The Catholic Message Board

176. To evangelize and help others


Paul is right:
“The kindness of God would lead you to repentance.” Romans, chapter 2, verse 4

… To conversion. By and large, Paul invites us to patience, and to receive from people their kindness and generosity. We discover God’s goodness in them. The goodness of God overcomes reluctance and attracts to conversion. The call that God sends us is related to his kindness.

He also talks to us about this:
“By the standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the very same things.” Romans, chapter 2, verse 1

It must be said that we tend to mix judgment about others with what is a constructive judgment.
Judging others about whom they are at first sight, without really knowing them, is a judgment. But, to observe the actions of another person in order to help, even if we have the same difficulty as this person, can still help.

We must not wait to be perfect to evangelize and help others. Otherwise, nothing would be possible for the world.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: The Fruit that lasts, Normand Thomas

177. Let Jesus Love others


And this phrase said by some people sometimes blocks us: “Ah, and you, you are perfect!” In fact, the person may not want our help. We still can pray for him.

Let’s face it, nobody’s perfect. It would be a shame not to be able to help the people considering that we’re also imperfect. Where would charity unfold in such circumstances? It would be like telling a doctor who has cancer that because of that he cannot heal us. We would tell him to heal himself before thinking of healing us. Yet, helping helps to improve who we are. We help each other to help each other, and so on.

Jesus seems to be leading the idea further, when he says to the pharisees:
“You pay no attention to judgment and to love for God.” Luke, chapter 11, verse 42

That’s the basis. A testimony must encourage good deeds. And Jesus brings us back to reality, respectfully. In fact, we’re not perfect, and it’s clear that our actions and words are not always the best.

What Paul wants us to understand, mostly, is that we cannot evangelize if we’re not connected with Jesus. Jesus abounds here, in the same sense. We are invited to deeply convert if we want to evangelize others, but let’s not wait to be perfect.

It would be illusory, in spite of our difficulties, not to evangelize when we have received so much, received all from the Lord. Let’s trust and evangelize, according to our resources and abilities, according to the openness of our heart. May we remember that it isn’t we who evangelize, but Jesus through us.

By improving our life of faith with Jesus, we’re on the move. By helping others to improve their lives of faith, we will come closer to Jesus together. Let’s destroy our illusions and let God Love us, and through us, let him Love others.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: The Fruit that lasts, Normand Thomas