Many people have asked me this question, often sensing that evangelization is more than a task added onto the Church’s life. And they are right. Evangelization is not one activity among many—it is the very breath of the Church. From the moment the risen Jesus Christ sent His disciples into the world, the Church discovered her deepest identity: to share the good news of God’s love with every heart.
In the Gospel, Jesus does not say, “If you have time, go and tell others.” He simply says, “Go.” This command—what we often call the Great Commission—reveals that the Church exists to make Christ known. The Church does not invent a message of her own; she carries a living Person. Evangelization, then, is the Church being faithful to who she is: a community formed by Christ and sent for the sake of the world.
The Church teaches us that she is “missionary by her very nature.” This means that evangelization is not only for priests, missionaries, or theologians. It belongs to every baptized person. When we live our faith with honesty, charity, and hope, we proclaim the Gospel even before we speak a word. In this way, evangelization flows naturally from the Church’s life, like light from a flame.
At the heart of evangelization is love. The Church does not preach to conquer, but to invite; not to judge, but to heal. Guided by the Holy Spirit, she reaches out to the wounded, the searching, and even the indifferent, trusting that God is already at work in their hearts. When the Church evangelizes, she becomes most fully herself—a sacrament of God’s mercy and a sign of hope for the world.
Reflection – A Closing Thought
May we remember that the Church grows not by force, but by love shared freely.
And may each of us discover that when we speak of Christ with humility and joy, we reveal the true face of the Church.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way