Theological Foundations new file

65 Life in Christ The Renovator of the Marians realized that the thought of a future reward is a great support for the fatigued and persecuted heralds of Christ. This thought helps them to purify their intentions and undertake any labors out of love for God; the greater the love, the purer the inten- tion and the more meritorious the actions. In this manner God will become the beginning and end of any activity preceding everything with His grace. Man, in turn, will not expect any human reward for his efforts here on earth but will long for the eternal reward which, out of God’s mercy, will be our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. 31 This thought will make it easier to open our hearts to His urgent call to conversion. 2. Christ’s Call to Repentance As he ponders the Gospel message which shows Christ concerned about the fate of humankind, Father Papczynski brings forward one of the main truths contained in this message, namely, Christ’s call to repen- tance which puts us under the fundamental obligation to undergo spiri- tual formation. In order to persuade man to heed Christ’s call, Father Stanislaus places him before the majesty of the Heavenly King and makes him realize that the Savior had long been waiting for him: “Think, what kind of prayer will you use when you have arrived before this King of Heaven: what kind of plea, what model or form of request? Do use a humble and serious one as you say: You, Lord, are my Savior, who have been waiting so long for me to convert and I, an unworthy ser- vant and fugitive, have been reluctant. You, Lord, are the One who could have very justly thrown me in hell thousands of times so far because of my crimes, yet You waited for me to come to my senses. Finally, You are the One who saw me soiled with countless foul smelling stains of my bad, ignoble deeds and, only out of Your mercy, called me to enjoy this holy bath in Your Most Precious Blood, so that I might be cleansed. 32 In his testament, Father Papczynski confesses that he immerses his own sins in the saving wounds of Jesus Christ, his Lord and Redeemer. 33 These wounds should be a motivation for us to repent. AChristian must