In the last few years we have heard a great deal in the Catholic Church about the New Evangelization. But while some of the methods are new, evangelization is as old as the Church herself. It is what those first 12 did. They went out and proclaimed the Good News, the Evangelion, to the people around them.
As simple as that seems it depends on a prior action, an action, that is captured in the first title by which we celebrate St. Matthew, Apostle. In the Catholic Church we reserve the use of the word apostle to those who were called and walked with Jesus. St. Paul is entitled to be called apostle, because of his unique encounter and call.
We are all called to participate in the activity of evangelization by virtue of our baptism. But if we are to do that with any credibility we too must be apostolic. We must be people who walk with the Lord.
The first reading for today’s mass begins with the admonition,
live in a manner worthy of the call you have received
Does this mean that only the perfect are allowed to evangelize? Certainly, there are some currents in our culture that take that attitude, forgetting of course that there are no people in the world today without sin, Even the Pope needs and has a confessor.
A part of the Gospel is the Good News that is precisely the fallen that Jesus rasiees up to become his fiercest preachers. As we heard in yesterday’s gospel,
Which of them will love him more?” Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.”
To go out and proclaim the gospel does not require that we be perfect, but it does require that every single day of our lives, we get up and to the best of our abilities live lives worthy of the call we have received he. Christ’s love and mercy is not license to do as we please. Worthy or unworthy, which life will we live today? The choice is simple if we stay focused on walking humbly with our God.
