Among the important mandates we have as Christians is to invite others into a relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church. Some people call this evangelization. Others call it outreach. I call it sharing the joy. And why not? When something brings joy into our lives, we tell other people about it. Part of the happiness of something is sharing that good news with friends and family. That good news can be as significant as the birth of a child, a new home or a promotion at work. We also share smaller things that give us joy. We brag about our favorite teams. We recommend restaurants, good movies, even
our favorite hot dog stand. So why don’t we share about the most important thing in our lives? Why don’t we tell people about the joy Jesus brings us?

We have been conditioned that religion is one of those things we don’t talk about. With good reason. Religion is a deeply personal part of our lives, and if we offend someone or they offend us, our defenses go up and that doesn’t lead to a good conversation. When talking about religion, the most important thing is to not talk about religion. For the uninitiated, talking about rules, structures, hierarchy, etc, is distasteful. I’m not talking about that. What I am suggesting is that we simply share the place Jesus has in our hearts, and invite others into that kind of a relationship. 

So we have to ask ourselves: Who is Jesus in my life? Does He have a real role to play or is He in a box for an hour on Sunday? Do I sense His presence in all facets of my life? Is my motivation for doing good to become a better disciple? If I miss praying in a day, do I miss Him?

This might be the first time you have asked yourself those questions. It is important that we do, each and every one of us. To know Jesus, to love Jesus, to follow Jesus is going to change your life. With that change comes joy.  And when something brings us joy, we are ready to bust until we finally tell someone about it.

It is very likely that you know people who are hungering for something more and better in their life but they don’t know where to look. When a person is in that situation, they may well look for meaning, purpose and love in all the wrong places. So maybe you are the one person who could be a guide on a new path. We who live out our baptismal promises know that Jesus is our source of meaning, purpose and love. Don’t hide it! Don’t light a lamp and put it under a bushel basket!

If you feel ready to take that step to share your God-given gift, step up and invite someone into the beautiful love we share. For people who are not Catholic, or those
who need to catch up on the sacraments, the Order of Chirstian Initiation is a process of discernment in the Spirit to help them know if they are called into
the Catholic Church.

If you think you know someone who might be interested in sharing our Catholic adventure with God, please have them call Ms. Jeanne Lassandrello at 708-532-8211.