Unleash the Gospel: Weekly Message for 10-2-2018

Dear Friends in Christ,

Among the diocesan mottos that catch the eye is Detroit’s: “Unleash the Gospel.”

It expresses both the human and divine sides of evangelization.

On the one hand it’s a call to arms to the faithful to put their talents to work for Our Lord. On the other, it’s a reminder that the message of Christ has a power that can transform the world.

In a sense the motto simply restates an old axiom: Work as though everything depends on us and pray as though everything depends on God.

Like many basic truths, it’s one that we need to be constantly reminded of. Especially now, when the Church faces the dual task of internal reform and ongoing evangelization.

It can be a fruitful moment. For it prompts us to ask how we can help our Mother the Church. Each of us has something to offer: prayers, fasting, technical skills, or simply time to reach out to the poor and lonely.

It could also be a moment to rediscover the social dimension of what it means to be a Christian. We’re not here to live a “me and Jesus” spirituality, but also to be our brother’s keeper.

This is where the Church has a lot of wisdom to offer. Its social doctrine has principles that help us navigate through life as beings who live in a community and whose behaviors affect others.

If you aren’t familiar with Church social teaching, now is as good a moment as ever to get a taste of it. For a beefy portion, there is the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.

For something more bite-sized, there is “Society and Spirituality: A Practical Overview of Catholic Social Teaching,” an online course offered by RC Spirituality.

Who knows … it could inspire you to find a new way to unleash the Gospel.

In Christ,

Father Edward McIlmail, LC
Ask a Priest contributor
contact@rcspirituality.org