The power of a personal invitation

At the beginning of each season of Lent, I have the pleasure and the privilege of celebrating the Rite of the Elect in various places across our archdiocese. The Rite of the Elect is the prayer service where those who are preparing to be received into the Catholic Church at Easter come together and publicly express their desire to be a member of the Church. Some of these people have never been baptized. (They are referred to as catechumens.) Others have already been claimed by Christ when they were baptized in a Christian denomination but who have been prompted by the Holy Spirit to become members of the Catholic Church. (They are referred to as candidates.)
Whether catechumens or candidates, they attend sessions at their parish from September until Lent during which they learn about the Church and the Good News of Jesus Christ. Then at the beginning of Lent, if they have decided to join the Catholic Church, they express their desire to become Catholics at the Rite of the Elect. Then they have final preparation leading up to their reception into the Church at Easter.
As archbishop, I preside at these prayer services as a visible sign that the Church is praying for them and for all who are preparing to be received into the Church. The Church constantly prays that God will touch the hearts of many and bring them into the community of the Church.
The prayer service is simple and it is moving. After the Catechumens and Candidates express their desire to become Catholics, and we have prayed together, each one comes forward to be personally greeted by me so that I may say an individual word of encouragement to them. I am struck by how many people have red eyes as they come forward. Years ago, when I first presided over the Rite of the Elect, I wondered why people were in tears. I quickly learned that they were tears of joy and of gratitude to God.
It is obvious that they recognize that the Spirit of God is working powerfully in their lives. As Jesus told us: “It was not you who chose me, it was I who chose you” (Jn 15:16). God always makes the first move. It is for us to respond to His love for us. In speaking with Catechumens and Candidates on many occasions, I have heard how grateful they are that God has led them to be received into the Church. 
The other thing I have often heard is their gratitude that someone invited them. The invitation of a friend, a relative or a co-worker is powerful. Some people are looking for a home where they can belong. I recall speaking with a man who had become Catholic and I asked him what he was before becoming Catholic. He told me that he hadn’t been anything, but he came to realize that no one taught him about the faith except himself. No one taught him right from wrong, except himself. No one taught him what was lasting or temporary, except himself. He told me that he finally knew that his ideas had gotten messed up and that he needed to belong to something bigger than himself. As he told me: “I had become my own personal religious cult.” That is what happens when we stand alone apart from the Church.
Others have come to realize that the Catholic Church was truly established by Jesus and has the fullness of truth. They want to join but just need an invitation to do so.
As I meet these fine people who will be received into the Church at Easter, I realize how much power a personal invitation has in the hearts of others. I rejoice that these people will become Catholics in a few weeks and I would ask each of us to think of someone, whether a relative, friend or co-worker, who we might invite to consider joining the Church next year.