By Fr. Roy Cimagala
WE should always feel this need of strengthening our belief in Christ who is the pattern of our humanity and the savior of our damaged humanity. We cannot deny that even if we are baptized Catholics, and have gone through the usual practices of Christian life, our belief in Christ may still be weak or more in theory and intention and not in actual practice.
This inconsistency in our Christian life can get exposed when we encounter some difficulties and challenges that are a bit extraordinary. That’s when the real color of our Christianity is shown. We need to correct this anomaly.
And the way to do it is to always renew and put more vigor in our belief in Christ, refreshing our belief that Christ is always intervening in our life. He is never away from us nor indifferent to our needs. He is always around and is ever solicitous of our earthly condition.
The secret is to conform our will to God’s will as expressed and shown to us by Christ. We should not allow our will to simply be on its own. Our will needs an anchor, and that anchor can only be God.
We are reminded of this basic truth of our Christian faith in that gospel episode where Christ told his disciples, “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. But he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 7,21)
Apropos of this truth of our Christian faith, St. Paul also said, “Not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” (Rom 2,13) St. James says something similar: “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (1,22)
Christ himself lived by this principle, even at the expense of his own life. “I do nothing of myself, but as the Father has taught me…” (Jn 8,28) And in the agony in the garden, he expressed that most eloquent submission to his Father’s will, “Not my will but yours be done.” (Lk 22,42)
We need to understand that our whole life is a matter of conforming ourselves to God’s will, the very seat of our ultimate identity as persons and children of God. This would involve the stages of knowing that will, believing it, then professing it and putting it into action. In short, receiving our faith, then turning it into life itself.
All saints and the parade of holy men and women all through the ages have done nothing other than this. They had their ups and downs, their wins and losses, but they always stood up after each fall or loss, they repented, and went back to action again.
Of course, the epitome among the saints is Our Lady, who was praised by Christ himself to high heavens. When someone in the crowd told him his mother was around, he said: “Behold my mother and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father, that is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.” (Mt 12, 29-50)
We should see to it that we are good not only in words and in intentions, but also and most especially in deeds. Our usual problem, given our human nature and the current condition of our woundedness, is that we tend precisely to be very good in words and in intentions but really poor in performance and consistency.
This is how we can strengthen our belief in Christ!
Email: roycimagala@gmail.com
