20 Christ most fully during the Eucharist. That is when the desire of the heart rekindles and the initial intention and ideal of a life devoted solely to Jesus is cleansed. Human effort is equally important – a commitment involving a radical decision to renounce sin and to make an effort to follow Christ in sinlessness in order to live for God and His affairs.12 Father Papczyński says that an authentic test of following Christ is conversion. He recalls here the figures of Judas and Matthew, the tax collector. Each of them followed Christ’s call but one can clearly see the difference in fulfilling this calling. Our Founder expresses it as follows: Consider that the evidence of a true conversion is the true imitation of Christ the Lord. Judas Iscariot was not converted, because although he followed Jesus, he was following Him deceitfully; he followed Him with a false disposition, thinking of his moneybags. Saint Matthew, on the contrary, was a true follower of Christ because, getting up, he followed Him. From where did he get up? From sin. To where did he follow Christ? To the virtues. Behold, a simple rule of following Christ is given to you: get up and follow Him [...] Get up, therefore, and follow Him; because you will by no means follow Him, unless you get up.13 A radical break with sin is a fundamental condition for following Christ which resonates even more strongly in the call of the Marians’ Founder to take up the cross and to renounce oneself (cf. Mt 16:24). Father Founder, based on this passage of the Gospel, contrasts the way of life shown by Christ with a life lived according to earthly ambitions. Behaviours which need to be renounced if one wants to follow an evangelical life are: wickedness, vainglory, envy and pride. Following Christ, according to Father Founder, calls for renouncing everything one owns or may own in the future: honours, riches, deference, fame or even relatives and parents – one needs to follow Christ firmly and resolutely. “Totality and uncompromisingness in following Christ should be the essential principle rule of following Christ in perfection. [...]He not only wants to be followed but also He helps those who – binding their life with Him – seek to become like Him.”14 12 Ibid, p. 28. 13 Saint Stanislaus Papczyński, Examination of the Heart, For the Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist in: Selected Writing of Saint Stanislaus Papczyński, PROMIC, Warsaw, Poland, Marian Heritage, Stockbridge, MA, USA, 2022, p. 424. 14 Cf. Fr. Andrzej Pakuła, Wprowadzenie, w: Błogosławiony Stanisław Papczyński, Wejrzenie w głąb serca Wydawnictwo Księży Marianów MIC, Warszawa 2008, p. 29; IC p. 8–10.
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