When non-Catholic followers¹ of Jesus Christ encounter Catholics they are often quick to challenge them with direct and intimidating questions. Have you been born again? Have you been saved? Here's my favorite: have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?

Quite often, any one of these questions would cause the uninformed Catholic to panic, unable to offer a response. If the Catholic does offer a response, it would probably be a quivering "no." The uninformed Catholic's non-response or quivering "no" would immediately bring a smile to the face of the non-Catholic. Why the smile? Many non-Catholics believe that those who follow the teachings of the Catholic Church and remain under the clutches of Rome (the Pope) are destined for hell. These non-Catholics truly believe that Jesus Christ is calling them to rescue Catholics. Behind the visible smile, the internal voice of the non-Catholic is shouting, "Save this poor Catholic from the grip of Satan and eternal damnation in hell."

Over the last 125 years, hundreds of millions of Catholics sat through as many as sixteen years of religious education in the Catholic elementary, high school, and college school system. Yet, too many of them were and are unprepared to respond to these easy-to-answer questions. "Have I been born again?" Yes, I've been born again, through Baptism. "Have I been saved?" Jesus, God Himself, gave His life for me that I might spend eternity with Him in heaven. He continues to give me all the grace I need to remain faithful to Him. No one's salvation is guaranteed; but I place all my hope in God's mercy and His desire that I join Him in heaven. "Have I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior?" Yes. Jesus is my Lord and Savior, and through His Sacraments I have a personal relationship with Him."

Most non-Catholic followers of Jesus Christ love us Catholics. They love us so much that they are not afraid to bring us to Jesus. I admire them. In their minds, Catholics are not taking the path to eternal salvation in heaven; instead, they are on the road to damnation in hell. Although they lack the complete Word of God (Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture, and the Magisterium) these non-Catholics are doing what we should be doing: evangelizing, bringing the world to the Holy Trinity.

Jesus told His disciples, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation." They truly believe they are preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who have not heard it: Catholics. These non-Catholic followers of Jesus Christ only want us to spend eternity with them and Jesus in heaven. Listen to the words of Saint Peter in 1 Pet 3:13-17. "Now who is going to harm you if you are enthusiastic for what is good? But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you. Do not be afraid or terrified with fear of them, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil."

These followers of Jesus who are willing to approach you with these direct and intimidating questions are listening to these challenging words of the first pope. They are taking action. They are throwing caution-to-the-wind in order to do God's will as they perceive it. What they do not understand---and what unfortunately a lot of Catholics do not understand and definitely do not know how to explain---the fullness of God's truth is only found in the Catholic Church. No one can have a true, complete personal relationship with Jesus Christ unless they avail themselves of the Sacraments.

The Sacraments were instituted by Christ and flow through His Church. When we are baptized with water in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, original sin and personal sin are cleansed from our souls and we become a permanent member of the Body of Christ. God cannot be in us and we cannot have a personal relationship with Him, if original and mortal sin exists on our souls.

Nothing deepens our personal relationship with Jesus more than receiving the Sacrament of the Eucharist. When we are free from mortal sin and we consume the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, we become a living tabernacle for the one true God. The non-Catholic followers of Jesus Christ who ask these direct and intimidating questions do not belong to Christian denominations with a valid priesthood; and without a valid priesthood they do not have a valid Eucharist; and without a valid Eucharist they do not consume the Body, Blood, soul, and divinity of the one true God.

The Sacrament of Baptism opens the door to sanctifying grace. It is this sanctifying grace, an undeserved gift from God that gives us the ability to fall madly in love with Jesus and to do His will. Every time we receive the sacraments, God gives us the means to grow in holiness. When we grow in holiness our personal relationship with Jesus Christ deepens. The Sacraments sustain the faithful Catholic in his earthly life through the very moment of his death.

At the end of our Catholic Christian life, the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick gives us a special grace of healing and comfort, and our sins are forgiven. Our personal relationship with Jesus Christ has reached its ultimate goal: death, with our soul full of grace.

Deepen your personal relationship with Jesus. Partake of His sacraments.

¹Non-Catholic followers: I'm not including all Protestant denominations or any of the Orthodox Churches in this phrase. I'm using this phrase to include those fundamentalists and evangelical Christians who may not or do not think Catholics are Bible-believing Christians or Christians at all.

For more insight read CCC paragraphs 1267, 1275-84, 1324, 1333, 1406-19, 1525-32. Also, pull out your "Catholic" Bible and reference Mt 26:26-28; 28:18-20; Mk 14:22-24; Lk 9:23-24; 10:16; 22:19-20; Jn 3:1-6; 6:53-58; 15:12-14; Acts 2:38-39; Rom 6:3-4; 1 Cor 10:16-17; 11:23-29; Tit 3:5; Jam 15:13-16; 1 Pet 3:19-21a.