Without a doubt, the aforementioned are crucial to why a parish exists. However, the raison d’etre, the very reason for parish exisitence, is to evenagleise, which means attracting or winning others to the Gospel and the way of Christ.
Now, many protest that they don’t want to force their faith down anyones throat or be overly enthusiastic, as this can be rather off-putting. Indeed, proselytising (attempting to convert someone from one religion to another) isn’t recommended either. Pope Francis said, ‘Never, never bring the Gospel by proselytising. If someone says they are a disciple of Jesus and comes to you with proselytism, they are not a disciple of Jesus.’
So, how do we evangelise? Today’s reading sheds light on this because the first thing to understand is that the workers are few but the harvest is plentiful. We’re the workers, ordinary believers, who live in the harvest field and rub shoulders with our relatives, work colleagues and friends every day. We can win others by the power of witness, the light we shine, the joy we bring, and the way we share or explain our faith.
Pope St John Paul II said: ‘Being a Christian has never been easy… Following Christ demands the courage of radical choices, which often means going against the stream. “We are Christ!” Augustine explained. The martyrs and witnesses of faith yesterday and today, including many lay faithful, show that, if necessary, we must not hesitate to give even our lives for Jesus Christ.’
May our parishes be witnesses of joy! May they overflow with the warm welcome and authentic, joyful worship of God! This is evangelisation.
‘Dear lay faithful. As witnesses to Christ, you are…called to bring the light of the Gospel to the vital nerve centres of society. You are called to be prophets of Christian hope and apostles of the One “who is…who was and who is to come, the Almighty!” (Pope St John Paul II)
