How to Become a Christmas Evangelizer

Posted on December 8, 2019 by Terry and John

Jesus was born to minister to the lost sheep of Israel and beyond. He told his disciples to do the same. He did not tell them to sit tight and wait for the lost sheep to come back. This same call to make disciples continues today. And during this Advent/Christmas season, our calling takes on the flavor of imitating Mary, who watched and prepared for the birth of Jesus.

We too can be instruments of new spiritual birth within our families, neighborhoods, and even our country. A first step is to watch for the presence of Jesus among us. Another is to reach out (to evangelize) grounded in the truth that the love of God, by its very nature, overflows with the slightest cooperation on our part. Here are some simple ways to share your Christmas faith during the Advent/Christmas season:

• After you wrap each gift, hold it in your hands for a moment and pray for the person who will receive it.

• Display a Christmas creche in your home, yard or office. “The Christmas crèche helps us to relive the history of what took place in Bethlehem… It touches our hearts and makes us enter into salvation history as contemporaries of an event that is living and real.” [Pope Francis, ‘The Enchanting Image.] Consider reading this document, as well.

• Pray with Christ-centered Christmas carols that proclaim the Gospel message, as a way of saying “Yes” to the presence of Jesus in our midst. Pray a single phrase from a different carol throughout each day of Advent/Christmas, as if it was written for your family.

• Invite someone to come with you to view a parish nativity display, a Christmas Carol event, or a Christmas liturgy.

• Send a Christ-centered Christmas card with a personal message about your spiritual hopes for the person receiving it. For example, “I am praying for a new outpouring of the peace of Jesus in your home this year.”

• Discuss what family or friends think of the statement, “Keep Christ in Christmas?” Share what this means and ask about practical ways that this be done.”

• Make a donation to Church-sponsored charitable organizations, as the levels of poverty increase in our country.

There are many definitions for (Christmas) evangelizing, but they all revolve around the “glad tidings” that the angels announced on that first Christmas. God has become flesh among us! He has come as Emmanuel, Savior, Prince of Peace, Shepherd and Bread of Life (in a lowly manger). People around us need to experience Jesus in these ways. And we can help by sharing these ‘glad tidings.’ And we can do so in confidence because God’s Word “does not return to heaven without accomplishing what it was sent to do.” Isaiah 55:11.

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Every Death is a Train Wreck!

Posted on November 15, 2019 by Terry and John

No matter the person’s age, or the circumstances. No matter the relationships left behind, every death is a train wreck! We received this warning outside of an Intensive Care Unit. It was jarring but emotionally true.

Every human life is so uniquely irreplaceable that each death can cause both an array of emotions and the shattering of beliefs about an afterlife. But each passing is also an opportunity for growth and for evangelizing. Here are some pointers.

  1. Know your own understanding of death. Do you really espouse the Apostle’s Creed statement, “I believe in the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting!” Have you ever gently shared these words with someone who is grieving?
  2. Grappling with death includes an extended process of questioning, so ask and listen,” What are your hopes for her or him, now that this has happened?” An end to suffering? A reunion with deceased family? Meeting Jesus, face to face? Or even: “There is no hope, only regrets and loss!”
  3. Be aware and non-judgmental about a wide array of beliefs. Some believe there is no afterlife. Some think that only the person’s spirit survives: through reincarnation, or channeling, or a kind of limbo. Still others believe that both body and soul are resurrected into heaven or hell (as a reward or punishment).
  4. Since the exploration of our vast universe, many are baffled by Biblical images like: a heavenly choir of singing angels, the New Jerusalem, the “Father’s House,” or even Jesus ascending into heaven. If so, ask, “Where and what is heaven for you?” And remember. It is a gift to believe that the gracious love of God can both fill and defy all time and space.
  5. Finally, it is hope in the face of death that is the most powerful invitation to faith. St. Edith Stein experienced this unspoken invitation when she encountered a friend’s widow. Many others discover this when a believing loved one dies in peace. Before Lois became unconscious, she shared a glorious vision of a taller-than-life Jesus in shimmering robes. As she looked closer, she saw deceased but rejoicing family members entwined in these robes –her dad, her cousin, her grandmother. “All of my fears melted!” she explained with a smile. And we realized that Lois’ impending train wreck, called death, was now simply a matter of switching tracks. Alleluia!
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Evangelize by Walking Around

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Terry and John

John takes daily walks in our neighborhood. Others walk in malls. Still others prefer spending “down time” in a cafeteria or a lounge. Perhaps Jesus even enjoyed walking as part of his “down time.” If so, we are inspired by the choices Jesus made while walking near someone like Zacchaeus, or the two shouting blind men in Matthew 20:29, or the children in Matthew 19:14.

One Sunday, our pastor shared his response to Pope Francis’s invitation to stop and give to the poor, without judging them. At first, Father was indignant, but then he realized it was God’s invitation as well.  John was moved by Father’s sharing. First, John began to really notice the homeless people begging in the streets where he walks. He responded by giving a dollar or two, whether passing by in a car or on foot. Each time he would ask the person’s name, so he could greet them by name later on.

Pope Francis calls this effort the “art of accompaniment,” whether while walking, or in a mall, or at a cafeteria.  As John’s relationships grew stronger, he would stop during his walk for a few minutes and ask one of the regulars, “What’s happening?” He learned that some live in the nearby woods. Some others are sick and without health insurance. Some are vets suffering from PTSD. Still others are alcoholics or drug addicts; some in recovery, some not. But all are on the sharp, bleeding edge of human survival.

And also, John prays for each one; before, during, and after their greetings or conversations. Most respond very well when he mentions that he is praying for them. If someone does, John considers a conversation about the presence or absence of God in his or her life. Once he prayed aloud with a twenty-two-year-old, homeless and severely disfigured man, for relief from an advanced form of stomach cancer. He admits that this kind of “walking” can sometimes be a frightening adventure, but John is happy to call the people that he has met his friends. Many now greet him with a smile and a “Hi, John!”  

Please pray with us for the people you are tempted to pass by on your walk through daily life. “Come, Holy Spirit, Father of the poor, the neglected, the lonely! Give me the Father’s eyes to see each one. Grant me the compassion of Jesus, as I accompany these sisters and brothers through daily life. Amen.”

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