Quotes from The Joy of the Gospel

Pope Francis

The Joy of the Gospel Goodness always tends to spread. If we

wish to live a dignified and fulfilling life, we have to reach out to others and seek their good.” (#9)

An evangelizer must never look like someone who has just come back from a funeral” (10)

“’”

The Joy of the Gospel We cannot passively

and calmly wait in our church buildings.

We must be a church which goes forth (19)

The Joy of the Gospel All of us are called to take part in this

new missionary “going forth” (#20)

The Joy of the Gospel “It is vitally important to go forth and

spread the Gospel to all places, on all occasions, without hesitation, reluctance or fear.” (23)

The Joy of the Gospel “I hope that all communities will

devote the necessary effort to advancing along the path of a pastoral and missionary conversion which

cannot leave things as they presently are.” #25 

The Joy of the Gospel Throughout the world, let us be

“permanently in a state of mission” #25

The Parish “The parish is the presence of the

Church in a given territory, an environment for hearing God’s word, for growth in the Christian life, for dialogue, proclamation, charitable outreach, worship and celebration.”27

The Parish “In all its activities the parish

encourages and trains its members to be evangelizers. It is a community of communities, a sanctuary where the thirsty come to drink in the midst of their journey, and a centre of constant missionary outreach.” #28

Be Bold Pastoral ministry in a missionary

key seeks to abandon the complacent attitude that says: “We have always done it this way”. I invite everyone to be bold and creative in this task of rethinking the goals, structures, style and methods of evangelization in their respective communities. #33

 

The Joy of the Gospel

“A Church which “goes forth” is a Church whose doors are open. Going out to others in order to reach the fringes of humanity does not mean rushing out aimlessly into the world.” #46

Go Forth “Let us go forth, then, let us go

forth to offer everyone the life of Jesus Christ”#49

 

A dirty church I prefer a Church which is bruised,

hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security. #49

The Joy of the Gospel One of the more serious temptations

which stifles boldness and zeal (in evangelization) is a defeatism which turns us into querulous and disillusioned pessimists, “sourpusses”.

The Joy of the Gospel The Church must be

a place of mercy freely given, where everyone can feel welcomed, loved, forgiven and encouraged to live the good life of the Gospel.

The Joy of the Gospel In virtue of their baptism, all the

members of the People of God have become missionary disciples (cf. Mt 28:19).

The new evangelization calls for personal involvement on the part of each of the baptized #120

Throughout the world, let us be “permanently in a state of mission” #25

The Joy of the Gospel Today, as the Church seeks to experience

a profound missionary renewal, there is a kind of preaching which falls to each of us as a daily responsibility. It has to do with bringing the Gospel to the people we meet, whether they be our neighbours or complete strangers. This is the informal preaching which takes place in the middle of a conversation, something along the lines of what a missionary does when visiting a home

The Joy of the Gospel “Being a disciple means being

constantly ready to bring the love of Jesus to others, and this can happen unexpectedly and in any place: on the street, in a city square, during work, on a journey.” 127

Transform the World An authentic faith – which is never

comfortable or completely personal – always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better that we found it. (#183)

All of us are brothers and sisters

We love this magnificent planet on which God has put us, and we love the human family which dwells here, with all its tragedies and struggles, its hopes and aspirations, its strengths and weaknesses. The earth is our common home and all of us are brothers and sisters. 183

A Poor Church for the Poor

This is why I want a Church which is poor and for the poor.

We are called to find Christ in them, to lend our voice to their causes, but also to be their friends, to listen to them, to speak for them and to embrace the mysterious wisdom which God wishes to share with us through them. 198

The Joy of the Gospel The best incentive for sharing the

Gospel comes from contemplating it with love, lingering over its pages and reading it with the heart. If we approach it in this way, its beauty will amaze and constantly excite us.

We are God’s creation If we are to share our lives with others and

generously give of ourselves, we also have to realize that every person is worthy of our giving.

They are God’s handiwork, .... and he or she reflects something of God’s glory. Every human being is the object of God’s infinite tenderness, Appearances notwithstanding, every person is immensely holy and deserves our love.

The Social dimension (Ch 4)

•The inclusion of the poor in our society•Concern for the vulnerable•The common good•Peace in Society•Dialogue between faith, reason & science•Ecumenical dialogue•Interreligious dialogue•Religious Freedom

• These are areas we must engage in

Fill your heart with faces Consequently, if I can help at least

one person to have a better life, that already justifies the offering of my life.

It is a wonderful thing to be God’s faithful people.

We achieve fulfilment when we break down walls and our heart is filled with faces and names! #274

Be Joyful!

Only the person who feels happiness in seeking the good of others , in desiring their happiness, can be a missionary (272)

The Joy of the Gospel I am a mission on this earth; that

is the reason why I am here in this world. We have to regard ourselves as sealed, even branded, by this mission of bringing light, blessing, enlivening, raising up, healing and freeing. #278

In union with JesusA true missionary who never ceases to be a disciple, knows that Jesus walks with him or her, speaks to him or her, breathes with him or her, works with him or her.

Unless Jesus is present at the heart of our missionary commitment, our enthusiasm soon wanes and we are no longer sure of what it is we are handing on: we lack vigour and passion.A person who is not convinced, enthusiastic, certain and in love, will convince nobody. (#266)