This is the core of the Gospel spirituality that inspired St. Alphonsus Liguori. It inflamed the hearts of countless others and continues to burn in the hearts of Catholics today. Our entire salvation rests upon these four simple words, which tell the Gospel narrative: God entered our broken world (crib), gave of himself completely to the point of death (cross), became our nourishment (sacrament), and became our source of hope (Mary). By loving as God the Son loved us, we can in turn become hope for others.

Following Christ means walking in his...