Living a Christian life means more than just “doing the best you can to be a good person”. Being “Christian” requires a desire to follow JESUS CHRIST. Truly follow Him.
If one feels they are getting by with enough comfort, security, joy, love and peace to sustain them from day to day, they may not feel any need or desire to follow Jesus. The goal of the Church is not to coerce or convince people they need this desire, nor is it the goal of the Church to judge people who do not have it. Jesus himself did neither of these things.
The Church’s goal is to lead those with the desire to follow Jesus Christ (or those longing for or searching for this desire) into deeper relationship with Jesus by getting to know who He truly is.
The Church is the Body of Christ and therefore required to uphold what Christ has revealed as His ideal. Not the ideal of “right versus wrong”, but the ideal of LOVE and TRUST in a God who is faithful and trustworthy. With love and trust, obedience to Christ’s ideal feels safe, not threatening or stifling. With love and trust, obedience feels more like freedom, not restraint.
Trust and obedience flow naturally when, in relationship, one feels safe, secure, seen, loved and valued. Unfortunately, many good-hearted and well-meaning people, “trying to do their best to be a good person”, often have very little knowledge, understanding or experience with human relationships that make them feel safe, secure, seen, loved and valued, so the thought of trust and obedience often feels threatening.
That is why Jesus came. To reveal to us that the love of God is not a threat. It is, instead, the only thing that will satisfy our restless hearts. Faith does not require compliance. It requires love and trust. The more you know Him, the more you will trust Him.
With this in mind, Jesus gave us the gift of the Church and the sacraments. The sacraments open our hearts and minds to His grace and fill us with the desire to follow Him. It is through the sacraments that we come to know Jesus, and therefore increase our capacity to trust Him.
Please take this to prayer…
Does your lifestyle reflect your total trust in God and your desire to truly follow Jesus Christ? If the answer is no, or you’re not sure, or you fear what needs to be done to align the two, please reach out to either Fr. Sahd or Fr. Rettig. Be not afraid. “Come to me… Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.” Matthew 11:28-30