This is Part Five of a Five-Part Series on evangelization by Archbishop John Myers. To read Part I, click here, for Part II, click here, for Part III, click here and for Part IV, click here.
As we seek to transform the lives of others, we should be mindful that all of us, bishops, priests, deacons, religious, laity, have the responsibility to transform our lives so that our actions and activities will be directed to the goal of showing the mystery of Christ and his Church to all whom we encounter.
Our ministry of re-evangelization begins with our own personal renewal, our own re-dedication to the Gospel. "Without doubt a mending of the Christian fabric of society is urgently needed in all parts of the world. But for this to come about what is needed is to first remake the Christian fabric of the ecclesial community itself present in these countries and nations" (Christifideles laici, 34). Open to the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and living the message of Christ, we will be able to show Christ to the world as the "Way, the Truth, and the Life."
Filled with the Holy Spirit, we Christians should never tire of offering prayer and sacrifices to God and advocating that others do likewise. However, I am afraid that we, including bishops, do not speak enough about the efficacy of prayer and sacrifices offered to God. But Scripture constantly witnesses to its importance. Jesus Himself fasted and prayed. He told his disciples that some demons could only be cast out by fasting and prayer. Paul specifically asked for prayers for his mission.
An excellent modern example of this kind of spiritual cooperation is St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, the "Little Flower." Because of her love and dedication to prayer and suffering offered for the missions, she is rightly proclaimed as co-patroness of the missions although she was never sent to them. I ask all the faithful of the Archdiocese to be men and women of deep prayer and particularly ask you to pray and sacrifice for the successful spread of the Gospel in our local Church and throughout the world.
This year has been proclaimed by John Paul II as the Year of the Eucharist. Every Sunday, the Risen Christ asks us to meet Him once more in the Upper Room where, on the evening of "the first day of the week" (John 20:19) he appeared to his disciples in order to "breathe" on them his life-giving Spirit and launch them on the great adventure of proclaiming the Gospel.
What a privilege this is! To be with the Lord and one another, to hear His word, to receive Him in the Eucharist, and to worship together as one family.
This privilege demands to be shared. Love compels us to attempt to extend our communion. We might not be successful in our efforts. That is relatively unimportant. Success is not a Gospel term. After all, we follow a crucified Savior. In the words of our Holy Father:
"Let us go forward in hope!…We can count on the power of the same Spirit who was poured out at Pentecost and who impels us still today to start out anew, sustained by the hope 'which does not disappoint'" (Romans 5:5). (Novo millennio ineunte, 58) Hope does not disappoint. We will "set out into the deep" with the Lord to bring Him to others.
The Risen Jesus accompanies us on our way and enables us to recognize Him, as the disciples at Emmaus did, "in the breaking of the bread" (Luke 24:35). Their hearts burned with love as they listened to Jesus teaching them the meaning of the Scriptures. May He find us watchful, ready to recognize His face and may we run to our brothers and sisters with the good news: "We have seen the Lord!" (John 20:25).
