Carmelite QuotesFaith That Sustains Us — Silvio José Báez, ocd
This Sunday, we continue reading the tenth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, which is entirely devoted to the mission of Jesus’ disciples. The text we hear today reminds us that personal adherence to the word of God is not enough, nor is an intimate experience of the Lord’s closeness. We are all called to proclaim the Gospel in the various settings and situations of life, even where it isn’t understood or is rejected.
God’s design, still “covered up” and “hidden” from many people, will one day be known by all. Throughout history, God’s love, his will to give life, and his demands for justice and peace will continue to be revealed. Those of us who follow Jesus are called to cooperate in this gradual manifestation of the Gospel as it makes its way through history. What Jesus shares with his disciples at home, at nightfall, before they go to sleep, they must proclaim without fear “in the light”; what they hear from him in intimacy, they must proclaim “from the housetops” (Mt 10:27).
The proclamation of the Gospel and the Christian witness are born from a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus. If we are to be credible evangelizers, we must live in deep union with him, setting aside moments of silence—praying, listening to his voice, and placing our anxieties in his hands. We will be strong and mature apostles only if we are men and women of prayer, familiar with the Word of God and accustomed to listening to Jesus in our hearts. Only then will we be able to proclaim in the light what we have heard in the night of faith; only then will we proclaim from the housetops what Jesus whispers in our ears in prayer.
Only by living in deep communion with Jesus will we be able to proclaim, by our lives, the great values of the Gospel: compassion, forgiveness, service, justice, and peace. Through our charity, we show the beauty of fellowship. Through our faith, we invite everyone to trust in God. Through our hope, we lift up those who are cast down. Jesus asks us to announce publicly what God expects of humanity and to denounce everything that opposes his design. A disciple of Jesus cannot keep silent about the truth of God, whether out of fear of being rejected or out of prudence so as not to make others uncomfortable.
The entire Church is called to proclaim the liberating word of Jesus amid the darkness that overshadows the world. She “cannot consider herself outside the dynamics that shape the face of society”; she cannot evade her “responsibility for the way in which social relations are built” (cf. Leo XIV, Magnifica Humanitas, 19). The Church cannot stand by with arms folded or look the other way in the face of societies that define their identity by trampling on human dignity, disregarding human freedom, pushing the poor aside, and leaving victims behind.
That’s why the Church so often has to go against the current in the fulfillment of her mission, faced by dehumanizing ideologies, the deception of false idols, and the cruelty of the powerful. When we take the proclamation of God’s word seriously, when we call things by their name and proclaim the demands of mercy and justice, sooner or later, we become inconvenient for those who live in the darkness of an unrestrained ambition to possess and an insatiable hunger to dominate.
Some people think it’s better to keep quiet, that it’s more prudent not to look for trouble, to act as if we’ve seen nothing at all, and to avoid saying anything that might displease those in power. Of course, it’s more comfortable to stay on good terms with everyone and flatter the powerful so that they don’t come after us and leave us in peace, even granting us privileges. But if we want to live with the courage and freedom Jesus expects of his disciples, we cannot allow ourselves to be conditioned by worldly interests or by fear.
That’s why Jesus encourages us today, saying, “Do not fear those who kill the body” (Mt 10:28). Don’t be afraid of those who denigrate others with slander, send them to prison, or force them into exile. Don’t be afraid of those who shout with hatred, threaten, and run roughshod over others as long as the truth never comes to light and they can continue enriching themselves, controlling the people, and distorting history. They may kill the body, but not our ideals or our faith. They may put an end to the prophet’s earthly life, but they cannot destroy his witness. Saint Oscar Romero once said, “If they kill me, I will rise again in the Salvadoran people.”
The faith that sustains the Christian’s life and mission finds its deepest strength in these words of Jesus, repeated three times in today’s Gospel: “Do not fear,” “do not fear,” “do not be afraid” (Mt 10:26, 28, 31). It’s as if Jesus were saying to us: don’t stop, don’t stay silent, don’t cease proclaiming the Gospel. Fear closes us in on ourselves, distorts reality, and can lead us to sell out our conscience and, in the worst cases, to deny Jesus and renounce the Church.
So that we don’t remain paralyzed or mute, Jesus speaks to us of the Father’s tenderness. The Father cares for what is small and fragile—like little sparrows, or the hairs of our head, and even more for the lives of his children who are committed to the Gospel. Not one little bird falls to the ground without the Father knowing and becoming lovingly involved. God is there in every interrupted flight. Therefore, “do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Mt 10:31). Whoever falls doesn’t end in nothingness, but in the loving embrace of the Father.
The Father doesn’t promise us flights without falls or a life without crosses. He promises to be with us every time we fall, holding us as the nest holds the wounded bird. Faith is not an insurance policy against the stumbles of life, but the serene certainty that nothing will separate us from the Father’s loving hands. We are not even separated in death, because beyond death we’ll find our Father in heaven—who loves us infinitely—and we’ll have Jesus himself at our side, acknowledging us before the Father (cf. Mt 10:32-33).
There’s no reason to be afraid. The opposite of fear isn’t courage—it’s faith. That’s why today, Jesus invites us to trust in our heavenly Father, who has counted even the hairs of our head (Mt 10:30), taking an interest in the smallest details of our life and loving every fiber of our being. Believing in him enables us to live with serenity and hope, even when we are threatened, even when we are persecuted, even when we are full of sorrow, even on the day of our death.
Let’s not be afraid to be prophets of Jesus. Let’s not be afraid to proclaim the Gospel with conviction and to courageously denounce whatever opposes God’s design in this world. “Let us not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (cf. Mt 10:28).
Bishop Silvio José Báez, o.c.d.
Auxiliary Bishop of Managua
Homily, 21 June 2026
Translation from the Spanish text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.
Featured image: A small bird perches on a person’s finger. Image credit: Senuda / Adobe Stock. Asset ID: 618384805.
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