with jesus
“He who is not with Me is against Me.” —Luke 11:23
Jesus said that whoever is not with Him is against Him (Lk 11:23). This makes sense, for Jesus is Emmanuel, God-with-us (Mt 1:23), till the end (Mt 28:20). At the Doxology in Mass, the priest proclaims, “Through Him, with Him, in Him.” A disciple is one who is with Jesus.
Jesus, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, came down from the bliss of heaven to be with us. Jesus said that when two or three are gathered in His name, there He is in their midst, with us again (Mt 18:20). At His agony in the garden, Jesus asked: Could you not remain “with Me” for even an hour? (Mt 26:40) But Jesus wants so much more than one hour out of 168 in a week. He wants to be with us always, even to the end of time (Mt 28:20). This is the essence of Eucharistic Adoration — being with Jesus.
There is no neutral ground in which we are neither with Jesus nor against Him. Heaven is eternity with Jesus. Hell is a place where one spends eternity without Jesus — a place of “definitive self-exclusion” from Jesus (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1033). There is no other choice. So, “decide today” (Jos 24:15) to remain with Jesus. Do all you can to be “with Jesus,” day after day — until you end up being with Him forever in heaven.
Prayer: Jesus, “with You I shall always be…and when I am with You, the earth delights me not” (Ps 73:23, 25).
Promise: “Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper.” —Jer 7:23
Praise: When Bill is tempted to impure thoughts, he accepts the grace to “bring every thought into captivity to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor 10:5).
Reference: (This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)
Rescript: "In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from February 1, 2026, through March 31, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio August 27, 2025"
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.