WE KNOW ABOUT JESUS,
BUT DO WE KNOW JESUS?
We may know about Jesus from what we’ve studied or been taught or read about in the Scriptures, but do we KNOW Him?
During the RCIA process, great emphasis is placed on Catechesis, on the teachings and traditions of the Church; while this is very important, because one can’t fully commit to what one doesn’t know, it is vital that knowing Jesus personally must be the foundation on which all else is built.
Hopefully, seekers enter the process with an open mind, as well as an open heart. In addition to sharing doctrine, it is the goal of the “team” to plant the seeds of desire, the desire to bring the Jesus of the pages into the heart of the seeker. This can not be accomplished on a time frame – not for seekers and not for the already baptized members of the Church community, it is a lifelong search. In this endeavor, we all become seekers. We must constantly ask ourselves do I really know Jesus enough to call Him “My Lord and my God,” my friend, my support in time of need, my close companion for the journey, the one who truly is my source of joy? Are there ways we can move Jesus from the mind to the heart? It takes a conscious effort and a real desire to do so – we might try inserting ourselves into a story in the Bible, or finding creative ways that work more effectively in our prayer lives, or connecting with others to share and to be inspired. What ways can you think of? The rewards of friendship are many, the rewards of really knowing Jesus are beyond what one can imagine.
Submitted by Marguerite Mullins
Blessed Sacrament Church 