Jesus came to save the world and to draw all men to Him. When we think of the salvific work of Christ, many of us think of his life, death, resurrection, and His ascension into glory. And while those salvific events are of primary importance in salvation history, it doesn’t end there.
Christ wants everyone to know the salvation He has won for them. He wants every soul to experience heavenly glory. Therefore, after having conquered death through His cross and resurrection, Christ commissioned His disciples to carry the Gospel to the world. They were charged to “preach the Gospel to all nations,” winning, through their words and examples, souls for the kingdom! What a task! The disciples were overwhelmed at the thought of carrying the Gospel to all nations after Christ had returned to heaven. But the Lord assured them, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). When the Holy Spirit descended upon them on the feast of Pentecost, all those in the crowd were amazed. They all spoke in different tongues, preaching the same message, and everyone there could understand!
And so it was that the Church was established through the power of the Spirit and for the purpose of evangelization. Each of us has been baptized in that Spirit, and through that, made a member of the Church. It is, thus, up to each and every one of us to actively participate in the Church’s mission – proclaiming the Good News to all the world and building up the Kingdom of God!
Each of us must re-evaluate how we are using the gifts God has given us to build up His Kingdom. Do we preach the Good News in all that we do and say? The same Spirit that descended upon the apostles that first Pentecost remains with us now, giving us the strength and courage to labor in the vineyard of the world.
Christ came to save the world, and He established the Church as the “universal sacrament of salvation” (CL 2), by which many people throughout the world would know the glory of His truth. St. Paul describes the Church as one body with many parts. And just as each part of the body has a particular function, so each member of the Church has a particular calling, but united as one body in the Spirit, all of the members are to carry out the Church’s one mission. How is God calling you to carry out this mission? What particular gifts has He given you with which you ought to build the Kingdom?
