Evangelizing is a command from Christ (Mk 16:15). It’s not optional. Anyone who wants to be a true follower of Jesus must accept this unconditionally — as the saints of all ages have understood — because with God there can be no half measures:
I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Rev 3:15-16).
The way of the Gospel is love
This quote from the book of Revelation invites us to choose the way of love. The history of salvation has shown us a God who cares for his people, whom he has loved to the point of not sparing his own Son to rescue humankind from eternal death.
And it was Christ who gave us the task of baptizing those who believe. However, we might come to think that this is the task of the clergy, religious, and missionaries. What a mistake!
All of us who are baptized have a duty to evangelize. And that seems to many like a very complicated task! First, because we probably don't know enough about our Catholic faith. Second, because we’re afraid of rejection. And third — typically — we think we don't have time.
So how can we fulfill Christ's command? The saints have given us some good ideas:
1Service
The Apostle St. John says:
"Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen." (1 Jn 4:20)
St. Teresa of Calcutta believed this firmly, which is why she dedicated her life to the poorest and most despised. Through her way of life, she preached the Gospel in the clearest way possible. This led her to exclaim that it “is very important for us to realize that love, to be true, has to hurt.”
We can serve others anywhere: at home with our family, at work with colleagues, on the street with strangers. It doesn’t have to be spectacular: We can help in a simple, natural, but effective way. This is an expression of pure love.
2Charity
That’s why the apostle James writes in his letter:
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. (James 2:14-17).
Charity can consist in offering material assistance, of course, but it can also be spiritual: listening to and comforting those who are sad, greeting everyone, or sharing our time with those who are alone. Charity is love in its most sublime expression.
3Witness
The words often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi as a recommendation to his friars about the impact of living the Gospel in their daily lives is quite apropos in this context:
“Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.”
In reality, although the message is consistent with his life, there’s no evidence that he ever said such a thing.
However, he was convinced that Christians had to live according to the Gospel: preaching by word and example. That is why his witness was so overwhelming and why he founded religious orders for men and women (the Poor Clares) and also thought of the laity with the Third Order.
Talk about your experience
Finally, is it necessary to speak? Of course it is! God wants us to speak about him without fear, because the Lord will give us the necessary words. However, the most convincing words will be those that come from our own experience of faith.
To do this, we must begin by cultivating a close relationship with God. Pray, frequent the sacraments, educate yourself, and turn to Him in your needs. Soon you’ll have many experiences to share because he’ll quickly show you that he’s listening to you.
In this way, those who don’t want to hear about God will see him in the way we live and treat them. Thus, little by little, they’ll understand that the Gospel is the sure way to get to heaven.
