Follow in everyday reality

Follow in everyday reality
accepting our sinfulness and how God loves us despite it, there is much more to be said. I recommend going back to the previous catechisms from time to time because there are many inspirational thoughts. But let’s move a little further now. If not our sinfulness or aimlessness is decisive in our relationship with God, then what? The decisive factor is the following of Christ. But what does it mean and how is it done?
            I will now draw from Cardinal Tomáš Špidlík’s book SJ Sources of Light. Already the pagan philosophy of Ancient Greece has come to believe that complete happiness can only be found with one who has all perfection, ie. j. with God. We Christians believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and that God whom no one has ever seen us revealed to Him and that He is the only gateway to the Father. Therefore, for us to come to the Father is to follow Christ.

            So far, it is quite clear and familiar. But what does it mean to follow Christ? We often imagine Christ as the perfect person who fulfills the will of the Father and therefore is a model for us in keeping the law. In this way, no man can accept Christ. As a perfect human model. But this view is inadequate and leads to an unsolvable situation. For Christ is not just a model, he is the way. And that is a significant difference. Ideals are needed because they motivate us, but they are also dangerous because they lead to despair if we cannot fulfill them. Therefore, following Christ as a model of perfection brings despair. We can’t do it. We don’t have it. Therefore, although at first sight Jesus, as a perfect man, seems acceptable to all to follow, it is a desperate journey to hopelessness.

            The pursuit of Christ, fortunately, is not a copy of the pattern of perfection, but of living by His grace. He is the way, he is the power, he is the one who allows us to come to the Father. Therefore, following Christ means the art of putting himself in his mind and acquiring his spirit. Is it the art of asking questions and problems of everyday life in this light: “what would Christ do?” Or “what would Christ advise me to do?”

            To avoid any mistake, it should be pointed out immediately that this is not a mechanical application of the Gospel – Jesus drives the sellers out of the temple; Jesus praised Mary for sitting at his feet and reminded Martha that he was doing everything but the essence, and so I would stop doing the household and just reading the Scriptures. That would be a misunderstanding. Following Christ does not mean copying what He does. To follow Christ is to understand the logic of Jesus’ mindset, what attitudes he takes, what is value to him, how he motivates people to warn them, then to follow today’s time, which is different from that of Christ, and try to apply Christ’s attitudes even nowadays.

            It is not enough to look at Christ as a historical person, but to see and accept Him in the history of the world. Among the Jews, Jesus could have been recognized as the Messiah by those who saw in Him the fulfillment of all that the historical evolution of the Old Testament was directed to. Those who understand that the history of the Old Testament is the history of the faithfulness of God and the unfaithfulness of the people, those who understand that history is heading for the Messiah to come, who will remove the burden of original sin and remove stone hearts from our bodies and give us hearts of flesh. . It was these who could receive Christ. Who did not understand these historical contexts and saw only social injustice, loss of authentic religion, political oppression by the Romans, so Jesus disappointed because he did not solve these situations according to his imagination. A misunderstanding of Jerusalem, his temple, kingdom, prophets, led to the condemnation of Christ and his extradition to death. This is precisely what the Apostles point to, and therefore they are happy to explain and summarize the history of the chosen nation in their sermons.

            Similarly, we can receive Christ only in our life’s context. Where is my life going? What is the point and purpose? Why do some things happen? What does the Lord bring me through? We are invited to live our daily lives from the perspective of our goal. And not from the perspective of happiness and trouble-free life that we would like to have. Our daily lives are related to our eternity and not just to our earthly happiness. Therefore, the pursuit of Christ is not detached from everyday reality. Not true: I go to the robots, I make money there to survive, and then I can devote myself to my family and my salvation. I will build a pastoral center so that there is finally a space for pastoral work and then it can finally be evangelized. Maybe I didn’t say anything new. It is completely natural and clear and yet how often we forget it in a particular life. To follow Christ means to live here and now your salvation. Perceive every event of life as such that affects my salvation. And then ask how he was acting