The Gospel of JOY

167. The new evangelization means giving the reason for our faith, communicating the Logos of hope to a world which seeks salvation. People need hope so they can really live the present moment. For this reason, the Church is essentially missionary and offers a Revelation of the face of God in Jesus Christ, who assumed a human face and loved us to the end. The words of eternal life, which have been given to us in our encountering Jesus Christ, are destined for everyone and each individual. Every person in our time, whether he is aware of it or not, needs to hear this proclamation.
168. The absence of this awareness is the cause of loneliness and despair. Among the obstacles to a new evangelization is the lack of joy and hope which these situations create and spread among people today. Oftentimes, this lack of joy and hope is so strong as to wear thin the very fabric of our Christian communities. The new evangelization is proposed in these places as a remedy to bring joy and courage to life and become an imperative invigorating our faith, as called for by Pope Benedict XVI: "Intent on gathering the signs of the times in the present of history, faith commits every one of us to become a living sign of the presence of the Risen Lord in the world. What the world is in particular need of today is the credible witness of people enlightened in mind and heart by the word of the Lord, and capable of opening the hearts and minds of many to the desire for God and for true life, life without end."⁹⁰
169. Therefore, we approach the new evangelization with enthusiasm. We learn the delightful and comforting joy of evangelizing, even when it seems the proclamation of the Gospel might be a sowing in tears (cf. Ps. 126:6). May the world, which seeks answers to the great questions of the meaning of life and truth, experience, with renewed unexpectedness, the joy of meeting witnesses of the Gospel who, through the simple and credible character of their lives, demonstrate the transforming power of the Christian faith.