"What we really need to do is announce
what we believe and practice what we preach." This is the invitation of
Guangzhou bishop, Msgr. Joseph Gan Junqiu addressed in his pastoral
letter for the start of the Year of Faith.
In one of the many
references to Benedict XVI, Bishop Gan Junqiu- ordained on papal mandate and with
government approval - writes that "the Pope has stressed that the aim of
the Year of Faith is to strengthen the faith of Christians, to give
impetus to the work of proclaiming the Gospel, to promote harmony of
society at the same time correcting misunderstandings within the Church
concerning the Council. The Church intends to lead the faithful to seek
the truth, entering the "door of faith", and encourage everyone to
become credible witnesses of Risen Lord. "
"Jesus is the model
evangelizer" he adds, and he "tells us that evangelization is the
mission the Father entrusted to him, it is a grace.' The mission to
evangelize is to bring the Good News to those who are in great
difficulty, give joy to the poor and health to the sick, give
forgiveness to sinners and freedom to prisoners, free from evil those
possessed by demons, raise the dead, so that the weak become strong.
Liberation does not mean raising the dead, restoring an old world, it
means ensuring that people can live in the atmosphere of love of the
heavenly kingdom, which is the work of evangelization carried out by
Jesus. "
"The Church is the symbol of the presence of Jesus in
the world, to evangelize is to share the saving mission of Jesus." He
"was concerned about the situation of injustice in society. Receiving
baptism from John, he expresses his commitment in this regard: "for thus
it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness (Mt 3, 15). Secondly,
Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of repentance and mercy of God, he used
miracles to bear witness that the Kingdom of God is near. Thirdly, Jesus
took to heart those who were abandoned by society, sinners, etc.. He
harshly accused the leaders of the time for their lack of concern for
the needy. Fourth, to proclaim the Gospel, Jesus established a small
group with him at the center. Finally, Jesus bore witness to the Gospel
by offering himself. "
Bishop Gan Junqiu then cites the example
of Matteo Ricci, who "immersed himself in people, learned the habits and
customs of the time, and absorbed the culture and knowledge of the
time, then he used his knowledge and skills to announce the Gospel to
the people of that time, "to exhort Christians today to" share in the
evangelizing mission of Jesus through acts of love. The most important
thing for them is to live the spirit of the Gospel, so that there is
unity between what they do and what they say".
"The Church is the
continuation of the love of Jesus, it is necessary that we express our
love in concrete actions, particularly taking care of our poor and
suffering brothers and sisters. In a word, what we really need to do is
announce what we believe and put into practice what we preach. "
"Many
times we are afraid to express our faith in public, even some people
when asked if they believe in God, say no. Indeed, this stems from our
lack of faith. Again, I encourage all of you brothers and sisters do not
worry, our glory is to believe in God, He who gave us the gift of
salvation to us to achieve communion with the Lord through the gift of
salvation and gain the kingdom of heaven: this is our fortune. Therefore
we must courageously share with others the love of God, allowing the
Word of the Lord to guide our speech and our experiences. In this way
our new evangelization will posses a relevant witness and strength of
conviction. "
"Believing is like taking up the testimony from
those who have gone before us. It is up to us to accurately and
immediately continue to transmit it. In this coming Year of Faith I
strongly hope that every brother and sister live and practice according
to the teaching of the Pope, so that the spiritual values of the "Door
of Faith" are fully lived up to. "