Pope Francis continued this April 12 with his catechetical cycle on the passion for evangelization. The Holy Father once again set the example of Saint Paul and reflected on apostolic zeal.
Below is the complete catechesis of Pope Francis:
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
After having seen, two weeks ago, the personal impulse of Saint Paul for the Gospel, we can reflect more deeply today on evangelical zeal, as he himself speaks about it and describes it in some of his letters.
By virtue of his own experience, Paul is not ignorant of the danger of a distorted zeal, directed in the wrong direction; into this danger he himself had fallen before his providential fall on the road to Damascus. Sometimes we have to deal with a misguided concern, obstinate in the observance of purely human and obsolete norms for the Christian community. “The zeal – writes the apostle – that these show for you is not good” (Gal 4,17).
We cannot ignore the concern with which some dedicate themselves to wrong occupations also in the same Christian community; one can boast of a false evangelical impulse while one is actually pursuing vainglory or one’s own convictions. Or self love.
For this reason, we ask ourselves: What are the characteristics of authentic evangelical zeal according to Paul? For this, the text we heard at the beginning seems useful, a list of “weapons” that the Apostle indicates for the spiritual battle.
Among these is the readiness to spread the Gospel , translated by some as “zeal” -this person is zealous to carry out these ideas, these things-, and indicated as a “shoes”. Because? Why is the impulse for the Gospel linked to what is put on the feet? This metaphor refers to a text from the prophet Isaiah that says: “How beautiful are on the mountains the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion: “Your God already reigns.” ”!” (52.7).
Here, too, we find the reference to the feet of an announcer of good news. Because? Because whoever is going to announce must move, must walk! But we also note that Paul, in that text, speaks of footwear as part of armor, according to the analogy of the equipment of a soldier who goes to battle: in combat it was essential to have stability of support, to avoid the insidiousness of the terrain , because the adversary often filled the battlefield with traps, and to have the necessary strength to run and move in the right direction. That is why armor is necessary to avoid all these things from the adversary.
Evangelical zeal is the support on which the announcement is based, and the announcers are a bit like the feet of the body of Christ, which is the Church. There is no announcement without movement, without “exit”, without initiative. This means that you are not a Christian if you are not on the way. He is not a Christian if he does not come out of himself, to start a path and carry an announcement. There is no announcement without movement, without a path.
The Gospel is not announced standing still, closed in an office, at the desk or at the computer making controversies like “keyboard lions” and substituting the creativity of the announcement with the cutting and pasting of ideas taken here and there. The Gospel is announced by moving, walking, going.
The term used by Paul, to indicate the footwear of the one who wears the Gospel, is a Greek word that denotes promptness, preparation, alacrity. It is the opposite of neglect, incompatible with love. In fact, elsewhere Paul says: “with a zeal without neglect; with a fervent spirit; serving the Lord” (Rom 12:11).
This attitude was what was requested in the Book of Exodus to celebrate the sacrifice of paschal liberation: “This is how you shall eat it (the lamb, that is): with your loins girded, your feet shod, and the cane in your hand; and you will eat it quickly. It is Yahveh’s Passover. I will spend this night” (12,11-12a).
An announcer is ready to go, and he knows that the Lord is passing by in an amazing way; therefore, he must be free of patterns and predisposed to new and unexpected action. Prepared for surprises. Whoever announces the Gospel cannot be fossilized in cages of plausibility or in the “it has always been done this way”, but must be prepared to follow a wisdom that is not of this world, as Paul says speaking of himself: “And my My word and my preaching had nothing of the persuasive speeches of wisdom, but were a demonstration of the Spirit and of power so that your faith might be founded, not on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God” (1Cor 2,4 -5).
That’s right, brothers and sisters, it is important to have this readiness to the newness of the Gospel, this attitude that is an impulse, to take the initiative, to “go first”. It means not letting go of opportunities to promulgate the proclamation of the Gospel of peace, that peace that Christ knows how to give more and better than the world does.
And for this reason, I encourage you to be evangelizers who move without fear, who go forward, to bring the beauty of Jesus and to bring the novelty of Jesus, which changes everything. “Yes, Father, change the calendar, because now we count the years before Jesus”… Yes, but the heart also changes. And are you willing for Jesus to change your heart? Or are you a lukewarm Christian who doesn’t budge? Think a little bit. Are you a Jesus enthusiast, are you going forward? Think a little bit.