According to Evangelii Nuntiandi, “…he Church evangelizes when she seeks to convert, solely through the divine power of the message she proclaims, both the personal and collective consciences of people, the activities in which they engage, and their lives and their environment” (EN, 18). It is Christ Himself who not only established this Church but also gave to it the evangelizing mission. She exists in order to evangelize, that is to say, in order to preach and teach, to be the channel of the gift of grace, to reconcile sinners with God, and to perpetuate Christ’s sacrifice in the Mass, which is the memorial of His death and glorious resurrection” (EN, 14).Ĭhrist commissioned His disciples to “Go out into the whole world and proclaim the good news” (Matthew 28:19). Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. It is a task and mission which the vast and profound changes of present-day society make all the more urgent. He wrote: “We wish to confirm once more that the task of evangelizing all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church.
Pope Paul VI in Evangelii Nuntiandi, emphasizes that the mission of the Church is to bring the Gospel to the world and to bring people to Christ, that is, to evangelize. The Church exists to help us maintain this vision and to help spread this vision.Īnother way to express this spiritual reality is to say that the Church exists to evangelize. Maintaining a clear vision of this spiritual goal is essential for the proper application of Christian principles to our society. Maintaining a clear vision of this spiritual goal is essential for our progress in the spiritual life. This goal is likewise a most succinct summary of what the Church has been established to help accomplish. It is this goal which I hope and believe all of us can work together to achieve. I want to be successful and I want all of you to be successful in the one way that matters. Achieving this goal of union with God, in the final analysis, is the definition of success. We know, beyond knowing, that we have been created by God and ultimately for union with God. It is a message of great hope, it is a message which appeals to our hearts and it is a message which resonates with the deepest longings of our souls. In the statement cited above, “If you are wise, know that you have been created for the glory of God and your own eternal salvation,” Saint Robert Bellarmine provides us with a succinct, challenging and comforting message. Saint Robert Bellarmine, SJĭear Fathers, Deacons, Consecrated Women and Men, Brothers and Sisters in Christ: If they detract from this, they are evil and must be avoided. But if they contribute to the glory of God and your eternal happiness, then they are good and should be sought. Prosperity and adversity, wealth and poverty, health and sickness, honors and humiliations, life and death, in the mind of the wise man, are not to be sought for their own sake, nor avoided for their own sake. May you consider truly good whatever leads to your goal and truly evil whatever makes you fall away from it. If you fail to reach it, you will find misery. If you reach this goal, you will find happiness. This is your goal this is the center of your life this is the treasure of your heart. If you are wise, know that you have been created for the glory of God and your own eternal salvation. Introduction On the Ascent of the Mind to God Solid, Systematic Youth and Adult Catechesis Sacred Liturgy: Our Central Evangelizing Moment
She exists in order to evangelize, that is to say, in order to preach and teach, to be the channel of the gift of grace, to reconcile sinners with God, and to perpetuate Christ’s sacrifice in the Mass, which is the memorial of His death and glorious resurrection.” - Pope Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi, 14 “We wish to confirm once more that the task of evangelizing all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church. Shop: Roman Catholic "RC" Brand Original White Logo Collection Classic Crew Sweatshirt | Multiple colors and sizes available!