Practical ways
to Evangelize
The first and foremost practical strategy for evangelization is to deepen your knowledge of the Catholic tradition. Catholicism has a smart, rich, and profound tradition, including the Scriptures; treasures of theology, spirituality, art, architecture, and literature; and the inspiring witness of the saints. Simply put, you can’t share what you don’t have—and you have to learn the tradition of Catholic Christianity in order to bear it to others.
Jesus told his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations. This call went out not simply to the leaders of the Church then and now, but to all of us—the baptized, to all the people of God. Don’t miss the opportunity to be a disciple of Christ, a bearer of the impossibly Good News.
Here are some practical ways to evangelize the culture:
1
Lead with the
beautiful.
Beauty can help lead to powerful conversations. The key is that you allow the questions to surface organically. Here are some practical ways to evangelize in a nonthreatening way using beauty:
- Place a beautiful picture of your favorite saint or cathedral up in your office.
- Live your life with radiant joy that attracts others.
- Add scripture quotes to your Christmas cards, birth announcements, wedding invitations, etc.
- Study the paintings of Caravaggio and Michelangelo, and the sculptures and architecture of Bernini.
- Publicly pray with your family.
- Watch the Pivotal Players film series and discover the truth behind some of the most influential figures of Catholic history.
2
Don’t dumb down
the message.
We are a thinking religion, and should fill our evangelical and apologetic arsenal with the wisdom of our intellectual tradition.
Here are some ways to strengthen your familiarity with the intellectual depths of the faith:
- Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
- Sign up for Word on Fire’s free Daily Gospel Reflections and Bishop Barron’s homilies to familiarize yourself with the Gospel.
- Listen to the Word on Fire Show, specifically episodes on Thomas Aquinas (Episode 21, Episode 37, Episode 96, and Episode 97).
- Challenge young people in your circle of influence to read sophisticated Catholic works. If they can handle Shakespeare and Star Wars, they can handle St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine!
- Order and read titles from the Word on Fire Classics series, which includes books by St. Augustine, Thomas Merton, G.K. Chesterton, St. John Henry Newman, and St. Benedict.
- Delve into a great Catholic literary master like Dante or Flannery O’Connor.
- Join the Word on Fire Institute to be formed as an evangelist.
3
Tell the great story.
Jesus is the fulfillment and culmination of the great story of Israel. Don’t abstract him from the Old Testament and present him only through the lens of the New. Doing so risks painting Jesus as a mere teacher, not the long-awaited Lord and King. Here are some key books to use in your journey of evangelization.
The Word on Fire Bible, Volume I, II, and III
by Word on Fire
The New Apologetics
Defending the Faith in a Post-Christian Era
Edited by Matthew Nelson
Eucharist
By Bishop Robert Barron