It has become clear to me where the Church is struggling in her efforts to make disciples. The quick and obvious answer is simply the lack of authentic evangelization. But why? What is it within our current teaching models that continues to focus the average parishioner on good works?

Everywhere I preach, I am finding a vast majority of people who profess that salvation is found in being a good person. This past week, I was at another church and found myself pondering what goes through the minds of these people who are earnestly seeking the truth but find themselves confronted with “new” information that is contrary to what they have always heard. 

They are really good people who are trying their best to do what is right and good. Yet, in their effort at doing good things for others, they make little time to get to know their Creator. They are busy people with crazy schedules, but they will still make time for helping out their neighbor. 

And yet, many of their hearts are far away from God. As I describe the love from God that I experience in my heart, I ask if they understand what I mean, and my quick scan of the room finds very little nodding heads. Instead, I see blank stares devoid of any knowing smiles.

How can we ask people to make major life changes when they don’t 

experience God’s amazingly profound love for them?  

Much of our catechetical material focuses on the things that disciples “should” be doing with their lives without ever leading them to encounter this amazing love of God. Look at most RCIA programs and material. How many of them make the time to lead their students to encounter Christ? 

Instead we look at the volume of material that we are “supposed” to provide within the ridiculous eight to nine months of preparation to enter the church. That time, in and of itself, may not be enough to lead someone to give their hearts and lives to God – let alone the rest of the information about the Faith. 

Still, we forge ahead and take them through this antiquated process and wonder why many of them are acting like cradle Catholics within two years. 

My experience has taught me that the Holy Spirit is the only One who makes real disciples. He has always guided me to learn whatever material I was going to need for the benefit of myself and others. What I needed help with was learning how to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Once that relationship was established and functioning such that I could hear and respond, He took over my instruction and it continues to this day. 

One more final thought. The truth is that in our lives, we only follow people we know and trust. If we would never follow strangers, then how do you suppose that a person who receives all the rituals (sacraments) of the Church, but never encounters Jesus, would then become His disciple?

The truth is, they don’t!!!! Until their hearts encounter HIM! Let us begin to place this relationship above any other material that we have to teach, knowing that once this connection is made, God will take care of the rest.