Conclusion

So, who is Jesus? He is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, the only begotten Son of God, become man, giving flesh to Divine Love and Mercy.

What did Jesus teach? A lot, but the most important teaching is to love God by means of prayer, worship and doing God’s will, and to love our neighbor, who is anyone in need.

What did Jesus do? He loved us, and gave himself up for us, to save us from Hell for Heaven.

What is the way of life Jesus asks of his followers? We can use the fingers on our hands to summarize and memorize the beliefs and way of life for followers of Jesus in his Catholic Church:

Our pinky, our weakest finger, represents the need for us to acknowledge that we’re too weak to pay the debt due our sins, and so we cry out: “I need a savior!”

Our ring finger, where married couples might sport a ring, represents the wedding of divinity and humanity in the person of Jesus, who comes to save. 

Our middle finger, rising highest of all fingers (normally), represents our belief that Jesus was raised up high on the cross to save us, and raised up out of the grave to open Heaven for us. 

Our index finger, used to summon people, c’mere, represents the invitation for us to repent of sins, put our faith in Jesus, be baptized, and then live a saved life as a member of the Catholic Church.

Our thumb, used to gesture “you’re outta there,” represents the need for us to change to a new way of living, including being chaste, living simply, and serving and sharing with people in need.

In brief: If we admit our need for a savior, and believe that Jesus is God made man, who suffered death to redeem us, and rose from the grave to open heaven to us, then we are promised happiness here and in the hereafter.

On the other hand, our fingers can be used to summarize and memorize the important practices of our new way of life…

When we acknowledge that we’re weak, like our pinky, we know we need God’s help, and so we pray each day for God’s help, and in thanksgiving for God’s help. 

Our ring finger reminds us that, just as Jesus became one with us, he wants us to become one with him, by worthily receiving Holy Communion at Sunday Mass.

Our middle finger reminds us, that as Jesus was raised on the Cross for the forgiveness of sin, we should regularly confess our venial and mortal sins to a priest.

The index finger is used by a teacher to point to a lesson to learn. Just so, it reminds us of the need to feed our faith by reading and studying the Bible and the Catechism.

The thumb is used by a hitchhiker to ask: Going my way? Just so, it reminds us of the great commission we received from Jesus to ask people to go our Catholic way, to share our beliefs with others, accompanied by the witness of our example of giving and forgiving. This is the “butter at room temperature” that readily spreadilies.

In brief: pray every day; go to Sunday Mass; go to Confession regularly; study the Bible and the Catechism; and witness by forgiving others and giving to the poor.

Now put those two hands together, matching the fingers of one hand to those of the other, like a mirror, and you have a way to understand the message of the Good News of Jesus. And with those same two hands joined together, pray:

• to persevere in the practice of your holy Catholic Faith;
• to be a good witness, that others will be attracted to follow Jesus because of your lived example;
• to answer God’s call to Heaven, to holiness, and to mission.

From what we know about who Jesus is, what he did, what he taught, and the way of life he shows to his followers, what’s not to love?

Know the Lord. Love the Lord. Serve the Lord out of love. And therein find your happiness and fulfillment in this world and in the next. Then help others who are still seeking to do the same. Amen. Alleluia.
 

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The Bible is an indispensable tool for learning more about Jesus, what he taught, what he did, and the way of life he asks of his followers. The English translation of the Bible that Catholics use at Holy Mass is called the New American Bible. This is accessible on-line, but a Catholic should really own the book, the Bible, and read it too.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is another resource for learning our holy Catholic Faith. This is likewise accessible on-line, but buy the book in case of an internet crash.

This is part of a series titled, "A Follower of Jesus In His Holy Catholic Church"
which was published in April of 2021.

                        

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