Recently, I attended a gathering of mostly Protestant pastors and ministry leaders (I was one of two Catholics in the room) to talk about the “evangelization temperature” of the city, i.e. how we are doing in proclaiming the Gospel to Phoenix and the surrounding cities. During the event, we heard a few speakers explore the theme of evangelization from various angles. One idea that I found inspired was a practice the first speaker said she did at her Church in Florida.

“The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).

According to Dr. John Bergsma, “The story is told of the little boy whose father asked him, “what is faith?” the boy replied, “It’s when you believe things you know aren’t true.” This sums up the popular attitude toward the Christian faith in modern Western Culture. Both outside the Church and many inside as well, think the faith consists in clenching one’s teeth and believing things that are probably false. But that is not the teaching of Jesus. Jesus taught what is true and taught us to seek the truth. It is not the Church but the culture that believes things that are not true.”

Everyone wants to know “who they are.” It’s the reason why children who have been adopted, when they get older, have often a deep desire to meet their birth parents. They may love their adopted parents and be grateful that their biological parents chose life and had the courage to put them up for adoption—but still, they want to meet their biological parents to know who they come from, and the insight that gives them to who they are today.

In today’s Gospel Jesus says, “Love one another as I have loved you.” This command is foundational to the entire Christian life. It is simple and yet difficult. Most of us find it much easier to love an invisible God than a neighbor who is often in the way of our preferences, sensibilities, and personal rights. Loving others just seem to be the most difficult part of being a Christian. But if you have been baptized, know that you have all it takes to love others because you are connected to the source of love, the Holy Spirit. In Romans 5:5 St. Paul says, “God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”