The Lord Jesus Christ, before ascending to the Father, gathers his disciples on the mountain side and gives this solemn commissioning to all of them.
“Then Jesus approached them and said to them: ‘All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 19-20)
The Catholic Parish of the Divine Mercy of Our Lord in Mesquite, Texas believes that “the church on earth is by her nature missionary since, according to the plan of the Father, she has as her origin the mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (CCC # 850). For this reason, the parish community takes evangelization as an essential part of our mission.
There are three steps to the process of evangelization that we take namely:
1. “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.” This part of the Commissioning involves:
Evangelization or the proclamation of the Kerigma(the life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus). This first evangelization requires the use of the Missionary Kerigmatic Approach where God comes into the life of the person, through the brokenness of life in its real situations and conditions.
2. “…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” This part includes the continuing conversion through growth in the Spirit with:
Faith Formation or the Catechesis: This process involves a systematic and holistic approach to faith as taught and lived by God’s People. This is the Doctrinal Kerigma.
3. “and lo, I am with you always, until the end of time.” This part of the commissioning words of Jesus assures us of his constant presence in us through the Church and the Sacraments as we grow in faith, in hope and in love. Our fidelity and perseverance in the faith will surely lead us to an experience of:
Tranformation: with the perfection of Love which is the journey to holiness and union with God through Christ in the Holy Spirit.