Israel Centeno

In our modern age, where social media platforms dominate the way we communicate and influence one another, a new challenge has arisen for those engaged in evangelization: the temptation to place oneself at the center of the mission, rather than God. This subtle but dangerous shift can lead to a form of self-promotion disguised as spreading the Gospel. It is a trap that the Evil One uses to distort the true purpose of evangelization, which is to glorify God and bring souls to Him—not to glorify ourselves. Let us explore this issue in light of Catholic teaching and reflect on how we can guard against this peril.

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1. God Is the Only True Influencer

The very heart of the Christian faith is the acknowledgment that God is the source, center, and end of all things. As St. Paul reminds us, “For from him, and through him, and in him are all things. To him is the glory, for all eternity. Amen” (Romans 11:36, CPDV). God is the Creator of the universe, the Redeemer of humanity, and the Sanctifier of souls. He is the only one who has the power to truly influence hearts, minds, and lives in a way that brings about eternal salvation.

When we evangelize, we are merely instruments in the hands of God. As St. Paul humbly wrote, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. Therefore, neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who gives the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6-7, CPDV). The moment we forget this truth and begin to see ourselves as the center of the evangelizing dynamic, we risk turning the mission of Christ into a platform for our own ego.

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2. The Temptation of Self-Glorification

In the age of influencers, where followers, likes, and shares are often seen as measures of success, there is a grave temptation to use evangelization as a means of self-promotion. This can manifest in subtle but dangerous ways:

• Seeking attention: Making oneself the focal point of evangelization rather than pointing others to Christ.
• Using God as a tool: Invoking God’s name or His teachings to gain popularity, rather than to glorify Him.
• Measuring success by worldly standards: Valuing numbers (followers, views, etc.) over the genuine conversion of hearts.

This temptation is not new. Even in the time of Jesus, the Pharisees were rebuked for their desire to be seen and praised by others: “And all their works they do in order to be seen by men. For they widen their phylacteries and magnify their hems. And they love the first places at feasts, and the first chairs in the synagogues, and greetings in the marketplace, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi’” (Matthew 23:5-7, CPDV). The Pharisees used religion as a means to exalt themselves, and Jesus warned that such behavior leads to spiritual ruin.

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3. The Evil One’s Subtle Trick

The Devil, who is the father of lies (John 8:44), is a master of subtlety. He often disguises his temptations in ways that appear good on the surface. In the case of evangelization, he whispers to us that we are doing God’s work, while encouraging us to seek personal glory. He tempts us to believe that our charisma, our intelligence, or our creativity is what draws people to the faith, rather than the grace of God working through us.

This is a dangerous trap because it shifts the focus away from God and onto ourselves. Once we fall into this mindset, we risk becoming spiritual performers rather than humble servants of Christ. The Evil One’s ultimate goal is to distort the mission of evangelization so that it no longer serves God but serves our own egos. As St. Augustine warns, “Pride is the beginning of all sin” (Confessions, Book X).

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4. True Evangelization: Becoming Transparent to Christ

True evangelization requires humility. The saints, who are the greatest evangelizers in the history of the Church, understood this deeply. They did not seek to draw attention to themselves but to become transparent so that Christ could shine through them. St. John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, expressed this perfectly when he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30, CPDV).

To be a saint is not to be at the center of the Church’s life or to seek recognition. Rather, it is to disappear into the will of God, allowing Him to work through us. The saints remind us that holiness is not about being admired but about loving God and serving others with humility and selflessness. St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower, wrote, “I will seek out a means of getting to heaven by a little way—very short and very straight, a little way that is wholly new. We live in an age of inventions; we no longer have to climb stairs; for in rich people’s homes, an elevator has replaced these very successfully. I wanted to find an elevator to lift me up to Jesus, for I am too small to climb the rough stairway of perfection. So I sought in Holy Scripture some sign of this elevator, the object of my desires, and I read these words, uttered by Eternal Wisdom itself: ‘Whoever is a little one, let him come to me.’”

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5. Guarding Against Self-Centered Evangelization

How, then, can we avoid the trap of self-centered evangelization? Here are some practical steps:

1. Examine your intentions: Before engaging in any evangelization effort, ask yourself, “Am I doing this for God’s glory or my own?”
2. Pray for humility: Regularly pray for the grace to decrease so that Christ may increase in your life.
3. Point to Christ, not yourself: Ensure that your words, actions, and even your social media presence direct people to Jesus, not to you.
4. Seek accountability: Surround yourself with people who will lovingly challenge you if they see pride creeping into your work.
5. Stay rooted in the sacraments: Frequent reception of the Eucharist and Confession will help you remain grounded in God’s grace.
6. Meditate on the lives of the saints: Learn from their humility and their total dependence on God.

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6. The Church’s Mission: Christ at the Center

The Church exists to proclaim Christ, not herself. As Pope St. John Paul II wrote in Redemptoris Missio:
> “The Church does not preach herself. Christ is the one whom she proclaims. The Church is the instrument for the salvation of all, but this mission is not accomplished by her own power but by the power of Christ.”

This truth applies to every individual within the Church. Whether we are priests, religious, or lay people, our mission is not to draw attention to ourselves but to lead others to Christ. We are merely servants of the Gospel, and it is Christ who must be the center of everything we do.

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Final Reflection: A Call to True Holiness

To be a saint is not to be the center of the Church’s attention or to seek influence for its own sake. It is to live a life of radical humility, love, and self-gift. The saints remind us that holiness is not about being admired but about disappearing into the will of God, allowing Him to work through us.

Let us remember the words of St. Paul: “I live, yet now not I, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20, CPDV). May we strive to make these words our own, so that in all things, Christ may be glorified, and we may one day hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matthew 25:21, CPDV).

Let us reject the temptation of pride and self-promotion, and instead embrace the humility of Christ, who “humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, even the death of the Cross” (Philippians 2:8, Douay-Rheims). Only then can we become true evangelizers, leading others not to ourselves, but to the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.