Evangelization in a hedonistic society.

Evangelization in a hedonistic society.
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"Hi! Thaaththaa!"

"Hi! Preethi! How are you?"

"Fine! Happy to have met you
just now.

I would like to have few  words with you."

"Why few? Plenty in-store.

when two talkative persons meet 'few words' have no meaning.

What do you want me to know?"

"What do you mean by 'Evangelization'?"

"As far as I know,  it means 'give Jesus to the whole world."

"'Give Jesus'?"

"Yes.

It is not enough that that we give His words.

Words given from the pulpit are useless

unless they take Jesus Himself to the persons

to whom they are addressed.

The word 'food' cannot be nutritious  to us unless food itself  is  served us."

"Even a small chocolate cannot be given even to a child unless it accepts it.

Do you think that you can succeed in giving Jesus Himself to the whole world?"

"We must be positive minded.

A doctor who treats a patient must first believe that his treatment will be successful.

One who always doubts his own medicine cannot be a doctor. "

"We may be positive minded.

How can we expect all  the persons to whom we preach to be positive minded like us?

Most of the persons to whom we give our belief have already their own faiths.

They simply close their hearts to our words, though not their ears.

Do you think that we must waste our words on those whose hearts can never be touched?"

"Hello Preethi, just now I told you to be positive minded."

"But a theory is of no use unless it is practical.

We are living in a hedonistic society."

"Hello!  Be a bit simple in your expression.

Most part of preachers' failure is due to their bombastic style of expression joined with their lavish lifestyle."

"Alright. Today's society is
self-indulgent and pleasure-seeking.

Just observe the way of living of the people.

Do you think that they will accept the poor  and suffering Jesus?"

"It is not a question of whether they will accept or not.

When we admit our son in a school,

we should not ask,

'Will he study?'

We must make him study.

Likewise,  we must make them accept Jesus"

"I won't accept your view.

True, they must accept Jesus.

But, can we force them to accept?

Is it not against freedom of religion?"

"Many people misunderstand the phrase 'freedom of religion'.

Freedom of choice is a God given right.

It means we should freely choose God; that alone makes us worthy of eternal reward.

If we have no other choice but to obey God,

just as a bulb has no other choice  but to get  lit up when the switch is put on,

our obedience has no merit.

We must freely and voluntarily,

using  our own free will,

obey God to merit our reward.

Freedom of choice given by a
secular government in the world is quite different from that given by God.

The Indian government is secular and so its citizens have freedom of religion.

It cannot decide our religion.

Whichever religion we follow we don't  lose our citizenship.

But as God's children we have only one religion,

'One, Catholic, Apostolic Church'

instituted by Jesus Himself.

Human beings can attain salvation only through the Church instituted by Jesus.

By freedom of choice

we mean that

we are free

to choose attaining or rejection of salvation."

"Hello Thaaththaa, you said, 'Human beings can attain salvation only through the Church instituted by Jesus.'

Do you mean to say that people belonging to  other religions cannot be saved?

They also were created by the same God who has created Christians."

"All salvation comes from Christi, the Head,

through the Church which is His Body.

Christ sacrificed Himself on the Cross for the salvation of the whole human race.

So, those who,

with full faith in God, 

sincerely obey the dictates of their conscience

will be saved

wherever they are."

"Good,  Thaaththaa.

One more question.

How should today's  Evangelists approach the

self-indulgent and pleasure-seeking people to have their evangelization successful? "

"They should first bear Jesus in their life

by leading a life of Christian poverty,

simplicity,

piety etc.

before taking Jesus to others.

Their life,

not mere words, 

should give Jesus to others.

The poorest of the poor Man cannot travel with a luxurious evangelist in a Benz Car.

Luxury and poverty cannot go together.

One cannot give others what he doesn't have.

A child which was born in a cattle shed and slept in a manger

cannot reside in a crores worth comfortable bungalow.

How can a rich resident give a poor child to others?

Evangelization and   hedonism cannot go together.

Just as medicine counteracts   disease,

Only poverty can counteract hedonism.

Only a Poverello like St. Francis of Assisi can bring a hedonistic society to Jesus."

"So, Thaaththaa, you want us to be like  St. Francis of Assisi to give Jesus to today's society. "

"Exactly."

"Thank you, Thaaththaa.  See you tomorrow with another question. Bye."

"Bye."

Lourdu Selvam.