That’s the tagline that several of us in the parish thought of as we face the challenge of evangelization. We’ve got to bring Glendale to God and God to Glendale!
It’s overwhelming work, but it can happen if we all “tagalong” with those who want to make this happen. After all, as I’ve shared with people in one of my homilies, God calls us to minister to a particular place, and for us, it’s the City of Glendale.
I know that evangelization in today’s digital and social media world is happening globally. It’s already going on as people search for Masses, homilies, and talks on YouTube and Facebook in different places and countries. We may say that this is one of the silver linings of the pandemic. We’ve become more creative in reaching out to parishioners by using media and technology. And some people have gotten used to attending live-streamed Mass in the comfort of their homes.
But the Sacraments, particularly the Eucharist, are meant to bring us together in worship and service as a Christian community. They are intended not merely for consumption but for the transformation of hearts and minds to be missionary disciples of Christ to our communities and society.
Discipleship is not sitting in front of a computer screen or looking at our smartphones (although many use social media to share their faith). Instead, discipleship is being sent out “two by two,” as we heard in the Gospel last Sunday, to preach repentance and bring healing to a world and people wounded by sin.