Today we hear that: "The seventy returned with joy..." (Lk 10: 17). The experience of joy is what we feel when we share the Gospel and others come to know and love our Lord Jesus Christ and desire to be Church with us. The imperative of evangelization is a duty that pertains to all the baptized. We do this because we want to have others experience the forgiveness and love that we have known in Christ: "For the love of Christ urges us on." (2 Cor 5: 14) Pope Francis, in his Message for the World Mission Day 2019 writes: "This missionary mandate touches us personally: I am a mission, always; you are a mission, always; every baptized man and woman is a mission. People in love never stand still: they are drawn out of themselves; they are attracted and attract others in turn; they give themselves to others and build relationships that are life-giving. As far as God's love is concerned, no one is useless or insignificant. Each of us is a mission to the world, for each of us is the fruit of God's love. Even if parents can betray their love by lies, hatred and infidelity, God never takes back his gift of love. From eternity he has destined each of his children to share in his divine and eternal life" (cf. Eph 1: 3-6)." The challenge, for each of us, is to re-kindle the love of Christ in our hearts so that we are open to the joy that comes from sharing faith in a society coarsened by self-indulgence and afflicted by doubt and despair.
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