I was recently introduced to Pope Paul VI’s Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, a document written on the 10th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council to reflect on how the Church was progressing in terms of proclaiming the Gospel. The document comments on how the Church, which is called to evangelize Christ’s message, is likewise in constant need of evangelization itself.
Vatican II called for inclusion of the laity in the Church’s work. As a result, we have various ministries, clubs, and organizations working tirelessly to build the kingdom; however, are those engaged in these areas continuing to be evangelized? Furthermore, are they evangelizing outside the safety of their church buildings?
Members of the laity are blessed with the ability to enter places in society that clergy and ordained religious people cannot. We stand on the sidelines at soccer games. We work in offices, on construction sites, in hospitals, in schools. We wait our turns in grocery lines and we take squirmy toddlers to church. The ways in which we act, speak, and interact with others in each of these places and situations can either evangelize, or do the opposite.
Theologian Father Stephen Bevans in an article “Mission as the Nature of the Church” states that “the church does not … have a mission. The mission – God’s mission of redeeming, healing, loving the world – has a church to serve it.” If the Church is truly a constantly growing continuation of Christ’s ministry, the laity must take their roles of service seriously.
We – clergy and laity together – form the Church! We need to serve God’s mission, as modelled by Christ. We need to be like the apostles – even facing criticism, skepticism, and persecution – in living the faith. The clergy have definite roles to play, but the Church is not exclusively defined by its leaders. If we, the people who claim to be members, lack integrity or demonstrate hypocrisy, how are we serving the mission?
In the words of Pope Paul VI, “Here lies the test of truth, the touchstone of evangelization: it is unthinkable that a person should accept the Word and give himself to the kingdom without becoming a person who bears witness to it and proclaims it in his turn.” Vatican II recognized the important need of the laity to evangelize the world, and with this recognition, comes responsibility.
The work of this mission is huge and overwhelming to be sure, but it must start with small steps. I always think of my dad and how he led us in grace before meals, regardless of who else sat around our table. Many family members and friends of different denominations, or of no faith, shared meals at our table over the years, and they politely observed a moment of reflection while we prayed. This practice was never criticized or frowned upon by anyone in our company. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, this was an example of evangelization.
A colleague shared the story of stopping his practice of making the sign of the cross before eating his lunch in the cafeteria when he began attending public high school. One day, however, he noticed another student make the sign of the cross. He had no idea that his friend was a Catholic until he witnessed this gesture. The result was a great conversation, shared grace at subsequent lunch periods, and a friendship that has continued well beyond high school graduation.
The above examples illustrate simple acts of evangelization, the impact of which may reach corners of the world we will never know. While we cannot possibly see the full impact our gestures may have in this world, this should never stop us from evangelizing through our actions, regardless of where we are. Grace before meals may not seem like much, but it certainly is a great place to start walking the talk.
I know that I, for one, need continued work in evangelizing. I am confident about expressing my faith in safe circles. The test is whether, or not, I consistently live my calling as a member of the laity, serving God’s mission through the Church. I must strive to take small – and then larger – steps on this mission; to do otherwise, as Pope Paul VI wrote, is “unthinkable.”
