How should we witness to our Catholic faith? Religious freedom is a basic human right and a foundational principle of the social doctrine of the Catholic Church. We are called to live our faith publicly. We give witness to our faith not only in our churches, but also in the marketplace. Faith is both an invitation and a free response. To force religious faith on anyone empties it of love, life and promise.

How should we witness to our catholic faith? Each year at Christmas and Easter the Pope delivers a message from the balcony at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The message begins with the words, ‘Urbi et orbi’, which mean ‘To the city and to the world’. The Pope brings the Good News of Jesus Christ to bear upon the great public issues of our day, such as: World hunger Nuclear disarmament The plight of migrants The human rights of all people Violence and injustice .

The Church in the ongoing story of humanity The Pope is the leader of the universal Church on earth. He is also a recognized head of state. He has the vocation and mission to bring the Gospel and its values to the world. He invites the world into conversation with Christian faith. The Pope regularly meets with presidents, prime ministers, other heads of state and diplomats. He shares the Church’s vision of the world and applies the teachings of the Gospel to world affairs. He offers opportunities to other world leaders to reflect on their decisions and policies in light of the wisdom of Christ.

The Church in the ongoing story of humanity The Pope has the unique opportunity to challenge social policies that are making the world a dark place in which to live. The Pope lets the light of the Spirit of Christ shine in the world. The Pope provides a vision that will open the eyes of the world to see the path that will fulfill the prayer of all Christians: ‘Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven’.

The Church in the ongoing story of humanity Being a disciple of Christ enables us to: bring the light and wisdom of Christ to the world; work to bring about God’s reign of peace and justice; show the way of turning darkness to light; bring life to faith and faith to life by responding to the face of God in those around us, especially the poor, the suffering, and the needy.

Living as a sacrament of God in the world Sacred spaces invite us into a moment where we can slow down and open our minds and hearts to the reality that we always live in the presence of God. For the Israelites, the Temple in Jerusalem was both the center of the ‘presence of God’ in the world and a reminder that God was always in their midst. The most sacred place was the ‘holy of holies’ in the center of the Temple. For Christians, the church building is a particularly sacred space. The tabernacle, which houses the Blessed Sacrament, is the most sacred of places.

Living as a sacrament of God in the world The Church is the visible sign and instrument of God’s saving presence in the world. Within and through the Church, people: encounter Christ; receive Revelation through Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition; are made sharers in God’s grace through the Sacraments, and hear and learn the great truths of faith under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Church invites all people to the fullness of life in God’s family, in God’s kingdom.

Eyes of faith In the city of Ephesus, the members of the early Church lived in the midst of pagan visitors from all over the world who came to honor the goddess Artemis. These Christians were faced with the challenge of how to be a sign of God’s love and an invitation to relationship in Jesus Christ to those around them. St. Paul offered them his advice: ‘Although I am the very least of the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. . . . —Ephesians 3:8–9

Go everywhere! Tell the Good News to all people! Sharing their rock-solid faith that Jesus had risen became the foundation of the lives and identity of the disciples of Jesus. The same is true of Jesus’ disciples today and will be true of disciples in the future. All of us receive the same mandate to share the Good News of Jesus with the world. God desires all people to know Christ and be saved. God loves every person unconditionally. The reign of God is assured.

Go everywhere! Tell the Good News to all people! The Church, by her very nature, is a community of missioners. We do not need to travel to far-off places to serve the Gospel as missioners. We can do so right here in the United States. St. Katherine Drexel and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton were missioners here in their native land. Each summer many Catholic youth leave their home parishes to live and worship with other youth in Appalachia, in Native American tribal lands and in inner cities. These youth are missioners in the true sense of the word.

Go everywhere! Tell the Good News to all people! The Church exists to evangelize. The Church is always on mission.

Saint Pope John Paul II, the Missioner Saint Pope John Paul II established World Youth Day in 1984. Since then, International World Youth Day has drawn together more than sixteen million teens, young adults, priests and bishops to worship, celebrate and learn about the Catholic faith. Saint Pope John Paul II visited 126 different countries. He met with world leaders and leaders of other religions, some engaging with the Catholic Church for the first time. He is a model for sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with the entire world.