The apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) was published by Pope Francis on November 24, 2013, on the occasion of the closing of the Year of Faith and the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, during the first year of his pontificate. It was the result of the 2012 Synod of Bishops convened by Pope Benedict XVI on “The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith.” The document expresses some of the principal pastoral concerns of our time and seeks to promote a new stage of evangelization marked by the joy that comes from the personal conviction of an encounter with God. This encounter invites us to active and permanent participation in the Church’s missionary pastoral work today, since Christ is the eternal Gospel (Rev 14:6), and He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8).
"The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus" is the opening message of the exhortation. It reminds us not only of the Church’s vocation but also of the principal characteristic necessary for proclaiming the Gospel: the dynamism of the evangelizer, who is renewed and communicates the faith through the fire of the Holy Spirit in the face of modern challenges. The encounter with Jesus Christ renews the believer’s life and awakens the joy of sharing the faith. As an example, we may mention that in many cases they are simple and close people who introduced us to the life of faith (cf. 2 Tim 1:5), and who became involved in the commitment to evangelization. Today, the new evangelization is a proposal that should motivate every Christian to share what has been received through an ever-new message, becoming involved in and accompanying the Church in a joy that is continually renewed and communicated. Evangelization responds to Jesus’ missionary mandate (Mt 28:19-20), which fills the life of the community of disciples (cf. Lk 10:17) and remains present in the Church that goes forth, proclaiming and bearing fruit, for the Word has within itself a potential that we cannot predict. Missionary pastoral ministry understands that everyone must receive the comfort and encouragement of God’s saving love, which works mysteriously in every person beyond their faults and failures.
Pastoral conversion plays a very important role. Pope Saint Paul VI also wanted to tell us that without new life and an authentic evangelical spirit, without the Church’s fidelity to her own vocation, any new structure quickly becomes corrupted and loses sight of its true purpose.
Can There Be Joy in Evangelization?
Yes, because with Jesus Christ joy is always born anew and continually renewed. The joy of the Gospel fills the heart and life, and that is why the Gospel offers us the chance to live life on a higher plane, but with no less intensity: “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” (Aparecida Document, 360).
When the Church calls people to the task of evangelization, she is simply pointing Christians toward the true dynamism of personal fulfillment: "Here we discover another profound law of reality: life is attained and matures to the extent that it is given away in order to give life to others. This is, ultimately, mission" (EG 10). This mission is carried out by those who have first received within themselves the joy of Christ. The Word of God called Abraham out of himself (Gen 12:1-3), Moses (Ex 3:10), Jeremiah (Jer 1:7), and many others in the Old Testament. In the same way, Jesus Himself experiences the joy of evangelization, for He rejoices in the Holy Spirit and praises the Father because His revelation reaches the poor and the little ones (cf. Lk 10:21), since the joy of the Gospel is for all people and excludes no one.
As a concrete example, I would like to mention part of the apostolate of the Missionary Servants of the Word community. Its essence is specifically evangelization, and therefore it is dedicated exclusively to activities related to this mission, striving to find new initiatives for greater effectiveness. In particular, I refer to the practice of “home visitation,” carried out by members of the Institute. This consists of going from house to house sharing the Gospel and inviting people to return to, or begin, a deeper relationship with the Word of God, since evangelization is essentially biblical and always in harmony with the teaching of the Church. Through this activity there have been many personal encounters with Christ, conversions, and even vocations to Holy Orders, because the effectiveness of the Word of God, experienced by the missionary, encourages its abundant use.
Finally, we must keep alive the vision cherished by Pope Francis: the missionary option capable of transforming everything. Rather than fearing mistakes, the church invites us to go forth and offer everyone the life of Jesus Christ: “I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.” (EG 49).