Living the Word l Father Timothy Hepner

Sixth Sunday of Easter l May 14

Acts 8:5-8,14-17; Psalm 66:1-3,4-5,6-7,16,20; 1 Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21

Sadly, I will miss Immaculate Conception School’s production of the musical “Frozen” this year, since I am away for ongoing formation. I was looking forward to it because our school musicals are fascinating events where we discover talents that certain kids have been hiding under bushel baskets. We hear gasps of, “I didn’t know he was a singer!” or “I had no idea she could dance like that!” Sometimes the children themselves are the most surprised when they realize that they really are the kind of person who can do these things.

There are three levels at which a person can change: Outcomes, processes, and identities. Outcome-oriented changes focus on the end result: lose 30 pounds, write a novel, win a hot dog eating contest.

Process-oriented changes go deeper and are focused on new habits and systems: eat fewer calories, write a page a day, eat 10 hot dogs every afternoon.

But the deepest level of change is in our identity, when you become the type of person who counts calories every day, who never misses a day of writing, or who can’t stand the thought of not eating 10 hot dogs a day. The children who realize they are the kind of person who can sing and perform in front of others are involved in a transformation of identity.

AN EVEN GREATER JOY

I say this because St. Peter tells us in the second reading to “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.” I have seen many good, committed friends of Jesus who struggle with this. It is difficult for them to get into the habit of talking about Jesus in the same way that they talk about their wife, kids, or best friend. It is difficult for them to see every relationship as a bridge toward sharing Christ. It feels unnatural to invite others into a Bible study or to call up someone from church and ask them to get coffee or a beer (or both, depending on how long the meeting is) and share their stories of encounters with Christ in the Eucharist, confession, or prayer. They don’t feel like that is part of who they are even though they know they should do it.

But I have also seen that when faithful Christians begin doing this, they are like the kids in the school play who are surprised to find out that they truly are the kind of person who is always ready to give an explanation for their reason for hope! They begin to realize that an even greater joy than being a disciple is being a disciple-maker, that sharing Christ with others isn’t “unnatural,” it’s supernatural, and that they themselves truly have been transformed on the level of identity to do this.

In the most intimate moment of the Gospel, when Jesus is literally sharing himself with his disciples at the Last Supper, he says, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”

Jesus has sent the Spirit into the deepest part of our souls to change and transform us into the type of person who wakes up in the morning and says, “My mission is to invite others into a relationship with Christ.”

Do you believe that you are the type of person that evangelizes? Are you convinced that your identity is not only a disciple of Jesus but one who invites others into discipleship? What are the misconceptions you have about evangelization or about your own identity that prevent this? Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to transform us and help us realize that we truly are disciple-makers.

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FATHER TIMOTHY HEPNER is pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish, Monmouth, and St. Patrick Parish, Raritan. He also serves as chaplain for the St. Augustine Newman Club at Monmouth College.