Joy of The Gospel

[TiggerS]

I am reading for Lent Pope Francis’s Apostolic Exhortation “The Joy of The Gospel”. I am wondering if anyone has read it and what they think of it in relation to evangelization and lay people? An initial read and I found it not very practical as far as lay people and evangelization goes in secularized countries…and I know I am going to have to read the Exhortation again as I have great admiration for Pope Francis.
Most of the time in secularized countries (I am in Australia) if one brings up the subject of anything at all related to religion, one is excluded. And once excluded, then opportunity in future most often is lacking. Certainly, there are opportunities if one is patient when the subject is brought up in general conversation and at other times - but it does take patience and common sense and not ‘rushing in like a bull at the gate’ at any and all times.

Apostolic Exportation “The Joy of The Gospel” (quite a long document) vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium_en.html

 

[Edward_H]

I am reading for Lent Pope Francis’s Apostolic Exhortation “The Joy of The Gospel”. I am wondering if anyone has read it and what they think of it in relation to evangelization and lay people? An initial read and I found it not very practical as far as lay people and evangelization goes in secularized countries…and I know I am going to have to read the Exhortation again as I have great admiration for Pope Francis.
Most of the time in secularized countries (I am in Australia) if one brings up the subject of anything at all related to religion, one is excluded. And once excluded, then opportunity in future most often is lacking. Certainly, there are opportunities if one is patient when the subject is brought up in general conversation and at other times - but it does take patience and common sense and not ‘rushing in like a bull at the gate’ at any and all times.

Apostolic Exportation “The Joy of The Gospel” (quite a long document) vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium_en.html

It may not be as plain or clear in the Encycical as it could be, but I think the Pope is largely saying the same thing that Opus Dei has been teaching for many many years…the best apostolate or evangelizing is done through sincere, joy-filled, happily sacrificing friendship with others, especially those closest to us.

Living daily the Gospel fully and completely, that is heroically, will lead to lots of changes in us. Our virtues will grow quickly and will soon have a supernatural tone to them. We should be more loving, generous, cheerful, serene, solid, steady, self sacrificing, humble, hard working, charitable.

The most “practical” form of “evangelizing” isn’t with our mouth telling the world how good we or the Catholic Church is…instead it’s through self forgetful friendship. True friendship. Seeking to remove defects from ourselves until our last breath, strengthening virtues everyday so that we can be a better friend to our spouse, to our children, to God, and to your relatives, friends, and co workers. Looking for quiet ways to make their lives more pleasant, helping them to grow in union with God.

This is one of the reasons why God invented the virtues…to enable us to become better friends. Over time…with such friendships in place…with trust and confidence present…other types of conversations can happen, at the pace of the Holy Spirit.

Opus Dei calls this approach the apostolate of friendship and confidence. The word “evangelize” isn’t used. A quiet constant apostolate is pursued instead. The word evangelization is about void of good meaning.

Matters of the soul require friendship. Not mere intellectual debate and tactics.

The virtues naturally “attract”. And, conveniently enough, by focusing on being a better friend (not for manipulative evangelizing reasons, but for our friend’s good) we automatically become less focused on ourlseves and our own problems.

We become a better friend, by becoming better, more virtuous.

And all this takes a lively interior life of prayer, mortification, and charity.

I think the Pope was getting at some of these points in his encyclical. And in this sense I think the encyclical was very practical.

 

[TiggerS]

It may not be as plain or clear in the Encycical as it could be, but I think the Pope is largely saying the same thing that Opus Dei has been teaching for many many years…the best apostolate or evangelizing is done through sincere, joy-filled, happily sacrificing friendship with others, especially those closest to us.

Living daily the Gospel fully and completely, that is heroically, will lead to lots of changes in us. Our virtues will grow quickly and will soon have a supernatural tone to them. We should be more loving, generous, cheerful, serene, solid, steady, self sacrificing, humble, hard working, charitable.

The most “practical” form of “evangelizing” isn’t with our mouth telling the world how good we or the Catholic Church is…instead it’s through self forgetful friendship. True friendship. Seeking to remove defects from ourselves until our last breath, strengthening virtues everyday so that we can be a better friend to our spouse, to our children, to God, and to your relatives, friends, and co workers. Looking for quiet ways to make their lives more pleasant, helping them to grow in union with God.

This is one of the reasons why God invented the virtues…to enable us to become better friends. Over time…with such friendships in place…with trust and confidence present…other types of conversations can happen, at the pace of the Holy Spirit.

Opus Dei calls this approach the apostolate of friendship and confidence. The word “evangelize” isn’t used. A quiet constant apostolate is pursued instead. The word evangelization is about void of good meaning.

Matters of the soul require friendship. Not mere intellectual debate and tactics.

The virtues naturally “attract”. And, conveniently enough, by focusing on being a better friend (not for manipulative evangelizing reasons, but for our friend’s good) we automatically become less focused on ourlseves and our own problems.

We become a better friend, by becoming better, more virtuous.

And all this takes a lively interior life of prayer, mortification, and charity.

I think the Pope was getting at some of these points in his encyclical. And in this sense I think the encyclical was very practical.

Thank you for your commentary and I can agree with every word and as something that I put into practise in my own life already. Perhaps I read the Exhortation wrongly on an initial read. I came from the Exhortation with the impression that Pope Francis was stating that we should evangelize “with our mouth” and rather rush in like the proverbial bull at a gate at every opportunity about God and The Church, prayer. This latter just does not work and I have seen it quite a few times here in Australia where keen (not Catholic) and fired up evangelising souls raise the subject of God, Church and prayer at every opportunity whether relevant or sometimes not. My impression is that the ‘listeners’ do not really hear the words spoken at all and are taken aback by the fire of intense zeal…and tend to avoid the evangelizers in the future and advise others to do so too.

Thank you very much for your Post, Edward H, it encourages me as I am. I did come away from Pope Francis’s Apostolic Exhortation rather thinking perhaps I had things re evangelising all wrong, or alternatively I had misunderstood Pope Francis which I now am quite confident that I did… I was quite concerned until I read your post.

Tigger

 

[Edward_H]

Thank you for your commentary and I can agree with every word and as something that I put into practise in my own life already. Perhaps I read the Exhortation wrongly on an initial read. I came from the Exhortation with the impression that Pope Francis was stating that we should evangelize “with our mouth” and rather rush in like the proverbial bull at a gate at every opportunity about God and The Church, prayer. This latter just does not work and I have seen it quite a few times here in Australia where keen (not Catholic) and fired up evangelising souls raise the subject of God, Church and prayer at every opportunity whether relevant or sometimes not. My impression is that the ‘listeners’ do not really hear the words spoken at all and are taken aback by the fire of intense zeal…and tend to avoid the evangelizers in the future and advise others to do so too.

Thank you very much for your Post, Edward H, it encourages me as I am. I did come away from Pope Francis’s Apostolic Exhortation rather thinking perhaps I had things re evangelising all wrong, or alternatively I had misunderstood Pope Francis which I now am quite confident that I did… I was quite concerned until I read your post.

Tigger

Thanks…and thanks for the gentle reminder that the letter was an Apostolic Exhortation not an Encyclical. I failed to remember that last night.

 

[TiggerS]

Thanks…and thanks for the gentle reminder that the letter was an Apostolic Exhortation not an Encyclical. I failed to remember that last night.

I would have to be the last person to have problems when some sort of remembering fails - unless I decided to throw stones in a glass house.

Thank you again for your post - it was most reassuring to me.

 

[PJM]

=TiggerS;11804689]I am reading for Lent Pope Francis’s Apostolic Exhortation “The Joy of The Gospel”. I am wondering if anyone has read it and what they think of it in relation to evangelization and lay people? An initial read and I found it not very practical as far as lay people and evangelization goes in secularized countries…and I know I am going to have to read the Exhortation again as I have great admiration for Pope Francis.
Most of the time in secularized countries (I am in Australia) if one brings up the subject of anything at all related to religion, one is excluded. And once excluded, then opportunity in future most often is lacking. Certainly, there are opportunities if one is patient when the subject is brought up in general conversation and at other times - but it does take patience and common sense and not ‘rushing in like a bull at the gate’ at any and all times.

Apostolic Exportation “The Joy of The Gospel” (quite a long document) vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium_en.html

yes I have read it

I’m of the opinion that while ALL of us are to evangelize; that it should be The HS who presents the opportunity to do so for MOST of us. Not everyone is called to this as a Ministry or is qualified to do it correctly.

I did like the document.