The expansion of God's reign of love in the world is a mission that Christ gave to His disciples so that all who make the free choice to believe in the good news that they proclaim will be saved. And what is this good news? He has conquered death! And what does that mean He conquered death? This is a strong act aimed at demonstrating to the world that nothing is impossible for those who believe. In other words, leading people to become men of faith.
To achieve this, He went gradually. During His public ministry He healed the sick, he ate with unsavoury people, He multiplied food, He delivered many people, He produced several acts of concrete faith which were crowned by His victory over death.
He put Himself at the heart of the problems of human existence by providing practical solutions to human problems. All men must put their trust in Him. For what? Because there are testimonies that speak and will always speak in its favour.
Life of faith and testimony
The life of faith is a matter of testimonies. Christ's disciples have changed the lives of multitudes not only because they have witnessed His wonders in their lives, but above all because they have received the gift of all gifts, namely the Holy Spirit. They had personal experiences of faith with Christ which they were able to perpetuate and communicate to others through the power of the Holy Spirit so that they too would not only be in communion with Them but could also on a daily basis experience for themselves the wonders of God in their lives. In fact, the goal of all evangelization, preaching, teaching, prophecy and all apostolates led by a pastor or not, is to allow men to deepen their personal relationship with God so that the solid basis of the testimony of God's love in the lives of others bears more fruit in their lives so that they too may be a testimony of life in Christ for themselves and for others.
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If you ask a Christian who Jesus is to him, he will give you a classic answer linked to the testimony of the faith of others, that is to say the apostles. He will certainly answer you saying: He is my Lord and my God. If you ask him why he says that it is his Lord and his God he will answer you by saying that it is because He gave His life to save humanity. It is a classic and true testimony which aims to produce additional fruit in the lives of those who make the free choice to believe.
It is on the basis of this classicism and the daily application of the word of God that the sheep are able to add to what has been transmitted to them by their shepherd’s additional answers to the question of who is Jesus for them? This is how to He is my Lord and my God or to He is my saviour will be added He is the one who healed me when I thought I was going to die, the one who gave me food when I no longer had money, the one who allowed me to succeed in a particular exam or a particular competition, it's the one who allowed me to meeting the man or woman of my life, the one who allowed me to give birth etc. In fact, with Him there are always testimonies of life. It is enough to make the free choice to become new creatures in Him and manifest this new status as a child of God through a commitment to the service of the Church in the world.
Diversity of responsibilities and complementarity of efforts for the good of all
Each child of God or Christian in particular is called to work for the salvation of a multitude by virtue of the degree of authority granted to him by God with this precision that the mission of the sheep which is also of divine origin is a concrete extension of the tangible work initiated by the shepherds. God speaks and the servants listen. Some to give a general direction that they themselves have a duty to respect, and others to implement divine recommendations in the daily life of their lives.
The shepherd's concern is to do everything possible to ensure the well-being of the sheep. But this does not mean that the shepherd does not need the support of his sheep. He needs her just like they need him. The work of the shepherd is a gift of self in the service of the sheep which cannot do without the physical and spiritual support of the sheep because apart from God, no person is sufficient in himself.
But sheep tend to expect everything from their shepherds, perhaps sometimes without knowing that they have a part of responsibility to fulfil. He who edifies the sheep will not also go and put this word into practice for them. The life of faith is not just a question of words but of applying these words on a daily basis through concrete actions which contribute to shaping a personal relationship with God.
It is not only by reading the Bible that we learn to know God but also through the sorrows or pains of everyday life. It is not a question of seeking suffering at all costs but of being aware of the fact that in life everything comes at a time and that for those who have hope there is no lost cause. The Christian suffers because Christ suffered. But he did not suffer to remain in suffering but to be glorified.
Everything is done to support the faith of those who are weak, to console those who are sick, to strengthen the faith of those who are desperate, and to help those who have fallen to get back up. And if it happens that it is the shepherd who falls, what should we do? Should we disperse? To abandon your walk with God? Return to Egypt? Abandon the Church?
To abandon the faith because of the unhealthy actions of a shepherd is to make the choice to fall unfortunately with this shepherd. God’s work must be able to continue despite the nauseating attitudes of certain shepherds and certain sheep. The people of God are edified in order not to limit their faith to the level of the bad attitudes of a Men of God but to put their trust in God despite everything even if certain attitudes can prove to be sickening and confusing.
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Flock of cheep with a shepherd. Image source Pixabay
