so they wouldn't be bothered by the pro-life activists.
And every Saturday morning, my dad and I had to walk past these escorts to get to our pro-life group standing outside the doors. While I dreaded it, I finally decided to make this my one chance at evangelizing. One day, as we walked past, I looked up, met one of the escort's gaze, smiled, and said cheerfully, "Good morning." She looked a little taken back, and then responded with a good morning. I kept on walking, but I found that I wasn’t as afraid. After that, I would make it a point to smile at an escort, or the people walking past, if I happened to catch their eye. And I found that nine times out of 10, people would smile back, even if they were just being polite.
For me, smiling is such a key element in evangelizing, because it is a way for me to reach the person. It is a way for me to look into their eyes and say, “Hey, I notice you, and I recognize you as a child of God.” Pope Francis once said that when you give alms to the poor, look them straight in the eye ( Jubilee Audience, Mercy and Almsgiving, April 9, 2016). Let them see that you recognize that they are human beings made in the image and likeness of God, and not just a stepping stone to Heaven.
Evangelization is often intimidating for people. Many people shrink from it because we often see it as long debates about serious issues, citing bible passages and being intellectual apologists. But if we look back to who started this church, they were all simple fishermen. They were not intellectual geniuses. And I think what helps me more than anything is that evangelizing can be something so simple. It can be something as small as a smile, or a friendly greeting. This could potentially lead to a real conversation, and a chance to share the faith with the people.
For those people outside Planned Parenthood, I was telling them by my smile, “Yes, I am a Catholic. And believe me, I am glad to be one!” If people begin to recognize the joy in one’s face, then they began thinking, “There is something more to this person, and I want to know what it is about them that makes them this happy.”
And that is what evangelization is all about. Not something intimidating, and hard, and having long, intellectual debates. It’s about sharing something you love deeply with someone else, in order for them to share in this love. And smiling is contagious. Whenever you smile at someone, they often smile back. Your smile may very well cause someone to stop and wonder, “What is it about that person that makes them so happy?” And thus, you will open the door to conversation, and you will evangelize.
