JMJ
What is the Gospel of Christ? Some think it a pious book of a man who dreamed of utopia, others know that man to be God and in Him the promise of Heaven, but people who truly begin to understand Christ know that His testimony, His Life, His life’s example is a Commandment as He, Himself, is the Word of God and what God speaks comes into being as reality, not merely idea.
Jesus Said, “A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you” Note Jesus used the word “commandment,” not “suggestion,” not “recommendation,” not “it would be nice if you. . .” Jesus did not say “please” for this Commandment is not contingent on it being our pleasure or pleasing to us. Jesus said, “DO IT.”
There are those who say, “What we do doesn’t matter if we have accepted Jesus into our hearts as our Lord and Saviour.” Who are we then to believe? On the one hand, we have a group of people who want to be able to pursue whatever endeavours that seizes hold of their fancy. They will comb the Bible for a single verse to lift out of context and proclaim it to be the truth. Although it may be the truth in its proper context, it may, when standing isolated and alone, be a big, nasty lie. For example, Jesus said, And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself: how then shall his kingdom stand? “I by Beelzebub cast out devils” Whoa! What is going on here. Jesus works with demons? No, one must read the full text to get at the truth, it is as follows: “And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if I by the Spirit of God cast out devils, then is the kingdom of God come upon you.” Slightly different meaning, yes?
On the other hand, we have Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God. I wonder who should we should follow? Who should we believe?
The point I am making here is that to “accept Jesus into your heart” is to surrender your heart to Him and it is not the word “Jesus” that saves a man, rather it is Jesus the Word, the very Word of God that saves a man and to be saved by Jesus is to be transformed into His Mystical Body, and then one must love one another in the way He loved us, and how did He love us? What does He demand? Read the Gospel as a whole, but here are a few highlights:
- feed the hungry
- give drink to the thirsty
- shelter the homeless
- clothe the naked
- visit the sick
- visit the imprisoned
- bury the dead
- give alms to the poor
What brings blessings?
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
A few more pointers: Don’t judge, always forgive, and Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do the things that I command you. I will not now call you servants: for the servant knoweth not what his lord doth. But I have called you friends: because all things whatsoever I have heard of my Father, I have made known to you.
You have not chosen me: but I have chosen you; and have appointed you, that you should go, and should bring forth fruit; and your fruit should remain: that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that you love one another.
Fail to follow the Command of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and when you stand before Him in your final judgement, thus it will be: Then he shall say to them also that shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat: I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me not in: naked, and you covered me not: sick and in prison, and you did not visit me. Then they also shall answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to thee? Then he shall answer them, saying: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you do it to me. And these shall go into everlasting punishment: but the just, into life everlasting.
Perhaps the best way to avoid eternal damnation is to remember the prayer of the Most-Blessed Virgin Mary, “Behold the handmaiden of the Lord. Let it be doe to me according to thy Word.” If we live Sweet Mary’s prayer our souls will magnify the Lord and our spirits will rejoice in God our Saviour and He who is mighty will do unto us great things!
Let us Pray (in the manner of St. Therese of Lisieux:
“Jesus, Meek and Humble of Heart, make my heart like unto Thine.”
Amen.
(C) Copyright 3 August 2020
For Lourdes Sake 