"".........AND FOLLOW ME."

TRULY FOLLOWING CHRIST

Some three hundred and fifty years before the Motu Proprio "PORTA FIDEI", Father Nicola Avancini S.J. Wrote his " THE LIFE AND TEACHING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST" , which has become known as Avancini's Meditations.

JESUS BIDS THOSE WHO WOULD FOLLOW HIM TO TAKE UP THEIR CROSS                                              

                                                       AND FOLLOW HIM

For Thursday of the Seventeenth Week after Pentecost (EF Calendar of course) at No. 325 he describes beautifully what is necessary to truly follow Christ:

“THE CROSS MUST BE BORNE AFTER CHRIST

I "Then Jesus said to His disciples: If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself" (Matt. XVI: 24).The will to do this is left to our free choice. None are compelled, none are excluded. A good and serious will, however, is needed, and not one that is changeable. Let him that has such a will first of all, "deny himself", not by depriving himself only of external things, but of his private judgment, his own will, affections and desires that are base, whatever else that belongs to the Old Man, and by the killing of self love. This is the first beginning of all Christian perfection. Dear God! How true it is that hitherto I have learnt nothing and how much there is to learn! When will be the time to begin? If I remain as changeable as I am at present, the time will never come.

II "And take up His cross".

This is the second rule in this short summary of the way to perfection. By the cross we are to understand all adversities of mind and body. We must "take it up", whatever it includes, however long it lasts, and however wide it's arms, whether our souls are raised to the seventh heaven or cast down in the depths of humiliations, always, constantly, humbly, and in whatever circumstances. If we had been standing beside Christ crucified, and He had asked this of us would we have denied it to Him Who was dying for us? Then let us not deny it to Him now, for He asks it of us always, we owe it to Him always, and He deserves it always.

III. "And follow Me".

And so the summit of perfection is contained in the three words: Self-denial, Endurance, and Action. Perfection is not reached by practicing these virtues for a number of years only. We must follow Christ indefinitely, animated by His example as He goes before us, like a soldier following his general, a servant following his lord, and a son following his father. How long must it be for? We are not told; therefore it must be till death. Along what path? We do not know this either. It may be along one that is smooth, or it may be along one that is rough, anyway, it is not for us to choose one any more than another. How have we faced up to it so far? And what about our life in the future?"

There it is. We all like to think of getting closer to Christ as St.John did at the Last Supper - resting our head at last forever secure and at peace on His breast, or perhaps, collapsing at His feet, sinful and truly sorrowful, in the sure and certain hope of His Mercy and Forgiveness. But He wants us up and doing whatever is necessary to follow Him.

So, we have paused in our consideration of PORTA FIDEI, to consider the fundamental requirements for following Our Divine Lord, received from His own lips. Next time we shall return to the consideration of the text of PORTA FIDEI.