How to be or become a follower of Jesus Christ in the world and in your situation« But who do you say that I am? ». Peter said to him in reply: «You are the Messiah.»
Those of us who believe that Jesus is the son of God and therefore want to put his teachings into practice, in the place where God did put them, must strive to follow him within their own jobs in everyday life, because Faith without works, it is not such, simply it is not.
«Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me...»
In the life of us, ordinary people, we all encounter our crosses and strive to bear them serenely: we thank God Who allows us to experience sometimes problems and misfortunes - our crosses - and to offer Him our troubles and sufferings, and those of others too. Also of those whom for Christ's sake we strive to help according to our possibilities. So we try to live a life that is an example.
As for deeds, whoever wants to follow Christ tries to do what in conscience he believes is the best for the good of his neighbor.
He does not think first of himself, but gives priority to those closest to him and gradually to all the others, just in the right order.
Those who have faith in Christ but besides the rest also have the great burden of the responsibility of governing a community, that is, a city, a region, or a Nation, aren't unaware that the principles of the Faith must be applied to the whole society, because they are universal, but they know well that the praxis must necessarily be different.
The practice of an individual cannot be identical to that applied to a plural society, because the consequences can be very different, and sometimes harmful too.
In particular, those who have some governmental responsibility carry a huge cross on their shoulders. They should clearly realize that the consequences of their acts and their possible mistakes will be paid for by the whole of society.
They are aware of it even if by chance they are without God and they act sometimes blindly, according to a single earthly ideology.
The person of faith, whoever he/she is, should read every day a page of the Gospel and pray assiduously that God will inspire him/her to make the right decisions, because all mistakes and wrong decisions are almost always rewarded with bad results.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 8,27-35.
Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way he asked his disciples, «Who do people say that I am?»
They said in reply, "John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets."
And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter said to him in reply, "You are the Messiah."
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."
He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it."
