Catholic Evangelizer

I will pour my spirit upon your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring. They shall spring up like willows by flowing streams.     Isaiah 44:3-4

Is this still true? Do you wonder how to enhance the spiritual life of a grandchild, niece or nephew, especially during important sacramental celebrations like Baptism, First Holy Communion, or Confirmation? Here are a few things to keep in mind:

First, God loves our grown children and grandchildren and invites us to enter into that love. When we do, we CAN become instruments of spiritual rebirth for our loved ones. The gentle, persistent and spiritual love of a grandparent, aunt or uncle is one the Church’s greatest resources.

Second, when a child reaches a milestone like First Communion, for example, grandparents often become keenly aware of the spiritual connections between those who have gone before us and all those who will come after us. We see the big picture behind the rituals and can reflect on God’s unending presence in our families.

Third, grandparents already have the tools to share faith.  As part of the oldest generation in your family, each grandparent is an official storyteller.  And even better, God’s holy Spirit empowers us to gentle share spiritual stories that create a sense of belonging and purpose, a sense of God’s faithfulness. So as you reflect on past sacramental celebrations, look for signs of God’s love. Then gather up those, Baptism or First communion photos and tell your faith stories. If you don’t know how to begin, use a collection of our family’s First Communion photos to get started.

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In his Confessions (part 17), St. Patrick wrote, “I saw a man coming, as it were from Ireland… and he carried many letters, and he gave me one of them… and I heard the voice of those very people [crying out]: “We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us.”

St. Patrick is part of a long line of saints who heard God’s call to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to others. In fact, many saints had a hunger for sharing the Gospel and a zeal for reaching out to those who do not experience a vital relationship with Jesus and the Church. This zeal drove some to dedicate their whole lives to “praying for the salvation of souls” in a cloistered life. Others, like St. Patrick, relied on God, in prayer, to send them out to certain people and places, where they could share faith.

Today we have different ways of talking about the kind of prayer that ignites spiritual compassion and new zeal for bringing others to Jesus. “We call it ‘evangelizing prayer’ because it allows Jesus to shape our hearts and grant us a greater sensitivity to the spiritual needs of others. (First of all), the simplest way to enter into the gift of evangelizing prayer is to ask for the grace to see someone from God’s point of view. (Second), evangelizing prayer is (also) the foundation for trusting in the Holy Spirit as the source of all holiness and transformation in ourselves and in others. (Third), through this kind of prayer, we are made more effective signs of God’s presence. And finally, in prayer, the Spirit gives us a new vision for God’s dynamic intervention in our daily lives and in the lives of others.” (excerpt from Sharing the Faith That You Love).

St. Patrick, pray for us, that Jesus might give us new zeal for the Gospel and new ears for the voice of the Holy Spirit, who sends us forth as evangelizers. Help us surrender to God’s gift of spiritual compassion that was so plentiful in your own life.  Then help us rejoice in all the ways that Jesus moves hearts and mind in our families, friends and acquaintances. Amen.