Lately, I’ve been wondering if our zeal is really bearing fruit.

We care deeply about the mission. We pour ourselves into programs, liturgies, catechesis, and parish life. But sometimes, beneath the activity, there’s a quiet unease. Are we proclaiming Jesus...or just defending ourselves? Are we really listening to people's hearts...or just listening in order to respond?  

Sometimes, I wonder if the most dangerous thing for our mission isn't apathy, but the wrong kind of passion.  A zeal misdirected and misfiring.

Pope Francis doesn’t mince words:

“A supposed soundness of doctrine or discipline... leads instead to a narcissistic and authoritarian elitism, whereby instead of evangelization, one exhausts his or her energies in inspecting and verifying [others].”
(Evangelii Gaudium, 94)

It can be hard to read that without flinching.

Most of us don’t consciously resist the Holy Spirit. We love the Church. We want to be faithful. But somewhere along the line, our zeal can shift. We get more focused on systems than on Jesus. We swap mission for maintenance. Joy gets replaced by frustration.

That shift often looks like:

• Obsessing over being "right" more than being relational
• Focusing on catechetical precision but ignoring human suffering
• Working so hard to protect truth that we forget to proclaim it with love

In a recent general audience, Pope Leo XIV offered a striking reminder:

“The practice of worship does not automatically lead to being compassionate. Indeed, before being a religious matter, compassion is a question of humanity! Before being believers, we are called to be human.”

That line landed like a gut check. Because when our zeal forgets compassion—when it forgets people—it stops being holy. It becomes performative. Defensive. Empty.

From Campfire Conversations to Frustration

A few weeks ago, I spoke with a parish leader who’s been trying to practice intentional evangelization with his neighbors.  He had been seeing real fruit from simple, consistent hospitality around a campfire. Good conversation. Real questions. A willingness to talk about Jesus when the moment arises.

But he shared how frustrated he’s been getting lately.

“Every time we start to make progress, someone throws out a line like, ‘So you guys worship Mary, right?’ Or, ‘Wait—Catholics aren’t Christians, are they?’ Then I’m backtracking, explaining again that no, we don’t believe the Pope is perfect. No, we’re not re-crucifying Jesus at every Mass. It’s like spiritual whack-a-mole.”

He’s not alone.  We’ve all had those moments:  the conversation’s going well, and then someone drops a loaded question and suddenly you're deep in a debate you didn’t ask for.  You're suddenly giving a crash course in Catholicism instead of sharing the Gospel.  Or you find yourself in a debate about liturgical precision without really knowing how you got there.  

Here’s the thing: there’s nothing wrong with apologetics. But when defending the faith takes priority over accompanying the person, something gets distorted.

When evangelization becomes about winning arguments instead of winning hearts, the fruit starts to fade.

That’s when zeal misfires.

Realign Your Zeal

If you’ve felt that misalignment—between your desire to share truth and the growing pressure to perform or correct—you’re not alone. It’s easy to lose sight of the relational heart of the Gospel, especially when we’re tired or discouraged.

That’s why we’ve updated and redesigned our Examination of Conscience for Evangelizers—a free, prayerful tool to help you:

• Reflect on the spiritual habits, fears, or distractions that limit your mission
• Notice where zeal has turned into control, pride, or defensiveness
• Reclaim the joy of being a disciple first and a missionary second

It's not about guilt.  It’s about freedom - not about doing more, but about doing what actually matters.  It's about listening and obeying the Holy Spirit's promptings and trusting in the Spirit’s timing, not ours.

Download the updated Examination of Conscience for Evangelizers

 📝 Click here to get the reflection guide

You don’t need more pressure. You need more space to reconnect—to the Gospel, to the Spirit, and to the people right in front of you.

Lately, I’ve been wondering if our zeal is really bearing fruit.

We care deeply about the mission. We pour ourselves into programs, liturgies, catechesis, and parish life. But sometimes, beneath the activity, there’s a quiet unease. Are we proclaiming Jesus...or just defending ourselves? Are we really listening to people's hearts...or just listening in order to respond?   Sometimes, I wonder if the most dangerous thing for our mission isn't apathy, but the wrong kind of passion.  A zeal misdirected and misfiring.

Pope Francis doesn’t mince words:

“A supposed soundness of doctrine or discipline... leads instead to a narcissistic and authoritarian elitism, whereby instead of evangelization, one exhausts his or her energies in inspecting and verifying [others].”
(Evangelii Gaudium, 94)

It can be hard to read that without flinching.

Most of us don’t consciously resist the Holy Spirit. We love the Church. We want to be faithful. But somewhere along the line, our zeal can shift. We get more focused on systems than on Jesus. We swap mission for maintenance. Joy gets replaced by frustration.

That shift often looks like:

• Obsessing over being "right" more than being relational
• Focusing on catechetical precision but ignoring human suffering
• Working so hard to protect truth that we forget to proclaim it with love

In a recent general audience, Pope Leo XIV offered a striking reminder:

“The practice of worship does not automatically lead to being compassionate. Indeed, before being a religious matter, compassion is a question of humanity! Before being believers, we are called to be human.”

That line landed like a gut check. Because when our zeal forgets compassion—when it forgets people—it stops being holy. It becomes performative. Defensive. Empty.

From Campfire Conversations to Frustration

A few weeks ago, I spoke with a parish leader who’s been trying to practice intentional evangelization with his neighbors.  He had been seeing real fruit from simple, consistent hospitality around a campfire. Good conversation. Real questions. A willingness to talk about Jesus when the moment arises.

But he shared how frustrated he’s been getting lately.

“Every time we start to make progress, someone throws out a line like, ‘So you guys worship Mary, right?’ Or, ‘Wait—Catholics aren’t Christians, are they?’ Then I’m backtracking, explaining again that no, we don’t believe the Pope is perfect. No, we’re not re-crucifying Jesus at every Mass. It’s like spiritual whack-a-mole.”

He’s not alone.  We’ve all had those moments:  the conversation’s going well, and then someone drops a loaded question and suddenly you're deep in a debate you didn’t ask for.  You're giving a crash course in Catholicism correction instead of sharing the Gospel.  Or you end up in a debate about liturgical preferences and precision without really knowing how you got there.  

Here’s the thing: there’s nothing wrong with apologetics. But when defending the faith takes priority over accompanying the person, something gets distorted.

When evangelization becomes about winning arguments instead of winning hearts, the fruit starts to fade.

That’s when zeal misfires.

Realign Your Zeal

If you’ve felt that misalignment—between your desire to share truth and the growing pressure to perform or correct—you’re not alone. It’s easy to lose sight of the relational heart of the Gospel, especially when we’re tired or discouraged.

That’s why we’ve updated and redesigned our Examination of Conscience for Evangelizers.

A free, prayerful tool to help you:

• Reflect on the spiritual habits, fears, or distractions that limit your mission
• Notice where zeal has turned into control, pride, or defensiveness
• Reclaim the joy of being a disciple first and a missionary second

This isn’t about guilt.  It’s about freedom. It's not about doing more, but about doing what actually matters.  It's about listening and obeying the Holy Spirit's promptings and trusting in the Spirit’s timing, not ours.

Download the updated Examination of Conscience for Evangelizers

 📝 Click here to get the reflection guide

You don’t need more pressure. You need more space to reconnect—to the Gospel, to the Spirit, and to the people right in front of you. 

So don’t just examine your conscience.
Let your conscience help refine your zeal.
Let it help you fall in love with people again.
Let it send you where the Holy Spirit leads - and trust the fruits will follow.