THE SYNOD’S CALL: A NEW EVANGELIZATION

FEBRUARY 11, 2007

Our First Diocesan Synod has called upon us to launch a new evangelization designed to evangelize those whom we have baptized and with them to evangelize the Rio Grande Valley. Last week, I spoke about our Plan to enable all the baptized to receive the other Sacraments of Initiation (Confirmation and Eucharist). I now invite them and all the baptized to make a firm commitment to the New Evangelization, a notion first introduced by Pope John Paul II, of happy memory. Doing so, you will embrace and make your own the mission of Jesus Christ, himself; a mission which he entrusted to the whole Church.
As Catholics we have always evangelized, but perhaps we have not identified it as such. When did we first learn of Jesus? Who taught us our first prayers? Who passed on their faith to us? To whom are we passing on our faith? Over the centuries the Catholic faith has been handed down from generation to generation. This is evangelization.
Two thousand years ago, speaking to his followers, Jesus urged the whole church to carry out his evangelizing mission in the great commission: “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. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of time” (Mt 28:18-20). These words have the same force today! The great mystery by which we have been saved from sin and death is the good news that the Lord entrusted to us. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (John 3:16). In a nutshell, the good news is that God loves us, that he sent his Son to save us, and that Jesus suffered death on the Cross, so that we might have life with God.
Today, we are called to be disciples. We have heard this call through the writings of recent popes and the bishops of our country. Twenty-five years ago, Pope Paul VI proclaimed: “We wish to confirm, once more, that the task of evangelizing all people constitutes the essential mission of the church. Evangelization is, in fact, the grace and vocation proper to the church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize. . .” (EN,14). Pope John Paul II called for a new evangelization “new in its ardor, new methods and new expression…” (EC, 66).
In response to the papal call, the bishops of the United States, in Go and Make Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in the United States, urge parishes to equip all the baptized -- young and old alike -- to live the Gospel fully and to share it freely. The bishops' plan gives Catholics the vision of a church that renews the faith of its members, reaches out to others and transforms society to Gospel values. The three goals to believe, to share and to transform will enable us to accomplish our mission as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. The purpose of Go and Make Disciples is to bring the good news of Jesus into every human situation, seeking to convert individuals and society by the divine power of the gospel (cf. GMD, #10).
The Holy Spirit, who is at work in the heart of every person, is the principal agent of evangelization. The Spirit, the first gift of the risen Christ to his people, gives us both the ability to receive the Gospel of Jesus and the power to proclaim it. Above all, the Gospel must be proclaimed by living our lives in accord with the faith we profess. Our relationships and everyday activities in our families, workplaces and society are to be shaped by Gospel values. We witness as an evangelizing community when we gather around the table of the Lord and when we reach out to those in need.
All of us who have been given the gift of faith are called to freely share this gift with others. Let us tell others how God is acting in our lives. Let us share the Gospel with those who have no church community, and with those who have distanced themselves from the Catholic community. Let us also extend a hand of welcome to those seeking full communion with the Catholic Church. As we proclaim the Gospel by sharing our faith, let us do so in the spirit of dialogue, with respect and concern for others. Let us listen and be open to how God is working in the other person’s life. Our approach must be gentle, inviting and non-threatening. We will not proselytize, we will not manipulate, and we will not pressure anyone. Evangelization is sharing the Good News that we have experienced and inviting others to join us.
Over the next three weekends your parish will invite you to sign up and join a small faith sharing group. The small groups will meet weekly during the six weeks of Lent, in the parish facilities or in private homes, to reflect on the readings from the previous Sunday’s Mass. Trained facilitators will provide materials for each participant, in English or Spanish. Through these sessions the word of God will come alive in your everyday life. You will learn more about scripture and about our faith, and you will have an opportunity to meet some wonderful fellow parishioners. Thus, you will build up the Body of Christ.
In brief, what, then, are we trying to accomplish through this initiative? The goal of catholic evangelization, during this Lent, is to invite individuals to believe in Jesus Christ; to enfold the believer in the sacramental and communal life of the church; and, then, to enable, inspire and support a lifetime of full discipleship.
Other pastoral strategies which are part of Disciples in Mission are: reaching out to the un-baptized, reaching out to the baptized but inactive Catholic, reaching out to the marginalized, and visiting the homes of our parishioners. These will follow as we pursue this three-year program. (For additional information, please contact our diocesan office {956} 550-1556, or visit our website at: www.cdob.org .)
May our blessed mother Mary, the first disciple and evangelizer, guide our work as we re-commit ourselves to the New Evangelization in the Rio Grande Valley.

+Bishop Raymundo J. Peña

last updated 05-Jun-2008 9:48 sitemap