Act with zeal for Jesus

It’s not very often that I use the word zeal, but that one word simply describes how we need to act in our faith and in our parishes, especially in these extraordinary times we are living.

The dictionary defines zeal as great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective.  If we critically assess our parishes — how often would we categorize our actions as being done with great energy or enthusiasm?

I have witnessed numerous parish successes specific to people returning to the celebration of the Mass, but it takes effort, it takes zeal! Unfortunately, many people are not going to automatically return to Mass without our parishes putting forth extra energy through invitation and proactive initiatives to welcome them back.

Realistically speaking, many are not ready to return as they may be in higher-risk categories due to pre-existing health issues or their age. In these cases, our online Masses are a lifeline keeping parishioners connected to their parish and their faith. But many more people have fallen out of the habit after seven months of not physically going to Mass and started forming other Sunday morning routines. In my opinion, we are in dire need of a modern day great commissioning. Jesus commanded the disciples to go out and make disciples of all the nations, but what does that mean to us today? That can be intimidating and multifaceted, but it starts with prayer and ends with action.

Our “playbook” is an oldie, but a goodie — the Acts of the Apostles. I am in awe when I read and reflect on the efforts of the apostles and how the power of the Holy Spirit worked through them. They were mission driven and stayed focused on the plan that God laid out before them. It’s about developing and nurturing relationships. We must cut through the noise, clutter, busyness, weariness and distractions of our modern world and get back to basics – show people we are genuinely interested in them and show them God’s love and mercy through our actions. I pray that we receive fortitude to go out and share our contagious joy and love of knowing Jesus with others.

We need to re-connect with each other. For months, we have been told to be “socially distant,” but I wholeheartedly disagree with the lexicon. It needs to be clarified — to stay safe from the virus, we need to be “physically distant,” but as humans desiring relationships, we need to be socially intimate. That is the core of evangelization — emotional and spiritual connectivity with others as we walk together in knowing, loving and sharing our love for Christ with others.

So, courageously act with zeal and have great energy and enthusiasm for Jesus. Every interaction is an opportunity to grow more intimate with that person and with God.

Please contact me with any questions about boosting evangelization efforts at your parish at [email protected] or by visiting https://www.rcda.
org/evangelization. Follow me on Instagram:tom_rcda