Would There Be Enough Evidence?

In the garden of the house in which I grew up there was a statue of the Blessed Mother in a grotto made of bricks with a flower bed before it. There was nothing unusual about it, because many houses in my home area had similar outdoor shrines. As a child, I was taught to pray a Hail Mary or offer another prayer like “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!” each time I passed one of these shrines. These days I live in West View, just north of Pittsburgh. Almost every day I pass by a home where I see a beautiful grotto with a statue of Our Lady. It always brings me back to the shrine we had at home. I always pray to Our Lady as I pass.
 
We live in a culture in which the expression of religious faith is often frowned upon and even met with hostility and condemnation. It saddens me to think of how few Catholic homes do not display a sign of faith such as these outdoor shrines. Sometimes even among Catholics these beautiful testimonies to our faith, our belief in God, and our devotion to the Mother of God can be seen as unnecessary or even objectionable. In fact, these expressions of faith serve to underline a profound witness to faith and our identity as sons and daughters of God. These shrines are also powerful reminders for us to pray. Amid a highly secularized world, they proclaim that God is always breaking into our lives with His unfailing love.
 
When we consider our display of religious art or devotional practices, we should ask ourselves the question, “If I were put on trial for being Catholic, would there be enough evidence to convict me?” Would others see in me evidence of my Catholic faith by my practices, by the charity that God requires of me, or by my prayer?
 
Granted that a shrine to Our Lady in our yard is just one way to witness, we do have to start with something. A shrine to Our Lady in our yard is beautiful. It is simple. It is inspiring! Why not start with that?
 
Most Reverend William J. Waltersheid
Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh