O give thanks to the LORD, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him, tell of all his wonderful works!

— Psalms 105:1–2

Either before you arrive or as you wait for class to begin, find this short passage from Sacred Scripture in your Bible or through an online search. Reading it will prepare you for this week’s material.

— Matthew 28:16–20

O God, our Father, you have commanded us to tell the good news of salvation to the nations. Give us your strength that we might boldly proclaim the name of Jesus to those we meet. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

As you watch the video lesson, refer to these key highlights. Feel free to use the space provided to take notes.

• Just before the Risen Lord ascended to heaven, he entrusted the apostles with the Church’s missionary mandate to make disciples of all nations.

• In recent decades, however, Christians have renewed their understanding that all disciples, not just missionaries, are called by Christ to evangelize.

• For lay men and women who live out their Christian vocation in the world, the life of a missionary disciple begins at home.

• Parents have a particular duty in the home to evangelize.

• One of the reasons why the family is called the “domestic church” (Pope Paul VI, Lumen Gentium, no. 11) is that the family constitutes the primary community in which the Faith is passed on from generation to generation.

• The Christian must also evangelize at his place of work, community, and through the parish.

Wisdom of the Saints

Give me ten truly detached men, and I will convert the world with them.

— St. Philip Neri

Take a moment to go through these questions with the group. For larger classes, divide them up into partners. Answers are provided to assist you in leading discussion.

1. How have the Church’s evangelical efforts shifted in the last century?

   For many centuries, missionary work was reserved solely for missionaries, generally clergy and religious who traveled abroad to preach the Gospel. More recently, however, the Church has called each and every one of us, lay and religious alike, to share the Good News of Christ.

2. Where is the principal place Christians must evangelize? Why is this place so important?

   For lay men and women who live out their Christian vocation in the world, the life of a missionary disciple begins at home. The members of a family—husband, wife, and children—proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ first and foremost to each other.

   Parents have a particular duty in the home to evangelize. As the “principal and first educators of their children” (CCC 1653), parents are the first to introduce their children to the mysteries of salvation. One of the reasons why the family is called the “domestic church” (Pope Paul VI, Lumen Gentium, no. 11) is that the family constitutes the primary community in which the Faith is passed on from generation to generation.
   

   

3. What other places must the Christian evangelize?

Beyond the home, it is important for the Christian to spread the Gospel in his place of work and in his community. The parish is a great channel for bringing others to Christ, and each and every one of us should strive to be active in our parish community life.

Catechism Connection

It is from God’s love for all men that the Church in every age receives both the obligation and the vigor of her missionary dynamism, “for the love of Christ urges us on” (2 Cor 5:14).

— CCC 851

Discuss these questions with the group, pair them with a partner, or ask them to meditate on their own.

1. Have you ever tried talk to other people about God? Are you comfortable discussing the Catholic faith with non-Catholics?

   (Write your response here.)

2. Think of people in your life whom God may be calling you to evangelize. Where will you begin?

   (Write your response here.)

3. What can you do for your parish? How can you be more active in the parish community?

   (Write your response here.)

After concluding your group discussion, return to watch the second video where converts to the Catholic faith discuss their conversion and how they live today as Catholics.

Rome to Home

Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.

— Pope Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi, no. 41

Missionary: A person sent on a religious mission to promote Christianity. In centuries past, this was reserved for clergy and religious, but in modern times, lay people are also called to take up missionary efforts first and foremost by living lives of holiness according to their vocation.

Evangelization: To preach the Gospel and spread the Good News of Christ; the efforts one undertakes to draw others to God.
Stewardship: The task of supervising or taking care of something or someone; in the Christian context, to be a good steward is to make good use of the gifts God has given us (whether personal, material, or spiritual) for his glory and the spread of the kingdom.

Domestic Church: A name given to the home, referencing the family’s duty to foster an atmosphere where Christ is welcomed, loved, discussed, and worshiped.

God’s Word

Practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another. As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who utters oracles of God; whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies; in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

— 1 Peter 4:9–11

O God, who wills all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, send forth, we beseech you, laborers into your harvest and grant them with all confidence to preach the Word; that everywhere your Gospel may be heard and glorified, and that all nations may know you, the one True God, and him whom you have sent, Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.

This serves as a review of the material that your students can read after each class, but it may be helpful for you to read as well. Consider reading it before each class to better prepare you for group discussion.

The Domestic Church and Beyond

Just before the Risen Lord ascended to heaven, he entrusted the apostles with the Church’s missionary mandate: “Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19–20). To this day, the Church adheres to the Lord’s commission and remains “missionary by her very nature” (Vatican II, Ad Gentes, no. 2). She understands herself to be essentially evangelical, to be the herald of Gospel truth to every man and woman of good will.

In recent centuries, the Church’s missionary efforts were considered to be specialized, the work of a chosen few who brought the Gospel to foreign lands. In recent decades, however, Christians have renewed their understanding that all disciples, not just missionaries, are called by Christ to evangelize. The mandate that Jesus gave to the Church to spread the Gospel is imparted to each of her members at the moment of baptism. To be a disciple of Jesus Christ, therefore, is to be an active participant in the Church’s evangelical life.

For lay men and women who live out their Christian vocation in the world, the life of a missionary disciple begins at home. The members of a family—husband, wife, and children—proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ first and foremost to each other. By praying together, celebrating the sacraments together, sharing meals together, performing chores together—in literally everything that the family does together—members of the family can manifest Christ’s power and love at work in each of them.

Parents have a particular duty in the home to evangelize. As the “principal and first educators of their children” (CCC 1653), parents are the first to introduce their children to the mysteries of salvation. They promise to do this, in fact, when they present their children for baptism. During…the baptismal rite, the priest instructs the parents: “It will be your duty to bring [your child] up to keep God’s commandments as Christ taught us, by loving God and our neighbor.” He then asks them: “Do you clearly understand what you are undertaking?” The couple responds: “Yes!” Parents fulfill this promise when, aided by godparents as well as by the Church’s pastors and catechists, they teach their children to pray, instruct them in Christian doctrine, and instill in them the lessons of Christian virtue. One of the reasons why the family is called the “domestic church” (Pope Paul VI, Lumen Gentium, no. 11) is that the family constitutes the primary community in which the Faith is passed on from generation to generation.

The members of the domestic church do not focus their evangelical efforts solely on the home, however. Each member of the family engages in many activities outside of the home. These activities include work, school, recreation, and the like. In each of these pursuits, Christian men, women, and children are to witness to the Gospel of truth and love in courageous but prudent ways. Even the smallest act of charity in the workplace, for example, can bear unexpected fruit in the lives of those who remain far from Christ.

In between the home and the workplace and school lies the parish. The parish, too, can be a focus of the Christian’s evangelical efforts. Though coordinated by the pastor and perhaps assisted by religious, a parish’s evangelical life remains dependent upon the work of the lay faithful to thrive. Even the most rural parish offers parishioners a number of opportunities to share their time, talent, or treasure for the spread of the Gospel. Whether in liturgical ministries, societies for outreach to the poor, the local council of the Knights of Columbus, or the parish religious education program, lay men and women can bring the life of faith, hope, and charity to greater perfection by exercising these virtues for the good of others. In so doing, the lay faithful not only support their parishes morally and financially but they also ensure that the parish remains a true evangelizing presence in their communities.

Chautard, Jean-Baptiste. The Soul of the Apostolate. Charlotte, NC: TAN Books, 2008.

Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia. A Short Guide to Praying as a Family: Growing Together in Faith and Love Each Day. Charlotte, NC: St. Benedict Press, 2015.