As Christians, we are called to be evangelizers – to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others so that they may come to know Him and experience the transformative power of His love and salvation. As Jesus commands in Matthew 28:19, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.”
But what is the driving force behind our evangelization efforts? The answer lies in the profound words of Jesus Himself from the cross: “I thirst” (John 19:28). These two simple words carry a profound depth of meaning that extends far beyond mere physical thirst. When Jesus says “I thirst,” He is expressing an insatiable longing for the salvation of every human soul, as Pope Benedict XVI explained, “These words refer…to the ardent longing for the salvation of souls.” (November 18, 2006)
This thirst of Jesus is rooted in His immense love for humanity. As the Good Shepherd, He longs to gather every lost sheep into His flock, to heal the brokenhearted, and to give rest to the weary, fulfilling His words, “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). His thirst is a manifestation of His merciful heart, which yearns to embrace each and every one of us with the boundless compassion of the Father.
When we evangelize, we become partners in quenching this thirst of Jesus. Each time we share the gospel message, we are offering a refreshing drink of living water to those who are spiritually parched, longing for meaning, and searching for the purpose that can only be found in Christ, “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6).
Our evangelization efforts are a response to the burning desire of Jesus, a desire that should ignite a corresponding flame within our own hearts. Evangelization extends an invitation to encounter the One who can satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart. It is about being bearers of hope, joy, and life in a world that is often parched by despair, emptiness, and death – offering “a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14).
So let us take up the call to evangelize with renewed fervor, motivated by the thirst of Jesus for the salvation of every soul. Let us be instruments of His love, guiding others to the living waters that flow from His pierced side, quenching their spiritual thirst, and leading them to the eternal life that He so desperately desires for all in fulfillment of His words, “Whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst” (John 4:14).
Pierre-Alain Giffard
Articles on evangelization and parish revitalization:
- 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
