December 18, 2024 at 10:11 a.m.

Be a faith fanatic

Advent is a time to focus or refocus on the importance of Jesus’ coming

Tom Cronin is the Director of Evangelization & Strategic Planning in the Diocese of Albany. Contact Tom with any questions about boosting evangelization efforts at your parish at [email protected] or by visiting www.rcda.org/evangelization. Follow me on Instagram: tom_rcda.

By Thomas G. Cronin | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

As we wait and prepare for the birth of our Lord Jesus during this Advent season, I spend much time reflecting upon hope, faith, joy and love that our Church both needs and gives.

I am awestruck when I think about the importance of our existence. Our mission is more important than any other organization on the face of the earth. That is not an exaggeration, but simply states that the Church’s reason for existence and our discipleship is a priority over everything else. Our Church was founded by Jesus Christ. The mission of our Church was commanded directly to us by Jesus in Matthew 28:19. There is no gray area in what we are here to do, but how and what we do is up to us and the Holy Spirit.

According to Statista, a global data company, the National Football League’s average game attendance in the 2023 season was 69,500 and the total attendance for the regular season was a record 18.85 million fans. When you look at our national pastime, the total attendance at Major League Baseball games in the 2024 season was just over 71 million. And these numbers don’t include the millions more watching on TV or streaming devices.

According to Merriam-Webster, a “fanatic” is a person who is extremely enthusiastic about and devoted to some interest or activity. Can you imagine the energy in our churches if we put that level of fanaticism into our faith? Imagine if we had the enthusiasm for God and our Church the way we do for professional sports? We invest in what we value — that includes our time, talent and treasure.

Advent is a time to focus or refocus on the importance of Jesus’ coming. Is He front and center in our lives or buried in the clutter of our busyness? Imagine if we prepared for His arrival with the same zeal we do for other things. That is our Advent call to action — be a fanatic for Christ. Live our lives with not just enthusiasm, but with extreme enthusiasm for God. Be bold in our faith — get uncomfortable and push the limits. Be courageous in sharing our love of God and allow the Holy Spirit to help us spread the joy of the Gospel. The most important and impactful things in life are never easy.

Thomas Cronin is the Director of Evangelization & Strategic Planning for the Diocese of Albany. Contact Tom with any questions about boosting evangelization efforts at your parish at [email protected] or by visiting www.rcda.org/ evangelization. Follow me on Instagram: tom_rcda.