On January 31 through February 2, I attended, in Dallas, TX,  the "Conference on Evangelization through Communications" sponsored by NEA (New Evangelization of America). NEA is a Pan-American organization which seeks to use and help coordinate media communications to bring about the "New Evangelization" called for by Pope John Paul II in the Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in America. On the occasion of  the Synod for America in 1977, Pope John Paul II insisted on using  the term America, rather than the Americas in plural, to imply the unity of the American continent. All the world is marching toward unity. The United States opened the road when the "Union" overcame the "Federation." We now have also the European Union.

The prompter that set the tone of the whole NEA Conference was a conviction that  "A church that does not evangelize is a dead church."  The guiding light of the three days was the mandate of our Lord to His Disciples before He left them: "Go and make disciples of all nations, ... teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you until the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)

The goal of the Conference could be summarized in a statement from the letter addressed to the Most Rev. Charles Grahmann, Bishop of Dallas and host of this 5th  International NEA Conference by Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, Substitute of the Secretariat of State of the Vatican. Archbishop Sandri wrote: "His Holiness (Pope John Paul II) sends good wishes for the Conference's efforts to develop a comprehensive and creative communications strategy aimed at advancing the Church's mission of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ at the dawn of the Third Millennium."                        

The following observations are random notes and reflections that I took from that memorable Conference on the New Evangelization.

The emphasis throughout the Conference was on the need of the Church to move from the model of maintenance to the model of expansion. Do not keep the faith! Spread the faiith. and spreading the Good News. Our Lord told His Apostles: "What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops."  (Matthew 10:27) It is the nature of good to spread out and grow. It is not the monopoly of evil to expand like an oil stain. Good also expands around like a good fragrance. The Church must stretch outward without ceasing to grow inward in truth and love. Church leaders are urged to move from the ghetto mentality of self-preservation to the "beacon mentality" of letting their light shine. "Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father." (Matthew 5:16)  St. Peter reminds us in his Second Universal Epistle: "You are a chosen generation, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, .... (I Peter 2:9) It was brought to our attention that, more often than not, we preach to ourselves and thrive to survive by keeping the old frames and using the in house vocabulary. Grace, sacraments, beatific vision as well as Divine Liturgy and Theosis must be explained and not taken for granted. 

Evangelizing is not the monopoly of the clergy. By the fact of his/her baptism, every Christian has the mission to evangelize. 

Spreading the Good News is done by words, and especially by life witness.  As St. "Francis of Assisi enjoined his disciples: "Preach Christ all the time. Use words when necessary." 

The effort of the evangelizer should not be only to show Christ to others, but also to seek Christ in others. While teaching, we are invited to learn also, to listen as much as to talk, "for it is in giving that we receive." I remember a poster I read in the sixties: "There is a lot of good in the worst of us and a lot of bad in the best of us, so that we do not know who should correct whom."

In his keynote address at the first day luncheon, Archbishop John P. Foley, Presidnt of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, reminded the participants: "If you want to evangelize the world, start by trying to be saints." Before changing the world, we have to change ourselves. Here comes to my mind a very wise, but disquieting saying that I used to hear in my seminary days: A saintly priest will have a good congregation. A good priest will have an average congregation. An average priest will have a mediocre congregation. A mediocre priest will have a bad congregation. And let us pray that we will never have a bad priest.  Yes, a priest, like a teacher, must stay always at least one step ahead of his students. Priests, and bishops also, should keep in mind that you cannot perform a successful surgery with dirty knives. However, thank God who rescues His Church from our frailty. Thank God who alone is able to repair our mistakes. God can write straight with crooked lines and can use our dirt as fertilizer. "For God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to bring to light the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of [Jesus] Christ. But we hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us."  (2 Corinthians 4:6-7)

And do not look for quick results. We throw the seed. God will give the growth in His appointed time. "I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth." (1 Corinthians 3:6)  Mother Teresa used to tell her sisters: "God did not call us to be successful, but to be faithful."  And do not be contented with what is and what was, "as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be."  Behold, I make everything new," says Jesus  (Revelation 21:5) As Eastern Christians, we give the impression that we cling to the old until the new becomes old, as precious vintage. While recognizing the value of old things, we have to be creative and seek new things. As we may keep old frames, we have to cope with our present world. 

On November 21, 2002, Pope John Paul II addressed 65 representatives who were participating in the plenary assembly of the Vatican Congregation for Eastern Churches.  He urged them not to be imprisoned in the past, but to overcome their difficulties by being open to their missionary vocation. Evangelization is the key to overcome their difficulties.  (ZE02112107)

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is the one and only Savior -- at least for us His followers, as proclaims by St. Peter before the Sanhedrin: "There is no salvation through anyone else, nor there is no other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved." (Acts 4:12) Avoiding any offense to non believers, we may proclaim truly that "Jesus Christ is MY only Lord and Savior." Every time I announce and proclaim, my own faith grows, and the truth and love of Jesus spreads all around me.

Theology is not a matter of brain but a matter of love. It was said that the way to a man's heart passes by his stomach. It was said also that the greatest distance in a human person is the twelve inches between his heart and his brain." It was said also that you cannot love what you don't know.  The contrary is more likely, namely: " It was said also that you cannot love what you don't know.  The contrary is more likely, namely: you cannot know what you don't love. You cannot evangelize people unless you love them and you do not look down at them.

You know the famous saying: "Give a man a fish; you will feed him for one day. Teach a man to fish, you will feed him for as lifetime. Help a man to be a fisherman, as Christ did to the Apostles, and you will feed him for time and eternity.

I was very impressed by the hope, joy and enthusiasm permeating the whole Conference.  One of my favorite sayings is: "What you do without enthusiasm you quit without regret." Over thirty years ago, I read a verse from the author e. e. cummings which is still echoing in my mind. I quote it from memory; but the message there is clear:

"There are people who feel intensively, who think intensively, who speak intensively and who do things intensively ... And the rest of the world will be fortunate to feed from the crumbs that fall from their table."

This is why various modern sects and movements, and even the Moslem religion make more progress in general than we Catholics do. Because they have more conviction. It seems that religion is the best kept secret by the greatest majority of Catholics. We seem to be too shy in proclaiming the word of God. We spend too much time apologizing and too little time evangelizing.

I propose to dedicate a special Protopresbyteral meeting to study the ways and means through which we are spreading the Good News and proclaiming God's kingdom as He has commanded. "A Church that does not evangelize is a dead church." How much life our Melkite Church, our American Eparchy and our respective parishes have? We look to a bright and vibrant future. This will be the topic of our coming National Melkite Convention in July, sponsored by St. Basil the Great Church of Lincoln, RI. I hope and pray that our discussion of the topic at our New England Protopresbyteral meeting will be a good preparation for a very successful, informative and invigorating Convention.

"Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father." (Matthew 5:16)

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