Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words

FRIDAY 21 FEBRUARY (Mk 8,34-9,1)

Beyond all the theological, philosophical, anthropological, psychological and religious speculations of any other origin coming from the sky, from the earth and or from the underworld, a truth must be clearly highlighted: the Christian has stipulated a covenant, a real contract with Christ Jesus. This is a contract in which no change or modification might be made. Here are the terms of the contract: You, man, on earth, while you stand in time, you will also let yourself be crucified to do my will. I, Jesus, will give you eternal life today and tomorrow, when you come into eternity, I will welcome you into my house of glory, joy, peace and endless bliss. But if you, man, will deny the contract that will be sealed with my blood, you will have no place with me in my paradise. Jesus never deceived anyone. He never said one thing for another. His contract is public, before all the Angels of heaven, his Father and the Holy Spirit. Whoever observes the contract in every code to be observed will have the joy of being with him. Whoever does not respect it he might not enjoy this bliss. It is only in compliance with the contract.

The first code of this contract wants us not to be ashamed of him before men. It wants Christ Jesus to be confessed and recognized in his divine and human truth, for heaven and for earth, for time and for eternity. Without this public confession, before the whole world, of the truth of Christ, the contract is not observed and not even He will recognize us as belonging to him before his Father and the Angels of God. This is the reason that drives Saint Paul to exhort his disciple Timothy not to be ashamed of the Gospel: “For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God. He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began, but now made manifest through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed preacher and apostle and teacher. On this account I am suffering these things; but I am not ashamed, for I know him in whom I have believed and am confident that he is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day. Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard this rich trust with the help of the holy Spirit that dwells within us. You know that everyone in Asia deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord grant mercy to the family of Onesiphorus because he often gave me new heart and was not ashamed of my chains. But when he came to Rome, he promptly searched for me and found me. May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day. And you know very well the services he rendered in Ephesus” (2Tm 1,6-18). The pact always  and at all times obliges.

He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? What could one give in exchange for his life? Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” He also said to them, “Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come in power.”

Obedience to every other command of Christ Jesus, to each of his Words is an essential part of the contract. Whoever accepts and signs the contract cannot transgress it by saying or teaching that he will still have the goods contained in it. The contract can be exited, but the promised assets are also exited. We will not be welcomed in his bliss.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints ensure that the Christian believes in the contract he has signed.