“The heart of Jesus aches for the lost — for every soul wandering in darkness, unaware of His love. His is a heart that seeks, pursues, and never gives up, burning with mercy and longing to bring each one home to the Father.”
To understand evangelization in its deepest sense is to come close to the heart of Jesus. Evangelization is not simply a program, strategy, or duty; it is first and foremost a response to the cry of Love—a Love that aches, burns, and longs for the return of every lost child of the Father. Without a deep communion with this heart, evangelization becomes a task rather than a mission of love. Only those who have encountered the pierced Heart of the Shepherd can speak authentically of Him and draw others to His embrace.
The Heart of Jesus in Scripture
The Gospels reveal a Jesus who is moved with compassion (Mt 9:36; Mk 6:34; Lk 7:13). The Greek word used—splagchnizomai—expresses a visceral, gut-wrenching emotion. When Jesus sees the crowds, harassed and helpless “like sheep without a shepherd,” He is not indifferent. His heart is stirred. He weeps over Jerusalem (Lk 19:41-44), laments the hardness of hearts (Mk 3:5), and tells of a Father who runs toward the prodigal son (Lk 15:20). This is not the distant love of a detached deity. It is a love that feels, that suffers, that bleeds.
On the Cross, the very heart of Jesus is pierced (Jn 19:34), and from it flows blood and water—the signs of the Church’s birth, the sacraments of mercy. Pope Benedict XVI, in Deus Caritas Est, writes, “The pierced side of Christ is the source from which flows the Church’s whole life” (DCE §25). Evangelization is born at the foot of the Cross, in the presence of this open Heart.
The Magisterium: Evangelization as a Work of Love
The Second Vatican Council’s Ad Gentes teaches that “the Church is missionary by her very nature” (§2). This mission flows not from obligation, but from the overflowing love of God revealed in Christ. St. Paul VI, in Evangelii Nuntiandi, states clearly: “Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity” (§14). Yet he also insists: “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers… if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses” (§41). And what makes a witness credible? A heart conformed to Christ’s.
St. John Paul II deepens this in Redemptoris Missio, proclaiming that missionary activity “is the greatest and holiest duty of the Church” (§63), and yet he continually returns to love as the animating force. The missionary is someone who has first allowed herself to be evangelized by the burning love of Christ. Without this inner fire, our words become hollow and our witness weak.
Pope Francis echoes this in Evangelii Gaudium, calling all Christians to be “missionary disciples,” driven not by fear or pressure but by joy and love: “When the Church summons Christians to take up the task of evangelization, she is simply pointing to the source of authentic personal fulfillment” (§10). The evangelizer is not a hired worker, but a friend of the Bridegroom, one who has heard the heartbeat of Jesus and cannot remain silent.
Understanding the Ache of Christ
To understand the ache in Jesus’ heart is to see the world as He sees it—not as a battlefield of ideologies, but as a field of lost sheep. The ache is not frustration but love; not condemnation but longing. He aches because He loves. He searches because He cares. His mission is always to seek and save the lost (Lk 19:10). Those who are most far off, those hidden in darkness, those who feel least deserving—these are the ones His heart longs for the most.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church, captured this well when she wrote: “Jesus does not demand great actions from us but simply surrender and gratitude.” Her missionary zeal—though she never left her convent—was born of intimate union with the Heart of Jesus. In her love and prayer for sinners, she revealed that true evangelization begins with union, not action.
Becoming Evangelizers After His Heart
To evangelize, then, is not first to speak, but to love. It is to sit at the feet of the Master, to listen to His heartbeat, and to weep with Him over the lost. Only then can our words carry the fragrance of heaven. The saints, the greatest evangelizers in history, were not skilled strategists or eloquent speakers. They were men and women who burned with the same fire that consumed the heart of Christ.
In prayer, in adoration, in the Sacraments—especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation—we encounter this Heart again and again. It is there that we learn what God really wants: that all may be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4). Everything else in the Church exists to serve this end. All theology, all liturgy, all community life—all are oriented toward the salvation of souls.
Conclusion
Those who understand the heart of Jesus will evangelize, because they will carry His burden, speak His words, and reflect His mercy. The world does not need more noise; it needs love. The kind of love that bleeds, that forgives, that never gives up. This is the love of the Sacred Heart. This is the source of the Church’s mission. And this is what God really wants: that His Son may be known, loved, and followed by every heart on earth.
Pierre-Alain Giffard, Director of Pastoral Work
Email: pierre.alain.giffard@gmail.com
Book on parish revitalization and gowth:
- BOOK – Revive and Thrive: Transforming Parishes into Mission Driven Communities provides a blueprint to breathe new life into parish communities and engage in the core principles of evangelization and disciple-making.
Articles on evangelization and parish revitalization:
- Understanding the Charismatic Renewal within Catholic Theology
- Evangelization: A Call to Live the Gospel
- A Self-Assessment Tool for Discerning Your Evangelization Style
- Discerning Your Role in Evangelization and Renewal
- Following Christ: A Blessing or a Burden?
- A Prayer for God’s Miracles in Every Situation
- Visions, Prophecies, and Divine Messages: A Call for Discernment
- Key Takeaways for Evangelization
- Grace and Common Sense
- The Message of Jesus: An Invitation to New Life
- Planting Seeds of Faith and Hope
- Go Forth with Joy: Faith That Inspires
- A Virtuous Circle of Evangelization
- The concept of the “Good News”
- Love as the Heart of Church Life and Mission
- The Spirit of Spiritual Conversation: A Path to Transformation
- Prayer for When We Feel Lost
- How to Share Your Faith with Others
- Love and Time
- Evangelization: Sharing the Joy, Peace, and Hope of Christ
- Priestly Leadership in Evangelization
- Café evangelization at the University of Mary Washington
- Evangelization: A Living Testament of God’s Love
- Living in The Joy of The Gospel
- In The Beginning Was the Word: The Primary Role of Scriptures in Evangelization
- One-Phrase Evangelization
- Asking Each Day for the Grace to Help Someone
- The Parish as an Expression of God’s Love for the World
- If no one speaks, no one will know
- 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
