From Bud to Blossom

 

Appreciating the new springtime of Christianity

05/12/2026

John 16:5-11 Jesus said to his disciples: "Now I am going to the one who sent me, and not one of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts. But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation: sin, because they do not believe in me; righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned."

Have you noticed the growing number of new Catholics lately? We had so many people coming into the Church this past Easter we could not line them all up shoulder-to-shoulder in our sanctuary. Obviously, we need to tear down the walls and build a bigger church! Just kidding.

And this is not a local phenomenon isolated to I.C. but spread across the world. Even in European countries like France and Germany that had been hemorrhaging Catholics are seeing record baptisms. So we cannot pat ourselves on the back and take undue credit for it.

Several people have asked me what I think about this new wave of Catholic converts which is slowly swelling into a tsunami. The simple answer is that we are witnessing the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It is always the Spirit of God who inspires anything good we do, and certainly the Spirit is touching the hearts of modern men and women to take a second look at the Catholic faith, and get onboard the barque of St. Peter.

And the Holy Spirit can avail himself of extremely effective evangelists today like Bishop Barron, Fr. Mike Schmitz, Scott Hahn, Edward Sri, Marcus Grodi, and even actors in Hollywood like Mark Walhberg and Jonathan Roumi. The Holy Spirit has lots of tools in his tool belt today.

But then I also add a cautionary tale. These new converts to Catholicism should take care not to become Catholic because everyone is doing it, or because suddenly it’s cool to be Catholic. Why not? Because soon it will not be cool to be Catholic and people will not praise your decision but persecute you for it.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen said the Church always finds her home at the foot of the Cross, with Mary, John, and Mary Magdalene, who represent the consecrated virgins (Mary), the priesthood (John), and repentant sinners (Mary Magdalene). In other words, this current season of fame and fortune will not last, and therefore, we must be ready to carry the cross. And then we will see how really wants to be Catholic.

We continue to read from the Acts of the Apostles in our first readings after Easter and fittingly so. But did you catch how the primitive Church, like the present Church, experienced an extraordinary growth in Christian converts? The apostles were, no doubt, intrepid preachers and teachers of the faith. Nonetheless, it’s incorrect to give them all the credit for these early conversions. Why?

Well, because people seem to line up to become Catholic almost with no effort on their part. For example, the jailer in Philippi desires to be Christian and all Paul and Silas did was sing and praise God all night. That is, it’s clear the Holy Spirit is working powerfully on the inside while the apostles do their part on the outside. But it’s the inside work in the heart that matters most.

So, what is the lesson for us today 2,026 years after the resurrection? Well, I think there are two lessons. First, welcome the new converts with open arms and don’t question the sincerity of their new-found faith. Just like Paul and Silas joyfully welcomed the jailor so we should welcome the newbies with open arms and warm hugs.

But second we should also not sugar-coat Catholicism. To be sure we believe true happiness, holiness, peace, and joy are found within these four walls, but the Catholic creed is for the courageous, not the faint of heart. In the end, there is no surer road to the resurrection than the way of the Cross. “If you would my disciple be, pick up your cross and follow me.”

Back in 1990 Pope St. John Paul II wrote an encyclical letter called “Redemptoris Missio” (The Mission of the Redeemer), where he wrote optimistically: “As the third millennium draws near, God is preparing a great springtime of Christianity, and we can already see its first signs.”

The pope-saint wrote those prophetic words 36 years ago when he could only glimpse that springtime’s first signs. His words were full of hope, because the springtime was only budding back then. From our vantage point today, as we behold this great garden of new converts, we see that springtime has burst into full bloom.

Praised be Jesus Christ!