The Christian Goal

The Neocatechumenal Way is an itinerary to Christian Formation.  Its goal is to form Christians by bringing us closer to Jesus Christ.  I have been walking in the Neocatechumenal Way for ten years.  It has been a struggle for us, but these are things I have seen in the Way.  

1.  I have seen a brother yell at our catechists and storm out slamming the door behind him.  We are not perfect, and there are times we disagree with our catechists.  In fact, some of us have issues with authority.  

2.  I have seen a catechist clench his fist and yell at a brother.  The catechist team is not perfect as well.  

3.   I have seen brothers in the community arguing over petty little things.  None of us are perfect. 

4.  I have heard brothers pray for themselves and the people whom they love.      

All these show that we are all human.  But this is not what impressed me. These are the things that impressed me.  These are the miraculous things that show the manifestations of the Holy Spirit.   

1.  A week later, the brother who stormed out came back, apologizing to the catechists for his behavior. 

2.  After calming down and taking some time off, the catechist who yelled at the brother called the following day to apologize and asked for his forgiveness. 

3.  The two brothers who were constantly disagreeing and arguing with each other eventually learn to forgive one another and accepted each other's weaknesses.  They even learned to cooperate and become partners in setting up for the celebration.  

4.  In addition to praying for themselves and loved ones, they have learned to pray for those who hurt them.  In other words, a brother prays for the father who abandoned him and the wife prays for the other woman who slept with her husband.  
  
Love is always linked to forgiveness.  You cannot love if you cannot forgive, and if you do not forgive, then there is no love in you.   

The Church is like a hospital.  It is there for sinners.  Christ is the physician who comes to heal our sins.  Christ wants to make us into a new creature.....to rid ourselves of the old man of sin and live as a new creation in Christ.  He knows that as weak creatures, we can fall into sin.  However, Christ instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation so that we can be reconciled back to God and His Church after falling into sin.  Christ comes to do much more than forgive our sins.  He came to heal us of those sins so that we can live virtuous lives like the holy saints.  Holy saints like Mother Teresa of Calcutta show that it is possible with God. Every saint was once a sinner; therefore, it is possible for a sinner to become a holy saint.  The goal of every Christian is eternal life with God.