Reason for Our Hope: The Certificate in Evangelization

“So often today man does not know what is within him, in the depths of his mind and heart. So often he is uncertain about the meaning of his life on this earth. He is assailed by doubt, a doubt which turns into despair. We ask you therefore, we beg you with humility and trust, let Christ speak to man. He alone has words of life, yes, of eternal life” (St. John Paul II, inaugural homily, October 1978).

How can we go forth as Christians in today’s world in which so much of what we see and experience is counter to our faith, when many are cynical about religion, when the culture itself seems to surround us with an attitude of suspicion or distrust toward religious matters, when we see so many caught up in activities and values of the world that distract or draw them away from a life devoted to God, a life of holiness?

We began the Certificate in Evangelization program with a sense of the growing cultural opposition to Christianity, increasing doubt of the truth and relevance of faith in Jesus, along with shrinking attendance at our parish Masses. Stirrings of the Spirit had begun several years earlier in St. Mary Parish in Corvallis, OR and the Newman Center at Oregon State University through the presence and ministry of the St. John Society and the Society of Mary. This initiative began with a small group – many of whom were already strongly committed and knowledgeable Catholics – being called and led by instruction, prayer, and the power of the Spirit into a deeper life of faith and fellowship in Christ. More parishioners and friends were drawn into active faith and support for one another through experiences like the Alpha Course, retreats, and the sacraments. Our parish was experiencing the “New Evangelization,” and we were a part of it!

In our first Certificate in Evangelization course, Missionary Church, we learned to understand and describe our current cultural situation and how we can respond to it. We recognized within ourselves the change in our mindset, our view of missionary activity of the Church, and our participation within it. While in the past we may have considered evangelization as the missionary work of others, we now saw that this presumption was mistaken. The New Evangelization seeks the conversion of the people around us, and that task must not be left for others to do. By our joyful and radiant witness of our lives lived for God, we provide a “silent proclamation of the Good News,” an initial act of evangelization, but we must go farther. In this new apostolic age, we find ways to make explicit the “reason for our hope” and extend an invitation to others to encounter Christ, to “come and see,” because we know that in Christ they will find the answer to their deepest longings and their hearts’ deepest search.

This missionary context provided the framework and purpose for our further exploration within the courses of the Certificate program. As we explored various topics within the program – humanity’s psychological and social world, moral theology, Christology, the Catholic understanding of Scripture, the Catholic worldview, and the content and proclamation of the Kerygma – we learned from the course instructors and from a variety of voices within our tradition via lectures and readings. We benefited from the collaboration between St. Bernard’s, the St. John Society, and the Society of Mary. All three have provided instructors or teaching assistants who engaged us in each of the topics. We had the opportunity to receive graduate credit for each course, which was accessible to many. For those who would like to go further in graduate theological studies, the program is a good starting point. We attended Zoom meetings with other students in our discussion groups, talked about the resonance of each topic with our own experience, and puzzled out how we could authentically share these things with others we meet and answer questions they will undoubtedly have about our faith in Christ. We saw how these students beautifully and deeply love Christ and the Church.

Exploring the mysteries of God’s love is always like scooping water from the ocean with a teaspoon: there is always so much more! We realized anew the truth, goodness, and beauty of our Catholic faith. Anselm of Canterbury’s motto was Faith seeking understanding. Our active love of God seeks a deeper understanding of God. To grow in the former drives a need to grow in the latter: to love Christ and the Church more deeply with mind and heart, and indeed to love all people more deeply.

And so, we find ourselves in a beautiful situation within the world today. Although many things seem depressing and hopeless, we feel great hope! What new things is the Lord bringing about within the hearts of people in this new apostolic age? “Behold, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19)