From time to time, it is good to remind ourselves what the “Catholic” modifying our particular church really means. Quite literally, “catholic” means “universal” – or worldwide, embracing everyone. Remembering what we call ourselves – and are, in fact, commissioned to be by our Divine Founder – can be a powerful source of encouragement as we seek to fulfill our mission as His disciples.
Pope Francis continues to call us to this awareness in his homilies, addresses and exhortations. The Church must fix its gaze outside itself and be in dialogue or conversation with the world. This implies a posture not only of speaking, but listening. Listening, in turn, assumes that the partner in dialogue has something worthwhile to say. Culture, therefore, is something not to be feared or to be insulated from as if it were an enemy of religion, but something to be engaged with, albeit without compromising our faith or its teachings. He cites the initiative of the 18th-century Jesuit missionary, Matteo Ricci, who attempted just such a dialogue in China.
The Church of Christ, therefore, is that community, that People of God, which is not limited to belonging to a particular nation, culture, language or ethnic group. Out of all peoples has God called men and women to come together to believe in Him and serve Him. In the old Covenant, salvation came to a particular people, namely, the Jewish people, so that through the coming of Christ, the Savior of the world, the doors would be open to all people of all times.
This and nothing else did Jesus proclaim when He commissioned the Apostles: “Go out to all the nations and make them my disciples; baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teach them to follow all that I have commanded you. And know that I am with you always, even until the end of the world.”
It is not out of any presumptuousness that the Church would send out missionaries to people who do not yet know Christ so that they might learn of Him and believe in Him. How should one know the truth unless it be announced to them. Would any people know the truth of the faith if no one brought them word of it?
The faith, of course, must never be imposed with intimidation or force. It must be embraced freely by the will with love and built upon Christ’s love for all mankind.
However our awareness of the faith came to develop, it is good to remember that all of us once received it. That is true for each of us as individuals, regardless of our country of origin, which itself may well have once been a mission land. Nor will that faith be passed on unless we give it to others, our friends and our children – and to all within our circle of life.
Where indeed are today’s mission countries? One tends to think of lands far from us like China or distant islands. But are there not missionary territories much closer to us? Has our own country become once again a mission land where the Gospel needs again to be heard and lived?
How many of those who have been baptized actually live as convinced and committed Christians? How many former Catholics in America are not following any faith at all?
Our Holy Father has renewed the call of his predecessors to a New Evangelization. It is a service of love when we announce to others the truth of Christ and seek to live it publicly ourselves.
Jesus once said that He would make those known to His Heavenly Father who make His name known to others on Earth.