Of Malls and Evangelization

There's a Mega Mall in Sharjah, UAE! This is of course, not a branch of Shoe Mart (SM) from the Philippines -- which too has its own Mega Mall.  Every time Filipinos in the vicinity point at the establishment, it reminds them of home.

Speaking of malls, Dubai had recently announced to build the "Mall of the World"; aimed to be the biggest mall---you guessed it---in the world! I surmise that if any country wants to build the next big thing it will then be the 'Mall of the Universe'.

 Malls accommodate interested businesses who are willing to rent space to sell merchandise or render services to the droves of people that it attracts.  More people come if the malls have something interesting to offer -- like a free concert or a big sale, creating "buzz".

Dubai's Mall of the World. Photo from businessinsider.com

Connecting this to the work of evangelization: are we still aiming for a "mega" evangelization and relentlessly pursuing a "world" evangelization? Are we innovating---using new expressions, new methods, and new ardor---to "attract" people to our evangelization programs or activities? Are they "interesting" enough? Are we witnessing enough? Does our evangelization approach create "buzz"?

We learn to evangelize by the example of Jesus' first disciples who could not stop talking about the Resurrection: "It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard." (Acts 4:20) What is this fact---that they have seen and heard--- that emboldened the first Christian community? Benedict XVI gives us a powerful perspective in his book, The God of Jesus Christ: "The Resurrection teaches us something that now possesses eternal validity: he (Jesus Christ) is man. He remains man forever ... This is the hope of man, the Christian joy, the Good News: even to this day, he is man." Further, Benedict XVI stresses: "God loves us in such a way that his Word became flesh and remains flesh. This joy ought to be the strongest impulse and the strongest force in us, leading us to communicate it to others...".  Through the Resurrection---the Good News---we can now enter Heaven and partake in the life of love exchange of the Holy Trinity!

We can formulate many "evangelization strategies", but if we miss the point of the Resurrection -- and how it is truly Good News, then the initial hype will die down.  The exciting message of the Resurrection---that He is risen---should be felt in our speech and in our deeds.  The effective "evangelization package" so to speak, then naturally flows and realized.

We continue to depend and surrender to the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit to lead us to share about the resurrection in a "new evangelizing way" that attracts droves of people to the Lord.  Then, can we genuinely have "mega" and "world" evangelization happening; through the confidence of our obedience to Christ's great commission: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit ...  And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." (Matthew 28: 19-20)

What a Glorious Mystery!

http://salesiansistersaes24.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/risen-christ.jpg

"He is risen!" How good must have this sounded in the ears of Christ's disciples.  Suddenly all Christ said made sense.

Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years,* and you will raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the scripture and the word Jesus had spoken. (John 2:19-22)


All hope is restored, fear is replaced by love.

What are the things that Christ wants us to do today that doesn't seem to make any sense? 

When I was 22, being a fresh engineering graduate, it did not make sense to "give it all up" to be a fulltime missionary.  Then when I got married, it did not seem to make sense to continue fulltime mission work.  Yet here I am, despite all the things that should have made sense in other people's minds, I continue to trust the peace that Christ gives me.  Yes, I still am a missionary, and mysteriously He continues to provide.  I believe one day with His grace, when in Heaven, it will all make perfect sense.  For what are our thoughts compared to His thoughts? 

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways—oracle of the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
my thoughts higher than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9)

We are all called to serve a greater purpose.  It might not make sense now why you should use your profession or circumstance to spread and build God's kingdom. You might be laughed at, even persecuted. Buy hey, that's always been the story of Christians through history.  What has been consistent all through out the life of the Church are the persecutions. It did not make sense to the world why Christians were willing to be eaten by lions or be stoned to death for the sake of Christ. But through this, Christianity even spread more.  These are God's ways, wierd and mysterious as it may seem to us, but to the All Knowing and All Powerful it does not only make sense but it is The Way.  As we faithfully endure in carrying our daily cross (often struggling and rationalizing why this cross), there is always the promise of resurrection, of heaven, of eternal life in the Lord.  As shown by Jesus, the Resurrection will always be a Glorious Mystery!

Let the grace of peace in our hearts to do God's work satisfy our senses and bring us to the hope in partaking in the Glorious Mystery of His Resurrection. Happy Easter!

Risen from the Storm

Today, it's the 1st year anniversary of Bagyong Ondoy. Many families in Metro Manila, specially in Marikina, Pasig and the Rizal province were affected. Lives were lost, houses were devastated, belongings were ruined, and trauma lingered. On TV, I saw families offering thanksgiving to God for protecting them. One community puts up a church as a symbol of their rising from the tragic calamity.

"...persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Cor. 4:9)."

When we feel that we have hit rock bottom or depressed about life's situation, let's think of the Ondoy victims. They suffered, survived, recovered, and have risen. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! (Mark 16:6)"