Scripture Readings: Amos 7:12-15; Ephesians 1:3-14; Mark 6:7-13
The Disciples of Jesus were the First Evangelizers… The first to share, to proclaim, to talk about the God’s Good News…
And like the 12 Disciples in today’s Gospel – sent out by Jesus to bring the Gospel of hope and life and love and joy and so much more; so we are called to be the Disciples, the Evangelizers of 2015 who have been called by our Baptisms to go out to others with God’s Good News.
For many the word evangelization evokes a negative reaction. Yet, maybe we do not understand the word or the implications of it.
Evangelization is not just bringing God’s Good News to those who are hearing it for the first time. In reality, evangelization is also meant for those who have already heard God’s Good News. Giving them and thereby giving us, the opportunity of a new level of understanding and living God’s Good News.
There is no “once and done” process for being and becoming a person of faith… a Disciple of the Lord. We are people of LIFE and GROWTH. If you think about it those who evangelize and those who are evangelized are the same people.
As I was reflecting on this homily for this weekend, I thought of the many opportunities that exist for each of us today and everyday, to make real in some concrete way God’s Good News to others.
It might mean being more understanding and less judgmental.
It might mean being more helpful and less of an obstacle.
It might mean being more praise worthy and less critical.
It might mean being more joyful and less grumpy.
It might mean being more generous and less self-centered.
For many, the experiences of God’s Goodness and God’s Good News come from you and me and us. People who continue to live their faith more deeply every day in every situation, in ways that proclaim God’s Good News of the Gospel.
May we, the Disciples of 2015, continue to evangelize and to be evangelized!