5 Marks of Missionary Evangelizing Saints

The Saints are universal models of heroic virtue and cooperation with the Holy Spirit in the mission of evangelization. We too are challenged to embrace the following five marks of their missionary evangelizing lifestyles: passion for Jesus, humility, reliance on God’s grace, embracing hard work, and perseverance.

1. Passion for Jesus

“It is better for me to die in Christ Jesus than to reign over the ends of the earth.” (St. Ignatius of Antioch)

“Jesus is a fire in the very center of our souls ever burning. Yet, we are cold because we do not stay by it.” (St. Elizabeth Seton)

  1. Humility

“How many let themselves be deceived, for, even though their pride may reach the skies and their heads touch the clouds, in the end, they are as forgotten!” (St. Clare of Assisi)

“Humility must accompany all our actions, must be with us everywhere; for as soon as we glory in our good works they are of no further value to our advancement in virtue.” (St. Augustine of Hippo)

  1. Reliance on God’s Grace

“We must pray without tiring, for the salvation of mankind does not depend on material success; nor on sciences that cloud the intellect. Neither does it depend on arms and human industries, but on Jesus alone.” (St. Frances Xavier Cabrini)

“Few souls understand what God would accomplish in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to Him and if they were to allow his grace to mold them accordingly.” (St. Ignatius Loyola)

  1. Welcome hard work

“We are at Jesus’ disposal. If he wants you to be sick in bed, if he wants you to proclaim His work in the street, if he wants you to clean the toilets all day, that’s all right, everything is all right. We must say, ‘I belong to you. You can do whatever you like.’ And this is our strength. This is the joy of the Lord.” (St. Teresa of Calcutta)

“Always try to have success in your work but remember God is often glorified in your failure.” (St. Mary MacKillop)

  1. Perseverance

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus… proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching… But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry. (St. Paul, 2 Timothy 4:1-

…The presentation of the Gospel message is not an optional contribution for the Church… It merits have the apostle consecrate to it all of one’s time and all one’s energies, and to sacrifice for it, if necessary, one’s own life.” (St. Paul VI, On Evangelization in the Modern World, 5, adapted)

For encouraging posts about the mission of Catholic evangelizing—See more quotes from the Saints, both canonized and living among us,  join us at Holy Spirit Calling

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New Help for People who Want to Share Faith

A Facebook group called Keys to Reaching Inactive Catholics has been established. Contact John Boucher for a possible invitation.

Check out a recent course about Keys to Evangelizing. First go to Therese Boucher on YouTube. Second go to Spiritual: Workshop playlist. There are seven videos of a current zoom course to choose from.

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How to Turn a Vacation into a Pilgrimage

Want to include Jesus in your vacation?

Lots of people enjoy vacations and may even include daily prayer during such refreshing times. Many experience glimpses of God’s love through visiting new places, relaxing, or enjoying family and friends. But how many of us have planned a combination vacation and pilgrimage? How many have chosen to add a holy place as a meaningful stop along the way? We have successfully done so many times. Our experiences have added a depth to family vacations. with just a few simple additions,  whole journeys have often become like retreat on the move.

We learned that all the parts of any trip –preparing, traveling, meals, the beauty of nature –can take on a sacred dimension. The first step in doing so involves a shift in our goals. We choose to move from gobbling up experiences to keeping an eye out for new spiritual insights, evangelizing moments and renewed faith. embracing a deeper awareness of life as a gift, instead of mere pleasure seeking. Our goal becomes embracing a deeper quality of life, something above mere pleasure seeking. Here are some suggestions for you and your traveling companions:

  1. Add a prayer of thanksgiving at the start of each day. Thank God for the places and people you will encounter. While traveling to a conference in Detroit, we added a stop at the Shrine of Blessed Solanus Casey. The cab driver asked us where we were headed. Then he shared that he had carried a Solanus prayer card in his wallet for years, but had lost it… When returning from the Shrine to our hotel, we asked for this same driver by name and gave him a new prayer card.
  2. Chose a holy place near your destination or along the route. We added a visit to St. Elizabeth Seton Shrine, when visiting Gettysburg, PA. To our surprise, John was healed of a serious throat infection as we prayed.
  3. Consider a family spiritual heritage stop. Include a visit and shared prayer at a church (call ahead) where family baptisms, Fist Communions, or marriages took place. Consider a visit to a cemetery where a loved one is buried. (Some burial records are available at www.findagrave.com)
  4. Recreate a moment in a Saint’s life near where she or he lived. For us, a vacation in upstate New York included time in the village where Saint Kateri Tekakwitha lived. At one point, Therese knelt down to scoop up cool water from the same spring where  Kateri drank more than three hundred years earlier. As family members used the water to bless each other, the sun shining through the leaves above us highlighted God’s presence with our family.

PS. After eight years and over 100 posts on this website, we will be taking an extended  vacation, with pilgrimage sites along the way. Then in Mid-November, we will make a new decision about any further posts and/or the publication of the most popular posts.

 

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