Do you realize that the life you're living now is someone else's life, that is, the life of Christ? Do you remember when Christ's crucifixion became so real to you that you were crucified with Him? This made you stop living for yourself, although you still continued living your human life (Gal 2:20).

This change of lives happened by faith in Jesus Christ, and you continue to live a life of faith (Gal 2:20). Because you have reached the conviction that since Jesus "died for all, all died," you live no longer for yourself, but for Him (2 Cor 5:14-15). Since, "after all, you have died" (Col 3:3), those things you used to consider gain, you "have now reappraised as loss in the light of Christ" (Phil 3:7). You "have come to rate all as loss in the light of the surpassing knowledge" of your Lord Jesus Christ (Phil 3:8). For His sake you "have forfeited everything" and "accounted all else rubbish" (Phil 3:8).

After all this, the only thing left to do is to journey "through towns and villages preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God" (Lk 8:1). Our food, desire, and meaning in life is doing the will of Him Who sent us and bringing His work to completion (Jn 4:34).

Rescript:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, January 22, 2007

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