God desires everyone to be happy—that all men “be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). To fulfill that desire, the Father sent his son to evangelize the world: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God the Father sent his Son into the world, to save souls, to share eternal life and happiness with us. Our Lord then shares with each baptized Christian a portion of that mission to evangelize and save souls.
Are you ready to be a disciple of Christ? Are you ready to be sent out so as to help Christ to evangelize others? Are you ready to experience the joy of bringing others to Christ? Yes, “we are able” (Mark 10:38).
Pope Francis told us: “And this remains the mandate of the Church: do not preach what the powerful wish to hear. The criterion of prophets is the truth and justice even if this goes against human applause and human power.” Christ’s Gospel is a gospel of hope, but it is also a gospel of truth. It is a gospel that offers people joy but that will also challenge people to change their lives. So, it is not a message to make people comfortable.
We need formation to prepare ourselves to respond to Christ’s invitation to be saints and to evangelize those souls God puts in our path. Christ formed the apostles and disciples by spending time with them—they would listen to his words and observe his example. We too need to spend time with our Lord in prayer and to study our faith, so as to share that faith and friendship with Christ with others.
Perhaps we can consider ways to improve our knowledge of what we believe so as to better share that knowledge with others. Here are some suggestions:
• Read the Bible for 5 minutes each day, beginning with the New Testament;
• Set a time to study a portion of the Catechism of the Catholic Church or of the Compendium each week;
• Attend the doctrinal class or RCIA we offer in the parish for adults;
• Read a good book on Catholic doctrine, perhaps from one a recent convert (you can ask one of us priests for a recommendation);
• Listen to an audio conversion story.
Then, with this sharper knowledge, engage your friends and family in a conversation about your faith, perhaps what it means to you. They will ask you questions, but don’t think you need to have all the answers on the tip of your tongue—few of us do, and those of us who do often say the wrong thing anyway—rather, be ready to say: “let me look that up.” If you have trouble finding it, ask for help. Perhaps you can invite them to join you in attending a doctrinal class or to explore the faith by attending Adult Initiation Classes.
