‘Go out to all the world and tell the Good News’

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

THAT’S from the Gospel of St. Mark (16,15), words that Christ addressed to his remaining 11 apostles (Judas already quit) soon after his resurrection. In no unclear terms, he commanded them to go to the whole world and to preach the Good News, that is, the Gospel.

Now, if we truly feel that we are among his disciples, as we should, we should also feel that these words are also addressed to us. We are also being asked to get out of our own little world, trapped in our own personal affairs, to go global, spreading God’s word worldwide.

Here, Christ is giving what may be described as the Great Commission, a call to action for believers to spread the message of salvation through him. Let us remember that Christ is the only mediator between God and man (cfr. 1 Tim 2,5)

We need to do this with utmost care and prudence, with utmost discernment and obedience to God’s will and ways, considering that in the world we can encounter all sorts of people with all kinds of beliefs and worldview, some atheists and agnostics, others with religions that offer another god.

We need to learn the art of proper inter-religious dialogue to explain as best that we can the unicity and salvific universality of Christ which we have to uphold, explain, defend, etc.

Everything has to be done always with charity, because even in the bitterest of differences and conflicts in beliefs, it is charity that will win over. Charity upholds and defends the truth about the role of Christ in our life, and it contains the whole and ultimate truth about ourselves, despite whatever.

But we should cultivate the urge to reach out to as many people as possible. While it’s true that we are always limited by certain conditions, we have in our humanity blessed by God’s grace the capacity to go beyond those conditions. Yes, we may be limited by some circumstances, but through God’s grace, we can be given the strength to rise above them.

For this, we can use the modern technologies, such as the internet and the social media, as a “pulpit for the whole world.” We have to avoid falling into a parochial or tribal attitude toward our apostolic duty. While it’s true that because of our personal conditions, each one of us will have a particular niche in his apostolic activity, everyone should try to have a universal apostolic concern.

We have to be ready to get interested in everyone apostolically. We should be interested both in the rich and the poor, those in the mainstream of society as well as those in the peripheries.

We have to learn how to dance with the rich and crazy as well as to get wet and dirty with the poor and miserable. We should be able to do apostolate in any part of the world. We have to learn how to be all things to all men as St. Paul said. (cfr. 1 Cor 9-22)

For this, we need to be patient, persevering, creative and versatile. We have to learn how to “waste time” with everyone, especially those who may be very different from us in terms of temperament, social and economic status, etc.

We should not wait for some favorable circumstances before we do apostolate. To do apostolate should be like our heartbeat. We should feel its urge the way we feel the urge to breathe, eat and drink.

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com