God’s heart overflows with love and longing for all. His great compassion compelled Him to send Jesus, His Son, into the world to seek and save the lost. Even when mankind turned away, God’s heart kept burning with perfect love. “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” (John 3:16).
God desires deeply for relationships, not just obedience. His heart cries out, “How often I have longed to gather your children together!” (Matthew 23:37). The Father waits expectantly for the return of prodigal sons, ready to lavish forgiveness and celebrate extravagantly when they come home. Everything about God reveals His passionate heart for the lost.
The parable resonates within the human spirit, touching upon our shared experience of longing and reconciliation. We were made for a relationship with God, crafted in His image. Though we often wander lost in lesser loves, God still sees us, loves us, and tirelessly calls us to know Him. When we hear His voice and come home, He celebrates extravagantly!
The yearning of God’s heart extends to all people, reflecting His boundless love and unwavering desire for reconciliation. Despite any reluctance or resistance, God persistently calls all His children to return to Him.
As believers, we are called to make God’s love known to the world and share the Good News of His great mercy. God’s divine heart overflows with compassion for every soul He relentlessly pursues. Jesus expressed His thirst for souls on the cross, longing for each person to accept His love and grace.
Striving to fulfill God’s longing for love, we act as ambassadors of Christ. Our commission remains bringing the Good News to those who have turned away from God or who have not yet come to know Him. Following the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we seek out the lost sheep so that each one may receive God’s love and eternal Life.
Pierre-Alain Giffard
Other articles on evangelization and parish revitalization:
- A prayer for those whom we wish to encounter Christ
- Memorable Sundays
- Fr. Bedard’s Three-Step Blueprint for Evangelisation
- Guide for The Missionary Transformation of Parishes
- Divine Encounters: A Practical Guide for Small Evangelization Groups
- The Missionary Transformation of Sant’Eustorgio Parish
- Creating Vibrant Faith Communities: Insights from ‘Excellent Catholic Parishes’
- Sharing The Gospel According to People’s Needs And Receptivity
- A Prayer for Inviting Others to Evangelization Meetings and Services
- Welcoming Church Guests and Visitors: Dos and Don’ts
- Various Dimensions of Evangelization
- The True Measure of Success
- Pope Francis on Evangelization
- Revitalizing the Rural Parish for Mission
- Factors Leading to Christian Conversion
- Evangelizing Through Random Acts of Kindness
- Questions To Start Spiritual Conversations
- Three Feet From Gold
- Spreading the Gospel One Act at a Time
- Gather, Witness and Invite
- Prayer to Receive the Spiritual Gifts of The Holy Spirit
- The Language of Evangelization
- Key Factors for Parish Growth According to Rich Birch
- How to defeat Satan?
- Bringing Love, Hope and Healing Through the Gospel
- Love: Our Fundamental Vocation
- Touched by the Master
- A Man, a Dog, and the Ultimate Love
- The essence of evangelization: Loving God and our neighbours
- Loving Our Enemies and Reconciling with Others
- A Powerful Prayer for Healing: You Are The LORD Who Heals Me
- Living a Life of Love: Mother Teresa’s Legacy
- Living a Life of Love: Lessons from the New Testament
- In The Shadows Of Darkness, A Powerful Force Is At Work
- 19 Pastoral Orientations for Parish Renewal and Growth
- The Missionary Renewal of Catechesis
- Characteristics of missionary parishes
- Powerful healing prayer attributed to St. Padre Pio
- We are called to share our faith with others
- Should we seek to grow the Church?
- Find a Need and Fill It – Revealing God’s Heart in the Community
- 15 Habits to Evangelize on a Daily Basis
- The Church’s Mission
- Three Barriers to Building An Invitational Culture In Your Parish
- The Relational Evangelizer
- Doing Church at Home
- The Blind Girl
- A Group of Frogs
- The Elephant Rope
- A Shared Faith is a Growing Faith
- In The Shoes Of The Unchurched
- Parish Evangelizing Cells
- Six Unique Features of Missional Parishes
- Steps Towards Becoming A Missional Parish
- What Is Evangelization, And How Should It Be Carried Out?
- Discussion And Self-Assessment Questions For Parish Evangelization
- A Missional Church Is A Church That Prays
- The Jesus Prayer: A Method To Pray At All Times
- What can help children raised Catholic continue practicing the faith as adults?
- An Example of a Missionary Parish: Phoenix First Assembly of God
- Satan’s Tactics
- Learning to Be a Missionary
- When we cry out to God, he answers
- Presence and Proclamation
- Saving those who are lost
- Saint-Nazaire Parish: The story of a missionary transformation
- Small Groups and Evangelization
- Evangelizing By Inviting People To Receive Jesus As Lord And Saviour
- You Will Receive Power…
- Have You Heard About the Law of Three Hearings and Seven Touches?
- Three Habits of a Fruitful Christian Life
