Knowing Jesus Christ and Making Him Known

From chapter 2.

We Christians should realize that we have been sent by Christ—as He himself was sent by his Father—to announce, by our life and our deeds, the Good News of the kingdom of God.

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.” With these words Christ began his mission. With Christ and in Christ, by our actions and our words, through the grace of Baptism, we can repeat to those around us: believe in the Gospel! Open up your mind and heart tranquilly to Christ; trust in the Savior!…

Christ asks his followers to spread his message throughout the world. And he wants us to do so with the courage and optimism that come from seeing that Christ’s teaching is ever timely and ever new. He wants us to do so with the permanent newness of love, which has the power to enliven men and women in every age and situation.

A question St. Josemaría suggests in one of his writings is perennially relevant: “Do I spread Christian life to those around me? Consider this question each day.” If we each personally reflect on this simple but challenging question, we will have a good indicator of the sincerity of our response to our Christian vocation. We will know whether we have shown the necessary courage, or rather have been intimidated by an environment hostile to Jesus Christ.

Confronting this question with sincerity can help us to overcome the danger always present, especially in moments of cultural change, of yielding to the pressures around us and separating our private life from our social and professional existence. This would be a clear sign that we had failed to be faithful to the truth, replacing it with positions that are “politically correct” and incapable of bothering anyone….

Strong in faith, sure in hope, with the strength of authentic love, Christians need to accept the challenge presented by today’s world. Each day we have to strive above all to get to know Christ better and, as a necessary consequence, to make him known as the only Savior, who has proclaimed and lived the only message containing words of eternal life: the message of the infinite love of our Father God….

We Christians have been entrusted with the noble mission of presenting Christ to our fellow men and women. Some are asked to carry this out by preaching, others by the testimony of their consecration. Most people, however, are called to seek sanctity in the middle of the world; they make Christ known by carrying out their work and personal obligations with human perfection and a Christian spirit. “Christ our Lord was crucified,” said St. Josemaría, “and from the height of the cross he redeemed the world, thereby restoring peace between God and men. Jesus reminds all of us: ‘And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all things to myself’ (Jn 12:32). If you put me at the center of all earthly activities, he is saying, by fulfilling the duty of each moment, in what appears important and what appears unimportant, I will draw everything to myself. My kingdom among you will be a reality!”