The next time you’re having a difficult conversation about faith, try this prayer

It's easy to feel alone when your beliefs are challenged, but it begins with choosing to be brave.

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It’s not an easy time to be Catholic. It can be distressing to face uncomfortable questions or comments from others about our faith and the Church. When this happens, it’s easy to feel alone and isolated, but, instead of feeling discouraged or defensive, we can have peace knowing that many saints throughout history faced great difficulty when it came to their beliefs and their fidelity to the Church.

St. Catherine of Siena once said: “Start being brave about everything.” Carry her words with you throughout the day, trusting that God the Father will grant you grace, as He did for her. Here’s a prayer to help when you are facing tough conversations about being Catholic:

Heavenly Father, You have granted the saints who have gone before us a humble peace and uncompromising boldness. I implore You today to grant the same to me and to all members of the Church as we face the troubles of today. When facing difficult conversations, grant that we will humble ourselves before You and accept Your grace to engage in conversation with gentleness and understanding. Quiet the fear in our hearts that tempts us to fall into despair and defensiveness, and replace our fear with silence to hear the still small voice of the Holy Spirit. I ask that You be with Your Church in a special way, speaking to the hearts of all the faithful. Amen.