In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus sends his followers on a mission: “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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20). This is the Great Commission which makes clear that Christians are called to spread the Good News and help others come to know and follow Jesus Christ.
Pope Paul VI echoed this truth in his Apostolic exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, writing “We wish to confirm once more that the task of evangelizing all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church… Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize” (no. 14). Leading individuals to Christ lies at the core of the Church’s purpose and identity.
The eternal salvation of souls should be the focus of all evangelization efforts. As Jesus says in Mark’s Gospel, “What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Mk 8:36). Temporal things are passing away, but leading someone to eternal life with God in Heaven is of infinite and everlasting value.
Pope St. John Paul II highlighted this urgency and primacy in his encyclical Redemptoris Missio, stating the Church’s supreme priority is to make the Gospel of Jesus Christ known to all peoples: “Proclamation is the permanent priority of mission. The Church cannot elude Christ’s explicit mandate, nor deprive men and women of the “Good News” about their being loved and saved by God” (no. 44). Missionary evangelization “is the primary service which the Church can render to every individual and to all humanity in the modern world” (no. 2).
Scripture is filled with vivid reminders of God’s immense joy when one sinner repents and returns to Him (see Luke 15). Jesus says “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent” (Lk 15:7). Each time someone accepts the Gospel and commits their life to Christ, it brings profound gladness to the Lord and all the angels and saints.
While all good works please God, there is no greater source of delight for Him than when His children join in His own mission of leading others to salvation in Christ. All Christians are called to participate in this supreme task of proclaiming Christ through spoken words and exemplifying Christian values in their daily lives. This form of evangelization possesses distinctive characteristics and particular effectiveness as it takes place within the regular circumstances of the world (CCC 905). Through our love, prayers, and evangelization efforts, we become co-workers with God in the salvation of souls.
Pierre-Alain Giffard
Articles on evangelization and parish revitalization:
- 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
