“The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” This is the message that Jesus is sending his disciples out to share with others in today’s Gospel.
Many of us feel uncomfortable when we hear the word, “evangelization” and we can equate it with shoving one’s faith down another’s throat. However, this is not what Jesus asks his disciples to do. No, instead Jesus sends the disciples out to encounter the people where they are. This is not easy since many feel hurt or angry with God or the Church and can lash out at us if we try to share our faith with them. Yet this is where we are called, to share the good news of redemption with everyone.
How can you share the joy and love of Christianity with another today? (It may be through listening to or quietly loving another who has felt hurt.)
—Brother Pat Douglas, S.J. lives and works at Creighton University, Omaha. He is also vocation promoter for the Wisconsin Province Jesuits.