A Word on Evangelization

1st  Sunday of Lent, March 9, 2025

Deacon Mike Meyer

A Word on Evangelization

“The Church, An Oasis in the Desert”

    The world that surrounds us, along with our challenging, personal life experiences, can leave us feeling empty and unfulfilled, as if we are wandering around in the desert, searching for some life.  We often try to fill in the void with the things of this world, living out the lie that if we seek out the things that life has to offer us, whether it would be material goods, career, power, recognition, or popularity, living life completely focusing on ourselves, then happiness and fulfillment will be elusive, lost, and unable to attain.

    The church is the oasis in the desert that invites us to come and quench our thirst by growing in our relationship with Jesus and entering into the sacramental life.  This is where we are challenged to step out of our selfish ways and seek to love God first of all with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength, and to begin to love our neighbor as ourselves.  In living for God and doing for others we lose sight of ourselves and begin to discover the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, chastity, and self-control.  We no longer live for this life, but instead are completely focused on living for the next life, eternity in heaven.

    If you find yourself lost in the desert of self this Lent, then enter into the oasis of the church and drink in the faith and love of Jesus Christ.  Jesus wants to fill the void.  Throw off the things of this world and be free to worship without reserve and to receive Jesus’ body, blood, soul, and divinity in its fullness.

    If you have discovered the oasis of the church years ago, and are striving to live out your faith to the fullest, then challenge yourself to love those around you as God loves them, unconditionally, and invite them into the oasis, the church, bringing them from the dryness of the desert to the life-giving water of surrendering their lives to Jesus Christ.  May we focus this Lenten season on evangelization and building the kingdom of God.