Why is Jesus The Role Model of Catholic Faith?

                    Once, our world was inhabited only by beasts of the land, air and sea. Now, not only plants and animals live in this world, but humans invaded it as well. What was once only dirt is now covered by pavements; everyday we walk on these busy streets. Our cities now filled with neon lights and skyscrapers, once a safe forest haven of deep creatures. Have we ever stopped and wondered how different our world is back then? Back when everything was grand and brand new. God entrusted us with all His creations yet we destroy them in return. Despite everything, God constantly loved us. Even though we have disobeyed Him dozens of times, although we keep on wiping out the lives He created, that did not stop Him from showing His everlasting love. The kind of love that He did not have second thoughts on giving up Jesus, His Only Begotten Son to redeem us from all our wrongdoings and transgressions. Now, who is Christ for God to give up? Why is He the model of our Catholic Faith? Is it just because He is the Son of the Sovereign God of the Universe?

                    Jesus is no ordinary person. He is the Son of God. He then has two natures: God and man. Jesus performs miracles, heals the sick, forgives sinners, proclaims the Good News and moves us to conversion. He DIED for us, resurrected and ascended into heaven. And that’s why He is the model of the Church. Who could be a better model than the one who instituted it? The Ascension of the Risen Jesus made possible the sending of the Holy Spirit, the promised presence of Christ until the end of time. Jesus is present in the hearts of all men by the power of the Holy Spirit. He and the Holy Spirit have  a combined mission. They are two idiosyncratic heavenly Persons performing as solitary, giving life and moving the Church born on Pentecost. Aside from instituting it, Jesus is the Head of His Body, the Church. He then moves us to commit ourselves to follow His way of life, be of service to others and obey the will of the Father, thus making him a perfect example of our faith.

                    After proving that Jesus is the role model of our Catholic faith, we must be like Him in words and in deeds. We must be Christ-like and respond to Jesus’ call to the fullness of Christian life. Simple acts of goodness like keeping our obligation as Catholics, which is to attend the Holy Mass on the Sabbath, can already make a difference. But we must not stop there. Living out the values that we have learned from the Gospel and the homily of the priests is a big leap for us. Within ourselves, we must start from small beginnings, so that like Jesus Christ, we could be a model of our belief. 

Jesus as The Way, The Truth and The Life

                    Jesus declared Himself to the disciples as “the only way”. He began speaking more plainly about Heaven when the disciples were confused about where He was going, and how they could follow. As He was proclaiming them from the start, Jesus was again telling them “follow me.” It’s not only the disciples that were told, but we’re also a part of it. There is no other path to Heaven, no other way to the Father, but Jesus alone. The same truth was proclaimed all throughout saying about Jesus, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved”.
                     Again, Jesus declared Himself to the disciples as “the only truth. This separates Jesus Christ from every other leader of every other faith. Other leaders would proclaim, “I’m teaching the truth” or “I’m a prophet of truth.” But Jesus comes and says, “I am the truth.” It only proves that Jesus, as the incarnate Word of God is the source of all truth.
                    Jesus had been telling His disciples about His death and ascension, and now He declares Himself to be the source of all life. He spoke of His authority over life and death as being granted to Him by the Father. He gave the promise that “because I live, you also will live.” The deliverance He was speaking about is a true deliverance from a life of sin and death to a life of freedom with the Lord, Our God. 
                    So how do we plan on following Him today? We then are encouraged to the same way as the disciples did long ago. When we hear the words of Jesus, we must believe them. We must take His words and obey them. We must confess our sins and repent whole-heartedly. We then believe that He died to save us from our sins and rose from the dead to give us new life and hope. In return, we must follow His example and encourage others to tell the truth about sin, righteousness, and judgment. When we follow Him in “the way,” we can be assured of following Him all the way to Heaven.