I dream of a “missionary option”, that is, a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything, so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today’s world rather than for her self-preservation. Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 27 Yesterday, inspired by the great work…
On Evangelization
When Evangelization Feels Like Proselytization, It Probably Is
For many people, “evangelization” is a scary word. It gives them a weird feeling in their stomach and it basically flies in the face of contemporary culture. Many people view evangelization (sharing the message and experience of Jesus Christ) with proselytization (attempts to persuade people to join a religion). As a catechist, teacher, and evangelizer,…
Evangelism Needs Living Saints
My friend Marc Cardaronella just posted a tweet that really got me thinking. He said: The problem with our evangelization is that we don’t have enough living Saints. — Marc Cardaronella (@MCardaronella) April 24, 2013 First, let me say that he is absolutely right. We need more saints who are living saints–people who live saintly…
A Remarkable Catholicism
Did you know that Office Depot was ranked #1 in customer service last year? They even beat out Nordstrums. That’s what the manager at Office Depot told me this afternoon. If it’s true (and it doesn’t appear to be) then that’s pretty remarkable. I don’t recall ever visiting a Nordstrum store, but since he mentioned…
Jesus Never Said “Go, therefore, and make Catholics of all nations.”
. . . and he didn’t say “Go, therefore, and make Christians of all nations.” In fact, look closely at the New Testament. You won’t find the word “catholic” at all. You’ll see the word “Christian” for the first time in the book of Acts, referring to the community of Antioch where the people there…
