Daily Reflection on the Gospel of Wednesday October 4, 2023

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Today, the Gospel invites us to mull over the central point of our faith, in a clear and insistent way: the radical following of Jesus. «I will follow you wherever you go» (Lk 9:57). How easily can one suggest something that may completely change a person's life!: «Follow me!» (Lk 9:59). Our Lord's words admitting no excuses, delays, conditions or betrayals...

Christian life demands this radical following of Jesus. Radical, not only because it must be guided, all the way, by the Gospel (hence, to the last days of our life), but, mostly, because all their aspects, from the most extraordinary to the most ordinary ones, want to be and must be the manifestation of the Spirit of Jesus Christ inspiring us. In fact, since the day of our Baptism, our life is no longer that of just any person: we carry with us, in our body, the life of Christ! Because of the Holy Spirit instilled in our hearts, it is no longer us who live, but Jesus Christ who lives within us. This is what the Christian life is like, because it is Christ’s full life, because it exudes Christ from his deepest roots: this is the life we are called to live.

When the Lord came to this world, «all mankind had its place, but He did not have one: He had nowhere to go amongst men (...), but to the barn, amongst the beasts, the animals, and the more innocent and unassuming people. This is why he says: ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head’» (St Jerome). The Lord will find his place amongst us, if we, as John the Baptist did, let Him grow while we lessen, that is, if we let grow He who already lives inside us, while being ductile and obedient to his Spirit, the source of all humility and innocence.