THE URGENCY OF BEING A REAL CHRISTIAN
How
would I have reacted if I had stood in the crowd at Capernaum and
listened to the words Jesus speaks in today’s Gospel passage? Would I
have felt the urgency which should be felt? Would I have felt what Jesus
wanted His listeners to feel: that life and death depend on accepting
Jesus and seeing in Him the Father?
C.S.
Lewis, whom many know only from the Narnia books, once wrote,
“Christianity is a statement which, if false, is of no importance; and,
if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” He
captures the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel when He speaks about
being the “Bread of Life,” about the meaning of His mission, and how He
should not lose that which the Father has entrusted Him. And yet, the
people around Him have only one thought: Multiply more bread for us so
that we don’t have to spend money for it anymore.
Even today, being a Christian is, for too many, not a matter of life and death, not “of infinite importance,” but only “moderately important” or not very
important at all. Unfortunately, Christianity provides, for too many,
just an occasion to meet friends on Sunday or have some moving
ceremonies, like a baptism or a wedding. Too many of us forget another
truth beautifully expressed by C.S. Lewis: “I believe in Christianity as
I believe in the rising sun. Not because I see it but because of it I
see everything else.”
When
we become a true follower of Christ, we begin to see the world and the
people around us through the eyes of Christ. And that would change not
only our own lives for the better but also of those we deal with day
after day. We would not be angry anymore with others, we would not curse
anybody, but we would love even those who wrong us. Wouldn’t that be
“heaven on earth?” It all depends on us and our relationship with
Christ. Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD
REFLECTION QUESTIONS: How solid and important to you is your faith? Does your faith nourish your daily life?
Lord,
how shallow is my faith! No wonder I am often so miserable. Help me to
see that my faith in You is “of infinite importance.”
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