ACTIONS NOT WORDS / ACTA NON VERBA

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

We live in a world dominated by words and pictures. Social media—and the digital age in general—has taken over our lives. We’re consumed with getting information as quickly as possible. We want to know what’s happening and who’s doing it. Then, those of us who spend too much time online rush to be the first to share the hottest take. Acta non verba is a Latin phrase meaning “actions, not words.” It’s one of my three personal mottos—and a concept I hold close to my heart.

Normally, I’d apply this idea to politics, but today—on the second day of the Triduum—I’m applying it to faith. Of course, those paying attention will still see its political implications. The worst kind of Christian is the one who judges others—the type who creates rules and condemns anyone who doesn’t follow them, the academic who uses theology as a weapon to feel superior, or the church leader who exploits people’s sins to increase control over the congregation. These are the people I believe Christ despised most. Look at how He spoke to the Pharisees—His harshest rebukes were for those who believed that “following the rules” made them righteous.

This isn’t a call to justify yourself through works. It’s a reflection on James’s warning: “Faith without works is dead.” That’s a theological tightrope—how do you say works are essential without saying they save you? It’s a mystery that has caused division in the church for centuries, and I’m not here to resolve it. But I can offer a personal example. For most of my life, I’ve been good with words. That comes from the education my mother gave me, reading hundreds of books to me before I turned twelve. It also comes from my father, a minister, whose sermons shaped my upbringing. Words have always come naturally. But words aren’t enough. That was the hard lesson I learned in my late twenties and early thirties. Success doesn’t come from saying the right things—it comes from doing the hard, repetitive work, day after day, often without recognition. Action, I’ve learned, is the answer to most of life’s problems.

Most people don’t want to act. They want comfort, routine, and security. That’s why starting a business is so terrifying—there’s no autopilot. You can’t hide from responsibility. You have to identify problems and solve them. I used to think vision was enough—that if I had the idea, others would execute it. That mindset led to some of my greatest failures. For example, a close friend once hired me to manage his nomination campaign. He did the work—door-knocking, meetings, building his network. I gave advice, made calls, and helped strategize. But I didn’t act. I didn’t prepare. I didn’t lead. I ran the Get Out The Vote, but I hadn’t laid the groundwork. I talked a lot—but did little. That was my flaw: I loved ideas, planning, and starting. But finishing—actually showing up consistently and doing the work—was where I fell short. In a word, I lacked discipline.

Let’s bring this back to faith. Many Christians talk about Jesus, debate theology, and go on about their “walk with Christ.” But very few take action. There are supposedly 2.38 billion Christians on Earth—over a quarter of the global population. Yet poverty is rampant. Slavery is at an all-time high. Millions of babies are aborted every year. In the West, selfishness is celebrated as a virtue. Why? Because too many Christians think faith is just intellectual agreement—nodding at doctrine and calling it good. But true faith isn’t just about ideas. It’s about conviction. And real conviction always bears fruit. Think of gravity: as children, we internalize its reality so deeply that every action we take is shaped by it. That’s what true belief looks like.

Today, our faith has become performative. We think that attending church, posting Bible verses, or casually using religious language makes us “Christian”—but it doesn’t. One of the most haunting verses in the Bible is when Jesus says, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:22-23). We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling. A tree is known by its fruit—and the fruit of any man or woman is not their words, but their actions.

Which brings us back to the greatest example—the man we are called to emulate in everything: Christ Himself. What separates Jesus from other so-called moral teachers? Why is He not merely a moral teacher? Because He didn’t just speak—He acted. Under His ministry, the blind received sight, the lame walked, lepers were cleansed, the deaf heard, and even the dead were raised. But His greatest act—the one we reflect on during this most holy of weekends—was His death on the cross. He took the sins of the world on His shoulders and paid the price for them.

So on this Holy Saturday, let us reflect deeply on what it really means to take up our cross and follow Him.