Dear Parishioners,
As a priest, in terms of proclaiming the Good News, I’ve realized that preaching is never enough. The Word has to become flesh. After preaching for 29 years, here’s what I noticed: At first, people will listen to the message of a messenger. But after awhile, people will want the messenger to be the message himself. The life of the messenger must be the 3D movie of the message.
People don’t really listen to words anymore. People want to see the words become flesh in front of them. During the sermon, the priest yelled to one person in the pew. He said, "Can you just wake up the person right next to you? He is so disrespectful." The person replied, "Father, why don't you do it yourself? You’re the one who put him to sleep!"
It’s useless to talk about Jesus if you don’t become Jesus. Unless you do that, all preaching is a noisy gong and clanging cymbal as St. Paul's Letter to the Corinthians tells us. I believe God doesn’t want you to just bring people to Jesus. God wants you to bring Jesus to people. How? By being Jesus to somebody. It’s God’s battle plan to conquer the hearts of humanity. People will get to know who God is not just by going to Church. People will get to know who God is by you becoming Church wherever you are.
This isn’t semantics. This is the difference between Christianity and other religions. In other religions, you search for God. In Christianity, God searches for you. And even if you run away from Him, God will chase after you.
In other religions, God is only King. But in Christianity, God is King, yes, but a King who lays down His crown, leaves His throne and becomes a servant who washes the feet of His disciples. He’s a King who is a madly-in-love, head-over-heels, hopelessly smitten, die-hard Suitor who will not stop at anything until He gets you.
Your mission isn’t just to bring people to Jesus. Your mission is to bring Jesus to people. And you do that by being Jesus to somebody. This is God’s ultimate master plan. This is how the Kingdom will be built: You becoming Jesus.
Long live the King!
Sincerely in Christ,
Father Lito