Catholic Diocese of Biloxi  

In the Diocese of Biloxi, we are focusing on following the Great Commission of Jesus Christ in Matthew’s Gospel:

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20)

A “commission” is a responsibility that has been handed over and entrusted to us. The reason we exist as a Church is to evangelize. Embracing anew the Great Commission of Jesus needs to be a priority for each and every one of us in the Diocese of Biloxi. To evangelize is to welcome people into a relationship with God that will transform them completely inside and out. A disciple is someone who has had an encounter with Jesus Christ and has made a personal and conscious decision to give his or her entire life to God. Discipleship is choosing to make the eternal life of your neighbor, friend, family member, or stranger your mission. It is bringing people to God for the promise of salvation. We do this because we love God and we love our neighbor as Jesus instructed. If you love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, you will wholeheartedly desire to share that love with your neighbor. This is discipleship and evangelization.  When asked which is the greatest Commandment, Jesus replied:

You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments. (Matthew 22:36-40)

Pope Paul VI, Pope Saint John Paul II, Pope Benedict and Pope Francis have all taught and emphasized the responsibility and mission each of us have as Catholics to follow the Great Commission of Jesus. Pope Paul VI states,

[Evangelization] is a task and mission which the vast and profound changes of present-day society make all the more urgent. Evangelizing is, in fact, the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity (EN 14). Thus it is the whole Church that receives the mission to evangelize, and the work of each individual member is important for the whole (15).  

In his encyclical Mission of the Redeemer Pope Saint John Paul II states,

Above all, there is a new awareness that missionary activity is a matter for all Christians, for all dioceses and parishes, Church institutions and associations (MR 2). No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to all peoples (3). . . . [E]ntire groups of the baptized have lost a living sense of the faith, or even no longer consider themselves members of the Church, and live a life far removed from Christ and his Gospel. In this case what is needed is a “new evangelization” or a “re-evangelization” (33).

Pope Saint John Paul II also told a group of bishops at their ad limina meeting,

The new evangelization begins with the clear and emphatic proclamation of the gospel, which is addressed to everyone. At the same time, it is necessary to awaken in believers a full relationship with Christ, the only Savior. Effective evangelization can only develop from a personal relationship with Jesus (ALG 5).

Evangelization is the subject of Pope Francis’s first Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium. He states,

in virtue of their baptism, all the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples (cf. Mt 28:19). All the baptized, whatever their position in the Church or their level of instruction in the faith, are agents of evangelization, and it would be insufficient to envisage a plan of evangelization to be carried out by professionals while the rest of the faithful would simply be passive recipients. The new evangelization calls for personal involvement on the part of each of the baptized. Every Christian is challenged, here and now, to be actively engaged in evangelization (EG 120).

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) plan, Go and Make Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in the United States, states

[E]vangelization is what we are all about! Being involved in the story of salvation is what faith is all about! Evangelization is the essential mission of the Church (8). [W]e need to bring the Gospel of Jesus, in its fullness, to all the people of our land (9). [E]vangelizing means bringing the Good News of Jesus into every human situation and seeking to convert individuals and society by the divine power of the Gospel itself. At its essence are the proclamation of salvation in Jesus Christ and the response of a person in faith, which are both works of the Spirit of God (10).

1. As a parish, family, school, or ministry, are we forming disciples?
2. As a parish, family, school, or ministry, are we baptizing all nations?
3. As a parish, family, school, or ministry, are we teaching all He commanded?
4. Do you believe He is with us always until the end of the age? Are you sharing His message?
5. What are some things your parish, family, school, or ministry is doing or could do to respond to the Great Commission of Jesus?
6. What are some things you personally are doing or could do to respond to the great commission of Jesus to evangelize and form disciples?