The Gospel’s healing power
Father Derek Sakowski
What motivates someone to become a follower of Jesus? If we read the Acts of the Apostles, we notice a critical moment in the process: the kerygma.
Kerygma means “proclamation.” It is a simple proclamation that changes hearts. Kerygma happens when one follower of Jesus, moved by the Holy Spirit, becomes a herald of Good News, and the hearts of the hearer(s) catch fire as they hear the message. In that moment, one follower of Jesus becomes the instrument whereby the hearer actually “hears” the Good News, and is moved to heartfelt repentance, responding with a resounding “Yes!” that starts showing itself in a new way of living.
Moments of kerygma happen repeatedly in the Acts of the Apostles. Peter, or one of the other disciples, filled with the Holy Spirit, boldly proclaims the Good News that Jesus has risen from the dead. It’s a simple message: Jesus died for us, who are sinners, Jesus has risen from the dead, He has the power to forgive us and the power to save us from death. What does Jesus ask? That we repent of our sins, are baptized and place our trust in Him instead of ourselves. Then, together, we can begin following Him on an amazing new journey.
There are a few core reasons why the kerygma works.
First, it is a work of the Holy Spirit. The same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is moving both in the heart of the one proclaiming and the one(s) hearing. And He does His work! He is the principal agent of all evangelizing.
Second, the disciple who proclaims the kerygma is already transformed by his personal encounter with Jesus. He is not talking about faith, he is proclaiming Jesus—not as an abstract idea, but as a real person who has really changed his life. The change is obvious to the hearers and it attracts them. They hear the Holy Spirit gently whispering in their own hearts, “Wouldn’t you love to have that experience for yourself?”
Third, there is freedom in the kerygma. When Jesus or His disciples proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom, there is no forcing or pressuring, no nagging or manipulating and no guilting or shaming. If the hearers are uninterested, so be it. Jesus desires followers who desire to follow.
Until more recently, most American Catholics have squirmed at the idea of talking about their personal relationship with Jesus. It feels more comfortable to “make” our children check all the boxes, pressure or shame them if they don’t and then scratch our heads when most of them leave the Church after confirmation. But if they never encountered Jesus as life-changing Good News, why would they stay?
Moving from Fear to Freedom
We are easily led by a spirit of fear rather than the joy of the Holy Spirit. It’s vulnerable and unpredictable to trust the Holy Spirit and to wait for God’s timing and respect human freedom. This is especially true when it’s our own children, spouses or friends, and especially if we tie it to our own personal worth, somehow thinking we are a failure if they say “no.”
I have learned, slowly but surely, to be both patient and bold. If the person is not yet ready to hear the kerygma, so be it. It’s not on me to make something happen. But when I notice the Holy Spirit moving, as at Pentecost, when I sense desire awakening, and when I can tell that the person is asking, “What must I do?”—that is the moment to proclaim the Good News of Jesus in a truly personal way that speaks to their experience. Then, perhaps for the first time, that person can see Jesus as their Savior.
It is a marvelous privilege to be a herald of the kerygma. You get to be the person who announces Good News of great joy to persons who are longing so deeply for it—and it changes their lives forever.
A Heart Renewed in the Gospel
But how can I give what I have not myself received? Have I ever really “heard” the kerygma myself? Have I encountered the healing power of the Gospel in a life-changing way?
Most of us Catholics (including priests and bishops) have struggled to be heralds of Good News. We may be learned and skilled teachers, we may toil endlessly and we may faithfully follow many rules. Perhaps we even had an encounter with Jesus long ago. But if we are not perpetually being renewed in the joy of the Gospel, if we have not internalized the kerygma and if others do not see in us that Jesus is truly the Good News, then who will respond?
I recall some of my own kerygma moments. As with St. Peter, it has not been a “one-and-done” experience of healing and conversion!
I remember my first reconciliation at the age of nine and how honest I was despite my fear and shame and the overflowing joy I felt afterward. Jesus had forgiven all my sins! I remember many moments on retreats in which God surprised me and deepened my desire to trust and surrender. I remember my friend Peter, a 37-year-old seminarian. The year 1999 was a great personal struggle for me. Peter kept gently speaking Good News into the places of my heart that feared and doubted. The Holy Spirit was mightily at work, consoling me at a time when I felt unlovable. When Peter proclaimed that “a good friend is someone who sees right through you—and loves you anyway.” I not only grasped the words intellectually, I truly “felt” their truth. It changed me.
Dying to Self, Finding My Identity
Even then, parts of my heart did not yet know the Good News. I continued through life as a perfectionist, insecure about not being good enough or loveable. Too often, I tried to “get life right.” I slowly became more disconnected and burnt out, losing sight of the Good News of Jesus and my identity as a beloved child of God.
Eventually, the trials of life wore me down. About nine years ago, I reached out for help. I wanted to be well. I was ready to die to self. I allowed myself to surrender and to become vulnerable in ways I would previously have considered impossible. I began letting myself be “seen” by a few trusted people—letting all of myself be seen, mind you. These new encounters freed me to believe much more readily in my new identity as a beloved child of God—no matter what.
The more I have internalized the kerygma, the easier I have found it to proclaim the kerygma to others. I am able to manifest “the kindness of God that leads to repentance” (Rom 2:4) because I know what it is to receive it.
How have you experienced the kerygma? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you moments in which someone proclaimed Good News to you, and you were transformed as a result.
If He is showing you any moments, I encourage you to revisit them with gratitude and allow your heart to be touched anew. If none come to mind, will you ask Jesus to surprise you with the healing power of the Gospel?
The Rebuild My Church Initiative is inviting all of us, individually and institutionally, to pivot from “maintenance” of the status quo to shared mission.
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