Today's Good News Reflection

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus proclaims: "The reign of God is at hand! Reform your lives and believe in the good news!" Do you know anyone who's on the wrong path, sinning, away from God, away from the Church? How we wish we could successfully convey Christ's invitation to them. We wonder: How can we do it?

Observe how Jesus did it. He gathered a team and formed them into a community. By his example, he shows us that we are never meant to evangelize alone. If you're the only one inviting a coworker or family member to recognize their need for Christ, the message conveyed is that you're an odd-ball fanatic who should be ignored. But when God sends one messenger after another into that person's life, each delivering the message in their own unique ways, the reign of God becomes more obviously real.

And when that person is invited into a community that is joyful, faith-filled, and friendly, the reign of God becomes desirable! (This is why every parish needs to -- by divinely ordained accountability -- examine how welcoming they are and how to improve.)

Whom have you tried to evangelize but failed? Fear not! Our individual failures are not the end of God's plan: We are only part of the plan. We are not the Savior; we are the fisher-men and -women who use our own lives as bait to attract others to his love. But it takes more than one person to handle the net that catches them.

Notice that the disciples abandoned the net they had made to answer the call of Jesus. Simon, Andrew, James and John were already experiencing community with each other; we can imagine the camaraderie and commiserating they shared after a hard day's work. But Jesus invited them to become part of a bigger community with a greater purpose.

What do you have to let go of in order to follow Jesus into community and its collaborative mission of evangelization? Your individualism? A too-busy schedule that caters to your own private goals? A fear of inadequacy? A lazy attitude that God will send someone else to do the work? Community is the cure for all of these sins!

As a Christian, you belong to the same community that the Apostles joined. What are you doing to help it with its outreach mission? What are you doing to receive growth and strength and support from the community so you can do what God has called you to do? What are you doing to build a community that is joyful, faith-filled, and friendly so that the reign of God becomes desirable to those who come to church after a long time away?