蜜桃交友

By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp

Those who 鈥渇eel called to transform the world or the Church,鈥� are first called to transform themselves. The logical conclusion to 鈥淒o not be comformed to this world,鈥� would seem to be 鈥� 鈥榮o, transform it!鈥� Instead Paul tells us, 鈥楾ransform yourselves!鈥� 鈥� says Fr Cantalamessa.

In the world, not of the world

Christians have always understood that the world is and remains 鈥淕od鈥檚 good creation,鈥� we embrace Jesus鈥� 鈥渁ttitude toward the world鈥�: to be in the world, not of the world. Christians  throughout the centuries have lived out this ideal in different ways. After the acceptance of Christianity in the Roman empire, some Christians fled from the world, 鈥渄esiring to remain the salt of the earth that did not lose its savor.鈥� Others proposed a spiritual flight from the world rather than physical flight. Some Fathers of the Church proposed a flight from the world rooted in baptism which 鈥渋s a work of grace more that it is human effort.鈥�

It's time to wake up

鈥淔aith is the primary battleground between the Christian and the world. It is through faith that the Christian is no longer 鈥榦f鈥� the world,鈥� Fr Cantalamessa says. Morally speaking, the world can be defined as 鈥渢hose who refuse to believe.鈥� The world can put people to sleep and suck out 鈥渁ll their spiritual energy.鈥� The remedy is that someone shout 鈥淲ake up!鈥� which is 鈥渨hat the Word of God does on so many occasions and which the liturgy of the Church makes us hear again precisely at the beginning of Lent: 鈥楢wake, O sleeper鈥� (Eph 5:14); 鈥榠t is full time now for you to wake from sleep鈥� (Rom 13:11).

The world is passing away

The fundamental reason why Christians 鈥渟hould not be conformed to this world鈥� is because 鈥渢he form of this world is passing away鈥� (1 Cor 7:31). In today鈥檚 world, one important area wherewe should not conform ourselves is that of image. Fr Cantalamessa says that for many people fasting from images has replaced fasting from food and drink. Food and drink are not unclean, but many images are and have become 鈥渙ne of the favorite vehicles through which the world spreads its anti-gospel鈥�, he says.

Let us look at the cross

There is one image on which we should look: 鈥淟et us look at a crucifix and go before the Holy One,鈥� Fr Cantalamessa concludes. That image is the remedy for all the poison we have ingested so that we may with Jesus 鈥減ass from this world to the Father鈥� (Jn. 13:1).