Realize that it is those who have faith who are children of Abraham. Scripture saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith. St. Paul had to reconcile the fact that the Chosen People were not the sole heirs of God’s promise in Jesus. Being part of the family of God was not a matter of biology, being born into it, but of faith, believing and living according to the word of God. The fact that so many who were baptized Catholic have left the Church is looked upon as a tragedy. However, what it probably means is that many who used to attend did not have faith as St. Paul means it but were simply being carried along by family and culture. In this new moment we are called to invite people to faith, that is to say to have an encounter with Jesus. Pope Francis says that true evangelization is not about superior argument but about superior listening, being sensitive to the hearts of those who are seeking.
