How To Know Jesus

Let us know, let us strive to know the Lord.  ~Hosea 6:3

Ave Maria!  In his homily at his Mass yesterday, Thursday, September 26, Pope Francis said that getting to know our Lord requires personal involvement: 

“We cannot know Jesus without becoming involved with him, without betting our lives on him.” 

The Holy Father said that we need three languages to know Jesus: that of the mind, that of the heart, and that of action. 

Mind:  "We can know Jesus in the Catechism...the Catechism teaches us many things about Jesus...we have to study it, we have to learn it....  We know the Son of God, who came to save us, we understand the beauty of the history of salvation, of the love of the Father, studying the Catechism.... Yes, you have to come to know Jesus in the Catechism –- but it is not enough to know Him with the mind: it is a step."

Heart:  "However, it is necessary to get to know Jesus in dialogue with Him, talking with Him in prayer, kneeling. If you do not pray, if you do not talk with Jesus, you do not know Him. You know things about Jesus, but you do not go with that knowledge, which He gives your heart in prayer. Know Jesus with the mind –- the study of the Catechism: know Jesus with the heart –-  in prayer, in dialogue with Him. This helps us a good bit, but it is not enough."

Action:  "There is a third way to know Jesus: it is by following Him. Go with Him, walk with Him....know Jesus in the language of action...walk along the path of his ways with him."

In conclusion, the Holy Father said, if “I know Jesus in these ways, I involve myself with Him”​​: When so many people -– including us –- pose this question: ‘But, who is He?’, The Word of God responds, ‘You want to know who He is? Read what the Church tells you about Him, talk to Him in prayer and walk the street with him. Thus, will you know who this man is.’ This is the way! Everyone must make his choice.”

Dear Lord, help me to choose wisely that I may truly know You -- and knowing You, fully love You with all my heart, soul, strength and mind.  Amen.