To the question posed by St. Paul in his Letter to the Romans, “Well, then, is it possible that they have not heard [the word of Christ]?, St. Paul himself replied, “Indeed they have: in the entire earth their voice stands out, their message reaches the whole world” (Romans 10:18). The word of Christ is resounding over the whole world. There are people who make it their business to proclaim the word of Christ, morning, afternoon and night. Some ensure that people around them do not sleep by holding every night noisy vigils.
St. Paul while in prison was aware that many people were preaching the Message without fear and I would add, without restraint. His experience teaches us abiding lessons: “It is true that some of them are preaching Christ out of malice and rivalry [I add, avarice and materialism]; but there are many as well whose intentions are good; some are doing it out of love, knowing that I remain firm in my defence of the gospel.
There are others who are proclaiming Christ out of jealousy, not in sincerity but meaning to add to the weight of my chains. But what does it matter? Only that in both ways, whether with false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed, and for that I am happy; and I shall go on being happy...” (Philippians 1:15-19). Preaching Christ is one thing and preaching Christ for the right purpose is another. To preach Christ for the right purpose demands well prepared context and circumstances that will make the word of Christ take root, grow and yield abundant fruits in the lives of the people, fruits of righteousness. We need to ensure that the soil is rich for us to plant the seed of the word of Christ.
Challenges to the Audience
The major challenge to the preaching of the word of Christ comes from the hearers. Often the hearers are only interested in what tickles their fancy. St. Paul put it thus: “The time is sure to come when people will not accept sound teaching, but their ears will be itching for anything new and they will collect themselves a whole series of teachers according to their own tastes; and then they will shut their ears to the truth and will turn to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Jesus Christ taught the truth but many were not prepared to accept the truth.
When he performed miracles, multiplied bread and fish, they pursued him all over the place. Jesus Christ told them: “In all truth I tell you, you are looking for me not because you have seen signs but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat. Do not work for food that goes bad, but work for food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of man will give you, for on him the Father, God himself, has set his seal” (John 6:26-27). When Jesus Christ told them the word of eternal life, about his flesh which is the food of eternal life, the people reacted negatively: This is intolerable language.
How could anyone accept it?” (John 6:60). Many of the disciples of Jesus went away and followed him no more (see John 6:66). It is evident that many people go for what they want and not necessarily what they need. For that reason, they will want to hear not the good news of salvation but the ephemeral news of miracles, signs and wonders, healing, prosperity and the likes. The experience of Jesus Christ himself goes to confirm the dissonance in the lives and attitudes of people towards the word of Christ.
Attraction of Signs and Wonders
We will, therefore, not be surprised that thousands and thousands flock to places where there are claims of signs and wonders but few go to the places where God is worshipped in spirit and truth (see John 4:24). Many rush and suffer to be part of the “miracle” centres and that is why the prayer ministries, adoration ministries and fellowships are booming while places of teaching of sound doctrines are deserted.
Pope Francis gives the fundamental explanation: “In the prevailing culture, priority is given to the outward, the immediate, the visible, the quick, the superficial and the provisional. What is real gives way to appearances” (Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium The Joy of the Gospel, no. 62). The result is that people will do all they can to pursue the ephemeral claims of miracles, signs and wonders but will hardly have time to renounce themselves and take up their cross to follow Christ (see Matthew 16:24).
The Good News of salvation will continue to be what every human being needs and genuine Christians must renounce all the attractions of spiritual “abracadabra” to do like St. Peter who replied to Jesus Christ: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we have come to know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:67-69). Genuine preachers and teachers will continue to preach and teach, welcome or unwelcome (see 2 Timothy 4:1-2).
Fruit that remains!
While preachers and teachers of commodity are primarily interested in the immediate gains, the huge seeds sown by them for the gullible, the genuine preacher and teachers are concerned about bearing fruit, fruit that will remain, fruit that will lead to eternal life (see John 15:16). Jesus Christ did not choose the disciples to go and fish for money and cheap popularity but “to go out and bear fruit, fruit that will last” (John 15:16).
Genuine preachers and teachers should not be discouraged by the normal indifference to the truth and morality preached and taught by true followers of Jesus Christ. They should not be worried by the huge “successes” of those who preach and teach what the people want to hear and thus scoop up huge material and social benefits. The seed that is sown in rich soil will bear the appropriate fruit and that is what is important. The fruit that will last is the people drawn to eternal life by knowing God and Jesus Christ whom He sent (see John 17:3). Let us continue to prepare rich soil for planting the seeds by putting in fertiliser and manure, that is, by using appropriate means to draw the people to true doctrines of the Church, the message of eternal life and not to the passing fancies of signs and wonders.
Charisms for the General Good not for Profit!
Charisms have a place in the Church and in her evangelising mission. We need to reflect with Pope Francis in his teaching of “Charisms at the service of a Communion Which Evangelizes”. According to our Holy Father, “The Holy Spirit also enriches the entire evangelizing Church with different charisms” (Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, - The Joy of the Gospel, no. 130). Charisms are the gifts of the Holy Spirit given to individuals at will (see 1 Corinthians 12:11).
The gifts of preaching, teaching, faith, healing, working miracles, prophecy, vision, speaking in tongues and interpreting tongues are all given to individuals “to be used for the general good” (see 1 Corinthians 12:6-11). The challenge is the appropriate use of the charisms by those who actually received the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We are not talking about the fake miracle-workers and those falsely claiming spiritual powers and those with magical powers like the sages, sorcerers and magicians of Pharaoh (see Exodus 7:11, 21-22; 8:3). Similarly, we are not talking about false Christs and prophets who “will arise and provide great signs and portents, enough to deceive even the elect, if that were possible” (Matthew 24:24).
We must also be aware of the power of the Evil One which empowers beast to work great miracles (see Revelation 13:13).
Using Charisms for Authentic Evangelisation!
Pope Francis teaches clearly that the gifts of the Holy Spirit, charisms, “are not an inheritance, safely secured and entrusted to a small group for safekeeping; rather they are gifts of the Spirit integrated into the body of the Church, drawn to the centre which is Christ and then channelled into an evangelizing impulse” (Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium – The Joy of the Gospel, no. 130). Charisms are not private properties to be use for private gains.
Sadly enough, many people today either use charisms for commercial enterprise and many fake up charisms for sordid gains. We need to be careful and vigilant to be able to discern which gifts are from God (see 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22). Any attempt to use God's gifts to make money or to make a name for oneself shows the underlying corruption. Pope Francis gives us a way to discern the authenticity of a charism: “A sure sign of authenticity of a charism is its ecclesial character, its ability to be integrated harmoniously into the life of God's holy and faithful people for the good of all” (Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium – The Joy of the Gospel, no. 130).
Indeed, “To the extent that a charism is better directed to the heart of the Gospel, its exercise will be more ecclesial. It is in communion, even when this proves painful, that a charism is seen to be authentic and mysteriously fruitful” (Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium – The Joy of the Gospel, no. 130). No to abuse of charisms, whether by Catholic sacred ministers or lay people! Also, no to allowing oneself to be misled by false manifestations of power, pseudo-miracles and fake signs and wonders! Yes to accepting the word of truth, the message of eternal life!
Self-indulgence, the Bane of Humanity
The worst destroyer of the effects of the word of God in the hearts and lives of people is what St. Paul called self-indulgence. St. Paul called on the Corinthians to stop yielding to self-indulgence. Self-indulgence which can also be aligned to self-centredness is opposed to the Spirit. It is a virus that destroys the goodness in human beings and yields obvious fruit of immorality – “sexual vice, impurity, and sensuality, the worship of false gods and sorcery, antagonisms and rivalry, jealousy, bad temper and quarrels, disagreements, factions and malice, drunkenness, orgies and all such things” (Galatians 5:19-21).
Are surprised that the word of God is not producing the required fruit of repentance and the fruit of the Spirit – “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23)? The Imitation of Christ presents this challenge as listening and interpreting according to the vain pleasure of the listener. It went on: “The Lord says, I have instructed my prophets from the beginning and even to the present time I have not stopped speaking to all men, but many are deaf and obstinate in response. Many hear the world more easily that they hear God; they follow the desires of the flesh more readily than the pleasure of God.
The world promises rewards that are temporal and insignificant, and these are pursued with great longing; I promise rewards that are eternal and unsurpassable, yet the hearts of mortals respond sluggishly” (Book 3:3).
Do not love the world with its disorderly Desires
It is evident that many Catholics listen more to the world than to the Church and to those who preach the word of God. Certainly, some people listen more to their families and kinsmen (umunna). What our umunna say makes more sense to many people. Similarly, people listen more to the government without realising that the government is more concerned with secular affairs and not necessarily with morality. The example of same-sex marriage being approved by Western governments should be an eye-opener to sincere Catholics.
We should be conscious of the fact that the government and its agencies such as the legislature and judiciary are more concerned with legality than with morality. Other societal bodies that influence people more than the Church are trade unions, social clubs and organizations. How can one explain the incessant strikes by medical doctors and university staff leading to abandon people in need, especially sick people? It is evident that the world does not value the word of God and people who allow the world to influence them are sure to be swallowed up by secularism. That is why the word of God is choked by the thorns of worldliness.
No to Self-indulgence and Worldliness!
The genuine preacher and teacher must do the needful to bring about fundamental conversion of the heart and mindset of the people so that they can say “No” to self-indulgence, self-centredness and what Pope Francis called spiritual worldliness! It is only then that people can be receptive to the authentic message of eternal life and bear appropriate fruit that will remain! The fruit will transform not only the individuals but the society itself.
Listening to the Church and authentic preachers of the message of eternal life, people will no longer model their behaviour on the contemporary world but will let the renewing of their minds transform them, so that they may discern for themselves what is the will of God-
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