Have you ever asked yourself the following questions: What drew others to Christ? How did His voice sound? Did He look stern most of the time, or did He rather come off as lighthearted? What did others see when Christ wept at the grave of Lazarus? How did Christ conduct Himself at the wedding feast in Cana? What would Christ discuss with His apostles as they would walk together (because Christ would have spent many of His days just walking from one town to the next)? What was Christ’s daily schedule for the first 30 years of His life? Did He smile and laugh? If so, what things would prompt such behavior in Him?
Such questions will help us penetrate more deeply into the human nature of Our Lord. However, this should never take away from (rather, it can greatly foster) our awareness of, and our love and veneration for, His Divinity. Remember, it is always a Divine Person acting through this human nature that we contemplate. After considering the different thoughts, words, and actions of Christ, remind yourself that this is God.
Our reading of the Gospels would probably be much more fruitful if we took the approach of St. Ignatius. In his Spiritual Exercises, he has the reader imagine himself really present there with Christ. See the people. Who are they? What do they look like? Hear their words. What are they saying? What do they sound like? Observe their actions. Why do they act in this way? What does this action cost them? Could you ever see yourself doing the same? To truly draw spiritual profit from reading the Scriptures, much more is required than just a reading of the words. A quick and mindless reading of the ink almost certainly won’t lead to a more profound knowledge of Christ. Our digging into the Gospels must be prompted by a great desire, a desire to know Our Lord Jesus Christ more intimately so as to follow Him more closely.
“For I judged myself not to know anything among you but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). “The things that were gain to me, the same I have counted loss for Christ. I count all things to be but loss for the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ, my Lord” (Phil. 3:7). “Now this is eternal life: that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent” (Jn. 17:3)
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