A Christian evangelist who went about preaching the Gospel was once asked his occupation by a stranger, and he answered, “I work for the Lord.” “Oh, really,” said the other man; “and how much does that pay?” “Not very much,” the evangelist admitted, and then he smiled and added, “But you sure can’t beat that retirement plan.” We might say that all the great missionaries and evangelists from the Church’s history are now enjoying their retirement in the Kingdom of Heaven. They were faithful on earth—many times despite serious obstacles. For example, the greatest missionary in history, St. Paul, was scourged thirty-nine times on five separate occasions, beaten with rods three times, stoned and left for dead, shipwrecked three times, several times imprisoned, and often involved in controversy. Nevertheless, the Gospel was spread through his efforts.
Some of the great missionary saints had an easier time, and their work bore lasting fruit. St. Patrick, for instance, became the apostle of Ireland, and the Church he planted there grew so strong that when the rest of Europe needed to be re-evangelized during the Dark Ages, it was Irish missionaries who accomplished this. Other Catholic missionaries worked just as hard, but had little to show for it. In the 9th century St. Ansgar devoted his life to preaching the Gospel in Denmark and Sweden, but after he died, these countries reverted to paganism. One of the martyrs of North America, the French priest St. Noel Chabanel, worked among the Huron Indians. He had trouble learning their language, felt repugnance toward their customs and their food, and believed he was making little progress as a missionary. All this caused him great depression and sadness, but he vowed to remain true to his calling—which he did until the day of his martyrdom.
Various saints had to overcome great fear or anxiety before achieving their goal. At the end of the 6th century Pope St. Gregory the Great wanted to evangelize the pagans of England, so he chose Augustine of Canterbury for this task. St. Augustine (not to be confused with the great bishop of the same name) set out with his companions, but along the way heard stories about how fierce and unfriendly the English were. Frightened, he returned to Rome, where the Pope gently chided him and encouraged him to trust in the Lord’s care. Augustine and his companions then crossed the dangerous English Channel and, to their relief, experienced great success in preaching the Gospel. Other saints were perhaps a bit too eager—for in fact, at first they were doing their own will, not God’s. St. Anthony of Padua, upon hearing of Franciscan missionaries to the Muslims who had been martyred, wanted to become a missionary—and ideally, a martyr—himself; however, his true calling was to preach to fallen-away Catholics in Italy. Soon after his conversion, St. Ignatius of Loyola decided to go to Jerusalem and preach the Gospel to the Muslims who controlled the Holy Land—but upon arriving, was told that this sort of evangelization wasn’t allowed, and would only endanger the Christians living there. Disappointed, Ignatius returned home, completed his studies, was ordained a priest, and founded the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits—who went onto to become the Church’s greatest missionary order. God’s plan is always best—and when we try to discover and follow it, we will make a difference in the world and do our part in sharing Christ’s Good News.
It’s interesting to note that neither the prophet Amos nor the apostles were religious professionals. Amos (7:12-15) explained that he was a shepherd when the Lord sent him to prophesy to the people of Israel, and the apostles were not Jewish religious leaders; for the most part they were simple fisherman. That didn’t keep Jesus from choosing them, teaching them, and then, as we see in the Gospel of Mark (6:7-13), sending them out on a missionary journey. In his Letter to the Ephesians (1:3-14), St. Paul, speaking of himself and his companions and converts, states that God chose them in Christ before the foundation of the world. What matters most isn’t our religious status, education, or other worldly qualifications, but God’s choice—and when the Lord calls us to bear witness to Him, we are given the grace, the abilities, and the opportunities needed to fulfill our mission.
One night over a century ago, a passenger on an ocean liner was not just seasick, but seriously ill and lying on his bed. He heard a shout, “Man overboard!,” but was too sick to get up and help with the search. The ship’s crew was having trouble spotting the drowning man in the darkness, until a light appeared in one of the cabin portholes; it allowed them to locate the man, throw him a lifejacket, and rescue him. The light came from the cabin of the seriously ill passenger; he couldn’t directly help the professionals, but by crawling over to the wall and putting a lantern in his cabin’s porthole, he helped save a man from drowning (Roy B. Zuck, The Speaker’s Quote Book, p. 133).
We can all come up with reasons for not witnessing to Jesus or sharing His Gospel—but none of them really excuse us from our Christian obligation to share our faith. We probably aren’t called to be on the front lines of evangelization, like the priests, nuns, religious brothers, and lay catechists preaching the Gospel around the world, and it’s not likely God is asking us to overcome great obstacles like those faced by St. Paul and many other missionaries and martyrs from the Church’s history. Jesus does expects each of us, however, to share His truth in one way or another, letting our light shine forth in a world darkened by sin. As laypersons, you can’t leave evangelization up to the priests and deacons and nuns. You are the ones out in the world each day—at work, at school, in the marketplace, in the neighborhood, or online. You have the opportunity to reach out to or console someone suffering, introducing Jesus into the conversation when the Holy Spirit prompts you to do so, perhaps offering to pray with the person and inviting him or her to come to church with you. Most of the time God wants priests and parish ministers to be available for a follow-up, but He usually asks you to make the initial contact and referral.
The great thing about following Jesus is that we’re never on our own. Not only does the Lord give us guidance and inspiration by hearing and answering our prayers; He also provides us with opportunities to serve, everyday miracles and moments of grace, and fellow believers to accompany and assist us on our journey of faith. We only get to retire from our obligation to live out and share our faith when we take our last breath—and if we stay true to this calling, we can look forward to God’s retirement plan in Heaven.
