Selling Christ

Reflection Date: September 26, 2026 | Saturday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Memorial of Saints Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs
Daily Readings: Ecclesiastes 11:9—12:8; Luke 9:43b-45

Children of God:
I once heard a catechist make a very honest remark: “Father, it is very difficult nowadays to sell Christ.”

Her words immediately caught my attention because she was not speaking from theory but from experience.

She was talking about children and young people who grew up surrounded by countless choices, opinions, entertainment, influencers, and distractions.

She was describing a generation that can easily scroll past a religious message but spend hours watching something that captures its attention.

She was also describing how difficult it can be to explain faith to people who ask questions that previous generations did not always ask.

And honestly, I understand why she felt that way.

It can be difficult to “sell Christ” when the world seems to offer so many other things that promise happiness, success, popularity, freedom, and fulfillment.

It can be difficult when religious language sometimes sounds distant from the actual struggles of ordinary people.

It can be difficult when even those who call themselves Christians do not always agree about what following Jesus means.

So yes, I validate the catechist’s feeling, because evangelization today is not always easy, and pretending otherwise does not help us become better missionaries.

In the gospel story of Jesus, the people were amazed at everything He was doing, but while they were still amazed, Jesus told His disciples something they did not understand.

He told them about being handed over to be crucified and the disciples did not understand what He meant, and the meaning remained hidden from them at that moment.

What is striking is that Jesus did not change His message simply because it was difficult to understand.

He did not replace the hard truth with something more attractive.

He continued to prepare His disciples for the cross.

So, what are our inspirations for today?

First, we do not need to make Christ attractive by hiding the difficult parts of the Gospel.

The catechist was right to recognize that people today do not automatically accept everything we say about Jesus.

We live in a world where people ask questions, compare ideas, challenge institutions, and expect explanations.

Evangelization therefore requires more than simply telling people what they should believe.

Sometimes we are tempted to make Christianity sound attractive by removing everything uncomfortable.

We talk about blessings but avoid sacrifice.

We talk about happiness but avoid suffering.

We talk about God's love but avoid repentance, forgiveness, responsibility, and the demands of discipleship.

Jesus did not do that.

He knew that His disciples might struggle with the message of the cross, yet He still told them what was coming. “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men” (Luke 9:44).

The Gospel does not need to become easier to be true.

Our task is to communicate it clearly, patiently, intelligently, and compassionately.

We do not need to make Christ attractive by hiding the difficult parts of the Gospel.

Second, understanding God’s call and message take time.

The disciples themselves did not understand what Jesus meant.

They were physically close to Him, listened to His teaching, witnessed His miracles, and still struggled to comprehend His words about suffering.

Their lack of understanding did not mean that Jesus stopped teaching them.

This is important for catechists, parents, priests, teachers, missionaries, and anyone who shares the faith.

We sometimes expect immediate results.

We teach something today and hope to see a changed life tomorrow.

When that does not happen, we become discouraged and wonder whether our efforts are working.

But faith often grows slowly.

A child may forget a lesson today and remember it years later.

A young person may ignore an invitation now and return to it after experiencing a difficult moment in life.

A person may hear one sentence about Jesus and carry it silently for years before finally understanding what it means.

Our responsibility is to plant, accompany, explain, listen, and remain faithful. God takes care of the timetable.

Understanding God’s call and message take time.

As we reflect, we ask ourselves: When I share my faith, do I honestly present the whole Gospel or only the parts that people may find attractive?

How do I respond when people do not immediately understand, accept, or appreciate what I am trying to share about Christ? Can I remain patient and faithful when I do not immediately see the results of my evangelization?

Children of God:
Perhaps the catechist's statement that it is difficult to sell Christ today is actually a good starting point for a deeper conversation about evangelization.

But we also have to remember: we are not salespeople trying to convince people to buy a product.

We are witnesses sharing someone who has transformed our lives.

Our task is not to force people to believe but to make Christ visible through truth, love, patience, service, and authenticity.

And when someone does not understand immediately, we can remember that even the disciples needed time before they understood.