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Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Year B - 4th October 2009
Evangelisation
Last Sunday in my homily I quoted Pope Benedict, "It
is the task of every parish and baptized person to break open for others the
meaning of Jesus' saving love" (God is Love)
Jesus was the first and greatest evangelizer. He came to
proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God. We see it in His teaching, His
miracles, His interaction with people, and His sending out of the disciples,
and the example of His own evangelizing activity. If we want to follow in
the footsteps of Christ, then we must become evangelizers, too. "It is
unthinkable that a person should accept the Word and give himself to the
Kingdom without becoming a person who bears witness to it and proclaims it
in his turn." (Pope Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi) We tend to shy
away from this task because we associate it with aggressive proselytizing of
some other churches.
The word evangelisation comes from the Greek word,
evangelizo, which means "to spread good news." The early Christians
used the word when they spread the news about the life, death, and
resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some of the greatest saints, many of them lay
people, sacrificed their lives to spread the Good News of Jesus. Hence, we
too should see evangelisation as "the spreading of the Good News".
There are four essential elements in the process:
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Praying. Pope John Paul II tells us, "There
must be unceasing prayer to nourish the desire to carry Christ to all men
and women." |
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Listening. The most sacred thing a person can
share is his or her own story. When we listen, we enter into a person's
heart, mind, and soul, we see their search for meaning. We catch a glimpse
of their struggle or their pain. |
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Sharing our faith. We can share what our faith
means to us in words by telling others how the Holy Spirit has worked in
our lives. We can also share our faith through actions that demonstrate
the way a in which we try to live authentically the gospel message. |
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Extending an invitation. This is why the PPC is
launching an Alpha course on January 14th. One could also invite a friend
to join a "Small Christian Community" beginning the week of October 11th.
What is important is that we take the initiative and extend the
invitation, and promise that we will accompany the recipient. |
However, let us remember that 'The Alpha Course' or 'The
Small Christian Communities' are only a means to an end, and not an end in
themselves. The Holy Spirit will use our natural gifts and talents for the
work of proclaiming the Good News if we are open and willing. Before long,
we will begin to see that and develop our own personal approach which is
what God wants.
Fr. Kein O'Shea, C.M. |
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