Pope Francis has reminded us of the fundamental call of Christ that we become missionary disciples. We could describe such a person as a friend of Christ who learns from Him, and who is on fire with love for Him, so that he cannot keep Christ to Himself but must, like St Philip, invite others to “Come and see.” (Jn 1.46)

We do not engage in evangelise because we think we are better than others, we simply wish to share a treasure that we have found. As a holy priest and founder once put it, evangelisation is “one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.” The bread that we have found is Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life, who gives life to our souls.

St Paul is the shining example for us of the missionary disciple. He was converted directly by Our Lord and turned his life over completely to following Jesus whom he had persecuted in his Church. He tramped much of the known world, putting fire into the hearts of believers because of his own love for Christ. He declared “I am not ashamed of the Gospel” (Rom 1.16) and suffered hatred, slander, ridicule, beatings and stoning rather than stop preaching Christ crucified.

St Paul was compassionate to the weak and took their side vigorously, he was firm against those who led others astray by false teaching. He spoke as a Jew to his fellow Jews, he used reason with the Greek philosophers, he invoked the Roman law with the Roman governor, he was, in his own words “all things to all men that I might by all means save some” (1 Cor 9.22) In all things the one goal, purpose and motivation for which he laboured was “that Christ be formed” in others. (Gal 4.19)