Evangelii Gaudium

St Joan of Arc ParishDeacon Mark Mueller

“The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew.” (EG, 1)

Teaching Authority of the Pontiff What is an “Apostolic Exhortation” About the Author Over-view and Key Concepts A Joy Ever New and Shared The Delightful and Comforting Joy

of Evangelizing The New Evangelization Small Group Questions

“having mercy, he called him.”

Lumen Gentium 25. Among the principal duties of bishops the preaching of the Gospel occupies an eminent place. For bishops are preachers of the faith, who lead new disciples to Christ, and they are authentic teachers, that is, teachers endowed with the authority of Christ, who preach to the people committed to them the faith they must believe and put into practice, and by the light of the Holy Spirit illustrate that faith. They bring forth from the treasury of Revelation new things and old,(Mt. 13, 52) making it bear fruit and vigilantly warding off any errors that threaten their flock. (2 Tim. 4, 1-4) Bishops, teaching in communion with the Roman Pontiff, are to be respected by all as witnesses to divine and Catholic truth. In matters of faith and morals, the bishops speak in the name of Christ and the faithful are to accept their teaching and adhere to it with a religious assent. This religious submission of mind and will must be shown in a special way to the authentic magisterium of the Roman Pontiff, even when he is not speaking ex cathedra; that is, it must be shown in such a way that his supreme magisterium is acknowledged with reverence, the judgments made by him are sincerely adhered to, according to his manifest mind and will. His mind and will in the matter may be known either from the character of the documents, from his frequent repetition of the same doctrine, or from his manner of speaking.

Papal addresses and documents fall into certain recognized categories with levels of authority relative to each other. The following lists those categories from those with the highest weight to those with the least.

Categories of Documents1. Motu Proprio (on his own impulse)2. Apostolic Constitution 3. Encyclical 4. Apostolic Letter 5. Apostolic Exhortation 6. Common Declaration 7. Homily8. Audience 9. Discourse 10. Message

Apostolic ExhortationA category of document of less solemn authority than an encyclical, which may be written on a doctrinal matter, which communicates to the Church the conclusions the Pope has reached after consideration of the recommendations of a Synod of Bishops or to exhort the faithful to a deeper evangelical life.

• The first Pope of the Americas Jorge Mario Bergoglio hails from Argentina.

• Born in Buenos Aires on 17 December 1936, the son of Italian immigrants.

• He graduated as a chemical technician and then entered the Seminary of Villa Devoto. On 13 December 1969 he was ordained a priest

• On 31 July 1973 he was appointed Provincial of the Jesuits in Argentina

• on 20 May 1992 Pope John Paul II appointed him titular Bishop of Aucaand Auxiliary of Buenos Aires.

• On 21 February 2001, John Paul II created him Cardinal. He asked the faithful not to come to Rome to celebrate his creation as Cardinal but rather to donate to the poor what they would have spent on the journey.

• As Archbishop of Buenos Aires he conceived of a missionary project based on communion and evangelization. He had four main goals: open and brotherly communities, an informed laity playing a lead role, evangelization efforts addressed to every inhabitant of the city, and assistance to the poor and the sick.

• He was elected Supreme Pontiff on 13 March 2013.

Pope Francis:

• offers the Roman Catholic Church a road map for navigating the complexities of the modern world, with the Gospel as a compass - "a new phase of evangelization, one marked by enthusiasm and vitality.“

• Encourages the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by joy while pointing out new paths for the Church.

• Calls on Catholics to battle what he called the "globalization of indifference" to create a more compassionate church that champions the poor and works to achieve social justice in an increasingly secular and money-oriented society.

• It challenges the church to "abandon the complacent attitude that says: 'We have always done it this way,'" to find novel, "bold and creative" ways to speak to the faithful and to make the church more meaningful.

“The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ, joy is constantly born anew.”

"Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?" Luke 24:35

1. Mission. “Each Christian and every community must discern the path that the Lord points out, but all of us are asked to obey his call to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the ‘peripheries’ in need of the light of the Gospel.”

2. Joy. The focal point for how we live our faith - “there are Christians whose lives seem like Lent without Easter” … “acting as if we could only be happy if a thousand conditions were met.”

3. Inclusion. All persons, without exception, are included in our mission. “It is vitally important … to go forth and preach the Gospel to all… The joy of the Gospel is for all people: no one can be excluded.”

4. Involvement and Support. “An evangelizing community gets involved by word and deed in people’s daily lives; it bridges distances, it is willing to abase itself if necessary, and it embraces human life, touching the suffering flesh of Christ in others. . . .

5. Fruitfulness. An evangelizing parish “cares for the grain and does not grow impatient at the weeds.” “He or she finds a way to let the word take flesh in a particular situation and bear fruits of new life, however imperfect or incomplete these may appear.”

The great danger in today’s world, pervaded as it is by consumerism:• desolation and anguish born of a

complacent yet covetous heart• the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures• a blunted conscience.

“our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others”

• no place for the poor. • God’s voice is no longer heard, the quiet

joy of his love is no longer felt.• the desire to do good fades. • Many end up resentful, angry and listless.

“it is not God’s will for us, nor is it the life in the Spirit”

Romans 1:21 for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, …. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie….

Result

To encounter Christ is to encounter Joy!

“No one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord. …. And the disciples and all those who believe in Christ are called to share this joy. Jesus wishes them to have in themselves His joy in its fullness.” (Pope Paul VI, Gaudete in Domino)

• Isaiah 49: 13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the LORD has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his afflicted

• Luke 1: 44 For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy.

• John 15: 9-11 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

How good it feels to come back to him whenever we are lost! Let me say this once more: God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy. (EG, 3)

As it expands, goodness takes root and develops. If we wish to lead a dignified and fulfilling life, we have to reach out to others and seek their good. In this regard, several sayings of Saint Paul will not surprise us: “The love of Christ urges us on” (2 Cor 5:14); “Woe to me if I do not proclaim the Gospel” (1 Cor 9:16). (EG, 8)

“Life grows by being given away, and it weakens in isolation and comfort. Indeed, those who enjoy life most are those who leave security on the shore and become excited by the mission of communicating life to others”. (EG, 9)

When the Church summons Christians to take up the task of evangelization, she is simply pointing to the source of authentic personal fulfilment. (EG, 9)

We become fully human when we become more than human, when we let God bring us beyond ourselves in order to attain the fullest truth of our being. Here we find the source and inspiration of all our efforts at evangelization. For if we have received the love which restores meaning to our lives, how can we fail to share that love with others? (EG 8)

The New Evangelization is a summons addressed to all and it is carried out in three principal settings.

1. In ordinary pastoral ministry, which is “animated by the fire of the Spirit, so as to inflame the hearts of the faithful …. (EG 15)

2. With the baptized whose lives do not reflect the demands of Baptism, who lack a meaningful relationship to the Church and no longer experience the consolation born of faith. (EG 15)

3. Amongst those that do not know or who have rejected the Gospel: “evangelization is first and foremost about preaching the Gospel to those who do not know Jesus Christ or who have always rejected him.” (EG 15)

Scope of Evangelii Gaudium

1. the reform of the Church in her missionary outreach

2. the temptations faced by pastoral workers

3. the Church, understood as the entire People of God which evangelizes

4. the homily and its preparation;5. the inclusion of the poor in society6. peace and dialogue within society7. the spiritual motivations for

mission. (EG 18)

1. How often do I experience the joy of the Gospel? How can a desire to protect my personal interests, concerns, and possessions inhibit this joy? (EG 1-5)

2. What is my most recent encounter with God’s love? How does God’s love give meaning to my life? (EG 6-8)

3. Pope Francis says the task of evangelization is “the source of authentic personal fulfillment.” Is that how you view evangelization? Why or why not? (EG 9-11)

4. Can you recall a time when you accomplished something wonderful, only to realize that God was at work and He enabled your success? How often do you tackle a difficult task knowing that God will be at your side to help you succeed? (EG 12-13)

5. How can I help my parish reach out to those who have not found faith in Jesus? Can I recount any recent successes in bringing someone outside the faith to RCIA, Bible study, youth ministry, or a similar outreach? (EG 14-15)

6. Why must evangelization be part of every activity we undertake? How do you see this unfolding in your life? (EG 16-18)

Evangelii Gaudium

St Joan of Arc ParishDeacon Mark Mueller

“The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew.” (EG, 1)