When we speak of Jesus Christ is our entire retinue with him?

When we speak of Jesus Christ is our entire retinue with him?

In today’s acceptance of belief in Christ, it has become a point of whatever suits the many who have found other directions to spend their time acknowledging what is important rather than the obvious acceptance of what the bible presents to us.  As ministers announce what God has handed down to man and directed our attention to the world’s apostasy of disregarding the truth that God has presented through prophets’ pronouncements, we are on a definite decline from; “Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”  Pilate said to him. “What is truth?”   (see Jn 18: 37 - 38).

At one time, many years ago when Jesus walked the streets of Israel, people were no more attentive to what the truth was all about in the same way as acceptance of the Risen Christ is today.  There is a need to ascertain the meaning of the Passion of Christ; beginning with his suffering to the Crucifixion and Resurrection.  Just what expectation do any of us believe in as these examples of what truth is all about instead of placing it on a shelf of a past historical event to be placed alongside the wars of the world and the founders of new continents; something for the history books and no more.

I would dare say that, “we as a human race are looking at a path of destruction from which there may not be any salvation for many.”  “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many.  How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.  And those who find it are few.”  (Mt 7: 13 - 14).

Eternal Salvation depends on our perseverance in faith;  Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to man.  We can lose this precious gift, as St. Paul indicated to St. Timothy: “Wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience.  By rejecting conscience, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith.”  To live, grow, and persevere in the faith  until the end we must nourish it with the word of God; we must beg the Lord to increase our faith; it must be “working through charity,” abounding in hope, and rooted in the faith of the Church.  (CCC 162).

It is the Church that believes first, and so bears, nourishes, and sustains my faith.  Everywhere, it is the Church that first confesses the Lord: “Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you,” as we sing the hymn “Te Deum;” with her and in her, we are won over and brought to confess: “I believe,” We believe.”  It is through the Church that we receive faith and new life in Christ by Baptism.  In the Rituale Romanum, the minister of Baptism asks the catechumen: “What do you ask of God’s Church?”  And the answer is: “Faith.”  “What does faith offer you?”  “Eternal life.”   (CCC 168).

Salvation comes from God alone; but because we receive the life of faith through the Church, she is our mother:  “We believe the Church as the mother of our new birth, and not in the Church as if she were the author of our salvation.”  Because she is our mother, she is also our teacher in the faith.  (CCC 169).  

Within these attributes of our faith and the belief of what our Church teaches to us, we must live as if our very salvation relies on them.  It does, but unfortunately too many are on the road that is wide and the gate to hell is broad, attracting so many to apostasy over God.

Ralph B. Hathaway