Venezuelan bishop exhorts Catholics to bring the Gospel to every person

16-08-2008

Caracas, Aug 16, 2008 / 09:27 am (CNA).-
The Bishop of San Cristobal in Venezuela, Bishop Mario Moronta
Rodriguez, exhorted  the faithful of the country to bring the Gospel to
all peoples without exception, especially to those "who have strayed
and those who do not know the Word of God," as Jesus came not just for
a few but for all of humanity.

In commenting on the passage of the encounter of Jesus with the
Canaanite woman, Bishop Moronta said, "The teaching is clear." The
Canaanites "were not Jews and they adored idols."  Therefore their
reputation "was not very good among the people of Israel."  However,
"Jesus shows that her faith is great and he cures her sick daughter,"
showing that "he has not come only for the people of Israel" and that
"for God no one is excepted," the bishop said.

Likewise, Bishop Moronta noted that this "Gospel passage should help
us to illuminate our existence," as like Christ, "we also are called to
evangelize, beginning with the bread of the Word for all, without
exception," although at times "we can fall into the temptation of only
reaching out to the groups that are closest to us."

"The Lord invites us, according to this Gospel passage, to take
risks like the Canaanite woman did -  the discovery of the person of
Jesus made her ask for the scraps, but the Lord gave her much more, the
bread of the healing of her daughter," the bishop said.