Parish Bulletin Article: "The Gospels": 9-9-18

I recommend you to read and pray with the gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John within your holy journey.  This idea is not a test, or homework to be due by a specific day, but an event to imagine the different relationship with our savior, Jesus Christ.

I mention this because we are facing several challenges in our society and our personal lives: secularism, relativism, individualism and materialism, to mention a few.  Now, as we are challenged in our world, who is the best person to teach and strengthen us to go against the current?  Of course—Jesus Christ!

In my relationship with Jesus Christ, I have experienced his compassion, friendship, sympathy and forgiveness through the Scriptures.  I have also received challenges from him to my sinfulness, my pride, my weaknesses, my lateness, and more through the Word.  He challenges me, not to make me terrified, but to be disciplined and loved for the more.

Praise God, our savior showed and shows us the real task: follow him, rather than the worldly crowd, complacency of simple historical ideas that Jesus was merely another prophet, teacher or guru. Nor should we pull out snippets of the Scriptures to only read the cozy verses but to listen to how Jesus taught. 

For instance: Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).  There is a good challenge to strengthen us against society!

Or, “Then Jesus said to[his disciples], ‘You will all fall away because of me this night; for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’  But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee’” (Matthew 26:31-32 which is pointing to Jesus’ death and resurrection from the cross).  Again, these two verses are harsh, but can open our minds to the fact that Jesus offered his life to die for us, and open the gates of heaven beyond our world!

And as one last challenge from a couple of verses, today is the perpetual mediocrity of judgment and gossip in and out of generation after generation: “Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get,” (Matthew 7:1-2).

Follow Jesus Christ.  Follow God’s Word.  Read, pray and study the center and climax of the whole Bible, the Gospels!

God Bless!