We have been called to preach the Gospel. As Jesus told the Apostles in John 15:16, "You did not choose me, but I chose you..." He chose the Apostles and He chooses each of us. He chooses us to love in a way only we can, in a way uniquely our own. He chooses us to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth by bringing it to our workplaces, our schools, our friendships, and our families. This is what the New Evangelization is all about.
Our bishops have indicated that secularization is our number one challenge of the day (New Evangelization: Passing on the Catholic Faith Today by Cardinal Donald Wuerl [NE], 21). "As Christians we cannot remain indifferent to the process of secularization. We are, in fact, in a situation similar to that of the first Christians and as such we should see this both as a challenge and a possibility." (NE, 28). The first Christians were willing to give their lives for Christ. We must be willing to do the same. The first Christians were told to be silent and not preach the Gospel. We, like them, must say with St. Paul, "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel" (1 Cor. 9:16). From the first moment we heard the Gospel ourselves, it was entrusted to our hearts to be shared with those we love and those we meet, those already in our lives and those to whom we are sent. With our hearts transformed by Christ, we can change the hearts of others and transform the world.
On Monday we celebrate the feast of the Apostles Simon and Jude. Not much is known of either of these saints, but we remember them with devotion as members of the glorious company of Apostles, the company of the first evangelizers. St. Simon was called "the Zealot." He gave his life for Christ, the saw being the instrument of his martyrdom. St. Jude was a cousin of Jesus and renowned for his physical resemblance to Christ. He also died a martyr's death. Let us pray for the graces to be zealous disciples of Christ and to resemble Christ as closely as possible to the world in which we dwell.
Written by Kristen
