Inviting Someone Home

I do not know about you, but I always assumed Jesus and John the Baptist were close allies. That is the impression tradition gives, yet we hear in the Gospel: “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the Good News of God” (Mk 1:14). It almost sounds as if Jesus waits for John to be locked away so He can step in, gather up his followers, and take charge as the leading local voice. That is technically how the timeline unfolded. Yet that hardly feels like Jesus, does it? Whenever scripture presents us with something that seems to clash with the character of Christ, it serves as an invitation to look deeper.

Let us re-examine this moment to see what insights might be waiting for us. John was jailed. He was a prominent spiritual leader, deeply respected and followed by many. His unfair imprisonment was a tragic blow. That is bad news—plain and simple. However, Jesus takes this moment of bad news and transforms it into the foundation for a greater truth: that God is right here, present among us, and that the Kingdom of God is impossibly close—nearer than a breath—and that is Good News!

Quite often, it takes hard times for us to turn our focus back to God. People rarely walk into my office when everything in life is going perfectly. It is usually trouble that brings them through the door, and that is fine by me, because I am always glad to discuss God in any moment or situation.

Regardless, dark news hung heavy over the shores of the Sea of Galilee two thousand years ago. Everyone felt it. The arrest of John the Baptist was just one more heavy piece of an oppressive reality crafted by Roman rule. The safest path was to stay quiet and keep moving. Yet that exact environment is where Jesus chooses to extend His invitation. That is precisely when He approaches a couple of fishermen who are simply trying to keep their heads down, do their daily work, and survive. He invites them to follow Him. Peter and Andrew. James and John. Remarkably, they drop their nets without hesitation and follow Him.

They were ready for a different way of living because, as they knew all too well, current circumstances were bleak. Society was fractured, even within their own communities. The economy was held in a tight grip by Rome. Personal freedom was restricted at every turn. Fear, insecurity, and division were widespread. John was in prison. And right into that tension, Jesus steps forward, offering the Good News that God is right here, right now.

I wonder how much has truly changed today. Do we also not face division, insecurity, and anxiety? And what about Good News? I believe that Good News is alive and active within our community of faith at MQP!

I came across a study recently about how newcomers find a church home. Of those surveyed, 2% joined because of an advertisement; 6% because they knew a priest/pastor; another 6% because a visitor knocked on their door with an invitation; and 86% came simply because a friend invited them. 86% arrived because someone took the time to ask.

We do not invite people to church to score points, force a label on them, win a debate, or fix their eternal destination. We invite people because we have something beautiful to share—a space that reveals God as present, loving, welcoming, deeply engaging, and full of Good News. A space that reminds us that at the very bottom of our hardest struggles, on our coldest days, in our darkest hours, or whatever deep valley opens up before us personally or collectively, Good News remains because God is always there. That is why we share the invitation. That is how faith has always spread across the world. Our God offers Good News for everyone—because if it isn't Good News for all, then it isn't truly Good News for anyone.

Just about every Catholic sitting in our pews knows someone who has drifted away from the Church, a family member, a friend, a neighbor, or a coworker. That's why Archbishop Checchio has invited every parish in the Archdiocese of New Orleans to celebrate Welcome Home Sunday on August 16. His invitation is simple: Pray for one person and personally invite them to come home. While people leave the Church for many different reasons, one of the most common reasons they return is because someone cared enough to invite them.

So go ahead and invite someone. Do not overcomplicate it. You already know how to share things you care about. I know this because you routinely recommend your favorite shows, great books, helpful health routines, the best food spots, useful apps, or sturdy gear—completely naturally, because that is simply how good things get passed along.

There are natural messengers sitting in these seats, because I see how you live your daily lives! So why hesitate to invite someone to join you here at MQP? I understand part of the reason: culture can make talking about faith complicated. Christianity often carries a mixed reputation in modern culture, largely because many people over time have used faith as a tool to cause harm, exclude others, or gain influence. That creates hesitation, making us second-guess bringing up Church at all.

Then there is the sheer depth of faith itself. What if someone asks a question we cannot answer? What if we value our spiritual home, but still carry our own honest doubts about certain traditions, prayers, or teachings?

Because of that, talking about faith can feel risky. Inviting a friend can feel even riskier, as if you are placing your own personal credibility on the line. People hold strong views about faith, whether those opinions are based on personal experience or not. 

Which is why starting a conversation about faith can feel intimidating, risky, and hardly worth the trouble… UNLESS we truly believe there is something real to this Good News. That there is a God who cares. And that at the heart of God, just as at the core of all creation, lives an active, vibrant force that we simply call love.

This gathering place where we meet in Mandeville is dedicated to learning and practicing that love, which makes it a truly special place. It is a space where everyone is welcome! In a world where tension and conflict seem to grow every day, society urgently needs places where everyone belongs; where at the bottom of our differences we find common ground; where God's presence matters, and where love is recognized as the strength holding everything together.

That is not just worth offering to others; it is a vital need that the world desperately requires right now. How do we put this into practice? Just like anything else—we learn and we practice together.

And just as you do not need to know a book’s publisher, its printing process, or the author's full biography to recommend it, you do not need to have every answer about theology. You only need to know what it means to your own life. Jesus models this gentle approach in the Gospel when He asks a few working fishermen by the water to discover a fuller perspective on life. And they were ready for that call, willing to step away from their ordinary routines to enter into a deeper, richer, and more meaningful way of walking through the world. They were ready for it.

There is likely someone in your life who is ready for that same invitation right now. Take the step. Invite them to come to MQP with you and your family on August 16!