Cardinal David Urges FABC Delegates to 'Prepare the Soil' Before Proclaiming the Gospel

Evangelization begins not with speaking, but with listening. That was the central message of Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, Vice President of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC), during his homily at the daily Eucharistic celebration of the 12th FABC Plenary Assembly in Jakarta on July 24.

Preaching to bishops, priests, religious, and lay delegates gathered for the weeklong assembly, Cardinal David reflected on the readings from the Book of Jeremiah and the Parable of the Sower, inviting the Church in Asia to rethink its approach to mission through the lens of synodal conversion.

Drawing from Jeremiah's image of "shepherds after God's own heart," the Filipino cardinal said the Church should also embrace the image of a wise sower—one who understands that fruitful evangelization begins long before the seed is scattered.

Rather than focusing solely on the familiar interpretation of the parable, in which the seed represents the Word of God and the soil symbolizes different kinds of listeners, Cardinal David urged participants to pay closer attention to the condition of the soil itself.

He recalled a Bible-sharing session with a Basic Ecclesial Community in the Philippines, where an elderly farmer offered an unexpected insight into the Gospel story.

"The farmer respectfully told me that the sower in the parable was not a good farmer because he scattered seed on the road, among rocks, and in thorny ground," Cardinal David said.

The remark led him to a deeper understanding of the Church's missionary task.

"A good farmer knows that most of the work happens before planting. He prepares the soil."

For Cardinal David, that image captures the essence of evangelization in today's world. Before proclaiming the Gospel, the Church must first prepare people's hearts to receive it.

He explained that preparing the soil means cultivating the attitudes at the heart of synodal life.

"Preparing the soil means listening before speaking, dialoguing before debating, befriending before persuading, and building trust before asking for commitment."

The cardinal said this approach is particularly important in Asia, where the Church serves amid extraordinary religious, cultural, and ethnic diversity. While the Gospel is welcomed in some places, it is received with hesitation or even suspicion in others.

In such contexts, he said, the Church must earn trust through its presence and service before expecting its proclamation to bear fruit.

As an example, Cardinal David pointed to the Church in Mongolia, led by Cardinal Giorgio Marengo. There, he said, the Church has become known not primarily through preaching but through education, charitable works, and genuine friendship with local communities.

The Mongolian experience, he noted, shows that acts of love and compassion often prepare hearts to receive the Gospel long before it is explicitly proclaimed.

Cardinal David said this spirit lies at the heart of the synodal conversion being promoted by the FABC. Synodality is not only about walking together within the Church but also about creating spaces where people encounter Christ through respect, dialogue, and service.

Concluding his homily, he reminded delegates that the future of evangelization in Asia depends not only on faithfully proclaiming the Gospel but also on patiently preparing the ground where its message can take root.

"The future of evangelization in Asia depends not only on how faithfully we sow the seed, but also on how patiently we prepare the soil."

He ended with a prayer that God would make the Church's ministers not only shepherds after His own heart but also wise sowers who patiently prepare the soil so that the seeds of faith, hope, and love may flourish throughout Asia.