One of the documents that came from the Second Vatican Council was called the “Decree On the Mission Activity of the Church,” in Latin, “Ad Gentes”. The Decree provides a beautiful overview on missionary activity and articulates how to go about the Great Commission—“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19)—in our own times. For Jesus’ desire is not that we remain a self-contained group of believers; Jesus’ desire is for every person to come to know the love and mercy of God. And He has entrusted us with a mission that He modeled: “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you” (Jn 20:21). Jesus’ mandate is that we share the Good News, that is, Jesus Himself. We share Jesus through the witness of our life and through the explicit proclamation of the Gospel. Think of how you came to know the Lord. I would wager that there was someone in your life who exemplified faith and shared that faith with you. This is what St. Pope John Paul II posits as the most powerful form of evangelization: the living example of a man or woman in love with God. This is why the saints are so attractive; they communicate Christ to us in their very person. When we meet a saintly person, we feel we are meeting Jesus.
In efforts to respond to this mandate to “make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19) in a creative way, Nativity will be hosting Ad Gentes on Thursday, June 29 from 4:30-6:30 PM. We are dreaming big with this event: we are wanting to bring as many souls as we can to Christ—whether they have never heard the Gospel or whether they need encouragement and loving support in the faith. Allow me to set the scene. There will be parishioners with signs inviting passerbys to Nativity for prayer; prayer teams will be ready in the parking lot. Meanwhile, inside the church, we’ll have Eucharistic Adoration available for quiet prayer, and Father Nathan will be in the confessional for any individuals returning home to the Church. We would love to have you come for any portion of the night, to pray and intercede for the success of this outreach. The event will happen from 4:30 – 6:30 PM to draw people in during their evening commute, the goal being ad gentes: to the peoples! If you are interested in joining a prayer team, please contact me at edalsky@nativitybloomington.org or 952-881-8671 (ext. 8067).
Avanti!
Emily Dalsky
Director of Evangelization & Faith Formation