Evangelization:  A Call For All

While all Christian disciples are called to be witnesses to the faith, the laity have a special place in witnessing. (Evangelii Nuntiandi (EN), 70) You are the ones who live next to and work with the unchurched. You see the people before they ever come to church (Go and Make Disciples , 83) If you show you care about them and that your faith is important to you, you evangelize by actions rather than words (cf. Go and Make Disciples, 35). Then, perhaps as Paul VI writes in Evangelii Nuntiandi, "Through this wordless witness these Christians stir up irresistible questions in the hearts of those who see how they live: Why are they like this? Why do they live in this way? What or who is it that inspires them? Why are they in our midst? Such as witness is already a silent proclamation of the Good News and a very powerful and effective one" (21).

As Catholics, while there is a strong history of missionary work, largely done by religious orders, we have not been evangelizers. Now, as Nodar writes "In the face of directly anti-gospel proclamations that are constantly being proclaimed to Christians in many countries there needs to be the clear proclamation of Jesus Christ as Lord and his Gospel" (3).

We hear many messages in the world that are contrary to Catholic Christian values. We are tempted to follow these values because they can (seem to) bring much pleasure in this world. That is why evangelization begins within us. We must be strong in our own faith to bring Christ to the world.

The question becomes how to bring Christ to the world. The popes have begun using the phrase "The New Evangelization." There is nothing new in the message. It is the same gospel that has been proclaimed to the world since Jesus himself first proclaimed it. What needs to be new is how we bring it to the world. The use of technology like this web site is part of this new evangelization. Another is to realize the vital part that the laity play in this as witnesses to the faith.

Are you still finding it difficult to envision the Catholic Church as an evangelizing church? Paul VI writes that "Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize, that is to say, in order to preach and teach, to be the channel of the gift of grace, to reconcile sinners with God, and to perpetuate Christ's sacrifice in the Mass, which is the memorial of His death and glorious resurrection" (EN, 14). Evangelization is part of everything we do as Church. The very celebration of the Eucharist brings Christ to the people present and that is evangelization, done by the power of God, working through his people. Proclaiming the Word of God, preaching, and the Eucharist at Mass also serve to evangelize the people to a deeper faith so that they may evangelize the world (cf. EN 15, 24).

There is no magic method of evangelization. It needs to be done differently in each culture and in some ways for each individual. Paul VI writes "Evangelization loses much of its force and effectiveness if it does not take into consideration the actual people to whom it is addresses, if it does not use their language, their signs and symbols, if it does not answer the questions they ask, and and if it does not have an impact on their concrete life. But on the other hand, evangelization risks losing its power and disappearing altogether if one empties or adulterates its content under the pretext of translating it." (EN, 63).

How do we do this? "Every evangelizer is expected to have a reference for truth" (EN, 78). Learning specific techniques for evangelization is important but ultimately what we have to do is let the Holy Spirit work through us (EN, 75). We must keep ourselves grounded. In Mark 6:7-13 Jesus sends out the Twelve on their first mission. In Mark 6:30-34 they return to Jesus. We need to constantly return to Jesus in the Mass and in personal prayer.

Go and Make Disciples was written to help us develop a new plan for evangelization. For this plan the bishops developed three goals:

• "Goal I: To bring about in all Catholics such an enthusiasm for their faith that, in living their faith in Jesus, they freely share it with others" (46).
• "Goal II: To invite all people in the United States, whatever their social or cultural background, to hear the message of salvation in Jesus Christ so they may come to join us in the fullness of the Catholic faith" (53).
• "Goal III: To foster gospel values in our society, promoting the dignity of the human person, the importance of the family, and the common good of our society, so that our nation may continue to be transformed by the saving power of Jesus Christ" (56).

For this plan to work, "Every element of the parish must respond to the evangelical imperative—priests and religious, lay persons, staff, ministers, organizations, social clubs, parochial schools, and parish religious education programs. Otherwise, evangelization will be something a few people in the parish see as their ministry—rather than the reason for the parish's existence and the objective of every ministry in the parish" (Go and Make Disciples, 85).

For our evangelization efforts to be be successful, evangelization must be part of who we are (Go and Make Disciples, 87). It must be part of our prayer lives, "At Mass, in the Liturgy of the Hours, in prayer groups, and in individual prayer and devotions, we must ask unceasingly for the grace to evangelize. The moment we stop praying for the grace to spread the Good News of Jesus will be the moment when we lose the power to evangelize" (Go and Make Disciples, 81).

From paragraph 89 on, the bishops work to give us ideas on how to evangelize. Paragraph 136 speaks of what we must do as individuals, families, parishes, diocese, and Catholic institutions must do to evangelize. In closing here are some practical suggestions:

• Show love and compassion to others. In doing so, you show them God's love.
• When faced with a choice between Mass or other church activities and some other activity, choose church. It shows others how important church is to you.
• When making decisions, rely on your faith to help you choose God.

Then, if others ask you why you choose church and why you do the good you do, tell them what Jesus did for us on the Cross. Let them know how much God loves them.

Faith is not meant to be a secret. "Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna." (Matthew 10:26-28).