Gospel: Mt 28:16-20
The eleven disciples went to Galilee and went up to the mountain where Jesus had summoned them. When they saw Jesus, they fell down, although some of them hesitated. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and know that I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Fruit: Increase my faith in the power of God, present in my life.
Guidelines for reflection:
It is necessary to understand what “God's power” means in order not to confuse it with the power of human beings, often blinded by selfishness and ambition. God's power is to attract others to his Kingdom, a power that he delegates to his disciples. A power that made it possible for eleven followers of Christ to begin the greatest adventure of all: preaching the Gospel and building the Church. And after two thousand years, that message of hope continues to resound: “I will be with you...”.
Christ is with me
Jesus does not abandon us. He is present, especially in the sacrament of the Eucharist. He is present in the Church, in the Gospels, in the word and teaching of the Magisterium of the Church, of the Pope, of the bishops in communion with the See of Peter. Christ is present in my neighbor. Christ is present in history, in my history. He is present every day. I make him present in every act of generosity and love. He is present in the Eucharist. How real is this truth of faith for me? Today is a privileged opportunity to take up again our baptismal commitment to follow Christ, to remain with Him. That is, to live our Christian life with authenticity and proudly wear the Christian's shirt, which is none other than love of neighbor.
2. Christ has the power
To understand the power of Christ, it is necessary to remove all negative references to the human power we know. The power of Christ is not selfish, it does not pass over others, it is not ambitious... it is a power of belonging, of peace, of fullness. Christ has power over my story, but he cannot help me if I do not allow him to, because he respects my freedom. That is why it is necessary to open wide our lives to the power of Christ. He comes to heal, to cure the wounds of the soul, to strengthen us in our work or study, to increase the union and charity in my family. Christ has the power and seeks only the best for each one of us.
3. Teach them to comply
That is the watchword. To belong to Christ, to fulfill his commandments. To live with healthy pride our belonging. Let the world know: “I belong to Christ”. Do I study his teachings in depth and contribute with the witness of my life so that the Church may be a reflection of holiness? I cannot allow all the weight of the Church to fall only on its pastors (bishops, priests, consecrated persons...). I, as a baptized person, have Christ's commandment: to fulfill and teach to fulfill his commandments. How am I applying this in my life? Let us remember that Christ is in our midst every day.
Purpose: To deepen the commandment of love as a means of sanctification.
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