A PRIEST and social media influencer has urged Catholics to be “restless” in drawing people to Christ, reminding them that they exist to evangelize and to help others live a life of holiness.
Australian priest and contemporary Christian singer Fr. Rob Galea lamented that some people have become comfortable in their own territories that they let others die an “eternal death.”
He said Catholics should be “restless beings” with a discipleship attitude, as the purpose of their existence is tied with evangelization.
“The Church exists to evangelize. That is why we exist. We exist to become saints but also not to get to heaven alone,” Galea said during the 11th Philippine Conference on New Evangelization (PCNE) held on July 20 at the Quadricentennial Pavilion.
Galea, who uses the internet to explain Church teachings and to encourage people to enrich their spirituality, said Catholics should be “restless” in seeking souls and in bringing them to Christ regardless of what the world says.
“I don’t have time to worry about what people think of me. I don’t have time to worry about the things of this world, because I want to take as many people as I can – to snatch as many people as possible out of the hands of Satan and bring them to Jesus,” the Catholic priest added.
According to Galea, followers of Christ can fulfill their mission if they work together as one institution, not as individuals focused on their own kingdoms, territories and movements. He acknowledged that evangelization is a difficult mission but it can be accomplished through cooperation.
“The Church exists to evangelize… This is quite a difficult mission, but it is a possible mission if we do it together. Especially if [w]ere not so focused on our kingdoms. We’re not so focused on our own territories and our own movements,” Galea said.
[W]e have a bigger vision. Every movement we have, every parish, every institution we’re part of should be an institution that works together.”
Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula expressed similar views, saying that cooperation among individuals plays a crucial role in encountering God.
”Let us accompany each other, listen and share stories, and create safe spaces to encounter the risen Lord,” Advincula said in the same conference.
Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Charles John Brown reminded Catholics to seek the Kingdom of God in the face of pressing problems.
“Jesus says in the Gospel, and that is to seek and to feel the Lord. To listen to him. To adore him. To live the life of prayer. To prioritize our interior life. To put it first, seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness, and all these other things will be added unto you,” the prelate said.
Established in 2013 by then Manila archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, the PNCE is a three-day event that seeks to rekindle the faith of Filipino Catholics.
This year’s conference was held from July 18 to 20 at UST, the ninth time the University hosted the event. It carried the theme “Sulong-Padayon!: Synodal Conversions and Witnessing.” F – Rovy Jilyn Fraginal
