The Joy of Evangelization is Sharing the Love of Christ The Bridegroom

Evangelization is at the heart of our Catholic faith. It is the joyful mission of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with the world, inviting others to encounter His love, and helping them discover the beauty of a life rooted in Him. As a Catholic woman, I am not simply called to know my faith, but to live it, proclaim it, and allow it to transform my heart so that others may come to know the love of God through me.

Never did I think that I would be able to call myself an “evangelist” for Christ.  But, just as the Lord would have it, He had a plan for me and He called me to fulfill His plan when He brought me into the fullness of His Church.  As a young 22 year old girl, I had grown up as a “none” without any knowledge of Jesus or His Church.  I thought my life was going along just fine, but then began to have a sense that something was missing.  I felt an emptiness which I was incapable of filling for myself.  I felt that there had to be more to life than what I was experiencing and living.  Then Christ came on the scene!  And what an amazing and incredible ride it has been!  I can now confidently say that I am an evangelist who loves Christ with a desire to bring as many souls as I can to know Him… and to know Him intimately.

At the center of this mission is Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom, who loves His Bride, the Church, with a faithful, self-giving, and everlasting love. Scripture reveals this beautiful mystery in Ephesians 5:25: 

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” 

Christ’s love is not distant or conditional. He gives Himself completely for His Bride, pouring out His life so that I may share in the joy of communion with Him. His love is the very foundation of my evangelization. He has won me for Himself and He now calls me to help others to also know this great and beautiful truth of who He is.

When I came to know Jesus as the Bridegroom of my soul, evangelization became more than a task or an obligation. It became the natural fruit of a personal encounter with the One who knows me intimately, calls me by name, and desires to draw me into a deeper relationship with Himself. Like the Samaritan woman at the well, whose encounter with Jesus moved her to share her experience with her entire town (John 4:28–30), I too was inspired to share the One who has captured my heart. I cannot keep such love to myself!  I want every person I know, I meet, or I encounter to experience this same beautiful Bridegroom. 

The joy of evangelization flows from knowing that I am first loved. I do not share Christ because I have perfected my life or possess all the answers. I share Him because I have experienced His mercy, encountered His presence in prayer and the sacraments, and discovered that His love brings meaning, healing, and hope. My witness does not need to be extraordinary. It can be found in the patience I show to my family, the compassion I extend to those who suffer, the integrity with which I work, and the courage to speak about my faith when an opportunity arises.  This is a result of His grace.  I can do nothing without the pure and gratuitous gift of grace given to me by my Bridegroom.  He equips me for this mission and I must remain connected to Him so that He can continue to strengthen me for the vocation to which He has called me.  

The image of Christ the Bridegroom also reminds me that evangelization is deeply relational. I am called to reflect His faithful love in my marriage, my friendships, my family, my parish, and in my community. Through my life, I can offer others a glimpse of the love that Christ has for His Church. My words matter, but my witness becomes especially powerful when my actions reflect the Gospel I proclaim to love so much. When people encounter genuine charity, humility, forgiveness, and joy in me, they can begin to see something of Christ Himself.  

Evangelization also requires me to listen. I must be willing to accompany others in their struggles, respect their journeys, and meet them with the tenderness of Christ. I am not responsible for controlling another person’s response to the Gospel; I am responsible for faithfully sharing the love I have received. The Holy Spirit works in the hearts of others, often in ways I cannot see or measure. My role is to plant seeds, nurture relationships, pray faithfully, and trust in God’s timing.  Believe me, I have much work to do in this area of my own personal journey, but I find it encouraging to share these struggles with others and it seems to open doors to communication when I am transparent about my own shortcomings and failures and how I am relying on Christ my Bridegroom to show me the way. 

Above all, I must remain close to the Bridegroom. Through daily Mass and receiving the Eucharist, Confession, reading Scripture, and personal prayer, I allow Jesus to renew my heart and strengthen me for mission every day. I cannot give what I have not received. The more deeply I abide in His love, the more freely and joyfully that love can flow through me to others.

As I try daily to embrace my calling as a missionary disciple, may I always remember that evangelization begins with love and leads others toward Love Himself. Christ the Bridegroom continues to seek the hearts of His people, inviting each person into the communion of love He offers through His Church.  I pray and ask Him to instill this mission of love into my heart so that I may go out and bring it to others.  

I pray that I continue to grow as a joyful witness of the Bridegroom’s love, carrying His light into a world longing for hope, belonging, and truth. I pray that my words proclaim Him, my actions reflect Him, and my life points others toward the eternal wedding feast, where Christ will unite His Bride to Himself in perfect love.

 I invite and encourage you as you read this, to join me in going forth with confidence and joy, remembering that no one evangelizes alone. Each of us is loved by the Bridegroom, strengthened by His grace, and sent by His Church to share the greatest news the world will ever know: Jesus Christ is alive, He loves us, and He desires every heart to know Him.

“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’” — Revelation 22:17

Nicky Verna, copyright 2026