Catholic circles are talking a lot these days about evangelization and the new evangelization. Much of this is because of the writings of Pope Paul VI, John Paul II, Benedict XV and now Pope Francis. Our Church leaders have called us to be aware of how we “preach” the good news of Jesus, in word and action. It is our example of living a life “worthy of the Lord” and our willingness to share our faith that evangelizes others….
“A man had a dream, in which he was looking at his son walking along a road. The boy was strolling, skipping, and running along the road, without a care in the world. Suddenly, without warning, the boy turned off into a narrow dark lane to the left, and as he moved further away, he turned to his dad and said, ‘you never did show me the right path to follow.’ The father woke with a shock, and it was some seconds before he realized that it was just a dream. However, it had a profound effect on him. Showing the correct path to his children and giving an example of right living now became priorities for him.”
Someone once said that Jesus did not just point out the way and say “Follow.” He went the way and said, “Come!” This is evangelization, walking with those who need to find God—and it is never too late to begin the journey; evangelization is the call to “pass on what, by God’s grace, we ourselves have received.”
What have we received? For what are we grateful? Do I appreciate how a relationship with God makes a difference in my life? Am I willing to be a disciple (following Jesus) and also an apostle (being sent forth to others)? When we talk about evangelization, we are just using a big word to describe our commitment to telling the story of Jesus…. This is especially important in our world; many people might know ABOUT Jesus, but have they MET him? We can easily “do the right thing” without necessarily having a deep relationship with our God. Jesus calls us to evangelize and be re-evangelized as a normal part of Catholic life. We are being called to discover God anew as the God who loves us and wants to be in a relationship with us. We are called to share his love and hope in a world that is in desperate need of a spiritual identity—this is what it means to evangelize!
Written by: Sr. Marie Paul Grech SND
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