“If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” —Luke 9:23
This is one of the three foundational texts of Francis’s rule of life (the others are Matthew 19:21 and Luke 14:26). When Bernard of Quintavalle told Francis he wanted to join his life of poverty, they spoke to the parish priest and, under his guidance, opened the Scriptures three times, a common practice in medieval times. The three passages they read that day express the need to put Christ at the center of all we think, say, and do. If our own goals, possessions, and even families and friends distract us from the Lord’s call, then we are not truly choosing life. In an ideal world, all these things should bring us closer to God— and we should bring them closer to God.
—from the book Lent with St. Francis: Daily Reflections
by Diane M. Houdek
1 thought on “Centering Our Lives on Christ”
I think before we can center our lives in Christ, we first have to be true to ourselves. You don’t want to commit yourself to the religious life if you know you still have things that you have to do. Only when those things are out of the way, can one then plunge head long into the full Christ mode, I believe. Remember, the ultimate goal is to be more of your ultimate self, since God wants us to be ourselves and also to be happy.