Be an Evangelizer
Bishop Fred Colli
State Chaplain
BE AN EVANGELIZER
Each day our Holy Father, Pope Francis gives a little
homily reflection when he celebrates his daily Mass
at Casa Santa Marta.
Each reflection helps us to see how the message of
the Gospel is applied to our everyday life experiences,
and the Pope gives a little advice each day on how to
apply the teaching of the Gospel to our daily life. He
often speaks about being an evangelizer or someone
who proclaims the Gospel by their life and witness.
The term “new evangelization” is often used in the
Church today, and we know that it was Blessed Pope
John Paul II who began using this term during his
ministry. The term refers to many things and it is
often given different interpretations. I think Pope
Benedict XVI best described it for us during the
Year of Faith when he reminded us that to be an
evangelizer means to have a relationship with Jesus,
and in knowing Jesus, you can imitate his life and
example in your everyday life. In this way, the Gospel
message is given a real life witness or expression.
Sometimes as Catholics we might think that our
Catholic faith is celebrated in Church and then we
do not see how to apply our Sunday celebration
to our weekday life.
The grace we receive in Holy Communion and
through our prayer, helps us to recognize the
situations God gives us to practice what we preach
or proclaim. People often say, “Practice what you
preach” - not just to preachers but to all Catholics
who profess a faith in Jesus.
As Knights of Columbus, we know
that we put our faith into practice
each time we reach out through our
programs and events to others.
We practice our charity and generosity both
individually and as a group in helping others,
in responding to the needs of the poor, in helping
children and in supporting one another. Our
Supreme Knight, Carl Anderson, has often
mentioned that we are called to be “evangelizers”
as Knights, to invite others, especially those who feel
alienated or estranged from the Church community,
to come back and share with us.
We do this through our invitation extended to
others to join the Knights of Columbus, and through
our Sunday witness of faith, through our signs of
generosity, compassion and love to others,
beginning in our own families.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS ONLINE BULLETIN
2
APRIL 2014