“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.”
Matt. 7:21 NASB

My standard practice for preparing to present a parish mission is to ask the parish leadership a set of questions. This enables me to preach to the legitimate needs of the people and not just say what I want to communicate. The questions solicit information about the parish and the needs of the people and their struggle to grow in discipleship.

I have begun to recognize a phenomenon occurring at many of these parishes, particularly among the core of the parish who are going to Bible studies and participating in the life of the church. These would be the people you wish the fringe in the parish would become. Who would not want their fringe to become the core?

While many in the core appear to be growing because they are attending the great programing that parishes are offering, is this the kind of growth we’re looking for? Staff all around the country are speaking of a core that is engaged, but limited in their willingness to trust God more.

What is the value of knowing more about God and the Bible if we don’t trust God more with our lives? Yet it appears that many have grown satisfied with learning more information about God, but still living life trusting in money rather than in Him.

Satan has set up this world so that living our lives according to God’s will described in the Bible will look and feel absolutely crazy!

So many may be learning more of God’s word, but still not living according to it! Below are some points to ponder for ourselves about the ways we are helping others to follow the Lord as disciples.

• The Church is in the “FAITH” dissemination business. Are we striving to live every aspect of our lives according to God’s word?
• If someone were examining the way we live our Catholic Faith, would they be able to cite particular ways in which we are actively living in trust of God?
• When we teach others about God’s word, do we take them through its application in their lives, or are we satisfied with just giving them more information?
• List specific ways that your earthly life reflects how you are entrusting your life to God. If you can’t list them, they can’t be seen!

To do the will of our Heavenly Father is to live in frequent opposition to the norms of the world. You can’t help but stick out. Does our faith have substance to it, or is it merely a collection of beliefs?