We are continuing our three-part series in which we discuss ways to practically live out our baptismal obligations of sharing in the threefold office of Jesus Christ as priest, prophet, and king. Last week, we covered how we serve as priests by offering sacrifice and prayer in our daily lives. This week, we will take a closer look at how we can live a prophetic life. First, we’ll examine what the Church teaches about the laity’s role as a prophet. Then we’ll explore the practical wisdom and advice offered by Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR, in his book, Habits for Holiness: Small Steps for Making Big Spiritual Progress.

Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church from the Second Vatican Council, teaches that we, the laity, share in Christ’s prophetic office by virtue of our baptism and confirmation. This role involves bearing witness to the truth of the Gospel in both word and deed. Paragraph 12 of the document explains that the Holy Spirit distributes special gifts among the faithful to build up the Church and fulfill her mission. We are not passive; rather, we are empowered to speak, live, and witness to the truth. Paragraph 35 emphasizes that we are called to be witnesses and instruments of the Church’s mission in the secular world. Through our lives, family, work, and in society, we are called to act as a living proclamation of Christ. We fulfill our prophetic role by bringing the Gospel to the world in ordinary circumstances. In short, as the laity, we live out our prophetic role, not from the pulpit, but in the marketplace, family life, civic engagement, and all dimensions of society.

Fr. Ames tells us that, while evangelization is an essential component of the prophetic call, it can’t all be reduced to evangelization. Before we can proclaim the Good News of Christ, we must ensure it will be received as such. Father outlines three fundamental things we need to do to lay the preliminary groundwork for being good prophets before we even attempt to evangelize with words. First, we want to live an attractive life. Are you content? Are your friendships and bonds of communion with others attractive? When you love others with Christian love, it looks different from simply being nice. Even intact marriages and families stand out in today’s society as something different and attractive, serving as a strong non-verbal witness to the Faith.

Secondly, Fr. Ames says we need to lead with listening. When we dive into evangelization too quickly, we may end up answering questions a person isn’t asking, and our efforts will be ineffective. We should ask questions and try to understand a person’s unique story, hearing their questions and answers from their perspective. Father likens asking questions and listening to “tilling the soil of our neighbor’s soul and preparing it to receive the seed of the gospel.”

The third dynamic of our prophetic call is to be filled with joy. No one is attracted to an angry, bitter, or judgmental person. If we are truly filled with the peace, hope, strength, and life of the Holy Spirit, we ought to reflect that in our demeanor. Whether or not others understand what it is they see in you, they will notice it and be attracted to it. “To be evangelizers, we must first be evangelized. We need to have received the Gospel and been transformed little by little by the good news of Christ.”

Now that we’ve laid the groundwork for pre-evangelization, we can proceed with the business of evangelizing. Fr. Ames tells us to be “prophets on purpose.” He warns against being aggressive but encourages being intentional. Bring evangelization into every aspect of your life. Display public signs of your faith in your office, in your car, and around your neck. You don’t have to talk about them, but make them visible so that everyone you encounter throughout your day knows that you are a person of faith. When you combine these signs of faith with your earlier groundwork of living an attractive life, you become approachable. Then, when someone is going through a difficult time, has questions, or is considering converting or returning to the Faith, they will know exactly who to talk to. If you don’t do any of these things, imagine how many opportunities you might lose because people don’t know they can turn to you.

Fr. Ames offers additional practical and achievable tips on how to evangelize through simple actions. Prophets use their tongues. Controlling our own tongues goes a long way in today’s society. Avoid using foul language, and people will notice. Don’t gossip. Even further, any time someone gossips in front of you, say something nice about the person being talked about. This will be an attractive witness. Make the sign of the cross before eating a meal in public, whether at a restaurant, at work, or school. While abstaining from meat on Fridays year-round is not required, you might consider doing it anyway. If you eat out with co-workers or friends on Fridays, there may be an opportunity for further explanation. Finally, if someone asks you what you did over the weekend, or on a particular day, be honest — “I went to Mass with my family,” or “I went on a retreat.” In all situations, do not be timid or shy away from your faith, and you will be living out your role as a prophet.

Fr. Ames concludes that for evangelization to be effective, it must be authentic, articulate, and anointed. Authentic evangelization means you can’t give what you don’t have. You must be living a life of prayer and discipleship, or people will see through you. Feed your own spiritual life first and nurture your relationship with Jesus Christ. You must do the things you invite others to do. Articulate evangelization means we must be able to speak about what we believe. When people ask us questions, we have to be able to answer them. This involves ongoing learning and study. The more we grow in knowledge, the more we can share with others. Finally, anointed evangelization means that it is blessed by God. We ought to pray for the people that God has placed in our lives, and likewise pray that we say and do the things that bring others to him. This becomes particularly evident when we say and do things without even realizing it, only to find out later what impact our words or actions have had on another person. That is when we know that our prophetic work or evangelization was anointed.

To conclude, here are a few questions presented by Fr. Ames for reflection:

• Are there ways in my own community or family that I can invite people into the family of God?
• When I try to evangelize, do I feel comfortable asking people questions and hearing their stories?
• Are there people or places where Christ wants me to bring the Gospel?
• Is my evangelization authentic, articulate, and anointed?

Spend time this week reflecting on how you might find opportunities to be a prophet. Next week, we’ll look at how we participate in Christ’s kingly office.

BACK TO LIST