“Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved” Acts 4:12
Short Catholic Sermon : Every Catholic Must Evangelize
Editors Reflection: This homily on Catholic Evangelization is over 100 years old, but does not need much adaption for the times today. One of the terrible consequences of not preaching on Hell and eternal damnation regularly is a loss of the sense of urgency to bring conversion to those in darkness and repentance to those who having the true faith have lost all of their sanctifying grace by falling into grievous sin.
Perhaps just as bad is the absolute gushing explanations some Catholics start making to each other about invincible ignorance, trying to excuse everyone into the Kingdom of Heaven. The time wasted on these idle words could have been going to prayer for the salvation of sinners. Very often they come from people who do not want to cope with the reality that anyone not seriously striving after Jesus Christ (or at least after truth) are on their way to Hell, and they wish to excuse themselves from the obligations of evangelization.
“everyone should be on the lookout for those who are sincere and well disposed, and be ready to give them a helping hand, to explain any difficulties which they may have, or to persuade them to come to the priest, who can explain them more fully.” Transcript
Catholic Evangelization today should also seek out Catholics we know to be encouraged to deeper devotion and fidelity. It is sad that many Catholics do not know the joys of the Rosary, frequent confession, the daily examination of conscience, the Divine Office and chant, the lives of the Saints, mental prayer. I am sure that most Catholics probably at some point go on a diet but how many keep the fasting days, and most probably watch movies but who regularly goes to Adoration? How many Catholics only have attended a banal, tacky liturgy that fails to display any piety or the Holy Fear of God?
Catholic Evangelization in Canon Law: “The Christian faithful have the duty and right to work so that the divine message of salvation more and more reaches all people in every age and in every land.” (Canon. 211)
The church is injured in its mission to evangelize the world by lax, lukewarm or cold Catholics who just go through the motions and live a worldly life of vice and habitual sin. And really what good can we do for God if we love him only by half and do not truly strive to become perfect? Woe to us if we are the cause of scandal that prevent others from coming into the church.
That’s why at Alleluia Audio Books we record books on the Saints of God, because they are the ones that strove to live up to the Gospel and set an example worthy of admiration and imitation.
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Credits
Music used under attribution license
Giovanni Animuccia:Credo in Unum Deum to The Tudor Consort
Image edited from this Image in the Public Domain
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