Page 256 - 聖母軍團員手冊（英文版，2014年5月-2022年1月更新版）

Legion HANDBOOK D10944_1 26/02/2014 15:53 Page 251

CHAPTER 37 SUGGESTIONS AS TO WORKS 251
And why? Because thou art the Mother of Our Saviour. If thou art
silent, no one will pray, no one will come to help us. If thou prayest,
all will pray, all will help.” (St. Anselm: Oratio Eccl.)

9. CROWD CONTACT
Apostleship views bringing the full riches of the Church to
every person. The basis of this work must be the individual
and persever ing touch of one warm soul on another soul, what
we call by the technical name of “contact”. In the measure
that personal “contact” weakens so does real influence.
According as people become a crowd they tend to escape from
us. We may allow the crowd to keep us from the person. These
crowds are made up of individuals, each one representing a
priceless soul. Each member of that crowd has his or her
private life but much of their time is spent in crowds, of one
kind or another — in the street or gathered together in any
place. We have to turn those crowds into individuals and thus
enable us to establish contact with their souls. How must Our
Blessed Lady look on those crowds. She is the Mother of each
individual soul comprised in them. She must be in anguish at
their necessities, and her heart must yearn for someone to help
her in her work of mothering them.
The value of a book-barrow in a public place has been
already shown, however, a comprehensive apostolate to the
crowd can be carried out as a separate work. An approach to
people with a polite request to speak with them on the
subject of the Faith can lead to fruitful contacts. This
approach can be made on the streets, in parks, in public
houses, in the vicinity of railway and bus stations and in
other public places where people gather. Experience has
shown that such an approach is generally well-received.
Legionaries engaged on this work must remember that their
speech and their manner are their instruments of contact.
Therefore, they should be unassuming and deferential. In
discussion they should avoid any word which suggests that
they are battling with the other person, or anything that
sounds like a preaching at them, or a laying down of the law,
or anything showing superiority. They should believe most
firmly that Mary Queen of Apostles gives weight to their