By Devin Watkins
On the feast of the Martyrdom of St John the Baptist, Pope Leo XIV met with members of the St Andrew School of Evangelization, a Catholic ministry of lay people and clergy to proclaim the Gospel.
In his address, the Pope pointed to the life and ministry of St John the Baptist as an example for modern missionaries.
The Gospel of John says that John the Baptist bore witness that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” he said.
“If we carefully reread the first chapters of the fourth Gospel,” noted the Pope, “we can discover what is the key of every school of evangelization: to bear witness to what has been contemplated, to the encounter one has had with the God of life.”
Proclaiming what we have seen and heard
Pope Leo also recalled the First Letter of St John, which laid out the mission of the Church and every Christian: “What we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
The Pope then invited all members of the St Andrew School of Evangelization to embrace their mission as baptized Christians, so that everyone may come to know and love Christ.
“During these days of pilgrimage,” he said, “I invite you in a special way to contemplate the lives of the saints who, like John the Baptist, have been faithful followers of Jesus Christ, manifesting Him in words and works of goodness.”
In conclusion, Pope Leo XIV prayed that Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, may protect the them and lead them forward with renewed hope.
St Andrew School of Evangelization
The St Andrew School of Evangelization unites lay people and clergy in answering Jesus’ call to evangelize to the ends of the earth.
According to the organization’s website, it was named after the Apostle Andrew, who evangelized his brother, Peter, after hearing Jesus preach.
The School of Evangelization’s mission is “to follow Andrew’s example in finding people like Peter who can love, serve, and proclaim the Lord better than ourselves.” – Vatican News
