Evangelization, at its core, is more than simply proclaiming doctrines or sharing beliefs; it is about a profound and personal encounter with Jesus Christ and the desire to make Him known and loved by others. This mission is grounded in the greatest commandment given by Christ: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). To evangelize is to embody this twofold love—loving Jesus intimately and, in turn, spreading that love to others.
Love as the Foundation of Evangelization
The essential foundation of evangelization is the love of Jesus Christ. Pope Benedict XVI expressed this clearly in Deus Caritas Est, where he said, “Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction” (Deus Caritas Est, 1). This encounter with Jesus is transformative and leads to an outpouring of love that seeks to reach others. Saint Paul echoed this experience in his letter to the Galatians, saying, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). The love of Christ compels us to go beyond ourselves, to share the joy of this encounter with those who have not yet experienced it.
The saints, as prime examples of evangelizers, often highlight this intimate connection between loving Jesus and sharing His love with others. St. Thérèse of Lisieux, a Doctor of the Church, expressed it beautifully when she said, “My vocation is love!” Her entire mission in life was to love Jesus fervently and to help others experience that same love. She understood that evangelization starts in the heart and that the most effective way to lead others to Christ is through genuine love, prayer, and sacrifice.
Evangelization Rooted in Witness
Evangelization, therefore, begins with personal witness. The Gospel of John tells us the story of the woman at the well who, after encountering Jesus, ran to tell the townspeople, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did” (John 4:29). Her personal encounter with Jesus transformed her, and she naturally wanted to share this encounter with others. This model of evangelization is essential: it is not just about imparting theological knowledge, but about sharing the love and joy that comes from knowing Christ personally.
The Second Vatican Council’s Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity (Apostolicam Actuositatem) emphasizes that laypeople, through their daily lives, are called to evangelize by being witnesses to Christ in their families, workplaces, and communities. The document states the laity seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and by ordering them according to the plan of God. They live in the midst of the world, and they are called by God to contribute to the sanctification of the world from within, like leaven (Apostolicam Actuositatem, 2). This means that evangelization is not confined to formal preaching or missions; rather, it permeates every aspect of daily life when we live out our love for Jesus authentically.
The Role of the Magisterium
The Church, through its Magisterium, has continuously emphasized that evangelization is central to her mission. In Evangelii Nuntiandi, Pope St. Paul VI taught that evangelization is the “grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity” (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 14). The Church exists to evangelize, to make Christ known to the ends of the earth. The Magisterium teaches that the methods of evangelization may change over time, but the content—the love of Jesus Christ—remains constant.
Pope Francis, in his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), echoes this, calling for a “missionary conversion” in the Church, where every baptized person is called to be an evangelizer: “All the baptized, whatever their position in the Church or their level of instruction in the faith, are agents of evangelization” (Evangelii Gaudium, 120). He calls Christians to approach this mission with joy, saying that “an evangelizer must never look like someone who has just come back from a funeral” (Evangelii Gaudium, 10). The joy of loving Jesus is contagious, and it should be the hallmark of evangelization.
Love, the Heart of the Mission
The heart of evangelization is love, both for Jesus and for others. St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) embodied this beautifully. She often spoke of how her work was not simply about providing for the material needs of the poor, but about showing them the love of Christ. “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love,” she famously said. This love, expressed in concrete acts of kindness and mercy, becomes a powerful form of evangelization.
Jesus’ words to His disciples remain the guiding light for evangelization today: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). True evangelization flows from a heart deeply in love with Christ and translates into actions that reveal His love to the world.
Conclusion
In sum, evangelization is the natural response of a heart that loves Jesus Christ. It is not merely about speaking words or teaching doctrines but about living in such a way that others see Christ’s love in and through us. As we grow in our love for Jesus, our desire to make Him known and loved by others deepens. This is the essence of the Christian mission, to love Jesus and, in turn, to make Him loved. Evangelization, therefore, is not just a task but a way of life that draws others to encounter the living Christ.
Pierre-Alain Giffard, Director of Pastoral Work
Articles on evangelization and parish revitalization:
- 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