In case you haven't had the time to read all the entries on this blog, the main theme Francis has dealt with so far is: Evangelization is hard, but it needs to be spoken about. I would add, it needs to be spoken about at all levels: At the active level, we (the lay faithful and religious) need to concretely go out into the world and spread the Gospel. This implies coming out of our comfort zone as God challenges us to do (EG 20), and sharing the joy we experience around the Bible with others. However before we go out into the world, it would be a good idea to work on evangelization at two other levels: At the intellectual level, we need to think about what evangelization means to us personally.Perhaps we even need to discuss a theology of evangelization, which will necessarily begin with the person of Jesus. As we begin our efforts to evangelize by spending time with Jesus, we will encounter Him at a personal level, which is something Francis has already encouraged in this exhortation (EG 3); At the spiritual level, we need to cultivate for ourselves a spirituality of evangelization that helps us remain rooted in the fact that evangelization isn't just a job or task we're doing to gain more disciples for Christ. It is us, being Christ to the world, connecting with people spiritually and restoring hope to the hopeless any way we can. We indeed need to have deep spiritual roots in order to undertake such an endeavor.
It sounds like a lot of work, doesn't it?
Perhaps it is.
But as Pope Francis maintains, if we allow ourselves to be truly converted by the joy of the Gospel, the labors we're being called to will be a joyful experience, as it was for the 72 disciples (Luke 10:17) As strange as it may sound, we need to give that joy some breathing space within us, so that it can truly impact our lives. If we're going to talk about reforming the Church's missionary outreach, it seems that much of such talk will revolve around centering that outreach and work of evangelization on joy. We must remember that this exhortation is not just a call to evangelize. It's first and foremost, a call to be filled with the joy that is so integral to our life of faith. It's a call to embark upon a new evangelization marked by joy. (EG 1) As Pope Francis was saying to a group of children and young people this week, it's also about being convinced that we are loved by Jesus. Once we are convinced by that love, we will "know how to transmit the joy of this friendship everywhere...and (we) will know the witness of kindness of true Christians: ready to lend a hand to those in need without judging others.”
Notice: I've been talking about 'sharing joy' from the beginning, but Pope Francis speaks more about 'transmitting it'. And we can't avoid doing so. As he says, this joy is a sign that the gospel has been proclaimed and is being fruitful (EG 21) in our world. We are that fruit, and by transmitting the joy, we help cultivate other fruits among people. This is so simple that Francis could encourage children to do it.
Yet it's a task that has proven to be a challenge for our world. We're too shy, we're not inspired enough, or we're guided by a different set of values that tell us all religions are good therefore evangelizing isn't necessary etc... there are probably hundreds of reasons why not to put ourselves in such a challenging position. I think Francis acknowledges that, but what he emphasizes is that anyone who contemplates the joy this season brings to us,will know the strength it offers us when we confront, and inevitably overcome a million of these reasons to resist the call!
I began this blog series by asking 'how do you live your joy'.
Perhaps today I should be asking ' do you know you have this joy at all'.
Sometimes we forget, even during Advent! It easy to forget.
It's time to remember and embrace that joy.
That's the real first step of our new evangelization!
May God grant you a deep awareness of that joy this holiday season!
I. A CHURCH WHICH GOES FORTH
It sounds like a lot of work, doesn't it?
Perhaps it is.
But as Pope Francis maintains, if we allow ourselves to be truly converted by the joy of the Gospel, the labors we're being called to will be a joyful experience, as it was for the 72 disciples (Luke 10:17) As strange as it may sound, we need to give that joy some breathing space within us, so that it can truly impact our lives. If we're going to talk about reforming the Church's missionary outreach, it seems that much of such talk will revolve around centering that outreach and work of evangelization on joy. We must remember that this exhortation is not just a call to evangelize. It's first and foremost, a call to be filled with the joy that is so integral to our life of faith. It's a call to embark upon a new evangelization marked by joy. (EG 1) As Pope Francis was saying to a group of children and young people this week, it's also about being convinced that we are loved by Jesus. Once we are convinced by that love, we will "know how to transmit the joy of this friendship everywhere...and (we) will know the witness of kindness of true Christians: ready to lend a hand to those in need without judging others.”
Notice: I've been talking about 'sharing joy' from the beginning, but Pope Francis speaks more about 'transmitting it'. And we can't avoid doing so. As he says, this joy is a sign that the gospel has been proclaimed and is being fruitful (EG 21) in our world. We are that fruit, and by transmitting the joy, we help cultivate other fruits among people. This is so simple that Francis could encourage children to do it.
Yet it's a task that has proven to be a challenge for our world. We're too shy, we're not inspired enough, or we're guided by a different set of values that tell us all religions are good therefore evangelizing isn't necessary etc... there are probably hundreds of reasons why not to put ourselves in such a challenging position. I think Francis acknowledges that, but what he emphasizes is that anyone who contemplates the joy this season brings to us,will know the strength it offers us when we confront, and inevitably overcome a million of these reasons to resist the call!
I began this blog series by asking 'how do you live your joy'.
Perhaps today I should be asking ' do you know you have this joy at all'.
Sometimes we forget, even during Advent! It easy to forget.
It's time to remember and embrace that joy.
That's the real first step of our new evangelization!
May God grant you a deep awareness of that joy this holiday season!
I. A CHURCH WHICH GOES FORTH
20. The word of God constantly shows
us how God challenges those who believe in him “to go forth”.(C )Abraham
received the call to set out for a new land (cf. Gen 12:1-3).
Moses heard God’s call: “Go, I send you” (Ex 3:10) and led the
people towards the promised land (cf. Ex 3:17). To Jeremiah,
God says: “To all whom I send you, you shall go” (Jer 1:7). In our
day Jesus’ command to “go and make disciples” echoes in the changing scenarios
and ever new challenges to the Church’s mission of evangelization, and all of us
are called to take part in this new missionary “going forth”. Each Christian
and every community must discern the path that the Lord points out, but all of
us are asked to obey his call to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to
reach all the “peripheries” in need of the light of the Gospel. (C)
21. The Gospel joy which enlivens
the community of disciples is a missionary joy.(A) The seventy-two disciples felt
it as they returned from their mission (cf. Lk 10:17). Jesus
felt it when he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and praised the Father for
revealing himself to the poor and the little ones (cf. Lk 10:21).
It was felt by the first converts who marvelled to hear the apostles preaching
“in the native language of each” (Acts 2:6) on the day of
Pentecost. This joy is a sign that the Gospel has been proclaimed and is
bearing fruit. Yet the drive to go forth and give, to go out from ourselves, to
keep pressing forward in our sowing of the good seed, remains ever present. The
Lord says: “Let us go on to the next towns that I may preach there also, for
that is why I came out” (Mk 1:38). Once the seed has been sown in
one place, Jesus does not stay behind to explain things or to perform more
signs; the Spirit moves him to go forth to other towns.
No comments:
Post a Comment