The kerygma — “the preaching” — of Jesus Christ is the core message of the gospel. And the gospel is the power of God for salvation. It has already impacted the lives of those of us who count ourselves as Christians, conforming us to Christ and preparing us for eternal salvation. But it should do so again (and again)!
If we have committed ourselves to following the Way of Jesus Christ, and have answered the call to evangelization, then we must grow in Christian maturity. Evangelists are men and women of faith who live and breathe the gospel of Jesus Christ more and more as the years go by. They are convinced that “man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (see Deut 8:3; Mt 4:4), and so they take time every day to read the Word of God and to pray. Like Mary of Bethany, they sit at the feet of the Lord Jesus and listen to His words (see Lk 10:38-42). They submit their lives to the Word of God, and the Church, and the grace of the sacraments.
Even as we renew our commitment to share the gospel with our friends, family, coworkers, acquaintances, and strangers, let’s not forget to be strong in the knowledge of the gospel ourselves. Although the kerygma is valuable for salvation simply by being preached (see Phil 1:15-18), its power is even more active in those evangelists, like St. Paul, who have let that power take them over (see 1 Cor 2:1-4). Through much prayer, sacrifice, works of charity, and the sacraments, they have been transformed by the Holy Spirit into a likeness of Jesus. Each of us are called to this, and can obtain it in time, if we, like them, submit ourselves to the grace of God and fulfill the commandments of Jesus.