Recently, in the world of our Catholic faith, you have heard and read some words and phrases that I hope have captured your attention. Words and phrases like “new evangelization,” “missionary disciples,” and “welcoming communities.” Our diocese unites with the whole United States and world as we look for new and appropriate ways to meet Christ in one another. Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis and popes before them have all used these terms as they evaluated the status of the Catholic Church and Catholic faith in the world.

      People are changed when they use worldly criteria to measure success. Subsequently, the people whose lives were once ruled by a deep trust in God, in the Church, in the Sacraments, and in traditional beliefs and values are now being drawn to different values. Their lives are now measured by wealth, power, material possessions, use of technology and social media, and an emphasis upon the individual over community. None of those things are evil in themselves. However, if we are enslaved to these criteria, how will we account for our relationship with God, our relationships with each other? How will we have time and space in our lives for encountering Christ and bringing Christ to others for them to meet? How will evangelize and welcome?

      The whole Church is being invited to bring greater attention to the Good News of Jesus Christ. Remember, the Good News is that “the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them,” (Luke 7:22). 

      We are being asked to intensify our own awareness of the impact of the Gospel on our lives and share that impact with others. We cannot expect that passive and subtle efforts are enough. It is no longer sufficient to say: “they grew up in a Catholic family so everything will be fine.” The influence of other beliefs, philosophies and traditions has eroded the faith in the lives of many. We need to help strengthen the foundations of faith once again. We are called to announce the Good News by our lives!

      So, I repeat: how will we prepare ourselves to share the faith, to welcome others to the faith, and raise up a new generation of believers who know Christ and share him with others? 

Peace, Fr. Andy