6th Week of Easter 2024 - Wednesday - Evangelizing lessons from St. Paul in Athens

 Paul's proclamation of the gospel in Athens contains lessons for our evangelizing today.

Normally, as he did in Philippi, it was Paul’s custom to go to the synagogues to preach to the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles there. But not in Athens.

In Athens, Paul, in the manner of the Greek Philosophers, goes to the public square. He does not wait for people to come to church, as we may be inclined to do, but rather goes out in search of the lost like the Good Shepherd. 

Convinced of the truth and necessity of the Gospel, Paul is not afraid or ashamed to engage strangers in matters of faith, despite the unfamiliarity and even strangeness of the Christian message to the people with whom he is talking. Instead he does his best to explain and defend his beliefs. 

Notice, when Paul is invited to speak, he finds something positive to say about the sincere religious striving of his audience. He looks for common ground. He meets them where they are with the truth of the Gospel, as Bishop Perez liked to say—even affirming something true in their religion that he can use as a starting point for sharing the gospel. That’s a great strategy. We can affirm what is true in Islam and Hinduism and Buddhism and the Protestant denominations. What’s true is true. And that can be a starting point.

So Paul tailors his approach to his Pagan audience. He acknowledges that they are deeply religious. They pray, they worship, they engage in devotional practices. They are mindful of the gods in their daily lives.

But then he introduces the truth that there are in fact not a multiplicity of gods, but a single All-powerful Creator God who has sent his son as Savior. 

Paul quotes the Pagan poets—again meeting people where they are—yet, he corrects his audiences mistaken ideas about divinity. 

He then explains the necessity of repentance and tells them the sober truth about future judgment. He boldly asserts Jesus Christ, though he surely knows that this assertion will cause many Greeks to scoff. Finally, he is not discouraged when only a few receive his message. With evangelical fortitude, he sets out for his next mission, in the city of Corinth

Important lessons no? Don’t be afraid to engage strangers. Meet them where they are. Seek to understand them and what they believe. So you can lead them from that place to the fullness of truth. Don’t be afraid to assert the need to seek the truth revealed by God in Christ—the need to repentance. After all, the very first word of the Lord’s own public preaching, was “repent and believe.”

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That the ordained and all members of the Church throughout the world may be a more visible sign of the love of God for humanity, calling all people to new life and communion with Him; and that our parish may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ and his tender love for sinners and for the poor

For those who do not believe in God and for those who have fallen away from the Church.

For an increase in the gifts of the Holy Spirit among all Christians, and for all who are persecuted for the faith.

For the sick, the suffering, those in nursing homes, hospitals, and hospice care, for the underemployed and unemployed, for the imprisoned, those with addictions, for those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, that the Spirit of Consolation may comfort them.

For the deceased members of our families, friends and parish, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all those who fought and died for our freedom.

O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

6th Week of Easter 2023 - Wednesday - Meet people where they are

 Paul’s preaching in the Areopagus of Athens is a definitive moment in Paul’s evangelizing mission. 

The people of Athens were not jews, of course, nor were they atheists—they worshipped a multiplicity of gods. Paul calls them a “deeply religious people” for religious observance permeated every aspect of Athenian daily life. If you went to the marketplace, there was a little altar there at the entrance where you would make a sacrifice to Minerva, the goddess of commerce.  If you wanted a child, you made a sacrifice to Diana, goddess of fertility.  If you were going to war, you would make a sacrifice to Mars, god of war.

For the Athenians, if you wanted good health, protection, healthy babies, financial stability, you better keep the gods happy. In fact, in the first reading, we hear that the Greeks even had an altar to an unknown god, just in case they missed one.  

So Paul stands in the Areopagus, and gently but ardently tries to teach them about the one true God, responsible for creating and sustaining all things.  And you don’t have to go far to find him.  For in him we live and move and have our being. And in fact, the One True God became man. Of course he’s speaking about Jesus. And Paul, assures the Athenians Jesus provided confirmation of his message by his resurrection from the dead.  At the mention of the word ‘resurrection’, Paul’s audience is spontaneously divided into two camps.  Many people scoffed at him, but some were open to hearing more about this Resurrected Messiah.   

Paul certainly gives us a model for preaching to non-believers. Meet them where they are with the truth of the Gospel. Go out to them. Seek to respectfully understand what they value, their religious aspirations and practices and gods. Be respectful. But also demonstrate the fullness of truth of Christ. And invite them to consider it. You want proof about Christianity. Let me tell you about the proof: the saints, the miracles, the unity, the spiritual fruits, the deliverance from demons in Christ’s name, the endless works of charity inspired by the Gospel. Now some, like those in Athens will scoff, but some will be open to hearing more. 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells his apostles, “the Spirit of truth will guide you to all truth.”  The gift of the Spirit enables us to glorify God in our words and deeds, and to lead people to the Truth about Jesus. In fact, the Spirit leads us to people SO THAT we can lead them to truth. 

Don’t be afraid of those conversations with strangers. Take genuine interest in people—in their beliefs, their traditions. Be friendly. Learn their vocabulary and values. Meet them where they are. Again, we literally see Paul going into a place where sacrifice was offered to pagan Gods to speak to people about Jesus. That’s something for us to imitate. May the Holy Spirit who fills our lives, use us to lead others to the Truth of Christ for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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That all bishops, priests, catechists, and parents may be faithful in preaching and teaching the saving Gospel of Christ.

For an increase in the gifts of the Holy Spirit among all Christians, and for all who are persecuted for the faith. For those who do not believe in God and for those who have fallen away from the Church.

For all priests, that they may be ardent yet gentle preachers and faithful stewards of the sacred mysteries. For the sanctification of all priests: for the endurance to remain faithful to their calling amidst so many challenges, and for an increase in vocations to the ordained priesthood.

For the sick, the suffering, those in nursing homes, hospitals, and hospice care, for the underemployed and unemployed, for the imprisoned, those with addictions, for those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, that the Spirit of Consolation may comfort them.

For the deceased members of our families, friends and parish, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all those who fought and died for our freedom.

O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

Thursday - 29th Week of OT 2017 - Missionary disciples with burning hearts

Very often the words of Jesus Christ calm us, comfort us, help us to know the loving nearness of God.  Yet, today’s Gospel shakes us up a little.  We hear Our Lord speak with some urgency that he has come to set the world on fire, and how he wishes it were already burning!  Jesus is on a mission to enflame hearts with a fiery, burning love for God.

It is the nature of fire to enkindle the things that are nearest to it. On the road to Emmaus, the disciples who encountered the risen Lord, proclaimed “Were not our hearts burning inside us as He talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?"

If our hearts are to be set on fire, we must draw near to the Lord, his words, and his own heart. Distance from the Lord only causes coldness toward him and toward his mission. We all know many people, even members of our own family, who have grown cold toward the Lord and toward his Church. They fall away from mass, they fall away from prayer. They are busy, busier than ever, about many worldly things, but something is seriously lacking, isn’t there?

Last night, at the special district Mass, the Bishop spoke about missionary discipleship: how God wants to use us to set the world on fire. We often think of missionaries as merely a special class of disciples, who go out to places like india to spread the Gospel to those of other religions. But Bishop Perez, echoing Pope Francis and the Popes of the 20th century, wants to help us realize that we are all called to be missionary disciples, and that the Diocese of Cleveland, our neighborhoods and families, are missionary territory and we must be the missionaries.

This is a share in the mission of Jesus himself. And that’s why there is an urgency in the Gospel today, because he wants our lives on fire, not mediocre and lukewarm, but on fire, that we can spread that fire throughout the world, that we can meet people where they are with the truth of the Gospel.

We pray today that those whom we encounter on the road will encounter the fire of Christ alive in our hearts.  That they can meet Christ in us today as we seek to share and heal and preach and serve, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Church leaders may help us to spread the flame of faith and love in all our endeavors.
For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life, and a sanctification of all marriages and single Catholics.

“That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.”

For those who have fallen into error, for Catholics who have grown lukewarm in their faith, for those who have left the Church, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts.

For all those struggling with addiction, mental illness, chronic sickness, unemployment, or ongoing trials of any kind: that they will be fortified and blessed with God’s special love, favor, and peace.  We pray to the Lord.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.