Now we know quite well about the male disciples of Jesus Christ, but among his disciples there were also women, in particular Mary Magdalene. What role did she play in the community of disciples? Was she a chief disciple, or perhaps even the wife of Jesus Christ?
What difference does it make for us as Christians to assume the family life of Jesus Christ? Is his mission diminished if it turns out he was married and perhaps even had children? Of course not. The great spiritual message of Jesus Christ about love and searching for God in one's own heart does not change in any way, even if we can find evidence about his family life.
Another big topic is the relatives and especially the brothers of Jesus Christ. Perhaps his main student was his older brother, James, whose life and work was later silenced. After all, it was Jacob, the brother of Jesus Christ, who led the Jerusalem church and the first community of disciples.
In his lectures, Sathya Sai Baba often spoke about the spiritual power of the practice of chanting the holy name of Jesus Christ. During one of the Christmas lectures, Sathya Sai Baba quoted wonderful words from the Apostolic Letters, which say that everyone who prays with the name of Jesus Christ will be heard and saved.
Sathya Sai Baba said there is a wonderful and simple way to practice the prayer of Jesus Christ, which is the constant repetition of his name: "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus."
Sathya Sai Baba said at the very beginning of the spiritual path, it is difficult for a person to repeat a short prayer, i.e., just the name of Jesus, because the mind requires something more complex. Therefore, you can practice a longer version of this prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me."
Sathya Sai Baba said if any other words of the Jesus Prayer appear in your heart, then trust your feeling, for God will guide you along the right path through intuition. The prayer that is more suitable for you can resound in your heart.
There are various assumptions about what the prayer to Jesus Christ looked like at the very beginning of the development of the Christian tradition. There is an assumption that the first generation of Christians prayed to Jesus Christ by saying his holy name: "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus," or "Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ."
This original form of prayer and meditation in the name of Jesus Christ is identical to that which Sathya Sai Baba spoke about. It is this simplest form of meditation that invokes presence and blessing in the strongest way. In this version of the prayer, you do not ask for anything, you simply chant the holy names.
