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| Initiative Status |
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“Evangelizing means bringing the good news of Jesus into every
human situation and seeking to convert individuals and society
by the divine power of the Gospel itself…. Its essence is the
proclamation of salvation in Jesus Christ and the response of a
person in faith, both being the work of the Spirit of God.”
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(Go and Make Disciples)
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Archbishop Flynn’s
initiative is only just beginning. The vision is for a process that
will run for some four years. To date small groups at 12 parishes, several
youth groups and representatives of the archdiocesan staff have
participated in a five-week pilot that led them through an Awakening
phase using the following questions:
- Who is Jesus
Christ to me and when did I first become aware of Him in my life?
- How do I
experience Jesus Christ in my life now, through ups and downs?
- What can I do to
deepen and strengthen my personal relationship with Jesus Christ?
- How can I take my
relationship with Jesus to a deeper level of witness so that I, in
His name, honor each person’s inherent human dignity and advance the
common good?
- What is
Evangelization?
This is all being done
under the umbrella of ongoing prayer through Perpetual Eucharistic
Adoration ministries and other organized prayer groups around the
archdiocese.
Pilot participants are
nearly unanimous in reporting positive experiences. Many say they are
more comfortable examining their lives within the context of
relationship with Jesus Christ and sharing with others how that faith
influences their daily lives. Understanding that evangelization is a
matter of “being” as much as it is of “doing,” is also higher.
The Spirit is clearly
at work.
What’s next?
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