You are already an evangelist. Does that surprise you?

The Church community often implores its members to become evangelists. There are many books and articles written on evangelization, and in general, we Catholics have managed to turn it into a fairly complicated idea that leaves even devout Catholics thinking, “Evangelization sounds great, but I can’t do it.”

Let’s shine a light on what it really means to evangelize. Evangelization means “to share good news.” It’s “good news- ization,” and that understanding unlocks a whole realm of possibilities for Catholics. Why? Because sharing good news is already part of your everyday life.

Nobody wants to live a miserable or mediocre life. Everyone wants their life to be as great as it can be. This desire creates a natural human impulse to share what you believe makes your life great. In fact, social media is built on this human impulse— we share family photos, announce a new job or engagement, share an exciting experience and even share photos of a great meal at a restaurant. From a birth announcement to photos of our dinner plates—we love to share good news.

So, the question is not, “Are you an evangelist?” You already share good news. The question is, “What do you evangelize,” or, “What good news do you share?”

At this point you might be thinking, “Well, yeah, it’s easy to share the good news of a birth announcement or make a restaurant recommendation, but sharing the faith isn’t like that. I don’t know the right words to say. I’m not a good enough person. I don’t have a theology degree, so I can’t evangelize.”

If that is your reaction, then I congratulate you: Count yourself among some of the great figures God used in Scripture. Exodus 4:10 tells of Moses’ insistence that the Lord could not use him because he didn’t know the right words to say. St. Paul persecuted Christians. And none of the apostles had theology degrees.

In truth, there are only three qualities you need to ensure you are sharing God’s goodness with the world (instead of sharing the goodness of that new restaurant’s delicious chicken wings).

GRATITUDE
The more you look at your life as a great gift from God, the easier it is to share that gift with others. Good things happen and we sometimes forget to thank God. When we thank him for that new job or healthy delivery, it reminds the world of God’s goodness.

GENEROSITY
Matthew 10:8 commands us, “Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.” Start by being grateful, end by being generous. Think of the most generous person you know. Don’t you want to be with that person? Don’t they fill you with joy? Don’t they make you want to be a better person yourself?

COURAGE
If you have the first and second qualities, all that is left is to find the courage to remind the world that all goodness and generosity come from God. That’s it. If you are a grateful and generous person, your friends, family, coworkers and neighbors will notice. They’ll wonder how you can be so grateful and generous—all you have to do is tell them that it all comes from God.

Everyone wants to live a great life. We all love to share good news. God is the source of all goodness. When we are grateful for God’s goodness and share it with others, it reminds the whole world of the best news there is: God loves us.

Dominick Albano is The Catholic Telegraph’s director of digital engagement, an author and national speaker. He and his wife have been married for 15 years and have four sons. [email protected]

This article appeared in the March 2023 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.