Presence of Christ in All My Works
Jesus Christ may do everything in me, … [and] I will often repeat, especially at the beginning of these works: “Lord Jesus, expel me and put yourself in me, destroy my life and may your life be my life.” (OOCC, X, pp. 157 - 158; STA, 268)
Jesus, living out his incarnated existence in this world, was constantly aware of his communion with the heavenly Father. Everything he did always emerged out of this deep communication with the Father. In his teachings, Jesus often taught that his disciples should be united to each other just as he and the Father were united. Even the teachings and works of Jesus were not strictly his, but rather they were the actions of the Father manifested through Jesus. Just as Jesus’ every action was an expression of the presence of his Father in him, similarly St. Vincent Pallotti felt that Christ, in fact, did everything in him. He constantly prayed to Jesus to destroy his selfish self, and place the very self of Jesus in him. Thus, St. Vincent Pallotti cherished the desire to be another Christ. He wanted to manifest the presence of Christ in and through his works. As a result, his actions were not merely his, but also that of Christ. By being another Christ in the world, St. Vincent wanted to manifest the greater glory of God to every person he encountered in his life.
Do I realize that I am called to be in communion with Jesus? Do I believe that my actions are expected to manifest the presence of Christ? Do I, in my prayer, ask Jesus to make my actions become similar to that of his? Do I desire the destruction of my selfishness and my emergence as another Christ to manifest his glory?
If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize [and understand] the Father is in me and I am in the Father. (Jn. 10: 37-38)