Welcome back! In this season, Mike and Dave are taking us through a masterclass from a master evangelist: St. John Paul II. In this episode, they dive into his encyclical Redeemer of Man. Learn why the Incarnation matters, why evangelism is all about Jesus Christ and why we can’t get caught up in programs and events.
Snippet from the Show
We should be in awe at what we are in Christ.
Shownotes
Have questions for Mike and Dave? Email them at eksb@ascensionpress.com.
What You Need to Know
In this season of Every Knee Shall Bow, Mike and Dave are looking at some of St. John Paul II’s greatest works on evangelization. They are looking at these works to help you become a better evangelist. This is a masterclass from a master evangelist.
The three works Mike and Dave are going through this season are Redeemer of Man, Mission of the Redeemer, and Splendor of Truth. In Redeemer of Man, we will come to understand why the Incarnation matters. Mission of the Redeemer examines the missionary impulse of the Church and how it shapes everything we do. Finally, in Splendor of Truth, we will learn what it looks like to pursue discipleship. It will teach us to move beyond the Kerygma to catechesis on Christian living.
Read through the documents and follow along with Mike and Dave so that you can deepen your love and knowledge of actually proclaiming the faith. It was St. John Paul II’s hope to see the whole of humanity united to Christ.
In this episode, Mike and Dave are entering into Redeemer of Man. This was St. John Paul II’s first encyclical of his papacy. In it, he offers an authoritative interpretation of Vatican II, explains his hope to continue the work of Paul VI, and gives the framework for his papacy. In the remainder of the encyclical, he offers a thorough explanation of why the Incarnation matters and what it means for Christians.
Ponder These Things
For this section of the shownotes, we have pulled some of the most stand out, poignant, chewable quotes from the episode. If you weren’t able to take notes or you are looking for a couple of ideas to ponder from this episode, look no further!
“As evangelists, we are bringing people into living relationships with Christ. This is only possible by the Incarnation.”
“It is all about Jesus Christ, we can’t get caught up in programs and events.”
“The Church is human and divine because Christ is human and divine.”
“Through the Incarnation, God, in a certain way, united himself to each man.”
“When there’s a problem in the world that we feel needs a response, remember that the response is always turning back to the mystery of Christ’s Incarnation, death, and resurrection; to live in the mystery of redemption.”
“Jesus Christ did not come to give us a method. He came to give us himself.”
“What are we doing when we evangelize? We are bringing them home to the Father.”
“What we mean by personal relationship is that all you are as a person is in love with all that Christ is as a divine person of the Trinity.”
“Man will not know himself without love or without self-gift.”
“You have surpassing and unrepeatable unique worth in the eyes of God.”
“You will only find yourself in the one who knows you, has created you, redeemed you, and calls you by name: Jesus Christ.”
Practical Takeaways
- Evaluate your evangelizing relationships. Are they real relationships? Are you just putting them through a program? Are you encountering another person and helping them encounter Christ? Remember they are also helping you encounter Christ.
- Am I personally finding myself within the sphere of Christ and his redemption? Have you given yourself wholly over to the Truth?
- How do you teach people to love? You teach people what love is by loving them.
Resources
- Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com
- Text “EKSB” to 33-777 to subscribe and be added to the Every Knee Shall Bow email list.
- Visit Dave’s website www.thecatholictruthaboutangelsanddemons.com and www.artofevangelization.com
- Visit Mike’s website at www.layevangelist.com
Meet Your Hosts
Michael “Gomer” Gormley
Michael spent 17 years in full-time parish ministry and is now the Mission Evangelist for That Man Is You!, a men’s apostolate for Paradisus Dei. Michael is a frequent speaker at conferences, retreats, and parish missions all over the US and Canada.
He is the founder and creative director of LayEvangelist.com, and hosts two popular Catholic podcasts: Catching Foxes and Every Knee Shall Bow.
He is married to his college sweetheart, Shannon, and has four beautiful and hilarious children: Kateri, Cecilia, Noah, and Thomas.
Dave VanVickle
Dave VanVickle fell in love with the Lord at the age of fourteen and has since dedicated his life to bringing others into a radical relationship with Christ.
He is a speaker and retreat leader who focuses on proclaiming the universal call to holiness, authentic Catholic spirituality, spiritual warfare and deliverance. Additionally, Dave has over ten years of experience assisting Priests with their ministries of exorcism and deliverance.
Dave married his late wife Amber in 2010. He now resides in Pittsburgh with his five children: Sam, Max, Judah, Josie and Louisa.
