Happy New Year! As you head into 2022, filled with New Years’ resolutions and plans for the year to come, how are your spiritual resolutions coming? How will you carry out the saving mission of Christ over the next 12 months? How many people will you bring closer to God (especially through the Sacraments) this year?
“Evangelization” might sound like a daunting task reserved for Someone Else – apostles, priests, religious – but it’s actually the word that describes your mission. Jesus’ last words on earth to His followers weren’t, “just try to get to heaven, someone else can spread the good news”…they were, “Go and make disciples of all nations” (cf. Matt 28:19).
None of us is exempt; none of us is excused.
“To the question, ‘why mission?’ we reply with the Church's faith and experience that true liberation consists in opening oneself to the love of Christ. In him, and only in him, are we set free from all alienation and doubt, from slavery to the power of sin and death. Christ is truly ‘our peace’ (Eph 2:14); ‘the love of Christ impels us’ (2Cor 5:14), giving meaning and joy to our life.” (John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio, n. 11)
This year, we want to give you a head-start on sharing this Good News: the “Zero to the Eucharist” catechesis in our community helps organize the process of evangelization in an orderly way, building from the ground up – from the question everyone has (“why is there suffering?”) to the highest questions of the Catholic faith (“why receive the Eucharist?”).
Step 7 – Why receive the Eucharist?
Step 6 – Why confess with a Catholic priest?
Step 5 – Why go to church?
Step 4 – Why be Catholic and not another kind of Christian?
Step 3 – Why be Christian and not any other religion?
Step 2 – Why believe that the Scriptures are true?
Step 1 – Why believe in God?
Step 0 – Why is there suffering?
If you can’t immediately give a Scriptural and logical answer to the questions above, there's no time like the present to work on giving a reason for the hope that is in you (cf. 1Pet 3:15). So check back here every Sunday: starting with step 0 and moving up to step 7, we’ll be posting short videos (only a few minutes long) which summarize the very heart of each step, along with other resources if you want to go deeper.
Will you commit to watching one short video a week for the next eight weeks?
It might change the way you live out your mission.
It might change the way you live your eternity. (cf. Matt 5:19)
“The Church, and every individual Christian within her, may not keep hidden or monopolize this newness and richness which has been received from God's bounty in order to be communicated to all mankind.” (Ibid.)