God’s intent, throughout the sacred story of the scriptures, was that the One True God should be known to all the nations of the earth!
This was to be accomplished through Israel’s witness as a light to the nations by her fidelity to God’s covenant. However, Israel took this instead as an exclusive claim and made a sharp distinction between herself and those who were not chosen for the covenant – the Gentiles.
When Jesus comes into our world and history he ministers first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, but then sees the faith and spiritual thirst that exists among the Gentiles! Specifically, Jesus encounters this in the Canaanite woman who boldly approaches him asking for healing for her daughter.
Seeing this woman’s faith, he grants the healing. God’s intent remains now as it ever did – that all nations and peoples would know Him and live in a covenant of love with Him. Indeed, God’s house is meant to be “a house of prayer for all peoples.”
Call to action: Evangelization remains a scary word for many Catholics. We have visions of TV evangelists yelling at people, or of the man or woman holding a sign saying “Jesus saves” in lonely solitude on the roadside. However, evangelization is about invitation, a spirit of welcome, and an accompaniment of the individual person.
If you have not yet created a welcoming ministry for your parish, now is a good time to do so as we approach the fall season and fuller calendars! Most US parishes have recovered about 80% of their pre-Covid attendance and participation levels.
It is time to go after the lost sheep of our own house, in addition to the rest of the unevangelized or de-evangelized flock! You can use your GC Smart Tools to try and connect with people you haven’t seen or heard from over the past two years. Also, you can still get into GiveCentral’s 20 for 20 Campaign. Learn more about it here https://www.givecentral.org/20-for-20-campaign.
Pastoral Action Points
- Put together your Ministry of Welcome team now or assign your Pastoral Council members to act as a Welcoming Team at masses.
- Use your GC Smart Texting and/or QR codes to invite visitors or new parishioners to get connected with your parish community. We have templates you can use in our New Communications Portal. If you need assistance with learning and using the Communications Portal please email Teresa Meyer at teresa@givecentral.org
- Google Pay and Apple Pay are coming to GiveCentral soon! Stay Tuned – More details will be announced soon!!
