Catholic Evangelization

July 8, 2009 by R.F. Lucey (From the blog catechismoncall.wordpress.com)

Catholics who live their faith in full obedience to the Magisterium of the Church – should be on fire. This doesn’t mean that they preach on street corners or knock on doors handing out fliers, but that they make Jesus Christ present in their daily lives. This is Catholic evangelization, and the world needs much more of it.

We must also consider the fact that many Americans have been scandalized by Christian televangelists who don’t practice what they preach, Christian politicians who invoke God while doing un-Christian things, as well as the countless cases of Catholics who publicly identify as Catholic, yet don’t live lives that conform to the gospel.

So how can a Catholic who is on fire with the love of the Roman Catholic Church of Jesus Christ, reach those men and women who don’t know about our Lord? How can one be a “Catholic evangelical,” if we could coin such a phrase?

The Most Rev. Patrick O’Donoghue has reflected on this situation and he makes these observations. First he gives us an important reality check about western culture circa 2009:

    “It is a sad truth that many people are so alienated from the Church, the language of the Bible, and their need for salvation, that they are either indifferent or violently allergic to Christianity. Also, it is heart-breaking to admit that the behaviour of some Catholics, such as paedophile priests and the failure of some in authority in the Church, has damaged the credibility of the Church.”

“Violently allergic to Christianity” is such an apt description. Anyone who has tried to talk about the Gospel or Jesus Christ to non-Christians or former Catholics, has encountered this. The Rev. Patrick O’Donoghue offers this bit of advice on catholic evangelization:

    “I am convinced that in order to evangelise this generation we must follow the advice of Newman and de Foucauld and concentrate our missionary efforts on showing the unconditional love of Christ for suffering humanity though practical acts of justice and peace. In particular, we must act in solidarity with the poor and all those on the margins of society, migrants, drug addicts, alcoholics, men and women in the sex industry, those suffering mental illness.”

Catholic evangelism is going to have to go beyond words. We must show in our lives that we are so absorbed in following Jesus that peace, dedication and fidelity to our neighbors is second nature. The Rev. O’Donoghue continues:

    “We must do this without any ulterior motives, such as seeking converts. We must only undertake this work to show them the love of Jesus Christ. It is only when or if they ask us why we do this work, that we can gently begin to talk to them about Jesus, and only at the pace that they want. If they reject Jesus, but accept His practical love through our actions, we must be content with that.”

I think this advice on Catholic evangelization is very beautiful and moving. I might add that Catholics must walk as ambassadors of the Catholic Church every day.

They should make it know that their Catholic faith is the center of their life, and then live it with such fidelity that neighbors, family members, coworkers see that Catholics “have something” worth knowing. And that something, of course, is Jesus Christ.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church on Catholic evangelism:

    848 “Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men.”