Mission and evangelisation are at the very heart of the work the Church does and are sources of life and growth in the Church. Yet for most people 'evangelisation' is not a word they would use on a regular basis, but it IS something that Jesus commissioned all his followers to do. Evangelisation is never done alone as the Holy Spirit is always with us - an inner flame ready to help us.
It does not involve us standing on a soap box publicly proclaiming the Word of God and evangelising does not always need words. It can involve us being of service to other people which allows the light of Christ to shine out from within us.
As part of his homily at World Youth Day in July 2008, Pope Benedict said 'Empowered by the Spirit, and drawing upon faith's rich vision, a new generation of Christians is being called to help build a world in which God's gift of life is welcomed, respected and cherished - not rejected, feared as a threat and destroyed. A new age in which love is not greedy or self seeking, but pure, faithful and genuinely free, open to others, respectful of their dignity, seeking their good radiating joy and beauty. A new age in which hope liberates us from the shallownes, apathy and self absorbtion which deaden our souls and damage our relationships.'
Let us hope that this influenced the young people lucky enough to hear this and will influence the students and staff in school to live, celebrate and share the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the good news that God loves us and so be evangelists.
