WHOEVER SERVES ME MUST FOLLOW ME
2 Cor 9,6-10; Ps 111; Jn 12,24-26
10 AUGUST
The service that Jesus asks of every one of his disciples is special and particular. It is not obedience to every Word of the Gospel. It is walking behind Him, in order to manifest to the world Him, in fullness of light, truth, justice, thought, love, compassion, charity, meekness and humility. This service must reach its perfection in the annihilation of one’s whole being, just as it happened for Christ the Lord. St. Paul teaches this service to the Philippians. It is the true discipleship.
If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but (also) everyone for those of others. Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. So then, my beloved, obedient as you have always been, not only when I am present but all the more now when I am absent, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work. Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life, so that my boast for the day of Christ may be that I did not run in vain or labour in vain. But, even if I am poured out as a libation upon the sacrificial service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with all of you. In the same way you also should rejoice and share your joy with me (Phil 2,1-18).
This service requires that the disciple has always the thought of Christ Jesus as his one and only law. Every event of the personal or history of others must be read and lived according to this thought. If it introduces other thoughts into his mind, he is no longer a disciple. He does not walk with the heart of Christ and does not give his life the form of Jesus. What God said to his people, today we can say it also for Christians. There is a division, a separation and an abyss between the thought of Christ Jesus and that of his disciples. If this abyss is not recomposed, then one is not a disciple.
Seek the Lord while he may be found, call him while he is near. Let the scoundrel forsake his way, and the wicked man his thoughts; Let him turn to the Lord for mercy; to our God, who is generous in forgiving. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts (Is 55,6-9).
Who is the Christian then? He who must give life, in his flesh, in his body, to every thought of Jesus the Lord. As Christ is the thought of the Father in the splendour of its perfection, so the Christian must be the thought of Jesus in its purest beauty. The disciple must always be able to say: “This is the thought of my Master”.
Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.
The disciple follows Jesus to give life to his every thought. When one detaches himself from the Master’s thoughts, he is no longer a true disciple. We can be religiously perfect, but we are not true Christians. We do not give life in our life to the thought of Jesus.
Prudent Virgin, Angels and Saints, make every true Christian thought of their Master.