This week, we return to reflecting on Pope Francis’s 2023 Wednesday audiences on ‘‘The Passion for Evangelization’’.
Last time, we considered Jesus himself as the model of proclamation.
Now, we will look to the first disciples and what they did to understand why, what, and how to proclaim.
In Mark 3:14, we hear that Jesus appointed the 12 Apostles ‘‘to be with him, and to be sent out to preach.’’
While this may feel contradictory, Pope Francis invites us to reflect more deeply on what this means.
He says “For Jesus, there is no going without staying and there is no staying without going.”
Ultimately, we must first have a relationship with Christ before anything else; every Christian activity is born from an encounter with the Lord.
Remember the first audience reflection discussing the gaze of Jesus.
Our encounter with Jesus transforms us and informs our lives.
In the words of Pope Francis, “If we don’t receive His light, we will be
extinguished.”
It makes sense than that there is ‘‘no going without staying.’’
We have to first be developing our relationship with God, drawing from His love and light.
But what about ‘‘there is no staying without going?’’
That means that the experience of mission is itself a part of Christian formation.
We grow and learn by ‘‘going out.’’ We wither when we hide away.
Pope Francis emphasized that, “Without proclamation, without services, without mission, the relationship with Jesus does not grow.”
Prior to sending His disciples out, Jesus addresses them in the ‘‘missionary discourse’’ — chapter 10 of Matthew’s Gospel.
Here Pope Francis draws out three aspects: Why to proclaim, what to proclaim, and how to proclaim.
Why proclaim
First, why proclaim?
The answer lies in verse 8, where Jesus says, “Freely you have received, freely give.”
As we reflected on the previous audience, the coming of Jesus brings joy, deliverance, light, healing, and wonder!
All of us have been given an incredible gift; we are called to make a gift of ourselves in turn.
In this sharing of God’s infinite love to others, we find greater joy.
What to proclaim
Second, what do we proclaim?
Again, we find the answer in the simplicity of Jesus’ words “the Kingdom of heaven is at hand” (v. 7).
God is near.
He is not resting on a mountain top thousands of miles away, looking down on us in disdain or with apathy.
Rather, He is close, and He knows us and loves us endlessly.
Pope Francis says that this closeness is one of the most important things about God along with God’s mercy and His tenderness.
When we ask ourselves who God is, we should remember that He is One Who is close, Who is tender, Who is merciful.
This is the message we must share.
Further, the message must always give primacy to God, not ourselves.
Pope Francis said, “Accepting God’s love is more difficult because we always want to be in the center, want to be the protagonists . . . [but] the proclamation must give primacy to God.”
How to proclaim
Finally, we come to how to proclaim.
We are reminded by the Holy Father that witnessing involves everything: The mind, the heart, and the hands.
It requires all three languages of the person: The language of thought, the language of affection, and the language of work.
It is impossible to witness with only one; you need all of them.
Otherwise, our activities become empty or confused.
The other critical point to reflect on is that Jesus sends us as sheep among the wolves.
However, He does not ask us to face wolves in the sense that we must defeat them or engage them in argumentation.
Rather, the lamb represents meekness, innocence, dedication, tenderness, and a disposition toward sacrifice.
The world’s responses to injustices are often anger, bitterness, and revenge, but God calls us to be humble and meek, going into the world without worldliness.
The Lord will protect His sheep from the wolves.
The Church Father St. John Chrysostom wrote, “As long as we are lambs, we will conquer, even if we are surrounded by many wolves, we will overcome them. But if we become wolves . . . we will be defeated.”
We must go forth with simplicity, leaving material certainties and the world’s values behind.
In doing so, we are able to proclaim Christ more by our actions than by our words.
When asking ourselves how to proclaim Jesus, the answer is that we must show Jesus rather than just talk him, and we do this by our witness.
Finally, we must remember that no one goes alone.
“The Apostolic Church is completely missionary and in the mission, it finds its unity” said Pope Francis.
Let us embrace this season of Lent to become more intentional disciples of Christ and answer Christ’s call to be with Him and to be sent.