Jesus was himself the carrier of the message; he was at the same time the Supreme Intelligence, capable of devising the best way of making himself understood, and of carrying out the divine plans. Well, what did he do? He did not open hospitals or found orphanages. He became flesh and lived among people and he embodied the Gospel message in its entirety. He began to act.

He lived his message before he spoke it. He preached it by his life before explaining it in words. This was Jesus’ method and we too easily forget it. In many cases the catechesis is reduced to words rather than to “life,” to discussions rather than to the pursuit of Christian living. And here, perhaps, is the reason for the poor results, and still more, the reason for so much of the apathy and indifference among Christians today. Teaching is ineffective because it is not life-centered; there is no life because there is no example; there is no example because empty words have taken the place of faith and charity.

—Letters from the Desert