20 April 2025 #spreadtheJOY!
It has been a while since I’ve written directly on the topic of evangelization, even though that’s my job title. Over the course of Lent I’ve (hopefully) given you things to ponder, thoughts about how to develop intimacy with Jesus, and suggestion on living your faith out loud. I’ve given you my witness and reflection on Jesus’ words in order that it might inspire your own faith journey.
That’s what it means to evangelize.
I know it’s Easter and we’ll have a number of folks in the pews who aren’t “church mice” (a sweet way of saying those who practically live here), so things look awesome. And yet, we have a crisis in the Church: for each person who steps into the faith, eight choose to walk away. They give any number of reasons; they don’t like this teaching or that priest, someone was rude and they felt unwelcomed, the music wasn’t their style, or the preaching was meh … and anyway, they’re doing just fine without Jesus. Life is good and the weekends are full. It’s not that they aren’t decent people doing nice work. They just aren’t taking the road less traveled, the one paved with grace and Goodness, trust and Truth, simplicity and the Sacraments… the path built upon a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
That last part sounds so “protestant,” I know.
But the folks who walk away haven’t heard the gentle sound of Jesus’ voice, or felt the palpable presence of the Holy Spirit, or experienced the deeplove of God the Father. They don’t get that Jesus is fully present in the Eucharist (mystery!), what the Bible has to say about their daily actions (plenty!), or why a life with Jesus is better than a life without (JOY!). They don’t think about Jesus’ resurrection as a life-changing and world-altering event. They don’t know they are individually loved and intimately beloved.
It’s not their fault. In fact, it’s our fault.
You see, if Jesus was just an itinerant preacher we wouldn’t have his words today. If he was just a teacher, we might attach his name to a theory. If he was just a great guy wrongly convicted of a crime, people in other countries wouldn’t give their lives confessing allegiance to Him. But Jesus is the Son of God, capable of bestowing miracles, healing hearts, and claiming souls! He is both Creator of the Universe (vast) and created our inmost being (intimate). Nothing escapes his gentle touch.
So why don’t we share that news?
Mary of Magdala, Simon Peter, and John the Beloved all go to the tomb and find it empty. JESUS IS RISEN! All that he taught, all that he said, all that he did takes on new meaning! He wouldn’t just be there for them in 33 AD, he would be here for us in 2025. The world was redeemed in the, past, present, and future. All was anointed and graced. Jesus’ love, grace, and friendship are available to everyone. Mary, Peter, John, and Paul couldn’t wait to share that Good News with everyone they met. Will you share the Good News?
A blessed Easter to you and your families.
#spreadtheJOY!