When we have doubts about someone’s integrity, we often say, “Actions speak louder than words.” And indeed, genuine love, trustworthiness, and compassion become real to us not through promises or claims, but through what someone actually does.
This is at the heart of Jesus’ words: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Jesus makes clear that following him is not about simply knowing the right words or holding correct beliefs. Rather, true discipleship is revealed in our actions—actions that reflect his own. The context of this Gospel is people asking Jesus to speak plainly and reveal whether he is the messiah. Jesus responds by pointing not to what he has said, but to what he has done. His works—healing the sick, caring for the poor, forgiving sinners—speak clearly and powerfully. They are the signs that God the Father is present, working in and through him.
Today, Christ continues to speak, but now it is principally through us. Each one of us, baptized into Christ, has become a part of his body, his active presence in the world. Through our actions, people encounter God. When we show kindness, when we forgive generously, when we reach out in compassion, we continue the work of Jesus. Just as he showed the Father’s mercy through miracles and his ultimate sacrifice on the cross, we are now called to show God’s enduring love through our own lives.
Yet, we must humbly acknowledge a challenging truth. If many people struggle to believe today, if skepticism and doubt seem pervasive, perhaps it is because too often we have failed to live out the Gospel we profess. Too often, our actions do not match our words. The authenticity of our faith is most powerfully witnessed not in preaching or proclamations, but in our daily decisions—our ordinary choices of love and sacrifice.
Imagine for a moment how our families, workplaces, schools, and community could change if each of us committed to authentically living the Gospel. Imagine how convincingly we could proclaim Christ if people saw in us not just believers but active imitators of Jesus—people whose lives radiate kindness, patience, humility, and mercy.
So let us renew our commitment today. Let us commit not just to hearing Christ’s voice, but to following him through concrete, generous actions. Let our lives be the works that testify powerfully to the presence of Christ in the world today. Let us act, let us love, let us forgive in ways that leave no doubt about who guides us.
For it is by seeing these actions, by witnessing our authentic witness to Christ’s love, that others will truly come to believe. Through our faithful discipleship, we can help others hear clearly the voice of the Good Shepherd and come to trust the one who promises that no one will ever take us from his loving hand.