Happy Easter to each and every one of you!
There is no doubt as you look around this church, or if you are lucky enough to have snagged a seat in the Ballroom, that the Catholic Church and our faith rooted in love, healing, and joy, is alive and well. From the excitement we all experienced with the Papal Visit this past fall, to the new programs and activities we are starting as part of the Life Center, to the over 50 people brought back to the church during our 24 Hours of Mercy, we are truly living out the mission of St. John, To Know, To Love, and To Serve God in his Church and Our Community. This Easter, we have a unique opportunity to take hold of the vision of Pope Francis, who sees our faith in action as something we should be living every single day in the world, not just here within the campus of St. John:
Evangelization is the task of the Church. The Church, as the agent of evangelization, is more than an organic and hierarchical institution; she is first and foremost a people advancing on its pilgrim way towards God. She is certainly a mystery rooted in the Trinity, yet she exists concretely in history as a people of pilgrims and evangelizers, transcending any institutional expression, however necessary. I would like to dwell briefly on this way of understanding the Church, whose ultimate foundation is in the free and gracious initiative of God…
Today, as the Church seeks to experience a profound missionary renewal, there is a kind of preaching which falls to each of us as a daily responsibility. It has to do with bringing the Gospel to the people we meet, whether they be our neighbours or complete strangers. This is the informal preaching which takes place in the middle of a conversation, something along the lines of what a missionary does when visiting a home. Being a disciple means being constantly ready to bring the love of Jesus to others, and this can happen unexpectedly and in any place: on the street, in a city square, during work, on a journey.
In this preaching, which is always respectful and gentle, the first step is personal dialogue, when the other person speaks and shares his or her joys, hopes and concerns for loved ones, or so many other heartfelt needs. Only afterwards is it possible to bring up God’s word, perhaps by reading a Bible verse or relating a story, but always keeping in mind the fundamental message: the personal love of God who became man, who gave himself up for us, who is living and who offers us his salvation and his friendship. This message has to be shared humbly as a testimony on the part of one who is always willing to learn, in the awareness that the message is so rich and so deep that it always exceeds our grasp. – Pope Francis, EVANGELII GAUDIUM
Our Holy Father is telling us that it is all of our responsibility to treat every person in the world with respect and love. It is through those joyous moments of encounter where we touch another person in small ways and sometimes completely transform their life. It can be as small an act as a smile in the grocery store as you pass by or as big as forgiving someone that wronged you a decade ago.
So, as you attempt to get out of our parking lot after Mass today, I hope you will keep in your heart that our faith is made to be lived every moment and take that joy and love out into the world. Jesus died and rose from the grave for the love of us all. Love is patient, Love is kind – 1 Corinthians 13:4