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Parish Read of Pope Francis' “The Joy of the Gospel”

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Parish Read of Pope Francis' “The Joy of the Gospel” PARISH READ OF POPE FRANCIS’ “THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL” Stephanie Baker Pastoral Associate for Adult and Intergenerational Faith Formation CHAPTER THREE: THE PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL Pope Francis begins chapter three reminding us that the Church is God’s people moving ever closer to him. Vatican II helped us to see ourselves as the people of God. God has offered his saving grace freely to us, helping us to move beyond our selfish ways and calling us to holiness. Our task is to reach out to the whole world with this joyful message. “The Church must be a place of mercy freely given, where everyone can feel welcomed, loved, forgiven and encouraged to live the good life of the Gospel.” #114 The Church has progressed to a place where there is an appreciation of the diversity of cultures. Cultural diversity produces many gifts and is no longer seen as a threat to Christian unity. God is incarnate throughout all cultures and the Gospel is joyfully proclaimed in a variety of ways. Pope Francis calls each and every baptized person anointed by the Spirit to speak of their faith and invite others to share it. We become “missionary disciples” just as the first followers of Christ were. Like Saint Paul or the Samaritan woman at the well, once we hear the good news, we are compelled to speak about it. This is not something most of us Roman Catholics are accustomed to doing. Pope Francis wants us to start now. He says, “What you have come to realize, what has helped you to live and given you hope, is what you also need to communicate to others.” #121 He is asking us to share our personal stories of faith through “informal preaching” which takes place in ordinary life on a day-to-day basis. We do this with respect and gentleness, sharing from our heart. It might be a word, a gesture of love, a sign of forgiveness, or even a prayer. When the circumstances are right, we speak up! Reflection Give examples about how you or people you know have spoken about faith and invited others to share your faith, values, practices, or beliefs. The next two sections of chapter three are entitled “The Homily” and Preparing to Preach”. Our priests and deacon will find wonderful instruction and inspiration here. Pope Francis definitely practices what he preaches about preaching. (Take some time to read some of his homilies online.) Sr. Mary Ann Walsh, director of media relations for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, says this in a recent article in America Magazine, “Looking over Pope Francis’ pontificate so far, I think his greatest contribution may be his telling us how to spread the Gospel. He uses simple words and vibrant images. He stands as an example of how priests should give homilies and how all of us can evangelize, that is, spread the Gospel.” She lists three rules: 1)Keep it short, 2)Be relevant, and 3)Bring the Scriptures to life. Reflection What strikes you as most important in the discussion of homilies presented here by Pope Francis? Why do you think he spent so much time on this aspect of evangelization? The final section in this chapter tells us that we don’t just announce the good news, speak of faith, and welcome others. We also set ourselves on a pathway to grow in our faith. This isn’t mere growth in doctrinal understanding, but it is also learning a “way of love.” Faith formation and catechesis help make this growth possible with the help of the Holy Spirit. Pope Francis emphasizes a deeper understanding the kerygma. He graciously explains that we refer to the announcement of the core message of Jesus Christ as the kerygma. The first words every teacher and catechist must utter, therefore, are this same announcement: “Jesus loves you; his self-emptying death on the cross saves you from selfishness and sin; now he walks with you every day.” This is the most important work of evangelization and catechesis. Our announcement of it must be warm, welcoming, and non-judgmental. Reflection In your own words, what does the term kerygma mean? How do you experience it in your life and how do you speak about it to others? He goes on to emphasize the importance of mystagogy. This is the process of “looking back over your shoulder” at celebrations, encounters with people, or events that have just happened in order to see the hand of God in them. This is one way people come to know and recognize God in their midst. Finally, Pope Francis teaches about the art of accompaniment. We walk with people and accompany them on their journeys of faith. This is a sacred role and requires that we listen, enter into their lives, and accompany them with patience as we all journey together to God. Reflection Imagine you have been invited to speak about your faith and invite others to join you in it. Your audience is a group of people who are modern urban citizens of the USA, but have not heard about Jesus or the Gospel before this. What will you tell them? .
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