I remember when I first began serving as a full-time chaplain in campus ministry and came to an important realization. At the time, it was estimated that only about ten percent of Catholic students were actively practicing the faith. In conversations with students, I discovered that many who did not attend Mass had little experience of the Church at all. Some had never received First Communion. Many were “culturally Catholic” — connected by background, but without a real understanding of the faith.
That experience often comes to mind when I hear today’s story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts of the Apostles. Philip asks, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The eunuch responds, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?”
Many people are not rejecting the faith; they simply do not know it. Today’s readings remind us that evangelization often begins with accompaniment — walking with others, listening, and sharing Christ through ordinary encounters.
We do not need to search far for opportunities to witness to the Gospel. The people we meet each day — at home, work, school, or in our neighborhoods — are often the very people God places in our path.
Living in Love with God 
Leave a comment