Conversion requires 'walking the walk'

By Archbishop Thomas Wenski - The Archdiocese of Miami

Archbishop Thomas Wenski preached this homily during a Mass with nearly 1,200 parish and school religion teachers gathered for their annual Catechetical Conference, Oct. 25 at St. Mark Church and Archbishop Edward McCarthy High School in Southwest Ranches.

St. Paul in today’s first reading speaks of the variety of gifts, the variety of ministries, found in the Church of Jesus Christ. And this morning those gifts, those ministries, are well represented here in all of you. God bless you for all that you do to share the Joy of the Gospel in our parishes.  

The theme of this day is “Setting hearts on fire,” “Encediendo corazones,” “N ap chofe kè moun yo.” 

And you’ve gotta be on fire to be here this early for this Mass and Catechetical Day. Are your hearts on fire? ¿Están encendidos sus corazones? Kè nou cho? Well, spread the fire—the fire of God’s love. 

Now, how do we do that? Well certainly there are various things we can and should learn. This day is dedicated to help you, “to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry…” This day is “for building up the Body of Christ.” I hope that today you, that we, can learn from one another. What are the best practices? What’s working? And what’s not working? Today, in the various workshops and conferences, in the many displays of our vendors, you’ll find a rich menu that can help all of us present the Gospel message of Jesus Christ in all its beauty.

Of course, in today’s first reading, St. Paul gives us a piece of advice that is the most important of all. This is more important that any technique we can learn, or any program we can adopt. He writes: “Living the truth in love we should be growing in every way into him who is the head, Christ...” 

That’s the challenge – to live the truth in love. Pope Paul VI, who was just beatified last Sunday by Pope Francis, once remarked that people today don’t listen to people because they are authorities; and if they listen to them it is only to the extent that they are witnesses. The days when “Father said…” or “Teacher said…” could end an argument are over. In any case, don’t believe that you can convert somebody by arguing with them; and you won’t convert them by agreeing with them either.

To bring people into the Church, we need to meet them, befriend them, listen to them, accompany them and evangelize them. 

That’s what Pope Francis has been telling for some time now – and, thank God, his popularity is encouraging the world to look upon the Catholic Church with fresh and even sympathetic eyes. But those eyes will need to see witnesses and not just authorities. If they’re going to listen to your talk, they must first see you walk. 

To be a witness of Jesus Christ is to live the truth in love. Talking the talk, while necessary, is not sufficient. You also have to walk the walk. You “gotta” live the truth in love: truth and love both are necessary, for divorced from truth, love becomes just sentimentality. And our Catholic faith is not some “feel good” religion; it is a “do good” religion. 

This I think was what the bishops and pope said last week at the conclusion of the Extraordinary Synod on the Family, a meeting that will be followed up with a more intensive Synod on the Family next year. In the discussions during the Synod – especially as reported by the secular media – it seemed to some that some bishops were saying that the “problem” was the Gospel. And there are those inside and outside the Church who might have hoped that the Church would change one or other of the “hard sayings” of the Gospel. But as Pope Francis said, we have to resist the temptations to go to one extreme or another – being so rigid as to shut out the Holy Spirit, or being so lax that we apply a “deceptive mercy” that covers up wounds without first curing and treating them. Today our society has a hard time distinguishing good from evil. And so, how would watering down the truth help that situation? 

But the bishops and the Pope – after some days of intense discussion – affirmed that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not the problem; it is the solution. The love of Jesus and the truth of his Gospel is the solution for our families, for every one of us as we deal with the messiness of our lives and the lives of our loved ones. The Gospel – living the truth in love – restores hope and spreads joy. When we present Jesus Christ as the solution, when we present him as he truly is – crucified and risen from the dead; when we share him with joy not only by our talk but by our walk, then we will be truly missionary disciples – and hearts will catch fire.