A question that I often receive is this: How do we as a parish or I as an individual evangelize? There are many methods of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with others. We see the variety in the different approaches that our parishes are taking.
Attitudes for Evangelization
But whatever the method, evangelization, in order to succeed, requires of us two attitudes. First, we must be anxious to move beyond ourselves and encounter those who do not know the Lord or who have forgotten his voice. Second, we must show in what we say, in what we do and in how we live the joy that follows from walking with Jesus Christ.
Pope Francis is an example of both of those attitudes. He has called us to stop looking inward and instead look outward, to the world, in order that we may become yeast for its transformation. In other words, while it is truth that we are influenced by the world, we also must influence the world for good. That is why it is so essential that we do not compromise our beliefs on matters such as the sanctity of every human life or the nature of marriage or our collective responsibility to care for the poor just to “fit in.” Through our faith convictions, Pope Francis reminds us, we are called to evangelize our secularist culture and help it to see and understand the truth found in the Scriptures.
We, likewise, need to reflect in our lives the inner peace and joy that comes from knowing the Lord. One comment that regularly is made about the Pope is that he radiates joy. That is attractive. Even the professed atheist, Stephen Hawking, was drawn to Pope Francis because, he said, he sensed in him an abiding happiness.
All of us need to remember and put into practice that lesson. We are forgiven, we are loved, and we are redeemed in Christ. As Saint John Paul II frequently said, we do not need to be afraid to show to the world that we are Christians. Joy is a powerful evangelization magnet. We can use it to bring others to Christ. He, then, will do the rest.
Make time this summer for a “reality check.” Let us ask ourselves (and people whose opinions we value): Am I willing to share my faith with others? Do I reflect the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ? Am I joyful because I have been redeemed? Does that joy shine through me?
If it does, others will notice and they will want to join us.
