The New Evangelization

Where are we?

What is the Spirit saying to the Church? "Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (Rev 2:29).

There is "a time for every purpose under heaven" (Eccl 3). What time is it?

Time to repent.

• We have been building on sand: "self-will run riot." Love of self is the root of all evil.
• A house divided against itself cannot stand. The Church is divided between Catholic Catholics and Protestant Catholics.
• The storms of the modern age (WW I, WW II, Cold War; culture of death, culture wars) have swept away or will sweep away everything that is not built on the Rock. Jesus is the Rock; Peter represents Him.
• The sins of priests are our Hurricane Katrina.
• Crisis of Truth.
• Crisis of Chastity.
• Culture of Death (bad karma!).
• We have termites at work, weakening the foundations of the U.S. Church (Catholic Buts).
  • The Church in Europe shows where the U.S. is heading.
  • We don't have a "priest shortage." We have a shortage of faith, hope, and love: abortion, divorce, adultery, promiscuity, contraceptive mentality, addiction to pornography; sinful laity as well as sinful priests; proclamation of the gospel of self-satisfaction rather than that of Jesus Christ, crucified.
  • Our youth have largely been inoculated against the faith rather than introduced to it. Most see Confirmation as the end of their Catholic life rather than as an adult commitment to the faith. "My parents told me that I can stop practicing as a Catholic if I stand up in public and say that I am committed to be a Catholic. They won't make me go to church any more after I'm confirmed."

Time to repair.

The vandals have damaged the people and the house of God. They are not going to clean up after themselves. It is those of us who are left, those of us who love Jesus and His Body, who have to repair the damage done by the vandals. It's not fair--but love goes beyond fairness. "Vicarious satisfaction" is the norm: "Love one another as I have loved you."

Time to evangelize.

• "Ask the master of the harvest to send laborers into the fields" (Lk 10).
• In Paul's day, he felt that the focus needed to be on Christ crucified. I wonder whether the hard part in our culture is to preach Jesus' resurrection from the dead. Isn't that the good news? The apostles didn't understand Jesus' death on the cross until AFTER they saw Him risen from the dead. Start with the resurrection and work backwards. If they're not going to buy the resurrection, they're not going to buy Jesus' divinity; if they won't buy His divinity, they won't grasp the value of His death on the Cross.
• The last word is JOY! "We know Who wins."

Where are we going?

What is Jesus doing today? He is risen--He is risen, indeed! He is alive and well, reigning in glory. He has a plan and a purpose for the work we do on the The Station of the Cross.

• Meditation on The Call of the King.
• Fundraising

Pray for laborers

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.” (Mt 9:35-38)

Then he summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
“Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.” (Mt 10:1,5-8)