"Do you know why, as Pope Francis rightly noted, proselytizing doesn’t work?
"Because it is not Incarnational. It has nothing in common with the example set by the Word when he condescended to join humanity and 'set his tent among us'. Not near humanity, but still apart; not above humanity, overseeing it, but among and with and in commonality with us. . . .
"Proselytizing tries to make people jump into holiness in order to get Jesus, which entirely contradicts Jesus’ own example.
"Jesus went to people - and let them come to him - and once they found him, people wanted the holiness they saw embodied in him. Sharing in that holiness meant staying bound to Christ in such a profoundly hopeful, consoling and enlightening way that even apart from him - even living in a different place, even living in a different time - the connection held, even unto death.
"Evangelization differs from Proselytizing - and gets closer to the Incarnational example of Christ Jesus - by being non-confrontational. Rather than repelling people by preaching at them, it attracts in large measure through a kind of positive passivity that allows room for the Holy Spirit to work."
In a recent commentary, writer Elizabeth Scalia reflected on the the importance of a spirit of a missionary mindset, meeting people where they are and letting them see Jesus and His Light in us.
To access Ms. Scalia’s complete post, please visit:
The Anchoress: Why Dolan, and Francis, and Benedict are Right (19 SEP 14)
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