It is not enough to read the Gospel; you have to live it.
- How do we let ourselves be challenged by the Gospel? Is the Gospel truly the manual for our daily life, and for the choices we are asked to make?
- The Gospel is demanding. It demands to be lived radically and sincerely. It is not enough to read it, though the reading and studying of scripture are extremely important. It is not enough to meditate on it. Jesus asks us to practice the Gospel; to live out his words.
Live with passion in the present – this means becoming experts in communion, witnesses and architects of God’s plan for communion, that is according to Him, the culmination of all human history.
- In a polarized society, where different cultures struggle to live along side one another. Where the weakest are oppressed, and where inequality abounds.
- We are called to offer a concrete model of community. A model that, by recognizing the dignity of each person and pulling our individual gifts, makes it possible to live as brothers and sisters.
- Therefore, we men and women of communion have the courage to be present in the midst of conflict and tension, to be a credible sign of the presence of the Spirit that inspires in human hearts the passion of all to join as one. John 17:21
Marked by a passion for the kingdom – Humanity urgently needs Christ’s salvation. His disciples are those who allows the love of Jesus to seize them. They are marked by their fervent passion for the kingdom of God. They are the bearers and the proclaimers of the joy of the Gospel. All Lord’s disciples are called to nurture this joy of evangelization.
- God calls us to liberate ourselves and others. Hearing and answering the Lord’s call is not a private and intimate matter fraught with momentary emotion. Rather, it is a specific, concrete, and total commitment that embraces the whole of our existence, and compels us to serve, and to help build Gods kingdom on earth.
- The Christian vocation, rooted in the contemplation of our father’s heart, thus drives us to liberate our brothers and sisters, especially the poorest among us.
- A disciple of Jesus is an infinite and endlessly open heart. Being close to the Lord never means fleeing this life or the world. On the contrary, intimacy with the Lord requires constant interaction between communion and mission.
- The joy of the Gospel is born of the encounter with Christ and from sharing with the poor. For this reason, parish communities, associations, and groups are encouraged to live an intensely fraternal life, grounded with love for Jesus and concerned for the needs of the most disadvantaged.
Re-source: Reconcile
restore friendly relations between : cause to coexist in harmony; make or show to be compatible
Joy – Never be sad men and women. A Christian should never be sad. Never let yourself be discouraged. Our joy does not come from owning many things, but from having met someone, Jesus, who is among us. Our joy is born from knowing that from Him, we are never alone.
- Even in the most difficult moments. Even when our problems threatened to overwhelm our path to light. Even when we are facing a multitude of apparently insurmountable obstacles. We walk with Jesus. This is the joy that we must bring to this world. Please do not let yourselves be robbed of this hope. Do not let what Jesus gave us be taken away from you.
When we live among the thorns, and the desert, it often seems as if the seed of goodness and hope that we sow are smothered by the weeds of selfishness, hostility, and justice; not only around us but in our own hearts too.
- We are troubled by the growing gap between the rich and the poor in our societies. We see how the false idols of wealth, power, and pleasure are worshipped and at what cost to humanity. We see many of our friends and contemporaries enjoying immense material prosperity, even as they suffer from spiritual poverty, loneliness, and quiet despair.
- It almost seems as if God is out of the picture. It is as if a spiritual desert is spreading throughout the world. A desert that robs the young of hope and too often, of life itself. Yet this is the world that you are called to go to witness the gospel of hope, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the promise of his kingdom.
Are we living through the Globalization of indifference? God is not indifferent. Each one of us has a place in his heart. He knows us by name. He cares for us and seeks us out, even if we turn away from him. He is interested in all of us. His love does not allow him to be indifferent to all that happens to us.
- Usually when we are healthy and feel comfortable, we forget about other people, which God the father never does. We do not care about their problems, their pain, what injustices they endure. Our hearts lapse into indifference. “As long as I am relatively comfortable, I forget about those less well off.” This selfish attitude has taken on global proportions. So much so that we can speak of a globalization of indifference. This is a problem that we as Christians must confront.
craving and resource from “Happiness in this Life” by Pope Francis
