“Many, many people hereabouts are not becoming Christians for one reason only: there is nobody to make them Christians”. – St. Francis Xavier. This is a provocative statement from one of the most prominent missionaries of the Church. If the statement was true in the 16th century during St. Francis Xavier’s time, I believe it’s even more valid in this present day and age. St. Paul states in Rom 10:14-15a How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent?
Code of Canon Law (Cann. 781-792) deals with The Missionary Action of The Church http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P2L.HTM. Since I am no authority on Canon Law, all I can do is present the same as is. Can. 781 states this - Since the whole Church is by its nature missionary and the work of evangelization must be held as a fundamental duty of the people of God, all the Christian faithful, conscious of their responsibility, are to assume their part in missionary work.
Further the Catechism of The Catholic Church states in paragraph 905 Lay people also fulfill their prophetic mission by evangelization, "that is, the proclamation of Christ by word and the testimony of life." For lay people, "this evangelization . . . acquires a specific property and peculiar efficacy because it is accomplished in the ordinary circumstances of the world." This witness of life, however, is not the sole element in the apostolate; the true apostle is on the lookout for occasions of announcing Christ by word, either to unbelievers . . . or to the faithful.
1Cor 9:16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel. I wonder how many of us who claim to be baptized Catholics, would be convicted and say like St. Paul “woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel”. The fact is that necessity is laid upon all the Christian faithful to evangelize. Jesus says very clearly in Mark 16:15 … “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.” If we truly love our neighbour; as we are commanded to (Matt 22:39), we need to get up, leave our comfort zones and share Him who truly is life and the light of all men (John 1:4).
Mark 8:35-36 For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s shall save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? These very verses from Sacred Scripture drove St. Francis Xavier in his time to come all the way to a foreign land - our land India; to share the gospel of Christ Jesus. How much more then should we labour for sake of the gospel in our own land! Let’s ‘Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you’ Isaiah 60:1.
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