A friend of mine asked me a few weeks ago if I attend a church. "Yes," I answered. I also told him that I am a Catholic, and about my parish.

St. Francis of Assisi wrote that we should "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words."

This is good advice for our times, when words in the public sphere are rendered almost meaningless by spin control. At this point we essentially expect to be lied to by public officials. What good are the promises people make? What is the value of posturing by political and religious leaders?

In today's second reading, James writes to the early Christians: "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?" We can talk about our faith all we want, but in the end it must be demonstrated, not merely spoken.

How could we preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ without words? How could we demonstrate the core gospel values of generosity, compassion, service and worship? Probably by simply and humbly practicing these spiritual disciplines.

It is much easier to say we have faith than it is to live as though we have faith. It is easy to believe in our minds that generosity is better than self-protection, that compassion is better than revenge, that service is better than self-centeredness, and that worship is better than self-congratulation.

It is much more difficult to live as if the values of the Gospel are more real and reliable than the values of our culture, which rewards self-promotion.

Jesus, of course, is our model for what it means to live by these values. Jesus believed that the promises of God were more reliable than any other "savior" out there, and trusted those promises even when it put his life in peril.

When my friend asked about my religious practices, it didn't occur to me at the time to be embarrassed that he had to ask. Clearly, he couldn't tell that I am a follower of Jesus Christ by my behavior.

What good is it if we say we have faith but do not have works? Not much, according to the letter of James. We are called to put our faith into action. Action does not mean just turning up the volume and stridency of our words. Action means continuing the ministry of Jesus Christ --- living as he did as if we are safest when we place our lives in God's hands.

We do that by practicing our faith, not talking about it. Loving our neighbor, serving the needy, assisting in the life and health of our parishes, prayer --- these are what faith "looks" like.

"Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words." Our challenge is to use fewer words and more actions as we put our faith into practice. It is not easy. It is, however, real. Maybe next time someone wants to know my religion, they won't have to ask.

Bill Peatman writes from Napa.