In his Encyclical Letter Evangelii gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), Pope Francis comments that “every Christian is challenged, here and now, to be actively engaged in sharing the Good News of the Gospel, to Evangelize.” (no. 120).
At the end of the Easter season, we heard Jesus say, “go and make disciples of all nations” by baptizing them and teaching them to observe all that He commanded. Note that Jesus didn’t simply direct the Apostles to baptize and to teach, but to foster the actual observance of His commandments in the life of the community.
Baptism is essential because it’s the means by which God comes to dwell in us and we in Him. That indwelling unites us in sharing Jesus’ life and work as members of His Body, but our participation, our communion in Christ’s life within the Church is the next important step. Being actively engaged in sharing the Good News of the Gospel is intimately linked with the ongoing conversion of mind and heart by which we are transformed and purified. All of this allows us to enter more fully into Christ’s life and to become a means of bringing His life to others.
Let us pray. “Loving God, may your Son live in us so that we might become the living Temple of your glory. Free us to worship you in spirit and in truth – so that we might live with love and gratitude and bear abundant fruit, through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
