EVANGELIZATION - An old word with a new meaning.

When I was young I used to evangelise.  My fellow Catholics and I were moved by the words of Jesus in Mathew 28.  "Go therefore to all nations baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE  all I have commanded you, and behold I am with you all days even to the combination of the world"

 Pretty straight forward.  Jesus was sending his apostles to baptise and teach people of all nations what he had commanded and since this would be until the end of time it would mean that there would be other people acting like his apostles and teaching people the truths he had taught.   That is evangelisation as taught by Jesus Christ.   So when the Bishops of England and Wales and many priests talk about Evangelisation then this would be what they mean.  Pretty straight forward - yes.  Alas "No".   Christians have 'moved on' from those truths that Jesus bore witness to as he himself told Pontius Pilate was the whole point of his life.

At the Reformation the Protestant Church refused to accept that the truth lay in the Catholic Church and decided that the Bible was the true way to God.   Fair enough for the Protestants of today but eventually cut off from the Branch they decided that perhaps they did not have the whole truth after all and were content to search.  Only those hypocritical Catholics kept on boasting they had the truth and this was seen as triumphalism.  After Vatican II when the Spirit of lies and deceit took over many Catholics were told nonsense that the Church had acknowledged this, yet in the document Lumen Gentium infallibility was openly taught. Therefore where I say that a Spirit of Lies took over will anyone challenge me.   But it was not just the fact that the Catholic Church as they wee falsely laugh no longer claimed to have the truth, it was also felt imperative that an apology be given to Protestants for Catholics daring to believe this.  Will anyone challenge me on this.

So what is Evangelisation today.  It is Christian Evangelisation and the spreading of how much Jesus loves us and cares for us, and we have no obligations whatsoever but just shout about his love.   Bringing Jesus to the world means loving communities where people are nice because Jesus loves them.   Is this then what Jesus meant when he ordered the disciples to "teach them to observe all I have commanded you".    Did he teach adultery was OK as long as you give to the poor?.    Did he teach that despite his attack on Divorce he was merely preaching an ideal and everyone should follow their own conscience?  And what does Evangelisation have to say about what Jesus said "If you love me keep my Commandments?    I suppose Jesus was condemning the hypocrisy of those who cry Lord, Lord, but carry no love of Him in their hearts.        

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