Evangelization and Contemplation: the Gifts of Pope Francis and Saint Teresa by Rev. Tracy O’Sullivan, O.Carm. | Dorrance Publishing Co., 2019
Seeing a world in desperate need for evangelization, especially in his work as a long-time inner city pastor, Father Tracy begins with the call for a new evangelization seen in Pope Francis’ 2013 encyclical, Evangelii gaudium (the Joy of the Gospel) and similar-themed documents from Pope Paul VI (Evangelii nuntiandi) and Pope John Paul II (Redemptoris missio). All these documents call the Church to not only proclaim the Good News (old evangelization) but through the Gospel to transform the world (new evangelization). But how do we get there? Father Tracy says that the answer is prayer.
Using Saint Teresa of Avila’s book on prayer, The Interior Castle, Tracy sees that the journey of personal interior transformation proceeds from simple prayer (Interior Mansions 1 thru 3) to contemplation (Interior Mansions 4 thru 7) which leads us to more God-centered and less ego-centered ministry. Our ego-driven needs can easily thwart the lofty call for world transformation (new evangelization) and so these documents are, in fact, a call to contemplation. Teresa herself says, “This is the reason for prayer, my daughters, the purpose of this spiritual marriage: the birth always of good works, good works” (Interior Castle, 7.4.6). This contemplative-based ministry is the transformative evangelization that Pope Francis (and his predecessors) calls us to in the new evangelization. Let me try to schematize this:
Then using the writings of Thomas Merton (Trappist spiritual writer) and Rowan Williams (Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, emeritus) Tracy illustrates how contemplative evangelization (new evangelization) is lived and proclaimed. Archbishop Williams, in a Vatican address, says,
Evangelization, old and new, must be rooted in a profound confidence that we have a distinctive human destiny to show and share with the world…The humanity of Christ’s redeeming work is a contemplative humanity.”
This call of Rowan Williams is the call of Father Tracy in Evangelization and Contemplation, and by artfully using Saint Teresa of Avila Tracy adds a Carmelite roadmap. I think the subtitle of Father Tracy’s book should be amended to read the Gifts of Pope Francis and Saint Teresa and Father Tracy.
Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Evangelization-Contemplation-Gifts-Francis-Teresa/dp/1645302636/