You Are Called!
You! Yes, you! You and I are called! We are called as brother and sisters in Christ to serve as missionaries to the world. We have a mission, to evangelize the world, to know and love Jesus, and to bring people in contact with that Divine love through the spreading of the Gospel. Will you stand idly by? Or will you take up this challenge and work for the sanctification of all through your words, works, and undeniable witness and love for Jesus Christ?
Now, you might be saying that this is surely not what you signed up for, you are not a priest or religious. You may argue that you are a husband, a wife, a father or mother, and you have plenty responsibilities as it is. Who am I to preach the Gospel and convert sinners? Nonsense!!! You all are blessed with many talents and gifts, those which all can be used to bring Jesus to others, regardless of your state of life, and in fact BECAUSE of your current vocation. By the very nature of your baptism and confirmation, you have been consecrated for the royal priesthood and the holy people, who not only offer spiritual sacrifice in all that they do, but are witnesses to Christ throughout the world (Apostolicam Actuositatem, 3). We are called, every day, to draw closer to Jesus and to unite ourselves with his saving mission, for we have all been sent in His name (Christifideles Laici, 2).
What time is there for evangelization? That is the beauty! Every moment is a chance to evangelize. No matter if you are married with kids or single, it seems that the hours and days go by so quickly, and it can feel as if there is not a chance in the world you can fit one more thing in to your busy schedule, but the thing is… you do not need to make time. As a part of the lay faithful, we are called to seek the kingdom of God in temporal affairs by ordering our work in accordance to the plan of God (CL, 9). Every moment, every interaction, is an opportunity to be Christ to another. We are all a part of one body, members of Christ and Members of the Church, and share the same mission. We live in this world but are not of this world, and this world becomes a place for all of us to fulfill our Christian vocation, to sanctify the world by living a life that is filled with faith, hope, and charity (CL, 15).
Thankfully, we do not go at this alone. This may seem like a daunting task, but all things are possible through Christ Jesus (cf. Mt 19:26, Phil 4:13). We share this mission not only with our brothers and sisters, but with Jesus himself. In our communion with Jesus and the Church, we are strengthened and undertake this mission with one heart. We are all charged with spreading the Gospel, and we are strengthened by an active participation in the liturgical life of the Church and share in their apostolic works. (CL, 32-33).
The time is now! You are needed more than ever. Saint John Paul the Great saw this need, he spoke of the enormous clash between good and evil, between life and death. He spoke of the culture of death and its growing influence in the world. He said that not only are we faced with it, but we are caught up in this very conflict (Pauley, Liturgical Catechesis in the 21st Century, 5). You see it all around us, the Church stands firm in her convictions, charity, and the beauty of the Gospel, while the world around her turns inward. A hopelessness bread by sin and death empties our society of the great hope found in Jesus Christ. Won’t you cling to Jesus in this storm and fight to bring the reason for your hope and joy to those who so desperately need the Divine love of God in their lives? Who is ready? I know you are. For you have with you Jesus, our savior and the redeemer of the world.
