FISHERS OF MEN
Repent, the kingdom of God is at hand. The
kingdom of God is within us but because of original sin and the other sins
we have committed, it is completely covered. Christ came to earth to teach
us how to cleanse that dirtied image...through obedience to His
commandments.
Christ's first command was to learn from
Him, for He is meek and humble of heart. To have this Christ-like virtue of
humility and meekness is the Kingdom of God in our souls. God's kingdom
shines in our souls when we have the supernatural virtues.
It is the supernatural virtues that enable
us to be fishers of men, that is, capable of being an instrument in saving
other souls. These virtues are developed by obeying the commands of Christ.
The Zebedees were found by Christ with their father...to take care of our
fathers and mothers in their old age, as the Zebedees were doing, is
considered one of the greatest virtues.
The Gospel continues and says that when
Christ called them, they left their father. When someone has heard the
complete message of Christ and still refuses to follow him, as the father of
the Zebedees, we ought to leave him, otherwise, he becomes an
impediment to the life of virtue and reverence to God.
The following of Christ, obedience to His
commands, to possess the kingdom of God are acts of faith. The care of
parents, and even leaving one's parents and the coming from afar as shown by
the sick who came from afar are acts of Faith.
Of course the devil hates acts of faith.
Since he knows that God had decreed that all men suffer, specially for their
sins, he deceives people into believing that their causes of sufferings are
from the creations of God, like the moon. So lunatics who are such because
of their evil ways do not blame themselves but the moon for their
sufferings. From blaming God's creature, one can easily move to
blaming God or the Church.
(09-05-02)
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