Week 13, Saturday. Evangelizing Thought of the Day (ETD)

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

33. Every person has the right to hear the Gospel of God to humanity, which is Jesus Christ. Like the Samaritan woman at the well, humanity today needs to hear the words of Jesus: "If you knew the gift of God" (Jn 4:10), because these words elicit the deep desire for salvation which lies in everyone: "Lord, give me this water, that I may not thirst" (Jn 4:15). This right of every person to hear the Gospel is clearly stated by St. Paul. Tireless in his preaching, he looks upon his work of proclaiming the Gospel as a duty, because he understood its universal significance: "For if I preach the Gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I preach not the Gospel" (1 Cor 9:16). Every man and woman should be able to say, like him, that "Christ loved us and gave himself up for us" (Eph 5:2). Furthermore, every man and women should be able to feel drawn into an intimate and transforming relationship which the proclamation of the Gospel creates between us and Christ: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal 2:20). To give others the possibility of having a similar experience requires that someone be sent to proclaim it: "How are men to call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?" (Rm 10:14 which repeats Is 52:1).
34. We can therefore understand how every one of the Church's actions has an essential evangelizing character and must never be separated from the duty to help others encounter Christ in faith, the primary goal of evangelization. If as a Church, "we bring people only knowledge, ability or technical skill and tools, we bring them too little." The original reason for evangelization is the love of Christ which seeks to bring everyone to eternal salvation. The one desire of genuine evangelizers is to give freely what they have freely received: "From the very origins of the Church the disciples of Christ strove to convert men to faith in Christ as the Lord; not, however, by the use of coercion or of devices unworthy of the Gospel, but by the power, above all, of the word of God." (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 1,” paragraph 33 and 34)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

The Lord speaks of peace to his people. (Psalm 85:9, Mass).

COLLECT

O God, Who through the grace of adoption
chose us to be children of light,
grant, we pray,
that we may not be wrapped in the darkness of error
but always be seen to stand in the bright light of truth.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

Under the subtitle, “The Duty to Evangelize,” today’s selections from the Instrumentum Laboris address a fundamental right that every human person has to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Obviously this act of “hearing” is more than just the words of the Gospel ‘hitting the ear.’ Once again, we are reminded that the Gospel is a Person, Jesus Christ. This “hearing” is actually an encounter whereby the ‘words of the Word’ take root in a person’s heart in such a way that leads to daily conversion of heart, mind and body. It logically flows that if “hearing” the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a right for all people, somebody must proclaim and hand-on this Person. The proclamation and handing-on of Jesus is done, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, in a very human way.

Another critical insight of today’s selection is a quote from the Holy Father’s 2006 homily in Munich: “If as a Church, "we bring people only knowledge, ability or technical skill and tools, we bring them too little.” Once again, the focus of the New Evangelization is most clear: a Person, Jesus Christ Who offers an encounter that brings communion with Him.


Consider:

• Catholic Christianity has often been pegged as ‘pray, pay and obey.’ What can be done to correct this perception?
• Is your parish engaged in ‘handing-on’ the Person, Jesus - OR - does your parish merely provide “knowledge, ability or technical skill and tools” under the guise of Catholic education?

Week 13, Friday. Evangelizing Thought of the Day

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

31. Evangelization consists in proposing the Gospel which transforms the human individual, his world and his personal story. The Church evangelizes when, in virtue of the power of the Gospel proclaimed (cf. Rm 1:16), she takes every human experience and gives it rebirth through the death and resurrection of Jesus (cf. Rm 6:4), immersing each one in the newness of Baptism and life according to the Gospel and in the Son's relationship to his Father, so as to feel the power of the Spirit. The transmission of the faith is the goal of evangelization which, according to the divine plan, is to bring all people through Christ to the Father in the Spirit (cf. Eph 2:18). This experience of the newness of the Gospel transforms every person. Today, we can hold to this conviction with greater surety, because history has left us extraordinary examples of courage, dedication, boldness, intuition and reason in the Church's work of bringing the Gospel to every person, acts of holiness which are displayed in a variety of notable and significant ways on every continent. Every particular Church can boast of persons of outstanding holiness, who have been able to give renewed power and energy to the work of evangelization through their activities and, primarily, through their witness. Their example of holiness also provides prophetic and clear indications in devising new ways to live out the task of evangelization. They have repeatedly left us accounts in their writings, prayers, models and methods of teaching, spiritual journeys, journeys of initiation into the faith, works and educational institutions.
32. While strongly referring to the power of these examples of holiness, some responses also mention the difficulties in making these experiences contemporary and transmissible. Sometimes, it seems that these historical works not only belong to a past age, but are almost confined there, because they lack the ability to communicate the evangelical character of their witness in the present-day. The Synod is asked to discuss these difficulties and attempt to discover the underlying reasons why the activities and witness of various Church institutions lack credibility when they speak as bearers of the Gospel of God. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 1,” paragraph 31 and 32)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

Cry out with joy to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness. Come before him, singing for joy. (Psalm 100:1-2, Liturgy of the Hours: Morning Prayer).

COLLECT

O God, Who through the grace of adoption
chose us to be children of light,
grant, we pray,
that we may not be wrapped in the darkness of error
but always be seen to stand in the bright light of truth.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

Proposing the Gospel in such a way that transforms the person, the person’s world and the person’s story is a task that is joined to proposing the lives of the saints so that their witness may not remain ‘just a story’ shackled to a particular historical era. Both are urgent tasks because they serve a greater hermeneutic of the New Evangelization: the personal encounter with the Person Jesus – Who, in the power of the Holy Spirit – leads all people to His Father through Word and Sacrament in His Body, the Church.

Too often, even among the parishioners who are ‘engaged in the parish,’ a school, an organization or an activity defines parish participation and as such, is the essence of Faith practice for that person or persons. Many in pastoral ministry know well the difficulties when a parish school closes or a cherished, time-honored activity of the parish that was inaugurated by a relative generations ago ceases to be. In dealing with much of the emotion that naturally surfaces in these events, it is quite difficult to hear any talk of the Person Jesus, His Word and Sacraments.

Consider:

• How do we propose the Faith so that the encounter with Jesus Christ is experienced as central?
• What do the lives of the Saints have to offer us today in our current cultural climate?

Week 13 Saint Thomas, Apostle. Evangelizing Thought of the Day

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

28. The Gospel of God's love for us, the call to take part in the life of the Father, through Jesus, in the Holy Spirit, is a gift meant for everyone. We proclaim Jesus himself, who calls everyone to conversion for the Kingdom of God. To emphasize this fact, Jesus drew especially near to those on the margins of society, giving them special favour, when he proclaimed the Gospel. At the beginning of his ministry, he proclaimed that he was sent to preach the good news to the poor (cf. Lk 4:18). To those despised and dejected, Jesus declares: "Blessed are you poor" (Lk 6:20) and, by standing with them, enables these individuals already to experience a sense of freedom (cf. Lk 5:30; 15:2). He eats with them, treats them as brothers and sisters and as friends (cf. Lk 7:34) and helps them to feel loved by God, thus revealing his great compassion for sinners and those in need.
29. The freedom and salvation brought by the Kingdom of God touch every human person both physically and spiritually. Two actions are attached to Jesus' work of evangelization: healing and forgiving. Multiple miracles of healing clearly demonstrate his great compassion in the face of human misery. They also indicate that, in the Kingdom, there will no longer be sickness and suffering and that, from the outset, his mission is aimed at freeing people from sickness and suffering (cf. Rev 21:4). Jesus' miracles of healing are also a sign of the salvation of the spirit, namely liberation from sin. In performing acts of healing, he invites people to faith, conversion and a desire for forgiveness (cf. Lk 5:24). Received in faith, healing leads to salvation (cf. Lk 18:42). Deliverance from demonic possession, the ultimate evil and symbol of sin and rebellion against God, is a sign that "the Kingdom of God has come upon you" (Mt 12:28) and that the Gospel, a gift of salvation meant for every person, initiates us into a process of transformation and participation in the life of God, who renews us in the present moment. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 1,” paragraph 28 and 29)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the poor with salvation. Let the faithful exult in glory, and rejoice as they take their rest. (Psalm 149:4-5, Liturgy of the Hours: Morning Prayer).

COLLECT

Grant, almighty God,
that we may glory in the Feast of the blessed Apostle Thomas,
so that we may always be sustained by his intercession and,
believing, may have life in the name of Jesus Christ your Son,
whom Thomas acknowledged as the Lord.
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

Healing and forgiving – two actions of Jesus’ Public Ministry that define His offer of the Gospel to all people – are two actions that characterize a disciple’s life and the communal life of the local and universal Church, with particular attention to the marginalized and disenfranchised of the community. Here is where the Instrumentum Laboris is already of assistance to the Church. Many parish activities and organizations mirror Jesus' Public Ministry while other organizations sometimes have parishioners asking, "Why are we sponsoring this?"

Consider:

• How does your living of Christianity mirror Jesus' healing and forgiving actions?
• Do all of your parish's activities and organizations reflect Jesus' healing and forgiving or do they serve another purpose or agenda?

Week 13, Monday. Evangelization Thought of the Day

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

26. After Christ's death and resurrection, the missionary mandate given to the disciples by the Lord (cf. Mk 16:15) makes an explicit reference to proclaiming the Gospel to everyone, teaching them to observe everything he commanded (cf. Mt 28:20). St. Paul presents himself as "called to be an Apostle [...] set apart for the Gospel of God" (Rm 1:1). The Church's task is thus to bring about a traditio Evangelii, a proclamation and transmission of the Gospel, which is "the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith" (Rm 1:16) and which ultimately is identified with Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Cor 1:24). We know now that when it comes to proclaiming the Gospel, we must think of a living, effective Word, which brings about what is stated (cf. Heb 4:12; Is 55:10) and is a Person: Jesus Christ, the definitive Word of God, who became man. As in the earthly life of Jesus, the Church's evangelizing mission is properly the work of God and the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Spirit at Pentecost makes the Apostles witnesses and prophets, confirming them in all they shared with Jesus and learned from him (cf. Acts 1:8; 2:17), instilling in them a serene courage which impels them to pass on to others their experience of Jesus and the hope that inspires them. The Spirit gives them the ability to witness to Jesus with parresia (cf. Acts 2:29), extending their activity from Jerusalem to all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
27. What the Church has lived from the very beginning, she continues to live today. By re-proposing these truths, Pope Paul VI recalled their contemporary character: "The command to the Twelve to go out and proclaim the Good News is also valid for all Christians, though in a different way [...] The Church knows this. [...] Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize, that is to say, in order to preach and teach, to be the channel of the gift of grace, to reconcile sinners with God, and to perpetuate Christ's sacrifice in the Mass, which is the memorial of his death and glorious resurrection." The Church exists in the world to continue Jesus' evangelizing mission, knowing well that in doing so she continues to share in divine life, because she is compelled by the Spirit to proclaim the Gospel in the world and to experience again within herself the presence of the Risen Christ, who brings her into communion with God the Father. Every action performed by the Church is never closed in upon itself but is always an act of evangelization, and, as such, an action that manifests the triune face of our God. The Acts of the Apostles records those actions most intimately involved in the Church's life: prayer, listening to the Word and the Apostles' teaching, a "lived" fraternal charity and the breaking of the bread (cf. Acts 2:42-46). All acquire their full meaning when they become an act of witness, a source of attraction and conversion, and a preaching and proclamation of the Gospel, by the whole Church and each baptized person. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 1,” paragraph 26 and 27)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

The voice of the LORD upon the waters, the God of glory thunders; the LORD on the immensity of waters; the voice of the LORD full of power; the voice of the LORD full of splendor. (Psalm 29:3-4, Liturgy of the Hours: Morning Prayer).

COLLECT

O God, Who through the grace of adoption
chose us to be children of light,
grant, we pray,
that we may not be wrapped in the darkness of error
but always be seen to stand in the bright light of truth.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

Once again the Instrumentum Laboris gives ample food for pondering and renewing the life of Faith in our midst. Paragraph 26 makes clear that when we approach Sacred Scripture and the Gospels especially, whether we are listening or reading the Sacred Text, the word of God is the Word of God, a living Person. We do study the words of the text diligently and this study must always have as its focus not the ink on a page but the Person, Jesus Christ – the Incarnate Word of God. This is why the present day disciples of Jesus, like the ones of previous eras, can preach Jesus boldly, confidently and with conviction (parresia).

Consider:

• How does the use of Sacred Scripture 'change' when one approaches it as the Living Word of God, the Incarnate Person, Jesus Christ?
• How boldly do you witness to the beauty of Catholic Christianity? Are you confident (parresia) to respond charitably to inquiries about Catholic Christianty?

Ordinary Time, Sunday Week 13

ANTIPHON

All peoples clap your hands. Cry to God with shouts of joy!. (Psalm 47:2)

COLLECT

O God, Who through the grace of adoption
chose us to be children of light,
grant, we pray,
that we may not be wrapped in the darkness of error
but always be seen to stand in the bright light of truth.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me. (Psalm 30:2).

GOSPEL EXCERPT

“While he was still speaking,
people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said,
“Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?”
Disregarding the message that was reported,
Jesus said to the synagogue official,
“Do not be afraid (μὴ φοβοῦ, me phobou); just have faith (μόνον πίστευε, monon pisteue).” (Mark 5:35-36).”

REFLECTION

Following the lessons of the parables, the Gospel according to Saint Mark presents 4 mighty acts of Jesus in succession: the calming of the sea (4:35-41), the cure of the man among the tombs in the land of the Gerasenes (5:1-20), and the two events proclaimed this Sunday: the raising of Jairus’ daughter and the cure of the woman afflicted with hemorrhages (5:21-43). In each of these episodes, the disciples and the crowd come to know more about Jesus while at the same time uncertain and unsure of what His actions mean. As for the Evangelist Mark, the fullness of Who Jesus is will not be revealed until the Cross; hence the command for silence at the conclusion of many of these events.

As for the Gospel proclamation for this Sunday, scripture scholars inform us that this unit, 5:21-43, is an intercalation. An intercalation is a literary unit that has 2 distinct events with 1 of those events ‘sandwiched’ in the middle of the other event. It is helpful to take note of this literary form because it assists us get to the point (or points!) of the Gospel episodes. In an intercalation, what is learned in the first event helps to interpret the second event. Similarly what is learned in the second event helps to interpret the first event. In the case of this this intercalation, both Jairus and the Afflicted Woman offer insights to the meaning of faith.

Like love and hope, faith is a Divine Gift. The Catechism of the Catholic Church offers a probing and pondering presentation of faith that is worth reviewing (paragraphs 142-197) . All too often among Christians of many denominations, faith is viewed as some type of ‘ethereal, nebulous thing’ that is engaged as a crutch when one comes face-to-face with the unexplainable. For example, when asked about some insight concerning the Most Holy Trinity or the Most Holy Eucharist, it is not uncommon (sadly) to hear people say, “I don’t know.” When queried further as to why one would hold to such an unexplainable ‘topic,’ the answer is generally “I take it on faith.” The implication here is that one only ‘needs’ faith when one cannot explain some aspect of the Christian experience. It is at the very least, a dangerous approach to Christian living. Both Jairus and the Afflicted Woman teach clearly and emphatically that faith is a way of living, a point made crystal clear when Jesus enters the house of Jairus.

“Do not be afraid, just have faith!” are the directed, blunt words addressed to the synagogue official. The Greek text is more blunt: μὴ φοβοῦ, μόνον πίστευε (me phobou, monon pisteue) – “Do not fear, trust me alone!” One can almost picture Jesus placing his hands on Jairus’ shoulders, squeezing and rocking his shoulders and looking deeply into his fear-filled eyes. Jairus nods knowing that he can do nothing but place his trust in the hands of Jesus. What happened to Jairus? Fear seized him. In the Greek world φόβος (phobos, fear) meant “to flee.” There was something about the situation that one judged a threat to survival and the appropriate response was to flee, and to do so as quickly as possible. It is interesting that in the Biblical era φόβος was not understood as a thing or a state of being but as an action. Linguists also note that φόβος addressed a range of situations that we now term anxieties. In terms of the distinction that is made in our times, fear is the response to a known threat. Anxiety is the response to an unknown threat. Either way, Jesus’ word to Jairus is essentially, “Do not flee!” “Do not run away!” How can Jairus do this? “Just have faith!” We might be tempted to respond that such is easier said than done. Yet there is a depth to Biblical faith that we often miss in contemporary culture.

Jesus’ response to Jairus, “Just have faith!” as mentioned earlier is a bit more blunt in the Greek: μόνον πίστευε (monon pisteue). πίστευε, translated as “have faith,” is a verb and here it is in the imperative mood. This could then be translated “You must have faith.” Once again, a term that we are familiar with in our culture (faith, a noun) starts as a verb in the Biblical word. In that world, πιστεύω (pisteúō) was originally understood as “trusting in another that sparked obedience in what was heard from the other,” a mouthful for sure. Biblical faith, far from being a crutch to deal with the unexplainable, is a dynamic action wherein I place the direction of my life in the hands of another person – and in this case, a Person: Jesus Christ. Yet in order to do this, ‘something’ must precede the giving of oneself over to the other. As human beings we are rightly cautious about casually and glibly ‘trusting’ another. Too much is at stake. Both Jairus and the Afflicted Woman came to knowledge of Who Jesus is, a knowledge that was more than a simple fact. They knew in the depth of their guts that Jesus was worthy of their trust. In doing so, they followed through on what He told them to do – they listened, they obeyed, they acted because they trusted the Person, Jesus.

This is the unique claim that Jesus makes in His Public Ministry and throughout the present Age of the Spirit in the Church. Jesus calls people to trust His directions for life. This trust, this Christian faith IS NOT in a body of teachings. This is not a blind, mindless naiveté or Pollyanna following of a mythical being. Christianity is trusting Jesus to lead, to guide and direct ALL aspects and dimensions of life that flows from an encounter with Him. It is in the encounter with Jesus that one comes to know – as did Jairus and the Afflicted Woman – this Person can and will do what is needed in my life now. May we have the grace of humility to obey the One we trust!

Week 12, Sunday. Evangelizing Thought of the Day.

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

23. For Jesus, the purpose of evangelization is drawing people into his intimate relationship with the Father and the Spirit. This is the primary reason for his preaching and miracles: to proclaim a salvation which, even though manifested through concrete acts of healing, is not meant to indicate a desire for social or cultural change but a profound experience, accessible to each person, of being loved by God and learning to recognize him in the face of a loving and merciful Father (cf. Lk 15). The revelation contained in his words and actions are linked to the words of the prophets. In this regard, the account of the signs performed by Jesus in the presence of the messengers of John the Baptist are emblematic, namely, signs which reveal the identity of Jesus as properly aligned with the great prophetic utterances. St. Luke the Evangelist recounts: "In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many that were blind he bestowed sight. And he answered them, 'Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them'" (Lk 7:21, 22). The words of Jesus show the full meaning of his actions in relation to the signs contained in countless biblical prophecies (cf. especially Is 29:18; 35:5,6; 42:18; 26:19; 61:1). The way Jesus treated people is to be considered an essential element of Jesus' method of evangelizing. He was able to welcome everyone, without distinction, and never exclude anyone: first, the poor, then the rich like Zacchaeus and Joseph of Arimathea; outsiders like the centurion and the Syro-Phoenician woman; the righteous, like Nathanael; and prostitutes and public sinners with whom he also sat at table. Jesus knew how to plumb the depths of a person and elicit faith in the God who first loved us (cf. 1 Jn 4:10,19), whose love always precedes us and is not dependent on our own merits, because he is love itself: "God is love" (1 Jn 4:8,16). In this manner, he sets down how the Church is to evangelize, demonstrating for her the heart of the Christian faith, namely, to believe in Love and in the face and voice of this Love, namely, Jesus Christ.
24. Jesus' evangelizing actions leads a person quite naturally to a conversion-experience. Every person is called to conversion and to faith in God's merciful love. The kingdom will grow in the manner in which each person learns to turn, in the intimacy of prayer, to God as Father (cf. Lk 11:2; Mt 23:9) and, following the example of Jesus Christ, to recognize, in a totally free manner, that the goal of life is fulfilling God's will (cf. Mt 7.21). Evangelization and the call to holiness and conversion are intricately bound together, a matter which needs to be proposed to people here and now, if they are to experience the Kingdom of God in Jesus, and, in turn, become the children of God. The Synod is expected to consider to what extent evangelization and the call to holiness and conversion are present in our communities today and how, through their interaction, they nourish the lives of our communities and produce fruit. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 1,” paragraph 23 and 24)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

Your loving mercy is better than life; my lips will speak your praise. I will bless you all my life; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul shall be filled as with a banquet; with joyful lips, my mouth shall praise you. (Psalm 63:4-6, Liturgy of the Hours: Morning Prayer).

COLLECT

O God, Who through the grace of adoption
chose us to be children of light,
grant, we pray,
that we may not be wrapped in the darkness of error
but always be seen to stand in the bright light of truth.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

The Instrumentum Laboris is making the focus of Christian living quite clear: “For Jesus, the purpose of evangelization is drawing people into his intimate relationship with the Father and the Spirit. This is the primary reason for his preaching and miracles: to proclaim a salvation which, even though manifested through concrete acts of healing, is not meant to indicate a desire for social or cultural change but a profound experience, accessible to each person, of being loved by God and learning to recognize him in the face of a loving and merciful Father (cf. Lk 15).”

Consider:

• Is this the lesson of Christianity that people get at Mass, RCIA and Religious Education?
• Why is this such a challenging lesson to so many people?

Week 12, Saturday.

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

20. This first chapter gives particular attention to this fundamental aspect of evangelization, because the responses to the Lineamenta reported a need to restate the core of the Christian faith which is unknown by many Christians. Consequently, the theological foundation of the new evangelization should not be overlooked, but forcefully and authentically stated, so as to give energy and a proper framework to the Church's evangelizing activity.
20, continued. The new evangelization must initially be seen as an opportunity to gauge the faithfulness of Christians to the mandate received from Jesus Christ. The new evangelization is also an auspicious occasion (cf. 2 Cor 6:2) to return, as an individual Christian and a community, to drink from the source of our faith, and so become more disposed to undertake the work of evangelization and testimony. Indeed, before becoming action, evangelization and testimony are two states-of-mind which, as fruits of a faith in a continual state of purification and conversion, result in our lives from an encounter with Jesus Christ, the Good News of God to humanity. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 1,” paragraph 20)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name through all the earth! Your majesty is set above the heavens. From the mouths of children and of babes you fashioned praise to foil your enemy, to silence the foe and the rebel. (Psalm 149:5-6, Liturgy of the Hours: Morning Prayer).

COLLECT

Grant, O Lord,
that we may always revere and love Your Holy Name,
for You never deprive of Your guidance
those You set firm on the foundation of Your love.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever. Amen.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

The state of Faith is bluntly expressed: “a need to restate the core of the Christian faith which is unknown by many Christians.” Naturally the question that arises, ‘what is the core of the Christian Faith?’ Wrong question! The proper question is ‘WHO is the core of the Christian Faith?’ Refer to yesterday’s citation of paragraph 19: the action of grace prepares us to be attracted to Jesus and the encounter with Him sparks metanoia – that radical transformation of mind, heart and body according to the selfless, sacrificial life of Jesus Christ. (As a short aside, the Instrumentum Laboris describes metanoia as “the state of conversion strongly urged by Jesus himself.” Metanoia in Mark 1:15 is not “strongly urged,” it is commanded by Jesus because “the Kingdom of God is at hand.” Click here to read an earlier entry describing the Kingdom of God and click here to read an earlier entry describing metanoia.)

Hence, if the core of Christian Faith is a Person (Jesus Christ), and this Person draws each and all into an encounter that sparks metanoia, is this not then the ‘plan’ for Christian living? The difficulty is that the vast majority of Christians have been taught ABOUT Jesus, and never encountered him. Divine Revelation is quite clear – meeting the Person Jesus and permitting metanoia to occur, life - by definition - becomes different. One thinks differently. One speaks differently. One acts differently – and, all of these ‘different actions’ are first and foremost the result of an encounter, not study, reading or education. Study, reading, and education are good, but if the encounter has not led to a change of heart, no amount of study, reading or education will form a person in the Person Jesus Christ.

Consider:

• How can (or does) the Church provide an environment to encounter Jesus on the global, diocesan and parish level?
• How does the core of Christian Faith - encounter the Person Jesus leading to metanoia - address the present state of Christian living?

Week 12, Friday. Solemnity: Saints Peter and Paul: Apostles. Evangelizing Thought of the Day

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

18. The Christian faith is not simply teachings, wise sayings, a code of morality or a tradition. The Christian faith is a true encounter and relationship with Jesus Christ. Transmitting the faith means to create in every place and time the conditions which lead to this encounter between the person and Jesus Christ. The goal of all evangelization is to create the possibility for this encounter, which is, at one and the same time, intimate, personal, public and communal. Pope Benedict XVI stated: "Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction. [...] Since God has first loved us (cf. 1 Jn 4:10), love is now no longer a mere 'command'; it is the response to the gift of love with which God draws near to us."[19] In the Christian faith, the encounter with Christ and the relationship with him takes place "in accordance to the Scriptures" (1 Cor 15:3, 4). The Church is formed precisely through the grace of this relationship.
19. This encounter with Jesus, through his Spirit, is the Father's great gift to humanity. We are prepared for this encounter through the action of grace in us. In such an encounter, we feel an attraction which leads to our transformation, causing us to see new dimensions to who we are and making us partakers of divine life (cf. 2 Pt 1:4). After this encounter, everything is different as a result of metanoia, that is, the state of conversion strongly urged by Jesus himself (cf. Mk 1:15). In a personal encounter with Jesus Christ, faith takes the form of a relationship with him and in remembrance of him, especially in the Eucharist and the Word of God, and creates in us the mind of Christ, through the Spirit, a mentality which makes us recognize our brothers and sisters, gathered by the Spirit in his Church, and, in turn, see ourselves as witnesses and heralds of this Gospel. This encounter equips us to do new things and witness to the transformation of our lives in the works of conversion as announced by the prophets (cf. Jer 3:6 ff; Ez 36:24-36). (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 1,” paragraphs 18 and 19)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

For the LORD takes delight in his people; He crowns the poor with salvation. Let the faithful exult in glory, and rejoice as they take their rest. (Psalm 149: 5-6, “Morning Prayer,” Liturgy of the Hours).

COLLECT

Grant, we pray, O Lord our God,
that we may be sustained by the intercession of the
blessed Apostles Peter and Paul,
that, as through them You gave Your Church
the foundations of her heavenly office,
so through them You may help her to eternal salvation.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You in the
unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

Chapter 1 of the Instrumentum Laboris marks a development from the Lineamenta. In the Lineamenta, Chapter 1 addressed the factors and concerns of present culture calling for this New Evangelization. The Instrumentum Laboris, which has briefly addressed the need for the New Evangelization in the “Introduction,” clearly shifts the focus in its first chapter to the Person Jesus Christ.

Months ago, I was invited to a parish to offer a series of 3 presentations on the Lineamenta and how the New Evangelization might impact Catholic Christian living. I recall 1 person, who seemed uncomfortable with much of what I was presenting from the Lineamenta, standing up and saying: “This talk is not Catholic.” When I inquired what aspect(s) of the presentation was not Catholic, the person responded, “All this talk of encounter, person and relationship. Catholic is about going to Church on Sunday and that’s it!” There was silence in the hall and the person left.

Admittedly, that was an extreme response and I had hoped for an opportunity to talk with the person afterwards. It did get me thinking, though, that some are finding this ‘language’ somewhat new and challenging. Some are finding the ‘language’ a welcomed development, which technically is not a development. Such has been part of the Church’s rich Tradition that certainly has application today.

Consider:

• Has religious education missed the fact that “The Christian faith is a true encounter and relationship with Jesus Christ”?
• How does the fact that “The Christian faith is a true encounter and relationship with Jesus Christ” challenge the living of the Faith today?

Week 12, Thursday. Saint Irenaeus: Bishop and Martyr. Evangelizing Thought of the Day

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

15. “Synodal discussion is expected to result in a developed and heightened treatment of the work that has taken place in the Church in recent decades. The considerable number of initiatives and documents already produced on evangelization and its renewal indicates that many particular Churches were not so much awaiting word on what to do, as seeking a place to hear about all that has been done so far. More than one response reported that simply the announcement of the topic and that work had begun on the Lineamenta caused Christian communities to feel stronger and more committed to the urgent character today of the imperative of the new evangelization, and, as a further benefit, to enjoy a sense of communion which allowed them to approach everyday challenges with a different spirit.
16. Many responses do not overlook the problem the Church is facing in the challenge of the new evangelization, namely, that the changes previously discussed not only affect the world and culture, but also herself in the first person, that is, her communities, her activities and her conception of herself. This situation, therefore, calls for a process of discernment, which can also serve as a way of responding to the current situation with greater courage and responsibility. In keeping with this idea, the Instrumentum laboris was drafted in four chapters which are useful in providing the basic content and means for fostering this reflection and discernment.” Instrumentum Laboris, “Introduction,” paragraphs 15 and 16

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

Help us, O God our savior, for the sake of the glory of your name. Free us and forgive us our sins, because of your name. (Psalm 79:9, Mass).

COLLECT

O God, Who called the Bishop Saint Irenaeus
to confirm true doctrine and
the peace of the Church,
grant, we pray, through his intercession
that, being renewed in faith and charity,
we may always be intent on fostering
unity and concord.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

As the “Introduction” of the Instrumentum Laboris comes to a close, 2 points are worth pondering. First: in many areas of the world the work of Evangelization is already well underway. Responses to the Lineamenta that helped shape the Instrumentum Laboris indicate an eagerness to listen to everyone engaged in this work and share the ‘successes’ and ‘failures,’ humanly speaking, of evangelization. Second: responses to the Lineamenta appear to indicate that the Church has much to offer – not only the world, but herself as well.

Consider:

• Is there an ‘eagerness’ about evangelization in your life and in your parish?
• What factors contribute or harm ‘an environment’ conducive for evangelization?

Week 12, Wednesday. Saint Cyril of Alexandria. Evangelizing Thought of the Day

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

10. “The idea of renewing the Church's evangelizing activity, expressed most recently in the previously mentioned decisions of Pope Benedict XVI, has a long history. This same idea inspired the teaching and apostolic ministry of Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II. In fact, the origin of the idea can be traced to the Second Vatican Council and its desire to respond to a sense of disorientation experienced by Christians facing powerful changes and divisions which the world was experiencing at that time. The Church's response was not characterized by pessimism or resignation, but the regenerating power of the universal call to salvation, desired by God for each individual.
12. In the wake of the Council, Pope Paul VI perceptively observed that the duty of evangelization needed to be proposed again with greater force and urgency, because of the de-Christianization of many ordinary people who, despite being baptized, live a life not in keeping with their Christian faith or express some kind of faith but have an imperfect knowledge of its basic tenets. An increasing number of people are sensing a need to know Jesus Christ in a different way from what they were taught as children. Faithful to conciliar teaching, Pope Paul VI added that the Church's evangelizing activity "must constantly seek the proper means and language for presenting, or representing, to them God's revelation and faith in Jesus Christ.” (Instrumentum Laboris, “Introduction,” paragraphs 10 and 12)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

My heart is ready, O God; my heart is ready. I will sing, I will sing your praise. Awake, my soul; awake, O lyre and harp. I will awake the dawn. (Psalm 108:2-3, Liturgy of the Hours, Morning Prayer).

COLLECT

O God, Who made the Bishop Saint Cyril of Alexandria
an invincible champion of the Divine Motherhood
of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary,
grant, we pray,
that we, who believe she is truly the Mother of God,
may be saved through the Incarnation of Christ Your Son.
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

Today’s selections from the Instrumentum Laboris trace the development of the New Evangelization since the time of Vatican II and through the pontificates of Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. Note once again the acknowledgement of “disorientation experienced by Christians facing powerful changes and divisions which the world was experiencing at that time.” One might argue that those unnamed “powerful changes and divisions” have gotten only stronger since the close of the Council and have ramped up the need for an urgent response... the Council’s antidote: the universal call to salvation.

Consider:

• What do you consider to be powerful changes and divisions threatening the life of faith?
• How and why does the universal call to salvation [and holiness] address these changes and divisions?