When Jesus rose from the dead on the first Easter, the message of resurrection was complete and the conversion of the world to Jesus could begin. When He ascended to the Father, He gave the Apostles a commission to preach the Gospel to the whole world.
The Acts of the Apostles and early Christian writings describe for us the work of the Apostles and their followers. Thousands were converted through their preaching. These converts would continue to spread the Gospel.
What made them so successful?
Joy in their faith is a huge part of it. Those who heard the words of the Apostles also saw that, despite persecution, they lived lives of Joy. We must have the same kind of joy.
Sadness, bitterness, and judgment will not bring the errant Catholic home to the Church or touch the heart of the wandering person with no faith and guide them to the path of truth and salvation. Jesus’ life was filled with unconditional love, kindness to strangers, peace, forgiveness, and hope. When we, as Christians, exude these characteristics, we just may convince others to take a chance on Jesus.
In his first letter, St. John says, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is brought to perfection in us. This is how we know that we remain in Him and He in us, that He has given us of His Spirit.” (1 Jn. 4:11–13) We know that our faith is based on God’s promise of salvation and the expectation that we are made by Him and for Him and that we will return to Him. Scripture tells us that God is love, and when we show others that our faith is filled with love, light, and the promise of eternal salvation, people are much more likely to join us and find the peace that only Christ can give, the peace that is in the heart of Christians.
Most of us will never be called to be great preachers. We will not enthrall a crowd with our words. But there are things we can do to help in converting the world to Jesus, which is what God wants most of all. Let’s list two of them.
First, we can pray a decade of the rosary each day. While we pray, we can ask God’s help for those whose lives are devoted to evangelization, especially missionaries and those who preach here at home. Or, you could dedicate each Hail Mary to a lost or struggling soul who needs help finding Christ or returning to the Church.
Second, we can show others through our words and actions that we live as Christians at all times and in all places. This will demonstrate what a great gift God has given us in our Catholic faith. Living this way is not always an easy thing to do. Forgiving others, mending fences, and avoiding judgment of others are difficult things to do and require a great deal of grace. But if we show God’s love to others and how living in God’s love brings us peace and happiness, God will do the rest.
We, like the Apostles, can fulfill the call of Jesus to “make disciples of all nations.
