Evangelization Matters!

In The Joy of the Gospel (Evangelii Gaudium), Pope Francis humorously asserts that both the laity and the clergy have been known to suffer from homilies, one from the listening and one from the preaching! In contrast, he maintains that good preaching “can actually be an intense and happy experience of the Spirit, a consoling encounter with God’s word, a constant source of renewal and growth” (EG, 135).

Imagine you are standing at the front door of your parish church at one of the weekend Masses.  You notice the people streaming towards the church: young and old, rich and poor, sick and healthy, women and men. Some may be highly educated, and others have no formal education. Some are married, some are living together, and some are single, or single parents struggling to raise a family on their own. There are people who are happy, or lonely, or bereaved. People who just found love and people whose hearts are broken.  Sadly, there are people experiencing abuse or addiction.