Evangelization

February 15, 2009
Setting Our Church on Fire

e⋅van⋅ge⋅lize
1. to preach the gospel to. 2. to convert to Christianity. 3. act as an evangelist.

This past week, I have been reflecting upon the word “evangelize” and what we can do, as Catholics, to better practice evangelization. I fear too many Catholics hear the word “evangelization” and think of our Christian brethren going door-to-door armed with pamphlets telling people that “Jesus saves, Alleluia!” Pre-Vatican II Catholics probably never thought of evangelization, after all, according to the above definition that was the priest’s job! When we are baptized we are given a set of responsibilities, one of these is the duty to go forth into the world and evangelize. But where do we begin? Pope Paul VI writes:

The Church is an evangelizer, but she begins by being evangelized herself. She is the community of believers, the community of hope lived and communicated, the community of brotherly love, and she needs to listen unceasingly to what she must believe, to her reasons for hoping, to the new commandment of love…. [in turn] the Church herself sends out evangelizers. She puts on their lips the saving Word,… (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 15)

What this means is that we, the faithful, need to look deep within ourselves, and search our hearts and minds so that we may become effective evangelizers. We don’t need to go door-to-door and be obnoxious. We can turn hearts toward Christ just by being faithful witnesses to the faith. Do not be afraid to speak about your faith wherever you may be. There are many in our society seeking a more spiritual life and you never know what seeds you will sow by being a living example of your faith and spreading the Good News of Christ.

Many lose their way in the journey to the Lord and the path is never straight. This week let us pray for the strength to become effective evangelizers and seek out those who may have fallen away from Christ, and put them back on the pathway to our Lord. God Bless, Holly Clark.