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19 DENVER CATHOLIC | APR-MAY 2024 Evangeli zation T his leads to the second dimension of the Church's mission: evangelization. At the end of each Mass, the deacon exhorts the congregation: "Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord." In simplest terms, this is what evangelization is: to announce the Good News of the Gospel to those who need to hear it. And make no mis- take: this means everybody. When Jesus said, "Go and make disciples of all nations," he really meant it. This can be an intimidating and even terrifying endeavor; just read the Acts of the Apostles or the accounts of the various mar- tyrs throughout history. The early Christians faced death for spreading the Gospel, but their witness converted an unbelieving world. Despite the challenges of evangelization, the good news about the Good News is that Jesus promised he'd be right there with us: "Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." In this light, it's important to always bear in mind that evangelization is not about us; there's no quota for leading people to Christ. Evangelization is his work first; our job is to simply be docile to the Lord and love him with all our heart, mind and soul. If we do that, then it's inev- itable that we'll become more comfortable talking about Jesus to others, because when we love something, it's easy to talk about. The Church is sometimes referred to as the Barque of Peter, a clear allusion to Peter as both a fisherman and the first pope. This image is also a fitting illustration for the mission of the Church; she sails through rough waters of this world, picking up lost, hungry and hurting pilgrims along the way, who all become an integral part of the ship's crew. With Christ in command and a promise that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Mt 16:18), we can rest confidently knowing that this mission will not be a fruitless one. Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society." ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI