The WORD in other words Father Dexter Carr SVD – Divine Word Seminary of Tagaytay
Saturday 28th Week in Ordinary Time
One day, I found myself in a very embarrassing situation while introducing a friend. “Classmates, I’m glad to introduce to you my friend… What is your name again?” I asked. Everyone looked at one another, then stared at me with puzzled faces before bursting into laughter. The lesson was obvious: we cannot give what we do not have.
The same is true of our Christian life. We cannot share Christ with others if we do not know Him personally and if we have not experienced His presence in our own lives. St. John beautifully expresses this when he writes: “What we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you” (1 John 1:3). Authentic evangelization begins not with eloquent words but with a living relationship with Jesus.
The truest acknowledgment of Christ is not merely speaking about Him but witnessing to His words and teachings through our lives. Jesus Himself taught, “By their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:16). People are often more convinced by what we do than by what we say.
A story is told of a certain pastor who frequently preached, “Love one another… Do good to your enemies… Forgive those who wrong you.” In the middle of one sermon, an elderly man stood up and said, “Pastor, you do not practice what you preach!” The pastor paused and replied, “It would be even worse if I preached what I practice.”
His answer reminds us of an important truth. We are all imperfect disciples striving to follow a perfect Master. Yet there remains a danger: if we preach Christ’s words without making a sincere effort to live them, we lose credibility. Like the religious leaders whom Jesus criticized, we may “say but do not do” (Matthew 23:3). People will simply stare at us and laugh, just as my classmates did on that embarrassing day.
On the other hand, we should not be surprised if, despite our efforts to live the Gospel, some people still criticize us. In today’s Gospel, Jesus warned His disciples that they would face opposition and misunderstanding (Lk 12:8-12). We cannot please everybody. Our primary concern should be to please God rather than seek the approval of others. As St. Paul asks, “Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God?” (Galatians 1:10).
True discipleship means allowing God’s Word to shape our character and conduct. It means becoming the person God created us to be: a living reflection of His goodness, mercy, and love. As St. James teaches, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22).
For this reason, the prayer of Charles Kingsley remains a beautiful reminder and aspiration:
God, guide me, teach me, strengthen me, until I become the person You would have me be: pure and gentle, truthful and noble-minded, brave and capable, courteous and generous, dutiful and useful. Through Your grace, may my life reflect the image of Christ and bring glory to Your name. Amen.
May we never forget that the most convincing sermon is not preached from a pulpit but lived in daily life. When our words and actions are united, others will not merely hear about Christ; they will encounter Him in us.
