Why Are You Standing There?

by Dcn. Wayland Moncrief

May 31, 2014

Jesus commanded the Apostles,“Go… and make disciples of all nations.” The disciples watched, astounded, as Jesus ascended to Heaven. Then two angels appeared and said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky?

The Ascension (detail)
By Dosso Dossi

Several decades ago a religious analyst wrote, “In religious circles there are two types of hypocrites. The first acts and looks like good Christians when other people are watching, but they give in to their self-centered tendencies when they are alone.”

I'm sure we all fall into this category to some extent. After all, we are all sinners and we all have weaknesses. But the comments of this analyst does not refer to the occasional transgressions of the righteous. It refers to those who use religion to hide their sinfulness or use the church for personal gain. These have no heart for the Gospel or the mission of the church.

This was a major complaint Jesus had against the Scribes and Pharisees. He said, “[They] love places of honor at banquets, and seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.2 … [but] all their works are performed to be seen.’ However, in secret, the Scribes and Pharisees perverted the law to steal the houses of widows. They condemned the poor and suffering, and plotted the death of the righteous. Jesus called them,“serpents” and “a brood of vipers” . He said they are like whited sepulchers: outwardly pure, but internally filled with dead men's bones and all corruption.

Times have certainly changed since this analysis was published. Our society is less hypocritical, but not because it has turned to holiness or experienced the fruits of conversion. Rather, many no longer feel the need to even appear righteous. They publicly embrace wickedness and champion every avenue of evil.

This degradation of our society shows how far hearts are from God and how far we have fallen. Bribes and corruption, once done in secret, are now established and recommended business models. Public servants rule like petty dictators. Religious freedoms are trampled. Public and social media exalts every conceivable vice. Many boys act like hoodlums and many girls imitate prostitutes. And in all this Christians are silent. It's ironic that hypocritical politicians may be the only ones left who still quote the gospel.

The second kind of hypocrite lives a holy life, reads the Scriptures, prays, and studies the teachings of the Church, but in public they hide their beliefs. They will not open their mouths to say one word in defense of their faith.

The Catholic Church has a long history of proclaiming the faith. The Church founded the first universities and has over 250 universities just in America. The same can be said of hospitals, and various charities, and the lives of countless saints and martyrs testify to the Church fulfilling Christ's Great Commission.

However today, we are often silent in expressing our faith, defending our rights, and opposing the evils of society. We are intimidated by the constant accusations of opposing political views. We cower at the threat of radical social assaults. Rights we once took for granted have been challenged and lost. We are demonized and silenced by one assault after another.

However, I don't believe Catholics lack courage. I don't believe Catholics lack heart. Rather, it seems to me that Catholics are silent because they have not been adequately trained in evangelical techniques. Evangelization, like any other activity, is a skill that needs to be developed. As Catholics we lack the skill to reach out to others, to effectively express and defend our faith, and to counter the arguments of those who want to drive God from the hearts of men.

In my youth I participated in evangelical missions. I remember going with my father to what seemed like an infinite number of houses. After a very long day, we failed to find even one person who would accept our invitation to attend church. Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and other groups still use this method of evangelization. It is not only highly ineffective but it exhausts the energy and spirit of the faithful.

There are many types of evangelization. Some are effective for larger audiences such as media campaigns, internet websites, movies, television, and publications. The Christian community is slowly gaining ground and becoming more effective in this arena. However, in my opinion, what is lacking, particularly in Catholic communities, for clergy and laity alike, is Catholics being fully formed in effective methods of evangelization, and in particular personal evangelization.

In 2011 the Church declared 'The Year of Faith'. This inaugurated the era of the 'New Evangelization'.

The 'New Evangelization' has three major initiatives:

1. the 'Focus on Faith' which began in 2013,
2. the 'Focus on Worship and Parish Life' which begins in 2014, and
3. the 'Focus on Witness' which starts in 2015.

The last, the 'Focus on Witness', contains an initiative for forming and training the laity to understand and become engaged as witnesses to our Christian faith. This program will be organized and implemented at the diocesan and parish level. I certainly applaud this effort. In my opinion it is long overdue. My hope is that this program will include hands-on training in individual evangelization with ongoing evaluation, training, and support. I encourage everyone, and every parish ministry, to become fully engaged in this effort. Please study the 'New Evangelization' documents, and pray for the success of this program. Links to these documents are available: see the tabs Resources / Evangelization.

While initiatives such as media campaigns and television can have positive transformative affects on society, in the final analysis I believe personal evangelization is the most effective and enduring. A model of this strategy is taught at Cursillo Leader's School and is outlined in a little book entitled, 'Fundamental Strategies of the Cursillo Movement'.

There are three steps in this evangelization strategy.

The first is: 'Make a friend'. Effective evangelization begins in personal relationships. People will seldom take advice from a person they don't know. In this strategy Catholics need to seek out others and make friends, especially those outside our normal social circles. We cannot take Christ into the world; we cannot reach the hearts of others, if we disengage or restrict ourselves to a comfortable group of friends.

The second step is: 'Be a friend'. Effective evangelization depends of trust. No one will listen to a person they don't trust. Catholics need to form friendships and be committed to that friendship through thick and thin. Hearts are often opened in a crisis. When difficulties come we need to be there as a faithful friend and ready to lend a hand.

The third step is: 'Bring a friend to Christ'. Strong relationships enable the possibility of personal evangelization in which we have the best interests of our friend at heart. In this environment Catholics can and must share the love of God in their hearts. We must lead by word and example – the word that conveys eternal truth, and the example of a different kind of life – a life of holiness and peace. Actions speak louder than words, but we can no longer expect others to understand our example if we are timid and silent. Our words and our example must convey the authenticity of a faith so strong that it radiates into every aspect of our lives.

The Cursillo strategy to make a friend, be a friend, and bring a friend to Christ, was devised in Spain in 1949 to counteract the influence of gangs. The principle here is to seek out the natural leaders of targeted groups. Evangelize the leader and the group will likely follow. Evangelize the gang-banger and the gang will follow. Evangelize the kewl-kid and the flash-mob will follow. Evangelist the atheist, the activist homosexual, and the person promoting abortion, and others will follow.

In this and all evangelization strategies, be creative, but don't be a lone ranger. Effective evangelization requires the support of a loving committed parish. You are sure to encounter many obstacles and the advice and support of your parish is essential.

So, how do we start? You can begin by studying Sacred Scripture. How did Jesus evangelize? What obstacles did He encounter? Consider the story of the 'Prodigal Son'. The Father did not chastise his son for his disrespect, his poor financial management, or his life of debauchery. Instead, he loved his son, welcomed him home, celebrated with a feast, and restored his status in the family. He won his son's heart in love.

Or consider the story of the 'Woman at the Well'. To distract Jesus from her sinfulness, she tried to trap Him in a doctrinal argument, but Jesus didn't take the bait. Doctrinal arguments seldom foster conversions. Rather, Jesus looked into her heart and her life. He loved her. She found the acceptance in Jesus that was lacking in her community, and then she evangelized others saying, “Can this be the Messiah?”

Or consider the 'Woman caught in Adultery'. She was embarrassed, publicly humiliated, made a spectacle by the religious, and threatened with death. But Jesus defended her. He reminded her accusers that they are all sinners. He said,“Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone…" Jesus did not condemn her, but instead encouraged her to live a holy life.

Finally, consider the story of the 'Rich Young Man'. The gospel describes this as a brief chance encounter. There are three important points here. The first is that initially you will probably not be successful. The second is that evangelization is not about numbers. It's about one soul, one heart, touching another. The third is that we do not know the rest of the story. We do not know if the rich young man eventually changed his mind. Evangelization requires a long term association and commitment.

It's this era of deviant behavior, it is obvious that our society needs to return to God. Effective evangelization is sorely needed. The Jews of Jesus' day wanted the Messiah to conquer their enemies by military force, but Jesus taught that change comes from within – that before kingdoms can change, men must change. So, before America can change, Americans must change. The future of our country and the eternal lives of our brothers and sisters depends on you.

Fr. Corapi once said, “Christians, you are pinned down on the beaches of life in an immoral world. The day may seem dark and perilous and you may be fearful of “dying” at the hands of the enemy on the beaches of social immorality… [But] surrender is not an option. Catholics, [must] lead the way! Charge the enemy gun positions, don’t retreat. If God is for you, who can be against you! ”

Jesus commanded the Apostles to“make disciples of all nations” . The angels asked,“Why are you standing there looking at the sky?” You can make a difference! You are fishers of men. You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.” You are pinned down in an immoral world, in a war against Satan himself. Surrender is not an option. What are you waiting for? Charge the enemy gun positions! Join the fight! Go forth! Make disciples of all nations. Make a friend! Be a friend! And bring a friend to Christ!1