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"Gospel" means "good news". Jesus proclaimed that the glad tidings of Isaiah 61 were fulfilled in Him. His person and His ministry meant healing, liberation, consolation and joy. In the same way, Nehemiah tells the people that the day on which they heard the Word of God proclaimed was a holy and joyful one. Be joyful! Enjoy life! Share what you have with others. There is no cause for gloominess or sorrow. Do our lives reflect this joy? Do we talk and act as if we have received good news? Is our relationship with God and with the Master one that results in joy and fulfillment? Often we see Christians (and perhaps we are one of them at times!) whose behaviour, words, and facial expressions proclaim bad news, sorrow, depression and unhappiness. Our understanding of Jesus must be one that is life-giving. Maybe we need to change some ideas, update our theology, and clean out the clutter of our hearts and minds. Most of all, our relationship with the Lord must be life-giving to others. It can never become an instrument of judgement or a feeling of superiority. Our good news must never be the bad news for someone else. St Ireneus insisted that the glory of God was a human person fully alive. May the Gospel truly bring us to life. Lord, may the Gospel of Jesus give me new life. |
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P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H
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That Christians may favour the evangelisation of the new generations through the constant search for the unity wanted by Christ.
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The question of full Christian unity and evangelisation led to the beginnings of the ecumenical movement. The Holy Father decries the negative consequences of division among Christians and calls them to search for full Christian Unity as inspired by the Lord's Prayer. As evangelisers we must offer Christ's faithful an image of people who are mature in faith and capable of finding a meeting point beyond all tensions. The destiny of evangelisation is bound up with the witness of unity given to the Church. The urgency of preaching and displaying unity to the world arises from the fact that Christians can impair the vitality of proclaiming the Gospel and even become a scandal to the world, particularly when the churches appear to proclaim "a kingdom against itself". It is clear that the proclamation of the Gospel by divided Christians becomes counter- itness. As Christians we ought to give collaborative common witness which is founded in the common baptism in Christ and faith in the Triune God. Pray for the courage to work positively with other Christians for the purpose of promoting evangelisation. | |
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