Centrality of Jesus Christ by Msgr. Fernando Ocariz

Objective of Formation: Identification with Christ. “Formation does not consist in acquiring information or filling ourselves with ideas. The objective of formation is identification with Jesus Christ.”

Everything to focus clearly on the Person of Christ: ponder like Mary all that refers to him. “We are eager..to see everything focus more clearly on his Person. With this desire to put yourselves more deeply into the Gospel, .. when speaking about the Christian life with your friends, you will transmit more brightly the marvelous news of God’s love for each person… I ask our Lady to teach us to keep and ponder in our heart, as she did, all that refers to Jesus (see Lk 2:19), so that we tread and help others to tread—each person where God is calling them—along paths of contemplation.”

Ask: Is Jesus the center of my life? In what way is Jesus the center of my spiritual life? Not only my life, but the center of my work, of my fraternity, my apostolic work…

Experience the love of Jesus Christ Crucified. “We can always be joyful even in our concerns and sufferings because the foundation of our joy is Jesus Christ…Each time we look at the Crucified, we experience the greatness of the love of Christ for us.”  

Who am I to Jesus Christ? “Who am I to Jesus Christ. I am someone loved immensely by Jesus Christ, object of his infinite and omnipotent love.”

Alignment with the Love of Jesus Christ not with ideas or spirit. “I would like to focus on some aspects of the centrality of Jesus Christ. In the first place, it is important that we see that our fidelity is fidelity to Jesus Christ. Fidelity to … norms, indications, even to the Law of God, we have to see them not as alignment with some ideas not even with a spirit, but with a love: the love of Jesus Christ. We do all our obligations for the love of Jesus Christ.”

Rooted in Jesus’ love for me singularly. “We are faithful to an idea and ideals only because they are a way to be faithful to Jesus Christ, who has given his life for us. St. Josemaria loved to comment: He loved me and gave his life for me. We have to be very rooted in the conviction that Jesus really has loved me and has given himself for me. He did not give himself to humanity in general but to each one singularly. [Pointing to each one] God loves you, you, you and me.”

Love like Christ and see Christ in others. “Also, very important to the centrality of Jesus is [love of others]: love one another as I have loved you. And how does Jesus love? We have to see Jesus in the others. Centered on Christ even in relationship with others. The same in apostolic work. Do all for Christ…See Jesus in each person and in each moment… Seeing the Lord in others helps us to forgive, to serve.”

Contemplate Christ: everything Jesus did has transcendental value. “Let us be contemplative souls. Let us think about Christ: let us look at Him and get to know Him a bit better every day…Everything Christ did has a transcendental value; it shows us the nature of God. Jesus makes it possible for us to know who God is and how God is. And who is God? God is Love.”

Encounter him in everything. Ask what impedes this. “We want to encounter Jesus continually at work, in our rest, in family life, in prayer and in all places. But perhaps we are distracted on our way…Many things make us lose sight of the goal of encountering the Lord in our concrete work, at rest, in family life. What takes away our speed in hurrying to meet our Lord?”

Shortest route: Mary and St. Joseph. “The shortest way to make Jesus the center of our lives is to go to Mary and St. Joseph asking them for help to know and love Jesus Christ more each day.”

Download the one-page evangelization flyer here.