One of the great miracles in
history is the growth of the Church that Jesus of Nazareth founded shortly
before he gave himself up for crucifixion. Over the next four centuries,
individual members of this obscure Jewish sect in Palestine, with the help of
the Holy Spirit, shared the Good News they had received with their friends and
neighbors. The Catholic Church would grow to become the official religion of
the Roman Empire and most of the known world.
Today, we Catholic laymen find
ourselves in a situation very similar to our Catholic forefathers, living in a
secular society whose pagan segment is ever-increasing. In addition, one out of
every three people raised Catholic have left the church. It is estimated today that only 23% of
Catholics attend weekly Mass. The
largest Christian designation in the United States is Catholic. What is the
second largest? – Former Catholics. We members of Good Shepherd Catholic Community
in Colleyville, Texas, in the year of our Lord 2013, have the historic
opportunity to imitate our forefathers and evangelize, that is, to bring the
Good News of Christ to our fellow citizens, especially our brothers and sisters
who consider themselves former Catholics.
Why should we Evangelize? For
over forty years, our popes have told us.
Pope Paul VI put it this way
“Evangelizing is…the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest
identity. She exists in order to Evangelize.”
Blessed John Paul II in 1983
called for a “New Evangelization” saying “(Evangelization) …will gain its full
energy if it is a commitment, not to re-evangelize but to a New Evangelization,
new in its ardor, methods, and expression.”
Pope Benedict XVI established
the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization on September
21, 2010, noting the Church is being challenged by “…an abandonment of the
faith – a phenomenon progressively more manifest in societies and cultures
which for centuries seemed to be permeated by the Gospel.”
In February of this year, Pope
Francis spoke of whom we are called to evangelize: “Instead of just being a
Church that welcomes and receives, we try to be a Church that comes out of
itself and goes to the men and women who do not participate in parish life, do
not know much about it, and are indifferent towards it.”
What can you do?
Like any great journey, one
starts with initial easy steps. The first step is to evangelize yourself.
Seize the moment and begin
learning more about our faith. Stop putting off deepening your relationship with
Christ. One will always be “too busy”. Deepen your prayer life; participate in
the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation; sign up for a Christ
Renews His Parish (CRHP) retreat. Allow yourself to fall in love with Christ
and it will be felt by all who meet you.
An easy next step in
evangelization is to wear something that by its presence identifies you as a
Christian. A cross necklace, a cross lapel pin, a ring with a Christian symbol,
a small cross or crucifix in your office, a rosary, a religious medal – wear
something that silently proclaims your faith.
This week’s challenge:
1: Wear something every day that
silently identifies you as a Christian OR put something in your workspace /
desk that does the same thing.
2: Read Chapters 25-28 of
Matthew’s Gospel.
What does the Bible say?
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I
send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’”
– Isaiah 6:8
“Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every
creature.”
– Mark 16:15
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching
them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to
the close of the age.”
– Mathew 28: 19-20
