We’re used to hearing about “mask mandates” these days, but our readings present us with another mandate that perhaps we don’t hear about often enough – a “missionary mandate.” In the readings this Sunday, we learn that evangelization, that is to say, sharing the faith with others, is not an optional thing.
In the second reading, Saint Paul explains how this is especially the case for him. He says, “If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it!”
Since St. Paul received a special grace of revelation of the true faith together with the mercy that comes with it, he recognized that this was not something he could keep to himself. He must freely give just as he had freely received. To do otherwise would be selfish.
In the gospel this Sunday, Jesus says, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” And so, we see here that the very purpose of Jesus’ coming is the proclaiming of the gospel.
In the same way, the purpose of the Church is evangelization. We see this from the very beginning. At the conclusion of the Gospel of Matthew, just before Jesus ascended to heaven, he gave the Church her great commission, saying, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 21:19).
Once we understand the importance of evangelization, the next question becomes, “how do I evangelize? Should I stand on a box on the street corner shouting to all who pass by ‘Repent! The end is near!’”
Personally, I would not recommend that strategy. What I would recommend is doing what the early Christians did so well. The early Christians evangelized especially well through two things: personal witness and relationships. By personal witness, I mean that they lived their lives in a way that was different than those around them. They didn’t participate in the sins of those around them, whether in deed or in speech. And they showed a profound love for each other and for the poor and those in need. This attracted people. By personal relationships, I mean that they shared their faith, not with billboards or programs, but person-to-person, one-on-one.
How do we do this in our own day? Step one is simply choosing to not hide our faith. The goal of secularism is to get us to do just that. Secularism, you could say, is itself a sort of religion that our culture is currently preaching to us and our children. This needs to be combatted. One way to do this is simply by praying before your meals in a restaurant. This may seem like a small thing, but it is not. It shows people that God is not just our God for an hour a week, he is the God of our whole lives – even of those things we might not think of as religious, like meals. After all, if in the Lord’s Prayer, we pray for our “daily bread,” why shouldn’t we thank him when he actually gives it to us?
Another important way we are called to evangelize is by sharing the faith with our kids. Statistics show that parents generally have a far greater influence than anyone else on the faith of their children (including their priests!). But what if your kids are grown up? Well, if you have grandkids, then they can be your “mission territory.” Even if your children don’t practice the faith, in many cases, it is possible to have a big impact on the faith of your grandchildren. This can be done by teaching them their prayers, reading bible stories to them, or, if possible, even taking them to Mass.
But no matter who we are, there is one way that we can all participate in the Church’s mission of sharing the good news, and that is through prayer. St. Therese of Lisieux never left the convent from the time she turned 15, and yet the Church regards her as a patroness of Missionaries because of her prayers. May we share the treasure of our faith, so that all people may come to know the God who made them.