FROM THE SERVANT GENERAL
THE NEW EVANGELIZATION
(Part 254)
CREATIVE EVANGELIZATION
April 21, 2021
Today’s readings:
Acts 8:1-8
Psalm 66:1-7
John 6:35-40
Evangelization is of crucial importance in the life and mission of the Church. Sharing Christ leads to meeting Christ and then living Christ, which all leads to salvation. Salvation is in Jesus, as he said, “whoever believes in me will never thirst.” (Jn 6:35b). Jesus died on the cross to save us, and he intends this salvation to be for all, as he said, “I will not reject anyone who comes to me” (Jn 6:37b).
The Father gave the Son the work of bringing everyone back to Himself, and both the Father and the Son will that no one be lost. “And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me” (Jn 6:39a). In what way are we not lost? Is it just to be good persons on earth and to do good to others? Yes that too, but basically it is to put our faith in Jesus so that we would ultimately make it to heaven. “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.” (Jn 6:40).
How does this happen? One needs to see the Son, that is, meet and know Christ. But there are those who do meet Jesus but do not go on to put their faith in him, or who put their faith in him but do not truly live out that faith. “But I told you that although you have seen me, you do not believe.” (Jn 6:36). Thus those who share Christ also need to accompany those to whom they help bring Christ, and help bring them into the fullness of life in Christ. They need to not only know Christ (including putting their faith in him) but they need to live Christ (to live out that faith). This is one important role of the community of faith.
Now this work of sharing Christ is the work of evangelization. We have this work because Jesus has entrusted to his disciples the task of continuing with his work. We proclaim his salvation. Jesus was sent by the Father to do the Father’s will. He says, “I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me.” (Jn 6:38). We too are sent by Jesus to do both his and the Father’s will. So in this work, not our will but God’s will be done.
Now evangelization engages us in spiritual war. We assault the dominion of the enemy. Thus we will be opposed by the evil one and the world under his dominion. We can expect not just to be opposed but to be persecuted, even by fellow Christians and some Church authorities. The early Church was persecuted. “On that day, there broke out a severe persecution of the church in Jerusalem” (Acts 8:1b). So why not the Church today? At that time, persecution came from fellow Jews and even religious authorities. Saul was especially aggressive and violent. “Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the church; entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment.” (Acts 8:3).
Devout Jews would not blame Saul in trying to destroy the budding church, as they would see that the Christian movement contained the seeds of doctrinal divergence from Judaism. Jesus’ words about the temple and the law, their concept of the Messiah, simply were not what they always knew. Today the situation is reversed. The one true Church has been established, with her age-old teachings based on the scriptures and the teachings of Jesus, but after two millennia, there are those now in the Church who are trying to re-interpret God’s word in the Bible and to overturn Church teachings (such as acceptance of homosexuality). Modernism has come in. And now those being persecuted are those who stand for the authentic teachings of the faith.
Saul of course was converted. We just need to plod on and endure.
But there are good results of persecution. With the severe persecution then, “all were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria” (Acts 8:1c). A major result was that “those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.” (Acts 8:4). The persecution, which was bad, resulted in expanding the work, which was good.
Today the bad thing that has happened to the world is the COVID pandemic. It has closed down the churches and it has severely restricted our community gatherings. But what resulted from this? E-vangelization! This is creative evangelization without and beyond borders. Through the Internet. Now in fact, we are able to reach those whom we would not have brought our programs to due to challenges in physical presence. And in fact, even our regular community events, done through the Internet, have been having better and wider attendance than ever before.
God wants everyone to be saved. “His eyes are fixed upon the nations.” (Ps 66:7b). This work is entrusted to Jesus’ disciples. We evangelize and help bring people to Christ. We say, “Come and see the works of God” (Ps 66:5a). We try to do rapid, massive and worldwide evangelization. We now use the Internet much more. And our intent is that “All the earth falls in worship before (God)” (Ps 66:4a).
When Philip preached the word in Samaria, people listened and saw the signs he did (Acts 8:6). “There was great joy in that city.” (Acts 8:8). When the Israelites passed through the Red Sea, “there (they) rejoiced in him” (Ps 66:6). With our work, with the work of the authentic Church, may many more in the world meet Christ and be saved, and experience this same joy. “Shout joyfully to God, all the earth” (Ps 66:2a).
