Witness to the Faith or Silence in the Public Square

In a recent post I commented on a movie, A Quiet Place, discussing its' relationship to our culture.  I was reminded then and posted that:

My dad taught me to never make the sign of the cross at public gatherings.  

I gave up that practice several years ago.  Having read some talks and homilies by several people, including Charles Chaput, the archbishop of Philadelphia,  I began praying before meals in restaurants, making the sign of the cross, even as I did at home.

Chaput writes at First Things:

So let’s start with a simple fact: Catholics have never entirely “fit” in America. We’ve tried, but the results are mixed. In fact some years ago Stanley Hauerwas, the distinguished Protestant theologian, said that we Catholics not only don’t fit in America, we also know we don’t fit. And because we know, we’re doubly eager to prove that we’re more American than anybody else.

and:

I think we need to think and act in the same way Augustine did. Our task as believers, whatever our religious tradition, is to witness our love for God and for each other in the time and place God puts us. That means we have duties—first to the City of God, but also to the City of Man. It means working with all our energy to make our nation whole and good, even as we keep our expectations modest, and even when we experience criticism and failure. And finally, it means realizing that none of us can do this work alone.

It now seems as though whether I am with family at someone's home or in some restaurant, I am the only one there who makes the sign of the cross, and the only one who prays before meals.

This is not the case when I am with people from my parish, and I am very grateful for that.

This is the distinction between being a witness in the society and blending in with the society.