Herald of Hope
It is said that a simple question can wield enormous power. If properly framed, insightfully conceived, sincerely delivered and appropriately timed, the right question can open new horizons of knowledge and wisdom.
This was our hope and heartfelt wish when I was serving as the rector and pastor of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist when our Milwaukee parish was preparing to enter the season of Lent in the year of 2014. That year, we were planning to spend the 40 days of the holy season raising a special question at each and every meeting of the organizations, groups, committees, commissions and councils of the Cathedral. The question proposed was: “How is what we are discussing or doing about evangelization?” Or stated another way, “How is the work of this gathering, session, class or rehearsal related to learning about the Gospel, living the Gospel and sharing the Gospel?” Those who came together for such occasions would then spend at least five to 10 minutes (or more) in discussion and prayer on this topic.
This exercise was endorsed by the members of our Pastoral Council and pastoral staff in response to a request made by the Cathedral’s Evangelization Task Force. The task force suggested the exercise as an outgrowth of the celebration of the “Year of Faith” that began Oct. 11, 2012, and concluded Nov. 24, 2013.
As you may recall, the “Year of Faith” was called by Pope Benedict XVI “as a summons to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord.” It was his desire that the Church would “open wide the doors of faith” to provide an opportunity for people of all ages to turn anew to Christ to enter into a deeper relationship with him.
The proposal to raise this simple but powerful question, then, was considered a tangible means to keep the spirit of evangelization alive and growing in our parish.
The idea for utilizing such a question in the life of our parish was inspired by a similar exercise that once took place in the Diocese of Saginaw in Michigan. On March 26, 1991, the late Bishop Kenneth E. Untener issued what he entitled his “Decree of the Poor.” He declared that all meetings held under Church auspices, at the parish or diocesan level, no matter what their purpose, must begin with the agenda item: How shall what we are doing here affect or involve the poor? The decree was to be effective until the first of July — a total of 97 days. Bishop Untener later commented that this exercise was nothing short of transformative. He said that he and the members of his diocese “learned a lot, not only about the poor but also about us, and how we think about (or don’t think about) the poor.”
I am bringing this matter to the forefront, because the topic of evangelization is not only still relevant but also even more important. I am basing this proposal on the message that Pope Leo XIV in his first Mass delivered as the Holy Father to the College of Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel on Friday, May 9.
One of the essential points that Pope Leo sought to convey was a clarion call to the members of the Catholic Church to “bear witness to our joyful faith in Jesus the Savior” in a world where “a lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by a loss of meaning in life.” Some of the cardinals present at the Mass even commented that the Holy Father was quite concerned about the current level of faith in the United States and in the Western Hemisphere — even going so far as to consider the region as approaching “missionary territory.” The following excerpt from the homily definitely seems to capture this spirit:
“Even today, there are many settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent. Settings where other securities are preferred, like technology, money, success, power, or pleasure.
“These are contexts where it is not easy to preach the Gospel and bear witness to its truth, where believers are mocked, opposed, despised or at best tolerated and pitied. Yet, precisely for this reason, they are the places where our missionary outreach is desperately needed. A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society.
“Today, too, there are many settings in which Jesus, although appreciated as a man, is reduced to a kind of charismatic leader or superman. This is true not only among nonbelievers but also among many baptized Christians, who thus end up living, at this level, in a state of practical atheism.”
And, so it would seem, it might very well be time for the parishes of our Archdiocese of Milwaukee to give serious consideration to engaging in “The Power of a Simple Question.” And may we accompany this effort with prayer for a transformative experience for the faith communities of the Catholic Church in southeastern Wisconsin. May our intentional and determined raising of this simple question regarding evangelization open us to new horizons of knowledge and wisdom about growing in our faith in Jesus Christ and witnessing the peace and joy of his Gospel to others!
