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at us, we see that gaze of love which Nathaniel
glimpsed on the day when Jesus said to him: âI
saw you under the fig treeâ (
Jn
1:48). How good
it is to stand before a crucifix, or on our knees
before the Blessed Sacrament, and simply to be
in his presence! How much good it does us when
he once more touches our lives and impels us to
share his new life! What then happens is that
âwe speak of what we have seen and heardâ (
1 Jn
1:3). The best incentive for sharing the Gospel
comes from contemplating it with love, lingering
over its pages and reading it with the heart.
If
we approach it in this way, its beauty will amaze
and constantly excite us. But if this is to come
about, we need to recover a contemplative spirit
which can help us to realize ever anew that we
have been entrusted with a treasure which makes
us more human and helps us to lead a new life.
There is nothing more precious which we can
give to others.
265.âJesusâ whole life, his way of dealing with
the poor, his actions, his integrity, his simple dai-
ly acts of generosity, and finally his complete
self-giving, is precious and reveals the mystery
of his divine life. Whenever we encounter this
anew, we become convinced that it is exactly what
others need, even though they may not recognize
it: âWhat therefore you worship as unknown,
this I proclaim to youâ (
Acts
17:23). Sometimes
we lose our enthusiasm for mission because we
forget that the Gospel responds to our deepest
needs, since we were created for what the Gospel
