From the first moment Jesus gave his command to the Apostles to, ‘Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News’, the faithful people of God have responded! It is an invitation freely given by Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church, on her part has tried to the best of her ability to encourage and support all the faithful in their Journey of Faith. Sometimes along that journey people can lose their way, often taking other paths. But, they are still part of the family, and we really do miss them when they’re not with us. We pray for them, and I truly believe that Jesus is constantly searching out our brothers and sisters. We can also help in this mission; if you know of anyone, it may be a family member, or a neighbour or friend, who no longer actively participates with the worshipping community, have the courage to invite them to accompany you to one of our weekend masses. Obviously, there are so many other distractions out in the world today that it’s so easy to be distracted with regards commitment in faith; but the fact is that Jesus Christ came into our world to show us the way to God, and he doesn’t want to lose anyone along the way that leads to him. Sometimes, when people have been away from the practice of the faith, they often feel nervous and embarrassed about coming home. There will always be a Big Welcome! This is real Evangelisation, because it really can enable and help all of us recognise the importance of what it means to be a member of God’s Family of Faith. Have Courage!
St Edmund of Canterbury 