Believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach.

On the day of my diaconate ordination, Bishop Lucius Ugorji reminded us of a simple and demanding mandate: “Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.” Today’s readings echo this charge with urgency and clarity. The prophet Isaiah calls us to wash ourselves clean, to cease doing evil and learn to do good. The Psalm warns against empty religiosity, and in the Gospel Jesus rebukes those who preach but do not practice. Together, they form a searching examination of conscience for every minister of the Word. To believe what we read means first to allow the Word of God to penetrate our hearts. It is not enough to proclaim Scripture beautifully; it must first convert us. Isaiah’s cry, “Make justice your aim,” demands interior transformation. Belief is not intellectual assent alone; it is surrender. If the Word does not challenge my pride, my comfort, and my habits, then I have not truly believed it. To teach what we believe flows naturally from this conviction. Teaching is credible only when it springs from faith. Jesus warns against the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees who “preach but do not practice.” Authority in the Church is never self-referential; it is rooted in Christ, the one Teacher. As ministers, we are not owners of the message but servants of it. Finally, to practice what we teach is the seal of authenticity. The Gospel makes it clear: the greatest among you must be your servant. Practice gives flesh to proclamation. Without it, our words become burdens on others rather than pathways to freedom. The life of Katharine Drexel beautifully embodies this theme. Born into wealth, she believed deeply in the Gospel’s call to justice. She taught that faith must uplift the marginalized. Most importantly, she practiced what she taught, renounced privilege, founded schools, and spent her life in humble service. Her life was a living homily: the Word believed, taught, and enacted. Today, these readings and that ordination charge come together as both reminder and renewal. When belief shapes teaching, and teaching is confirmed by practice, then the saving power of God is revealed.