NO GENERATION IS PERFECT
The lament of Jesus that we hear today is one that has been echoed many thousands of times over in the history of evangelization. I alone have made it many times when I look at today’s materialism and secularism and see how difficult it is to penetrate it with the Gospel. However, it is good to remember that Jesus never said preaching the Gospel was going to be an easy task. Every generation will provide its own challenge to the Word of God. The truth is that no matter how difficult it is to reach a particular generation, there is always a way with the Word of God. The truth of God’s unconditional love can overcome all obstacles that the world throws against it.
The challenge you and I face today is how to present the Gospel in such a way that will make the present generation sit up and pay attention. Ultimately, there is no substitute for the lived example of the Gospel as a means of evangelization. As such, we must all commit to be faithful to the call to grow in holiness. We also need to be aware that this will often mean that we are, so to speak, “swimming against the tide.” Standing up for Gospel values in a secular world is rarely a popular position to take. Yet, as disciples of Jesus this is precisely what we must do if we are going to be faithful to our calling.
In the midst of all this, we also need to take into account the fact that every generation has its strengths and weaknesses. We need to learn how to work with the strengths while correcting the weakness. This can often be a rather delicate task where it becomes important to bring correction without condemnation, or else any possible opportunity could be lost through insensitivity and lack of respect. It is interesting to note that Jesus always respects those whom He meets in His ministry even if He disagrees with them. Cultivating an attitude of openness is an essential part of evangelization today. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL
REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What is your experience of trying to evangelize in today’s culture? Where can you improve? What are the areas where you are most successful?
Jesus, help me to have a heart for all whom I meet so that I use every opportunity available to me to share the Gospel with others.
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