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March 12, 2020This book is about evangelizing. A book about the author’s spiritual growth and his response to the “Kyregma,” the proclamation of the Good News that Jesus Christ is our savior. The book, “The Kerygma: In the Shantytown with the Poor,” isn’t organized in a way many readers may typically experience, but I found it easy to follow along with the content, and the style used has given me confidence for creativity with my own writing endeavors.
Author Kiko uses a “storytelling” style to share his first-hand experiences with the “Neocatechumental Way.” According to the vaticannews.va website, the “Way” was “
The first part of the book is about the author’s background and provides useful context for connecting with his story and the Kerygma message. Kiko was born into a family of Catholic parents but, “found that the witness of his parents and the environment he lived in had not been enough for him to connect with the faith.”
He adopted existentialism, a
Kiko would search for answers to the truth about life and personal struggle between “his desire for justice and the lack of justice in the world.” His search would take him into “kenosis.”
He went to a Cursillo, which, according to the National Cursillo Organization is “a movement, and method that attempts to give life to the essential Christian truths in the creativity of the person,” and was invited to serve as a teacher. It was through this role he would begin his “Kerygma” with the “marginalized people living in slums.”
It was enlightening to read of the very simple ways Kiko encouraged the spirit of those he interacted with. Just “being present,” acknowledging the existence of each individual, serving as a listener and proclaiming the Good News, he was the “light,” leading others toward God via the Neocatechumenal Way. As Pope Francis says, “To go, you must be light. To proclaim, it is necessary to renounce.”
Kiko led others to Christ with the courage to serve. He went directly to many desolate places while emphasizing inclusion and living a life that attracted others to begin their journey along the Neocatechumenal Way.
The “Kerygma,” proclaiming the Good News to others, is a simple call for us all to answer.
Kiko, and his example for a shining light that attracts others to Christ, has provided us a story that can give us courage for our evangelization in our own way. I definitely gained new insights on evangelization from Kiko and highly recommend it to anyone seeking encouragement for responding to the call of sharing the Good News in the world.
John H. Dolezal is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.
