The Holy Spirit is alive and active, renewing the church in every age. That is not what one might expect to hear, in light of the challenges, divisions and vitriol that are so evident in our world and in the Catholic Church. But I am convinced that God is leading us back into the heart of the Gospel. Though it is hardly novel to God, it may feel radical to us.
St. Paul VI wrote, “The Church exists to evangelize.” It is our raison d’être. If this is true, then why does this charge feel so revolutionary? Have we not been doing this for 2,000 years? Well, yes and no. There have been periods of great missionary fervor in the history of our church, but in the last few centuries, it would seem as though the people of God have chosen largely to focus more on building up and maintaining our beautiful institutions. The harsh reality is that if we were graded on our faithfulness to the Great Commission, we might not even get an “A” for effort.
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