Disciples Called To Witness: Part I

Part I: Current Cultural Context
Disciples Called to Witness: The New Evangelization

A statement by the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis

"While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him." — Luke 15:20  

The Ministry of JesusHow do we, today, follow the call and summons of Jesus to seek out the stranger, heal the sick and welcome the weary?

Christ calls all people to himself. Throughout his public ministry, the Lord Jesus welcomed the stranger,2 healed the sick,3 offered forgiveness,4 and expressed his eagerness to give rest to the weary and burdened.5 How do we, today, follow the call and summons of Jesus to seek out the stranger, heal the sick, and welcome the weary? Jesus, in and through his Church, wants us to experience the urgent vigilance of the father of the prodigal son so that as we anxiously await the return of missing family and friends, we will be ready to run to greet and embrace them.  

Our Current Situation

Today, through the ministry of the Church, Jesus continues to call all people to himself. It is estimated that only 23 percent of U.S. Catholics attend Mass each week.6 Those 77 percent absent from the eucharistic feast each week are not strangers: they are our parents, siblings, spouses, children, and friends. According to a recent Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) study, the most common reasons given by Catholics who do not regularly attend Mass are not related to controversial issues. The reasons given instead point to a gradual slipping away from the faith. Most Catholics stop attending Mass because they (1) have busy schedules or a lack of time, (2) have family responsibilities, (3) have health problems or disabilities, (4) have conflicts with work, (5) do not believe missing Mass is a sin, or (6) believe that they are not very religious people.7 In other words, many of our brothers and sisters have simply drifted away from the Church. This is due in part to the busyness of modern life and to a changing culture. There are also Catholics who attend Mass on a regular basis but who feel unconnected to the parish community. The reasons for not attending Mass highlighted in CARA’s study also point to an increased secularization, materialism, and individualism.  

Secularism influences all aspects of society, claiming religion is merely a private matter. Pope Benedict XVI has cautioned, “Any tendency to treat religion as a private matter must be resisted. Only when their faith permeates every aspect of their lives do Christians become truly open to the transforming power of the Gospel.”8 Materialism also presents an obstacle to Christ. The ability to acquire limitless goods and an overreliance on science create a false sense of hope that we alone can fulfill our deepest needs. However, without God, our deepest needs cannot be fulfilled. “Without God, who alone bestows upon us what we by ourselves cannot attain (cf. Spe Salvi, 31), our lives are ultimately empty. People need to be constantly reminded to cultivate a relationship with him who came that we might have life in abundance (cf. Jn10:10).”9 Individualism leads to harmful forms of freedom and autonomy. After all, “we were created as social beings who find fulfillment only in love-for God and for our neighbor.”10 Our personal relationship with Christ does not hinder our participation in the community of believers—the Church.

In addition, there is an unsettling ignorance of the Eucharist as well as an erosion of Sunday as the Lord’s Day dedicated to prayer and rest. The reasons that Catholics cite for missing Mass can be met and overcome by parishes that foster a welcoming environment for adolescents, young adults, singles, married couples, parents, families, the sick or disabled, and anyone who is no longer active in the faith. The means for fostering a welcoming environment is the New Evangelization. The New Evangelization places a special emphasis on welcoming back to the Lord’s Table all those who are absent, because they are greatly missed and needed to build up the Body of Christ.  

The New Evangelization

The New Evangelization is a call to each person to deepen his or her own faith, have confidence in the Gospel, and possess a willingness to share the Gospel. It is a personal encounter with the person of Jesus, which brings peace and joy. The New Evangelization provides the lens through which people experience the Church and world around them.  

younger man helping older manThe New Evangelization invites people to experience God’s love and mercy through the sacraments, especially through the Eucharist and Penance and Reconciliation. Evangelization is the essence of the Church’s identity: “The Church on earth is by its very nature missionary since, according to the plan of the Father, it has its origin in the mission of the Son and the holy Spirit.”11 Pope Paul VI reawakened the Church’s evangelizing mission, Blessed John Paul II championed the call for the New Evangelization, and Pope Benedict XVI has reaffirmed the need for the New Evangelization. In Go and Make Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in the United States, the Catholic bishops of the United States have expressed a sincere desire to invite all of God’s children to their place in the Church: “We want to let our inactive brothers and sisters know that they always have a place in the Church and that we are hurt by their absence—as they are. . . . we want to help them see that, however they feel about the Church, we want to talk with them, share with them, and accept them as brothers and sisters.”12

Positive Developments

Dioceses and parishes have already responded to the call of the New Evangelization by creating evangelization formation programs. This formation helps prepare parish leaders to initiate catechetical and reconciliation initiatives, which are meant to invite back to the faith and welcome our brothers and sisters who have been away. Sources of hope in the Church include diocesan and parish efforts to continually strengthen high school-level catechetical programs and to re-energize youth ministry programs and young adult ministries so as to reach these populations before they stop practicing the faith. Currently, dioceses focus their efforts on marriage preparation programs for young couples discerning marriage and on programs for couples becoming new parents. Diocesan and parish leaders also make an effort to welcome immigrants and attend to the needs of diverse groups. Opportunities to live the Gospel through concrete action, and thus to transform our culture, are numerous through advocacy and social justice ministries. Direct service opportunities frequently bring people back to the faith; this is especially true of young adults who value service projects. Many parishes offer not only Masses but also religious education, formation programs, and other pastoral services for cultural groups in their native languages. Additionally, new ecclesial movements and communities are flourishing, and they are eager to join dioceses and parishes in evangelization efforts. The New Evangelization places a special emphasis on welcoming back to the Lord's Table all those who are absent, because they are greatly missed and needed to build up the Body of Christ 

Areas of Growth

Even though much has already been done to welcome our missing brothers and sisters back to the Lord’s Table, there is still so much more that can be done. Catholics may desire to take on the call to evangelize but feel ill prepared to explain Church teachings. Some believe they lack the formation to be personal witnesses to Christ. Also, our brothers and sisters who have drifted away from the faith may be unable to vocalize why they stopped regularly attending Mass and parish activities, or they may not know with whom they can speak about why they left. Adolescents and young adults need active and engaging ministries and formation opportunities, including direct service.13 Communication and attention to cultural differences need to be addressed in ministry with diverse groups. Cultural factors, including the lack of Masses and sacraments celebrated in languages other than English, also contribute to people slowly slipping away from the Church. The task before the Church is to form Catholics who are willing to communicate and witness the faith to those who are no longer actively practicing. By taking up the call of the New Evangelization, we will do as St. Paul commands us: “Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you.”14

 

 

Notes

  1. Jn 4:4-42.
  2. Mt 20:29-34.
  3. Jn 8:1-10.
  4. Mt 11:28.
  5. Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), Sacraments Today: Belief and Practice Among U.S. Catholics, CARA.
  6. CARA, Missed Mass Chart of Sacraments Today: Belief and Practice Among U.S. Catholics, CARA. For the detailed analysis of reasons why Catholics do not regularly attend Mass please see: CARA, Sacraments Today: Belief and Practice Among U.S. Catholics, CARA.
  7. Benedict XVI, Address of the Celebration of Vespers and Meeting with the Bishops of the United States of America, The Vatican.
  8. Ibid.
  9. Ibid.
  10. Ad Gentes, no. 2.
  11. Go and Make Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in the United States (Washington, DC: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2002), no. 40.
  12. Statistics point to a median age of 21 when Catholics are more prone to stop practicing their faith.Please see: CARA, The Impact of Religious Switching and Secularization on the Estimated Size of the U.S. Adult Catholic Population, CARA.
  13. Rom 15:7