"i do" to i am
"Jesus answered them: 'I solemnly declare it: before Abraham came to be, I AM.' " —John 8:58
Jesus solemnly proclaimed that He was I AM. This is the name God gave Himself (Ex 3:14). Jesus proclaims He is God.
If we believe that Jesus is God, we will:
- not die in our sins (Jn 8:24),
- conquer the world (1 Jn 5:5),
- worship Jesus (Jn 20:28),
- decide to be His slave (see Col 3:24),
- no longer live for ourselves but for Him (2 Cor 5:15),
- study the Church's teachings, especially the Bible, so that we will know God's will and do it (2 Tm 3:16-17),
- be a witness for the Lord, and
- believe in the mystery of the Trinity, for to believe in Jesus' divinity without the Trinity amounts to polytheism.
Ten days from now, the Church will ask us whether we believe Jesus is the Son of God, the Great I AM, God Himself. If we say "I do" to the "I AM," the lives we live will no longer be our own (Gal 2:20). We will live lives of faith in Jesus, our God, Who loved us and gave His life for us (Gal 2:20). Say "I do" to I AM.
Prayer: Jesus, I do!!!
Promise: "Look to the Lord in His strength; seek to serve Him constantly." —Ps 105:4
Praise: Pope St. Martin accepted the faith, the papacy, torture, imprisonment, and martyrdom.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Edward J. Gratsch, October 4, 1999
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, October 12, 1999