Author Archive: Deacon Adrian Ng

What it takes to be good disciple makers

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Church grows when disciples are spiritual multipliers of Christ-pointers

Being a Catholic doesn’t necessarily mean that a person is a disciple of Jesus. What defines a disciple according to Campus Crusade’s Christopher Adsit is, “a person-in-process who is eager to learn and apply the truths that Jesus Christ teaches him, which will result in ever deepening commitments to a Christlike lifestyle.”

Keeping this in mind, we can draw inferences from our roles as disciple-maker.

1. A catechist

‘Catechesis’ is a biblical word that has its root idea in being an ‘echo’. It isn’t the responsibility of the disciple-maker to re-teach the entire Catechism but he must believe and teach in accord to what has been handed down by Jesus Christ and the Church. In spite of 10 years of formal catechesis, our young Catholics don’t know a lot of what should be considered basic, for example, “What are the proofs for the divinity of Christ”, “Why did Jesus die on the Cross?”, “What is Sacred Tradition”, “Why is LGBT relationships wrong?”, etc. Without a renewal of the mind (Roms 12:2), it is very difficult to proceed to form convictions, actions and lifestyles.

Disciple-makers are catechists inasmuch as we offer “an apprenticeship in the entire Christian life” (General Directory of Catechesis #30 https://bit.ly/3T5FRIl). Of course, we move through stages of life so we may have various mentors for each one of these. To cite a few of these, disciple-makers of teenagers may need to focus on interior life, campus students on their gender roles, young adults on business and financial discipleship (e.g. Compass Catholic Finance), and the newly married on family life. Whichever of these areas of focus, disciple-makers must be witnesses and models, before they are teachers.     

2. A companion for the spiritual journey  

My modern inspiration for the ministry of accompaniment comes from Pope St John Paul II, who as a young priest went on picnics and kayaking with young people. Meeting them in their leisure time means becoming a foodie. We celebrate holidays and birthdays together. But as Pope Francis warns, ‘Spiritual accompaniment must lead others ever closer to God …To accompany them would be counterproductive if it became a sort of therapy supporting their self-absorption and ceased to be a pilgrimage with Christ to the Father.’ (Evangelii Gaudium aka Joy of the Gospel #170).

Listen to and invite them into spiritual conversations, “What do you think is the purpose of your life?”, “What are the significant moments in your spiritual journey and where are you right now?” “If Jesus were right here, what would you want Him to do for you?”. If they are baptised, invite them to Sunday Mass and continue regular meet-ups and fellowship events.

Like the story of the Little Prince befriending a fox who teaches him that the important things in life are visible only to the heart. So, meeting regularly with those on a spiritual journey and sharing stories of life with them is what builds authentic friendships (1 Thes 2:8). And it’s okay if some are not yet ready for discipleship. Some may be going through a personal crisis and may just need someone to talk to, even a referral to a counsellor. For others, time is limited as they have other commitments like part-time jobs.

But eventually, like Jesus who selected the Twelve to ‘be’ with him (Mark 3:14), invite those who have been proven to be faithful, available, contagious and teachable (F.A.C.T.) into a discipleship relationship. This starts with a presentation of the Gospel, with a step-by-step follow-up to train and build them up till they discover their unique vocation (Joy of the Gospel #171). We will discuss this process in greater detail in my later postings.

The goal of discipleship is to grow more disciples for the Church. Image Putta Gunawan, Pexels

3. A Christ-pointer

Jesus said, “Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Messiah” (Matt 23:11). While you are a disciple-maker, the person you are forming is not your disciple; he is Christ’s. Christ is the one who causes the growth. And sometimes, it means, that for whatever reason, the person may prefer to be discipled by someone else. Other times it may be due to a specialised area in which he may need mentorship: For example, how to be a disciple of Jesus in the medical profession. And that’s okay.

Ultimately the goal of the disciple-maker is two-fold. First, it is that the person we are discipling becomes a canonisable saint (Eph 1:4)! That he will be conformed to Christ (8:29)! That he will be filled with the divine nature (theosis, 2 Pet 1:4)! This formation of his character, of his being, should be a priority above everything else.

The second goal is for the one we are discipling to bear fruit, that he becomes a spiritual multiplier (2 Tim 2:2). The discipleship relationship only comes to some “end” when the one we are discipling has captured the conviction for Jesus Christ to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:19).

Finally, note that the structure of the Church does have a formal provision for the ministry of disciple-making. It’s called God-parenting or being a sponsor. After Vatican II, the Church retrieved the ancient model of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) but it’s a shame that there’s not a lot of guidance to Godparents on how to effectively involve them in the process.  

Are you ready to embrace these roles as a disciple-maker? What are some of your concerns as you undertake this responsibility?

Discipleship: Nobody is too poor to “feed His sheep”

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Love of Christ impels us to nurture the baptised, bring home the lost souls

I had just given the instructions for an exciting game and could hear the young people shouting and laughing, and having fun.

But there I was outside the room, wondering why I was doing this every week. What was the purpose of doing youth ministry? Was there some ego involved in wanting to have the largest number of Catholic youths involved so they would not be attracted to join the “more interesting” Protestant church?

So what keeps me serving, especially as a disciple-maker?

1. Fear of God.

This is an unpopular expression but entirely biblical. Do we desire to please God knowing that one day you will appear before the Judgement seat of Christ, to receive a reward according to your works? St Paul says that it is this fear of the Lord, that motivates him to persuade others (2 Cor 5: 9-11). Sometimes, we forget that the man who didn’t use his talent to multiply didn’t just get sent to Purgatory for a temporary punishment. Jesus said to “throw this useless servant outside where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth” (Matt 25:30).

Indeed, not getting involved in the Great Commission is setting ourselves against the Lord. Jesus Himself declared bluntly that whoever does not gather with Me, scatters; whoever is not with Me, is against Me (Matt 12:30).

Maybe you may feel quite ungifted or struggle with time to be able to commit as a formal catechist. But even the last servant had one talent. The Great Commission is every Catholic’s vocation, even if it were to just one person. French Carmelite nun St Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897) had her Little Way. Personal disciple-making is what Fellowship of Catholic University Students founder Curtis Martin calls, the Little Way of Evangelisation. Indeed, one person is still more than none. 

2. Love of God

For St Paul “the love of Christ impels us, once we have come to the conviction that one died for all”. Meditating on the Stations of the Cross, we should be so deeply moved, that we should no longer live for ourselves but for Him who for our sake died, and was raised (2 Cor 5:14-15). If we have within us the grace of Christ, His presence should also move us to compassion for the lost. Do you love Jesus? Then feed his sheep (John 21:16).

Sometimes, after a big event, Catholics shrug their shoulders and say, “we can only plant seeds”. Yes, occasional formations have their place as catalysts. But tending the sheep implies long term, not less attention to our newborn spiritual babies. Would you say to a baby, “if he needs further help, he knows where to find us”? Or would you do all you can to nurture him to full maturity? “Grace builds on nature” and if we are a Church that doesn’t care to truly disciple our young, we will continue to see swaths of perpetual spiritual infants, even spiritual deaths. Do you love God and care that His Church is dying?

Tending His sheep implies long term, not less attention to our newborn spiritual babies.

3. Love for the Church

It is heart-wrenching that while the structures for disciple-making are in the Rites of Initiation, Catholics fumble big time as Godparents, treating these roles rather perfunctorily. Even catechists have earned sharp rebuke that they do not yet have a full conception of catechesis “as a school of faith, an initiation and apprenticeship in the entire Christian life” (General Directory of Catechetics 30). Pope Francis in Joy of the Gospel #173, therefore, declares that the Church will have to initiate everyone – priests, religious and laity – into this “art of accompaniment”. If catechesis is the Church’s pipeline to make missionary disciples and it is broken, let’s focus our attention on raising disciple-making Godparents who are effective in apprenticing and accompanying our new brothers and sisters to become Christ.

4. Love for Yourself

You may disqualify yourself as a disciple-maker, saying that you don’t know enough of your Catholic faith. But Pope St John Paul II said, “nobody is so poor he cannot give”. Indeed, as we give, we are challenged to learn more about our faith. Becoming a disciple-maker is not just an act of obedience to the Lord, but an opportunity to grow in faith, hope and love. It truly is to your spiritual benefit.

Which of the above is the most compelling reason to get involved in the Great Commission? Are there any other motivations for you to become a disciple-maker?

Discipleship is not about hanging out with one another

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At its heart are starting spiritual conversations, teaching others to form disciples

When we relaunched Lifeline College & Young Adults Ministry at the church of St Francis Xavier in Petaling Jaya, I dare say we did our best to love each person God sent our way. For an English-speaking parish, encountering Sabahans and Sarawakians was novel but we welcomed them.

We were inclusive of the Mandarin-speaking folks.  We patiently befriended those who had mental health issues. Every week, after Mass and the gathering, we went for lunch, sports or movie and even dinner.

So when one of the leaders described discipleship as hanging out with each other, it was understandable. But to me who knew discipleship was so much more, it was horrifying.

As Catholics, we were never raised in a disciple-making culture. Maybe I wouldn’t have been such a screw-up if someone had discipled me. So, I was extremely grateful to a college mate who had been with Campus Crusade for Christ for introducing the book, Personal Disciple-making, by Christopher Adsit.

I had never experienced intentionally discipling another person previously, so the dense biblical insights and practical ideas in the book completely overwhelmed me. I am still unpacking it today.

The book introduced me to two critical ideas.

First, I learnt to do discipleship outside of a formal context. As I “did life” with my student leaders, I learnt to broach into spiritual conversations. This is so important, especially when ministering to millennials who wouldn’t come for formal youth gatherings but are willing to chat over dinner.

If I disciple others to disciple others, the ministry grows exponentially as more trained workers are released into the harvest field.

Second, I started to see the vision for spiritual multiplication. No matter how effective I am, if everything only depends on me, every new person I‘m discipling is only a spiritual addition. But if I disciple others to disciple others, the ministry grows exponentially as more trained workers are released into the harvest field.  

The next stage in my formation as a disciple-maker was when I encountered the Fellowship of Catholic University Students in the United States (FOCUS) and Catholic Christian Outreach (CCO) in Canada. At last, I was able to see and hear from living witnesses what the discipleship model looked like, especially in a Catholic context.

CCO demonstrated urgency in their bible studies. We only had a few years with the students so we had to be intentional in teaching what they really need to know and practise as Catholics.

FOCUS introduced a one-page Discipleship Road Map that made it clear it starts with calling for a commitment through a kerygmatic presentation of the Gospel. It “ends” when disciples are themselves making disciples.

The Road Map is invaluable as it helps us identify which stage we are at so as to know the next step forward. FOCUS also divided their formations into four areas: human, intellectual, spiritual and apostolic, which really helped me shape the conversations I am having with the people I am discipling. This includes a guideline to talk to men about the awkward topic of chastity.

The larger Catholic Church has entered the conversation on disciple-making primarily through Sherry Weddell’s book, Forming Intentional Disciples.

As more and more church leaders discover that our ad hoc formations and traditional youth and campus ministries aren’t forming missionary disciples who make missionary disciples, more focus has shifted to the discipleship model.

Though I have spent my last 25 years growing as a disciple-maker, I am humbled that there is always so much more to learn.

Where are you on your journey as a disciple-maker? How are you effectively fulfilling Jesus’ last command to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:19)?

Catholic 10-point guide to ‘How to Evangelise’

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Prayer, social media, hospitality, events are some of the many tools in our toolkit

In my previous post, Top 10 Catholic excuses for not evangelizing, I left the 10th excuse, “I don’t know how to evangelise” unanswered because it deserves a response that requires a full-length article. So here it is in 10 points.     

How you can develop an evangelistic mindset

1. Pray for the salvation of souls, and not just for world peace, health, employment, or salvation upon death (Purgatory is not a second chance to get to Heaven. If a person ignores God on earth, there is not much hope), etc. Believe that God desires all men to be saved (1 Tim 2:4), so storm heaven for the miraculous conversion of people such as ISIS, Zakir Naik and others. Some find it helpful to list 10 non-Christian friends and pray for them on a decade of the Divine Mercy. Can anything withstand the onslaught of a praying Church?

2. Offer to pray for people in need. Pope Francis suggests ending conversations “with a brief prayer related to the concerns, which the person may have expressed” (Evangelii Gaudium 128). Show them that you genuinely care for their concerns and pray with simple words (formal prayers may mean a lot to Catholics but may come across as mechanical to the uninitiated). For example, after my personal trainer shared that he had concerns about hitting his target, I told him I will be praying for this intention. Recently, a lady had car trouble in church. We tried to help as best as we could but she was clearly traumatised. So, I asked the aunty if she would like us to pray for her. And we did.

3. Share your faith in a natural way on social media. Young people are less on Facebook and more on Instagram. Make your message interesting, clear and Christ-centred. We can do better than “Happy holidays!”, “Compliments of the Season!” or even “Christmas is a season of joy, gift-giving and of families united”. If it’s Christmas, the main celebration is not Santa Claus, Rudolph, snow or mistletoe, but the Christian belief that God became man. Say something about that!

4. Welcome and invite your non-Christian friends to a corporal work of mercy. I serve at a soup kitchen and I’ll just invite my friends to join me in a very natural way. But too often, our evangelization stops there. Serving the poor offers a natural opportunity for us to discuss the meaning of life. I would also invite them for drinks or a meal after serving where we can have spiritual conversations.

5. Initiate conversations with interesting questions like, “What do you think is the purpose of life?”, “If you could meet God today, what would you ask him?”, “How do you decide what is right or wrong?”, “What is your view of God/Jesus Christ/Catholic Church?” and so on. As the conversation progresses, it may be very natural to invite them further to an Alpha (There are chapters in most countries), a prayer meeting, Mass or even RCIA!

6. Be prepared to give an explanation for your faith (1 Pet 3:15). This includes a clear and simple story of how your life has been changed by Christ. Be ready also to share an answer to the question, “So what does Christianity teach?” You can find an example of a Catholic presentation of the Gospel, also known as the kerygma, at Sharing the Gospel.

Be ready to start conversations, even inviting your friends for a meal. Pexels, John Diez

7. Welcome and invite your non-Christian friends to a church event. Include them in religious celebrations like Christmas and Easter (if you are taking them to Mass, be ready to explain the essentials of the rituals or the festivities so that they can appreciate it and follow along as much as they may feel comfortable). If your parish or one nearby is running an Alpha, invite him along.

8. Raise parish hospitality levels. Resist the temptation to create religious cubby holes and cliques with other committed Catholics. “In all its activities, the parish encourages and trains its members to be evangelisers” (Joy of the Gospel 28). In whatever parish ministry you are involved in, be creative on how it can welcome non-believers. For example, for the Parish Family Day, instead of giving bonus points for participants from the same Basic Ecclesial Community (Neighbourhood Christian Community in Singapore), give bonus points instead for inviting non-Christian friends. The Hospitality Team should do more than show people to their seats. Be ready to start conversations, especially with visitors, even inviting them to a meal!

9. Join the Catechetical team that prepares young people for the Sacrament of Confirmation or learn how to be an effective Godparent/sponsor. At 16 years old, the curious-minded are seeking answers to their questions and doubts. Invite them into a relationship with the Lord and train Confirmands with the goal of helping them to become evangelisers.

10. Connect with other missionary-minded Catholics. As hot coals that burn together, hold each other accountable and inspire everyone to persevere in evangelising.

You might even want to form an evangelistic apostolate. Many Catholics are unaware or have forgotten that by the Sacrament of Confirmation, they are “obliged more firmly to be witnesses of Christ by word and deed and to spread and defend the faith” (Canon Law 879). Build conviction and urgency for evangelism, which is the “why”, and coach others in the skills and practice of evangelism, the “how”. Catholics need to understand atonement and salvation. The biggest stumbling block to evangelism is that Catholics cannot explain what happened on Good Friday and are practical religious relativists.

There are very many people eager to engage in spiritual conversations if only there were Catholics who would generously talk to them: the Mormons, the Jehovah’s Witnesses and most recently the Korean World Mission Society Church of God. Get their numbers and call them out for a conversation!

Main Image: Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino’s St. Paul preaching at Athens

Top 10 Catholic excuses for not evangelising

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Christ commissions the baptised as His disciples to evangelise but not all obey Him

Christ calls every Catholic in each age and generation to spread the good news about Him. This command to evangelise to all nations comes after His resurrection and before His ascension into Heaven, when Jesus appeared before His disciples.

All three Synoptic Gospels record the Saviour of the World commissioning us, His disciples.  In Matthew 28, Christ says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”

This Great Commission did not end with the death of the last Apostle, but is given to every baptised Catholic until the “close of age” or until He returns (Luke Lk 17:24, 2 Peter 3:10).

So, knowing what Christ and the Church teach us about evangelism, why do we see many neglecting the Commission He has given to all of us? What are some of the common excuses for not evangelising to those who have not heard or properly understood the Good News about Jesus Christ?

I’ve heard many, but these are the common Top Ten and my response to each one:

1. Everyone already knows about Christianity, they can google search the Internet if they don’t

Today’s generation suffers from information overload. With so many voices on the Internet competing for our attention, it makes a lot of difference when someone accompanies us in our spiritual quest. 

2. I’m not the kind to talk about my faith, I evangelise by my actions

It is true that evangelisation is both by deeds and words. Strictly speaking, evangelisation by words is called “proclamation” or “evangelism” and it is equally important as our lifestyle witness. Pope St Paul VI in Evangelii Nuntiandi (Nos 22) asserts that witness by actions “always remains insufficient, because even the finest witness will prove ineffective in the long run if it is not explained, justified –  what Peter called always having ‘your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you all have’ –  and made explicit by a clear and unequivocal proclamation of the Lord Jesus. The Good News proclaimed by the witness of life sooner or later has to be proclaimed by the word of life. There is no true evangelisation if the name, the teaching, the life, the promises, the kingdom and the mystery of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God are not proclaimed.” 

Pope St Paul VI teaches that witness by actions “always remains insufficient, if not explained.

3. I’m not a holy Catholic

Neither was the Samaritan Woman in John 4. And yet, she quickly spread the message about the Messiah, by simply giving her witness to what Jesus had done for her (John 4:29). If we are trying to win people to ourselves, perhaps our personal sanctification may be the most important thing. But actually, who we are winning people to, is the Lord. It will be a big relief to you to know that the Gospel is not about you; it’s about Jesus and the question they have to grapple with is, “Who is this Jesus?”   

Having said that, evangelising will give us a boost to be more conscientious about our personal behaviour and life witness. So, evangelising will help you achieve your goal to be holy!

4. Non-Christians are going to ask me about the sex scandal. Why would we want to invite them to join our Church with all its problems?

Humbly acknowledge that the Catholic Church has messed up big-time. And Jesus made it clear what he thought about hypocrites. While it will be important to eventually talk about the Church, at this point we just want to focus on Jesus.  

5. I don’t know enough about my faith and they will ask me something which I don’t know how to answer

If your non-Christian friend asks you a question that you don’t know, be humble to admit your ignorance and offer to get back to him with the answer. It’s a chance for you to grow in the knowledge of the faith as well. But this question may be a diversion and you can invite him to return to your testimony or presentation of the Gospel. The Samaritan woman also tried to catch Jesus with such a question. He responded briefly and went to the heart of the matter (John 4: 19-26).

6. They already have their own religion and they are even better than us Catholics

Pope St John Paul II explained that respect for other religions “does not eliminate the need for the explicit proclamation of the Gospel in its fullness. Especially in the context of the rich array of cultures and religions in Asia it must be pointed out that ‘neither respect and esteem for these religions nor the complexity of the questions raised are an invitation to the Church to withhold from these non-Christians the proclamation of Jesus Christ’” (Ecclesia in Asia, Nos 20). We are called not to judge, and this includes deciding whether a person needs Jesus or not. Nicodemus was a teacher of the law and yet Jesus told him he had to be born again (John 3). We are called to respect each individual and their rights to know Jesus Christ.

7. I don’t want to come across as a pushy religious fanatic. If my friends want to know about Christianity, they can ask me

If you had the cure for cancer, would it be pushy to share it with others who are dying from the disease? We often see Jesus and the disciples take the initiative to enter into towns and preach the Gospel (John 4-5, Acts 8:26-40). There is a difference between disagreeing and being disagreeable. And if they do not want to accept the message of reconciliation, Jesus asks us to “shake the dust off your feet” and leave the situation to God (Matt 10:14).

8. Honestly, I’m scared they will reject me

The fear that some people would react negatively is not groundless. Jesus did not promise his disciples popularity but persecution (Matt 5:11). Christ Himself was rejected and explains, “whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects Him who sent me” (Luke 10:16). So don’t take this personally. But this is exactly when we will know if we have true faith when we desire to obey and please God rather than to fear man. American evangelist Bill Bright said it well, “success in witnessing is simply sharing Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.”

9. I don’t have the time to evangelise

We always find time for what is important. Even if you are not able to invest time to be discipled in evangelism, you can just share naturally with the people around you how God has made that change in your life.

10. I don’t know how to evangelise

Read my next article, Catholic 10-point guide to ‘How to Evangelise’

Catholics not doing enough to win souls

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Share Christ’s Gospel to help others know Him and leave the rest to the Holy Spirit

What is evangelism?

A Google search will give the definition as, “the spreading of the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness”. In 1974, key Protestant leaders at the Lausanne Conference reinforced this meaning by differentiating evangelism from social action and political liberation. For Catholics, the proper word for this initial presentation of the kerygma, is “proclamation”.

But “proclamation” feels like such a big word! It feels so formal and carries the connation that it is to be done by experts. So, I prefer to use the word “evangelism”.

Now let’s look at three misunderstandings of evangelism.  

Evangelism is not proselytisation (for Catholics at least)

“Proselyte” is an anglicisation of a biblical Greek word that refers to converts from paganism to Judaism (Matt 23:15, Acts 2:10; 6:5; 13:43). This is where it gets a bit more complicated. While in general English usage, “proselyte” simply means a new convert to any religion, in Catholic language, this word has negative connotations.

Pope Francis explained the difference in the context of the prosperity gospel, implying that the person who is proselytised is attracted not by Christ but by a vice – for example greed. It violates the conscience. Proselytisation is triumphantly obsessed with numbers rather than that the person has discovered eternal life.

Are concerns about proselytisation still valid?

Christians in India are still being accused of “rice bag conversions”. Even in Malaysia, one Sarawakian indigenous youth shared that conversion to Christianity is often because of gratitude for past help, or to gain a social standing. The issue is complex and sometimes we can swing to the other end of the pendulum where we offer corporal works of mercy but don’t share the faith.

A girl who had recently converted to Protestantism shared how she had studied at the library of a Catholic Church but no one struck up a conversation with her, let alone introduced her to Jesus. Well, she was spiritually hungry and when Protestants invited her to receive Christ, she joyfully accepted.

I wonder if the preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation might bear some tinge of proselytisation. Granted, the young person is already baptised, but there is the social pressure of going along with the herd. Sometimes, the young person is told that he will not be able to receive the Sacrament of Marriage in future, if he doesn’t get confirmed (which isn’t actually what Canon Law teaches).

Godparents should ask the young person to explain clearly and objectively why he believes in Jesus and the Catholic Church, and if necessary, to lovingly discern and discourage him if he is not ready, while promising to journey with him.

Pope Francis explained that a person who is proselytised is attracted not by Christ but by a vice – for example greed.

Evangelism is not evangelisation

“Evangelisation” is sometimes used interchangeably with evangelism (Catechism of the Catholic Church 905) but generally, it has a wider meaning that covers preaching, teaching, being a channel of grace, reconciling sinners with God, and perpetuating Christ’s sacrifice in the Mass.

Having said that, “there is no true evangelisation if the name, teaching, life, promises, kingdom and mystery of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, are not proclaimed. (Evangelii Nuntiandi 14, 22).

How many of us have heard it said, or even personally repeated this phrase, “I just evangelise through my actions. If non-Christians want to know more about the Faith, they can always ask”. Another way that we have tried to sooth our conscience and say that we are obeying the call of Pope Francis to become a more missionary church is to re-categorised existing ministries as evangelisation.

Therefore, Migrants Ministry, Prison Ministry, Orang Asli Ministry, Children’s Home, St Vincent De Paul, Soup Kitchens, etc, are under the Ministry of Evangelisation. And so, the average Catholic deftly sidesteps getting trained and encouraged to take the initiative to proclaim Jesus.  

Conversion is really a work of grace and sometimes, the person may simply not be ready at the moment.

Evangelism is not converting others

While we hope those we evangelise come to accept Jesus and be baptised, success in evangelism is simply “sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God” (Bill Bright).

We are merely sharing information to help others make a decision. Conversion is really a work of grace and sometimes, the person may simply not be ready at the moment.

Having said that, too often, Catholics simply present information. We want our Sunday school students to memorise dates like when Francis Xavier came to Melaka rather than imbibe his missionary courage.

We celebrate feast days of saints but secretly hope that none of our children serve the church until they are in their 70s. We emphasis that we are not to hold hands during the Our Father but fail to call Catholics to obey the Great Commission.

We need to talk about personal life issues through the lens of faith, in a way that is heartfelt and persuasive.

Conversations can end in an invitation, “What would you like Jesus to do for you today?”, “Would you like to know more about Jesus?”, “Would you like to have a relationship with the Heavenly Father?” and so on. Even if the listener assents, becoming a believer and a disciple is a step-by-step journey so don’t get impatient or discouraged!

Mission to save lives: Shipwrecked crew (Part 1)

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What starts as work to lead people to safety can be detoured to self-indulgence

On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occurred, there was once a little life-saving station. The building was primitive and had just one boat, but the crew were committed to saving lives and kept a constant lookout for ships that got into trouble at sea. When a ship went down, day or night, they unselfishly went out to rescue people.

Because so many were saved, the station’s work became widely known. As a result, the station was overwhelmed with offers from people who wanted to give their time, talent and money to support its important work. New boats were bought, fresh crews were recruited and a formal training session was put in place for those who joined the ranks of the crew.

As membership grew, some were unhappy the building was old and had outdated equipment. They yearned for a better place to hold survivors they plucked out from the sea. So they built a large new building, replaced the old emergency cots with comfortable beds and brought in better furniture.

In time the station became a popular meeting place for the crew. They met regularly, always greeted and hugged each other, and shared stories about what had been going on in their lives. The love and care among the crew were evident.

As time passed, most members lost interest in going out to sea on life-saving missions. They hired lifeboat crews to handle this important task. About this time, there was a large shipwreck off their coast, and the new hires went out to sea and returned to the station with boatloads of cold, wet, dirty, sick, and half-drowned people.

The survivors were a mixed bunch. Some had black skin and others yellow. They were a few who were fluent in English, while most didn’t understand the language. Among them were first-class cabin passengers, and there was a clutch of deck hands. In just a short time, the station that had become a beautiful meeting spot was transformed into a place of chaos. The plush carpets got dirty and the exquisite furniture suffered scratches.

In the ensuing melee, the property committee swung into action and constructed a makeshift shower outside the building where the shipwreck survivors were cleaned before they were allowed inside.

At the station’s next meeting there was a rift among the members. Most wanted to stop their life-saving work as they were unpleasant and a hindrance to their fellowship. Others insisted that saving lives was still their primary mission and pointed out that the station still had this status. But this minority group was voted down and told that if they wanted to save the lives of all sorts of people that the station recently did, they could do this at another location down the coast. And that’s what they did.

Those who joined the original team were not transformed into disciples of the mission in which their belief in saving lives would have been deeply rooted. If this had been the case, the new members would, in turn, attract and transform others into disciples to believe in their cause.

As the years passed, the new place experienced a repeat of what afflicted and ended the mission of the station it replaced. It evolved into a place for fellowship, committee meetings and special training sessions about their mission, but few went out to save people from drowning. Survivors were also no longer welcomed in this new station that was supposed to save lives. Another station was founded further down the coast to do this.

History continued to repeat itself. And if you visit that seacoast today, you will find a number of adequate meeting places with ample parking spaces and plush carpeting. Shipwrecks are still frequent in those waters, but most people drown.

What went wrong with the mission of saving lives in this unfortunate tale?

It is apparent new members were attracted to the mission but were not adequately formed to actually love the work of saving lives. In time, they enjoyed the fellowship, which should be a by-product of the mission and not the main course.

The crux of the problem: Those who joined the original team were not transformed into disciples of the mission in which their belief in saving lives would have been deeply rooted. If this had been the case, the new members would, in turn, attract and transform others into disciples to believe in their cause.

We can view this story through the lens of the wider Christian missionary. Where do Catholics stand in comparison to other non-Catholic Christian groups? How robust are we? You will be surprised at the results of surveys that were conducted to measure how we faired.

Image: Katalin Rhorvát, Pexels

Part 2 Mission to save lives: The shipwrecked disciples

Mission to save lives: Shipwrecked disciples (Part 2)

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We need to build up more life-savers in the Catholic Church

In Part 1, I told a tale of a group of life-savers whose work to rescue survivors of shipwrecks attracted people to join their mission. But they were not deeply rooted in the cause of saving lives, lost their sense of mission and became a social club.

To be deeply rooted in a mission is to be transformed into missionary disciples. Such people who experience this type of conversion are so convinced of the good of their work that they in turn want others to join their cause. This strong passion for their work in helping others has the effect of creating more passionate believers.

In Christian terms, this will create disciples who create other disciples, who do likewise and so on and so on. But how do Catholics fare in the work of discipleship because he work Jesus Christ, in which we are called to join His mission, is about saving lives? It is not a one-off rescue outing to pluck people from the jaws of death. It has implications to place them safely for all eternity. This work, which has divine origins in Christ, is called evagelisation.

According to the apostolic exhortation “Evangelisation in the Modern World” the Church exists in order to evangelise (EN 14). But writing for Catholic Missionary Disciple in his article, 5 Reasons Catholics Don’t Evangelise, Marcel LeJeune notes that in a 2013 poll on the importance of Christians who actively shared their faith, Catholics ranked the lowest.

The poll conducted in the United States drew from the best and most engaged Catholics, and yet only 1 out of every 3 “active Catholics” agreed they had a responsibility to share their faith with others and actually did so in the past year. To my knowledge, no similar study has been done in the Malaysian or Singapore Church, but I doubt we are better off.

Catholics must stop making excuses such as “I’m not worthy cos I’m still struggling with sin”, “I don’t know enough about my faith”, “They won’t listen to me” and “I’m not that type” are some excuses you and I make are to exempt ourselves from the Great Commission. It’s similar to how Moses winced and whined before God. (Ex 3:11-22, 4:1-17).

Let’s look at some reasons why I believe Catholics are failing in their fundamental duty

1. Catholics aren’t disciples 

Most Catholics are baptised not because they consciously made a decision to become a disciple of Jesus. Sherry Weddell, author of “Forming Intentional Disciples” notes, “We have asked hundreds of diocesan and parish leaders from 60 dioceses throughout the English-speaking world this question: What percentage of your parishioners, would you estimate, are intentional disciples? To our astonishment, we have received the same answer over and over: ‘Five percent’. When Catholicism is just a religious duty to fulfil and Catholics cannot see the transforming value of Jesus in their lives, it is very unlikely that they will want to share Jesus with others.”

You and I need to look at what Jesus and the Church say about discipleship, before we can make changes, both personal and structural. If our lifestyle is one of compromise, mediocrity and lukewarmness, we would be good for nothing but to be thrown out. Live according to your calling as salt of the earth and light of the world. Then give testimony on how making Jesus the Lord of your life, has been life-changing.

2. Catholics are universalists or believe differences of faith don’t really matter

Universalists believe in the false doctrine that no one will go to hell. In our efforts to promote inter-religious dialogue, the nuances of church teachings are lost on simple Catholics and most have become religious relativists. Respect for other faith traditions and the truth that “all religions teach you to do good” has crossed over to claim that “all religions are the same” and that “everyone will go to heaven”. So what’s the point of introducing Jesus if you don’t believe that He is the One Mediator and lifeline to the Father (John 14:6)?

The nuanced Catholic teaching is found in the Vatican II Constitution, Lumen Gentium (No 16). After laying out the conditions in which a non-believer might be saved, it declares soberly that “VERY OFTEN (translation from the Latin, Flannery edition; capitals mine), men, deceived by the Evil One, have become vain in their reasonings, have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and served the world rather than the Creator.” This means that, while the Catholic Church teaches that there is a possibility that a non-believer goes to heaven – and always through Jesus – the probability is so low that we shouldn’t be presumptuous. Catholics must pray with heartfelt urgency, “On my Jesus, save us from the fires of hell” and be spurred to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10).

3. Catholics are scared and make excuses not to do it

“I’m not worthy cos I’m still struggling with sin”, “I don’t know enough about my faith”, “They won’t listen to me” and “I’m not that type” are some excuses you and I make are to exempt ourselves from the Great Commission. It’s similar to how Moses winced and whined before God. (Ex 3:11-22, 4:1-17).

Yet, Jesus gave the command to all, “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:19). I may be scared to evangelise but you know what frightens me more? That I will one day profoundly regret that I never shared with my loved ones, my secret to the fullness of life.  As part of God’s rescue mission, you and I need to grieve that family and friends who are stumbling without Jesus, could be lost forever (Rom 9:2-3). Only a Holy Spirit love for Jesus and the world can push us out of our comfort zones and make us unashamed of the Gospel! (Rom 1:16).

4. Catholics don’t want to be offensive and lose friendships with non-Christians

I put this as a separate category from the above because living in multi-religious societies, this is a genuine concern. It’s about how our message is going to be received. It’s true that some wouldn’t care. Others might even disagree and reject us. Jesus promised nothing less.

But you can disagree with someone without becoming disagreeable. In fact, there are many people who would want to discuss religion with Catholics. Protestants, Muslims, Mormons and Korean cult devotees. You may be irritated or offended but walking away sends the message that Catholicism doesn’t have an answer. Why don’t we see this as an opportunity to evangelise? I’ve known some Catholics who built up their faith through apologetics discussions. One even became a priest! Those who do not know Christ as Lord and Saviour DESERVE to know the truth and if it’s not going to be from you, then from whom?   

5. Parishes aren’t supporting nor training active personal evangelism

I will say this politely: Catholics, even leaders, who claim it is sufficient to witness with our lifestyle, is not teaching what the Magisterium teaches. Evangelisation is reduced to serving to the poor. Other times evangelism is just waiting for inquirers to sign-up for the RCIA. In one parish, it was a step-up for the priest to ask parishioners, week in and week out, to bring their non-Christian friends to Mass.

But to reverse the current Catholic culture and restore a practice of the apostolic church, Catholics need to be firstly taught “Why Evangelise” and then be encouraged step-by-step how to do it. Only when all parish leaders, including clergy, have had first-hand experience of personal evangelism, will we know how to make “missionary outreach paradigmatic for all the Church’s activities” (Joy of the Gospel 15).

What are five things you can do to help the Church recover Her evangelistic identity?

  • Join a training on personal evangelism. Learn how to share your story of conversion and how to present a basic message of Christianity that invites listeners to place their trust in Jesus. Read a book on how to answer basic apologetic questions like Trent Horn’s “Why We’re Catholic”.
  • Invite church friends to join you for training on personal evangelism. Make a point to share what you are learning about evangelism with someone weekly, especially to correct all the false understanding prevalent among Catholics. Better yet, offer to start the class on evangelism in your parish.
  • Pray daily for your non-Christian friends and lapsed Catholics. List 10 people you can name in a decade of the Rosary. If you are going to offer Mass for the dead, remember to put in intentions for your living non-believer friends as well. And you can always end a conversation by asking “how can I pray for you?”
  • Volunteer to be a hospitality minister that does more. In some parishes, it would already be amazing if they smiled and greeted you. Be friendly and ready to engage in conversation even to invite strangers to join you for a meal.
  • Plan every open event to be evangelistic. Can non-Catholics join in the hiking trip? They sure can. Can non-Catholics join in to serve the homeless? They sure can. Can non-Catholics join in the choir or caroling? They sure can. It may mean conscientiously planning for the presence of non-believers (singable hymns, inspiring homilies etc) and intentionally asking the Catholics to invite their friends especially for celebrations like Christmas and Easter.  

What do you think Is stopping you from evangelising? What can you do to start evangelising? We would love to hear any other ideas you might have to raise up an evangelistic Catholic culture.

Part 1: Mission to save lives: The shipwrecked crew

Evangelisation: Lost in translation

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The Church exists to evangelise and this must be our mission, too

As Catholics, many of us, maybe even the majority, were never raised in a culture of evangelism. One seminarian who gave a talk at a youth ministry went as far as to boldly assert that the “Church no longer evangelises”. Growing up, I believed all religions were the same and were just different roads to God. I was a religious relativist and considered the exclusive claims of one’s religion to be offensively Protestant.

So it was a shock to my religious thinking that when I read the saints, their zeal for souls sounded more Protestant than the version of the Catholic faith I had received. St Francis Xavier, the 16th century pioneer of evangelism in Asia and patron of missions wrote:

Many, many people hereabouts are not becoming Christians for one reason only: there is nobody to make them Christians. Again and again I have thought of going round the universities of Europe, especially Paris, and everywhere crying out like a madman, riveting the attention of those with more learning than charity: What a tragedy: how many souls are being shut out of heaven and falling into hell, thanks to you!

Saint Francis Xavier

Something was out. I began to read the Bible and realised that if I thought the exclusive claims of Christianity were bigotry, then Jesus was the source. He said: “I am the Way the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). And the modern Church, in documents like Evangelii Nuntiandi (1975), Redemptoris Missio (1990), Ecclesia in Asia (1999), Dominus Iesus (2000) and Evangelii Gaudium (2013) had never changed her message nor her urgency for evangelism.

There is a HUGE chasm between the Magisterial teaching and popular Catholicism the faithful practise in the pew. To omit obeying Jesus, even to ignore his command to, “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:19) needs to be called out for what it is: disobedience, even a sin.

Where did we go so wrong?

The Second Vatican Council that had convened from 1962-1965 updated the teaching of the Catholic Church in the context of the modern world. The guidance of the Holy Spirit in this Council has never been in doubt (except by the loons on the fringe). But certainly, the posture of the Catholic Church towards other religions and their followers, changed 180 degrees. Rather than excommunications, anathemas and calling out of heresies, the bishops of the world sensed the Holy Spirit calling the Church to build bridges in ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue.

This didn’t mean that the Church had changed Her teaching on the unique role of Christ and the Church. She still believes that Jesus is the only way of salvation and that there can be no salvation outside the Church. But disagreeing with the beliefs of others doesn’t mean that She has to be disagreeable.

Unfortunately, for 99% of Catholics, the nuances were lost in translation. The tension between two assertions: that Jesus is the One Mediator, and that peoples of other religions can be saved, simply meant all religions were the same and we didn’t need to evangelise anymore. Thus the period after Vatican 2 was confusing for a generation without Google Search to check what was being passed down by seminary professors and the pulpit. Swaths of Catholic missionaries began to wonder if they had wasted their lives and left the religious orders. Having lost their purpose of converting souls for Heaven, they became agents of humanitarian relief!

What then are we to do?

Catholics should not back away from building warm friendships with their Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, agnostic and atheist neighbours. Catholics should be at the forefront of pro-life family issues, serving the migrants and care for creation.

But Catholics should also be convicted that “there is no true evangelisation if the name, the teaching, the life, the promises, the kingdom and the mystery of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, are not proclaimed” (Evangelii Nuntiandi 22). In the face of the vast mission field of two billion Asian souls, the Great Commission, Jesus’ last words, must become the first priority for every Catholic: to make missionary disciples who make missionary disciples.

The missionary conversion for you and me will be nothing short of massive. If you love the Lord and want to part of this change, join us on this webpage as we unpack the issues one by one.

Image: Emmanuel Nwabufo Pexels