The promise of the Holy Eucharist in the synagogue of Capernaum caused arguments and scandals among many of the Lord's followers. Faced with such a wonderful truth, a good part of the disciples stopped following Him: From then on – Saint John relates in the Gospel of the Mass – many disciples backed away and no longer walked with Him1.
Faced with the wonder of his dedication to men in the Eucharistic Communion, they respond by turning their backs on him. It is not the crowd, but disciples who abandon him. The Twelve remain, they are faithful to their Master and Lord. Perhaps they did not understand much that day what the Lord promised them, but they remained with Him. Why did they stay? Why were they loyal in that moment of disloyalty? Because they were united to Jesus by a deep friendship, because they treated Him daily and had understood that He had words of eternal life, because they loved Him deeply. Where are we going to go? Peter tells him when the Lord asks them if they too are leaving: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life; we have believed and known that you are the Holy One of God2.
Christians live in a privileged time to bear witness to this sometimes undervalued virtue, fidelity. We see how, frequently, loyalty is broken in marriage, in the pledged word, fidelity to the doctrine and to the person of Christ. The Apostles show us that this virtue is based on love; They are faithful because they love Christ. It is love that induces them to remain in the midst of defections. Only one of them will betray him, later, because he stopped loving. That is why Pope John Paul II advises us all: «Seek Jesus, striving to achieve a deep personal faith that informs and guides your entire life; but above all, let it be your commitment and your program to love Jesus, with a sincere, authentic and personal love. He must be your friend and your support on the path of life. Only He has words of eternal life»3. Nobody but Him.
As long as we are in this world, the life of a Christian is a constant struggle between loving Christ and letting oneself be carried away by lukewarmness, passions or a bourgeoisization that kills all love. Fidelity to Christ is forged every day in the fight against everything that separates us from Him, in the effort to progress in virtues. Then we will be faithful in good times, and also in difficult times, when it seems that few remain with the Lord.
To maintain firm fidelity to the Lord, it is necessary to fight at all times, with a joyful spirit, even if the battles are small. And a manifestation of these desires to get a little closer to God every day, to love more and more, is the particular examination, which helps us to fight effectively against the defects and obstacles that separate us from Christ and our brothers and sisters. , and it makes it easier for us to acquire virtues and habits, which limit our crudeness in dealing with Jesus.
The particular examination specifies for us the goals of the interior life and prepares us to reach, with the help of grace, a determined and specific height of that mountain of holiness, or to expel an enemy, perhaps small, but well equipped, which causes numerous havoc and setbacks. «The general examination seems like defense. —The individual, attack. —The first is the armor. The second, Toledo sword»4.
Today, when we tell the Lord that we want to be faithful to him, we must ask ourselves in his presence: Are my desires to advance in love great? Do I specify these fighting desires in a specific point that can be the target of my particular examination? Am I docile to the indications I receive in spiritual direction?
Hablar con Dios