The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith recently published Venite ad me, a document on evangelization and faith transmission in a period of “epochal change.” I encourage the reading, but I will say: this document has no magisterial weight, as an encyclical world. Indeed, it doesn’t really say anything NEW. But that may be the point: the dicastery is using this document as a “where we continue to stand” statement, summarizing what has been said in the past years is in fact this pontificate’s approach on the call to evangelization. That is not nothing. And how can you not be won over by a document that begins with an extended proclamation of the Father’s love?

And, there are some very good reminders and turns of phrase. If you want the flavor–as well as short statements to reflect upon in prayer and in work–we have selected ten to consider below. Enjoy! Then read the entirety.

Ten Quotations for Reflection from Venite ad me

“It is a question of placing Jesus Christ at the center of our proclamation and of our existence and… helping people to live out a personal relationship with him, to discover the joy of the Gospel.” (Venite ad me, no. 4)

“Faith is passed on, we might say, by contact, from one person to another, just as one candle is lit from another.” (Venite ad me, no. 27)

“The faith is not transmitted primarily as a body of doctrinal content or religious information, but as a form of ecclesial life into which the believer is gradually introduced.” (Venite ad me, no. 29)

“[We need] a ‘Christ-centered and kerygmatic’ mission, one that is ‘born of an encounter with Christ that is capable of transforming lives and spreading through attraction rather than conquest.’” (Venite ad me, no. 72)

“It is an integral mission, holding in balance explicit proclamation, witness, commitment and dialogue, and yielding neither to the temptation of proselytism nor to a merely institutional mentality of preservation or expansion.” (Venite ad me, no. 72)

“The language of faith must not be limited to a cold exposition of concepts. It must certainly possess the clarity that facilitates understanding, but above all, it must be characterized by an appeal from the heart.” (Venite ad me, no. 80)

“For the transmission of the faith to be truly effective, it must take the form of an engaging interpersonal relationship.” (Venite ad me, no. 81)

“Being an apostle does not mean carrying a torch in hand, possessing the light, but being that light […]. The Gospel, […] more than a lesson, is an example. A message that becomes a life fully lived.” (Venite ad me, no. 82)

“The proclamation of the kerygma must adopt a style, language, and tone capable of reaching people where they are—with their desires and dreams, their struggles and trials.” (Venite ad me, no. 86)

“After all, the first form of evangelization always takes place ‘from person to person.’” (Venite ad me, no. 87)