Faith Cannot Stay Shallow

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In our First Reading, the people of Samaria hear Philip preach Christ. They believe. They are baptised. There is joy in the city. But then something surprising happens: Peter and John come and lay hands on them because “the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon them.” Why? Because God does not want spectators. He wants disciples filled with fire.

And then St. Peter says something powerful in the second reading: “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.” Not your arguments. Not your politics. Not your opinions. Your hope. That means Christianity is supposed to be visible. Real. Alive enough that someone notices something different in you. Today, our readings give us three directives drawn from our theme “Faith Cannot Stay Shallow”.

1. Stop borrowing faith from others.

A lot of us were raised Catholic. We inherited prayers, traditions, routines. That’s beautiful. But eventually, borrowed faith expires. You cannot survive spiritually on your grandmother’s holiness. You cannot live forever off your parents’ faith. At some point, Jesus asks you: “Who do YOU say that I am?”

The Samaritans had heard Philip preach. But then the Apostles came so they could receive the Holy Spirit personally. That’s the difference between hearing about God and surrendering to Him. Some of us know the prayers but have never spoken honestly to God. Some receive Communion but never expect Jesus to change them. Some believe in God intellectually but keep Him outside the locked rooms of their hearts. Today is an invitation: stop standing at the edge. Go deeper.

2. Let Suffering Either Harden You or Sanctify You, But Not Waste You.

St. Peter says Christ “suffered for sins once.” Christianity never promises a painless life. It promises that pain can become redemptive. That changes everything. Some people suffer and become bitter. Others suffer and become holy.

What’s the difference? Whether they let Jesus enter the wound. You can go through heartbreak, failure, disappointment, loneliness and either close yourself off or let God transform you through it. Some of the strongest believers are not the ones with easy lives. They are the ones who discovered Christ inside the fire.

3. Live In A Way That Makes People Ask Questions.

Peter says: “Always be ready to give a reason for your hope.” Imagine living with such peace, such integrity, such joy, such forgiveness that people genuinely wonder: “What is different about you?”

Not because you’re perfect. But because Christ is alive in you. The world has enough angry Christians. Enough Christians who speak about morality but radiate no love. What the world is starving for is saints. People whose lives become evidence that Jesus is real.

And maybe that starts very simply: forgiving someone, praying consistently, loving your family well, staying faithful when nobody notices. Small holiness changes the world.

Brothers and sisters, shallow faith will not survive this world. But a faith filled with the Holy Spirit becomes unshakable.

So today, ask yourself honestly: Am I merely religious… or am I truly surrendered to Jesus Christ? Because God did not create you just to admire the Gospel. He created you to become living proof of it.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, take me deeper than comfort, deeper than routine, deeper than surface-level faith. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that my life may reflect Your presence. Teach me to trust You in suffering, to remain faithful in difficulty, and to live with a hope the world cannot explain. May others see You in me not because I am strong, but because You are alive in my heart. Amen.

– Homily by Rev Fr Patrick Agbeko