Only after being filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost did Peter and the apostles feel confident enough to share the gospel message and invite other people to join them in the church. Only then did they feel compelled to move into the world evangelizing with the reckless abandon of those who knew they were miraculously redeemed and completely, unconditionally loved.
Likewise, only after being filled with the Spirit yet again did the apostles decide to keep on preaching despite the threat of persecution and even death. Rather than remain huddled in the house to avoid more arrests, they went back into the streets, confident that God would be with them.
Brothers and sisters, everything depends on the Holy Spirit! In his Apostolic Exhortation On Evangelism in the Modern World, Pope Paul VI tells us: “The Holy Spirit is the principal agent of evangelization. It is he who impels each individual to proclaim the gospel, and it is he who in the depths of consciences causes the word of salvation to be accepted and understood.”
Evangelization is the mission of the church. And that means it is our mission. How comforting to know that this mission is not meant to be a burden! How encouraging to know that we have the Holy Spirit with us. How energizing to know that he will never fail to give us everything we need to accomplish the task—even the boldness to step out and try!
So what are you waiting for? Not only do you have the best news in the world to share, you have the Holy Spirit to help you share it! Evangelist Fr. Tom Forrest tells us: “Salvation has come, and by some strange and wonderful plan of God, we are its messengers! We have been sent by God himself with the best message ever communicated, and our job is to carry that news not to a particular nation, but to every creature and country of the entire world.”
“O Lord, fill me with your Spirit once again, just as you did for the apostles. Let your Spirit move me, shake me, enlighten me, enliven me, and equip me to spread your gospel.”
Psalm 2:1-9; John 3:1-8