Evangelization Eric: A few weekends ago, Denise and I were right - PDF document

Evangelization Eric: A few weekends ago, Denise and I were right here in Suwanee Town Center on a Saturday morning. We have a wonderful summer tradition of cycling early on Saturday mornings and then purchasing some fresh baked goods from the farmer’s market to enjoy with some coffee after our ride. As we walked into the park a placard with the words “Catholic Truth” caught our attention. Members of the Saint Paul Street Evangelization group from St. Monica were handing out rosary beads and offering to speak with people more about the Catholic Faith. It was beautiful! This got us thinking about evangelization, and how we could best spread the message not only of our Catholic Faith, but also of our marriages – our living sacrament. Denise: The US Con ference of Catholic Bishops elaborates on the “New Evangelization” which calls each of us to deepen our faith, believe in the Gospel message and go forth to proclaim the Gospel. The focus of the New Evangelization calls all Catholics to be evangelized and then go forth to evangelize. In a special way, the New Evangelization is focused on “re - proposing” the Gospel to those who have experienced a crisis of faith, primarily due to secularization. This is so pertinent to marriage in our world today. The secular world no longer values Faith committed marriages, and not only does it not value committed marriages, but tends to mock them. The Conference of Catholic Bishops has formulated a strategic plan for The New Evangelization which includes family and marriage: Encourage and heal families; Inspire Catholics to embrace the sacrament of matrimony. So guess what? The Conference of Catholic Bishops is speaking directly to our ministry….to World Wide Marriage Encounter and all Encountered Couples to join The New Evangelization! Eric: How do we become evangelists? There is a catholic website for college students called focusoncampus.org – we found an article there called “10 Ways to Evangelize: It’s Easier than You Think” and we used it as a framework for u s, The Marriage Encounter Community 1. Pray for people by name – Accept the invitation to become a prayer couple for couples who are making their weekend. It is a beautiful way to pray for a couple, by name, over the course of a marriage encounter weekend.

2. Go out into the world – That’s what we’re doing tonight! Don’t just hang out in the “Marriage Encounter Bubble” – Like minded friends are important to nourish our faith and our relationships, but we can never forget our duty to invite others into the family. Being present in a community opens the opportunity for dialogue and allows us to reach those who would never have received an invitation if we didn’t reach out. 3. Be Bold – Don’t be afraid to share the story of your marriage and your relationship. People need to hear the success stories. Speak positively about your spouse. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the words you need. Denise: 4. Extend personal invitations – Invite couples to make a marriage encounter weekend…offer to help with child care. Invite co uples into your life and share your faith filled marriage by example. 5. Share life – Find things that you and other couples can do together, even if it isn’t something you love doing. Sacrifice your own preference to do the things they love. Evangelization happens all on its own when people see the love of God through your relationship, and spending time with other couples opens lines of communication; couples will see that you live your life differently and they’ll want to know how to have a relationship like yours. 6. Share your story – The story of your successful, committed, and love-filled marriage is powerful. Share it! Don’t hide your light under a bushel basket. 7. Practice Hospitality – You can put others at ease with simple acts of kindness. Introduce yourself to couples at sing-outs, invite a new couple in your WEDS group to join you for dinner before the next WEDS meeting, put a “love note” in the e -spirit. Eric: 8. Share the gospel – Talk about God in the marriage relationship. Marriage is like a 3-ply cord; the husband, the wife, and GOD. We need God in our marriages – we can’t do it alone! 9. Encounter Christ Together – Keep inviting couples to your WEDS meetings. If you haven’t seen a couple in a while, make a phone call and personally

invite th em to come. Remember that we need community. “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20.) 10. Teach others to do the same – Share this message with all of your encountered friends. Tell them about the call to evangelization. Saint Paul writes “what you have heard from me…entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well” (2 Timothy 2:2) Denise: “It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” Mark 4: 31 -32 We are the mustard seeds for loving, committed, faith filled marriages in today’s world, and we are called to inspire others to embrace the sacrament of matrimony. How do I feel about being called to evangelize in this way?