Getting the Word Out

The message that we are called to give is clear.  It is the message of Jesus Christ that we are given in the Bible.  It is not just a message that we should receive and keep to ourselves.  The message is meant to be shared with all people and we are meant to be the ones to share it with others.

Today is the Feast of the Epiphany.  The gospel reading is the familiar story of the magi coming from the East.  They are foreigners and Gentiles but yet they are among the first to see Jesus, the newborn king of the Jews.  The Jews of that time saw themselves as a chosen people and indeed they were a chosen people.  However, they saw themselves as a ‘members only’ club.  They would supposed to share the message of God’s love with all people but they did not.  The magi being among the first to see Jesus serves to remind us that Jesus’ message is for all.

We must be effective communicators, in print, spoken word, and now in the information age, on the Internet.  That’s why I have this blog and website.  I write about some of my experiences but I always hope to write in a way not to put the focus on me or to communicate my own message.  It is not my message but the message of Jesus that I want to share.

One of the groups that we need to work on how to communicate to is those who register in our parishes but we only see them at Christmas and Easter, if even then.  The Internet is one way to do this but it is dependent on the people looking for the message we want to share. 

Another means of communication to the unchurched is for all of us who come to church to share what we hear with others.  Some people say they can’t do this because they don’t know enough.  First, maybe that is a sign that you need to do more to learn about our faith.  Secondly, the best way to learn how to talk about our faith is to do it.

In our age of technology, some people say print is dead.  So, why worry about using print as a way of the communicating the gospel.  While not everyone will read it print is still a way to get information out.  At Our Lady of the Lakes we just started a new print newsletter.   We talked about using email or putting more information on the parish website.  We decided to do a print newsletter because then we can mail it to all our registered parishioners to make sure we reach out to those who don’t come to church often.

How is God calling you to share the gospel message?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff