Do I really understand?

"No one who follows Me will ever walk in darkness  (Jn 8:12). These words of our Lord counsel all to  walk in His footsteps. If you want to see clearly  and avoid blindness of heart, it is His virtues you  must imitate. Make it your aim to meditate on the  life of Jesus Christ. Christ's teachings surpasses that  of all the Saints. But to find this spiritual nourishment  you must seek to have the Spirit of Christ. It is  because we lack this Spirit that so often we listen  to the Gospel without really hearing it. Those who  fully understand Christ's words must labor to make  their lives conform to His." — Thomas á Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, p.15