It is often said that “modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, or if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are also witnesses” (Saint Paul VI). This poses a fundamental question for Christians: are good works alone sufficient to fully bear witness to the faith?
The history of salvation teaches us a profound truth: for humanity to know and believe in Jesus Christ, the Gospel must be proclaimed explicitly. This verbal and direct proclamation lies at the very heart of the Church’s mission, for it unveils God’s salvific plan and invites each person into a personal encounter with Christ.
The Second Vatican Council, in Ad Gentes, emphasizes this necessity: “Missionary activity is nothing else and nothing less than the manifestation of God’s plan, its epiphany and realization in the world and in history” (AG 9). Without the explicit announcement of Christ, humanity would never have known the mystery of the Incarnation, Redemption, and the life of the Trinity.
Certainly, good works find their true significance within the mystery of Christ. Saint James reminds us that “faith without works is dead” (Jas 2:26), yet this presupposes prior knowledge of that faith. How could the early Christians have understood the profound meaning of charity without Christ’s teaching on love for one’s neighbor? The “new commandment” (Jn 13:34) infuses works of mercy with their distinctly Christian dimension. While acts of charity prepare hearts, it is the Word that must be proclaimed. Without this proclamation, Christianity risks being reduced to benevolent humanism, stripped of its salvific dimension.
As Saint John Paul II affirms in Redemptoris Missio: “Proclamation always holds a permanent priority in mission. The Church cannot evade the explicit mandate of Christ; she cannot deprive men of the Good News that they are loved by God and saved by Him. ‘Evangelization will always contain – as the foundation, center, and summit of its dynamism – a clear proclamation that in Jesus Christ […] salvation is offered to all people, as a gift of God’s grace and mercy.’ All forms of missionary activity are directed toward this proclamation, which unveils and draws people into the mystery hidden for ages but now revealed in Christ (cf. Eph 3:3–9; Col 1:25–29). This mystery lies at the heart of the Church’s mission and life, forming the axis of all evangelization” (RM 44).
The explicit proclamation of salvation in Christ reveals to humanity its condition as sinners and the need for redemption. The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms: “God wills that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (CCC 851). This knowledge necessarily entails the explicit announcement of Christ, the sole mediator between God and humanity (1 Tim 2:5).
In conclusion, good works are essential to Christian witness, embodying the love and compassion taught by Jesus Christ. Yet it is vital to acknowledge that such actions, while indispensable, are insufficient to fully reveal the mystery of Christ. Good works cannot replace the explicit proclamation of the Gospel. Without proclaiming the name of Jesus, explaining the Paschal mystery, and unveiling the love of the Trinity, humanity would never grasp the fullness of God’s salvific plan. As Saint Paul declares: “Faith comes from hearing” (Rom 10:17); “How can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Rom 10:14).
This essential truth reminds us that the Church—comprising all Christians united with their Lord—must always integrate charitable action with the explicit proclamation of Christ, the sole Savior of the world.
Pierre-Alain Giffard, Director of Pastoral Work
Email: pierre.alain.giffard@gmail.com
Articles on evangelization and parish revitalization:
- Evangelizing Through Healing: Manifesting God’s Loving Presence
- The Parable of the Wise Landowner
- Extraordinary Signs in Extraordinary Times
- The Evangelizing Message of Medjugorje
- The distinction between proselytism and authentic evangelization
- What God Needs from Us Is Love, Reconciliation, and a Spirit of Forgiveness
- Evangelization: A Collaborative Mission of Love
- Prayer and Service that Finds Favor With God
- The Transformative Power of Love
- The Evangelization Power of Prayer and Love for God
- Everyday Evangelization
- Every Act of Love is Evangelization
- Loving Jesus and Making Him Loved
- Embracing a Lifestyle of Worship and Praise
- A Prayer for Divine Healing and Restoration
- Factors That Have Proven to Attract People to Christ
- Evangelization: Finding Life and Giving Life
- The Eucharist: Source And Summit of All Evangelization
- Practical Steps for Reaching the Unchurched
- Bible Sharing Guide for Small Groups: A Synodal Approach
- Bringing People to Christ by Inspiring Love and Praise for God
- Proclaiming God’s Word: A Sacred Call
- From Decline to Renewal: The Transformation of New Life Church–Farmington
- The Church’s Social Doctrine and Evangelization
- Kindness: A Christian Perspective
- How to Bring Someone to Christ
- The Ultimate Purpose of Human Life – Glorifying God
- From Near-Death to New Life: A Rural Church’s Revitalization Journey
- Evangelization simply: “Taste and see that the LORD is good!” (Psalm 34:8)
- Revitalization of Rural Churches
- Attracting Converts to the Catholic Faith
- Addressing Low Attendance in Churches
- Fostering a Sacred Atmosphere during the Sunday Mass
- Prayer to be baptized in the Holy Spirit
- Jesus is Thirsty for Souls
- Praying And Sharing The Good News With God’s Redemptive Names
- Embracing the Call to Evangelize
- What is Most Pleasing to God? Bringing Souls to Christ
- The Growth of the Church of the Nativity (Fr. Michael White)
- Deliverance Prayer, by Fr. Stephen J. Rossetti (AUDIO – mp3)
- The Growth of Saint Benedict Parish (Fr. James Mallon)
- Five Pillars of the Christian Life
- Encountering Christ: The Path to Transformation
- What does it mean to have a personal relationship with Jesus?
- Unleashing The Evangelization Potential of Your Parish
- The Ultimate Goal of Evangelization
- God’s Longing for Love and our Mission to Make it Known
- 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
