My Catholic Identity

Vatican

Once I finished university, I started working in a large city.  It took forever to find an apartment at a fair price but I finally found one I could afford. I used a sleeping bag on the floor; I had a chair and a few dishes and belongings. I started from scratch.

I went to work, went about my day, bought groceries, and eventually began a life of some sort. It was difficult in those days to let go of the things of youth and begin to take some responsibility as a graduate and a bonafide adult.

Once the days pass and the routine of work settles in, I began to ask myself the question, “Who am I and what am I doing here?”  These existential questions are not only left to philosophers and whoever else wants to answer these questions that many of us have. Society continually distracts us from what we desire. We are left in these compartmentalized boxes in a way that leaves us at the mercy of society.

Identity

We are told by everyone that there is a secret to happiness and if you follow the recipes that are provided for us on social media, we will find ‘happiness.’ Unfortunately, each one of those recipes ignores Christ. Pope Francis said, “It is difficult not to be touched by these words,” on January 29th during his weekly general audience in the Paul VI Hall. “They contain the ‘identity card’ of a Christian because they outline the face of Jesus himself; his way of life.” It is always a big question we ask ourselves from when we are young, but these questions continue into various stages of life and throughout different circumstances where we find ourselves.

Pope Francis continued during his homily at mass,

Our Christian identity is belonging to a people: The Church.  Without this, we are not Christians. We entered the Church through Baptism: there we become Christians?

It is precisely this provocation that pushes me to search for an answer. That answer is not an exam question where it is right or wrong and ends with a period. It is an answer that continually demands attention.

Asking the Questions

In the book, The Risk of Education, by the Servant of God, Luigi Giussani, recounts how young people begin to ask these fundamental questions. Monsignor Giussani says this stage of the educational process is like packing a backpack for life’s journey. At adolescence, however, the student is beginning to realize that the adult world is just around the corner. This causes him to look inside the backpack to figure out just what equipment is in there, and whether it works.

We all reach this point of seeking to understand. For each one of us, it arrives at different moments, but I would submit that it does not arrive at one point and then that is it. From my experience, there are various times in life that transitions force us to re-evaluate. We all need to open that backpack. So much is thrown at us from every angle, and we need to resist and stay strong and sift through what is necessary. It is at this point that one would ask “Who am I?” in front of challenges, obstacles or changes that confront us in our lives. For me, the answer is Jesus Christ.

Examples of the Saints

St. Paul was persecuting Christians until his dramatic conversion. St. Paul told us that in Christ we have become God’s adopted children, brothers, and sisters in Christ. This is who we are. This is our identity. The unfortunate part of this is how we can easily fall victim to a society that does not want us to be attached to Christ.

Centuries later, Pope Francis continued,

Families have a citizenship which is divine. The identity card they have is given to them by God. So that within the heart of the family, truth, goodness and beauty may truly grow.”

We need to nurture this beauty. We need to affirm that Christ gives us our identity. We are much more than our job, place to live and the car we drive. None of that is important if it does not have Christ at its core.

Thoughts

Living Catholicism in a society that can be totally against it continues to be a challenge. St. Catherine of Siena said, “Speak the truth in a million voices. It is silence that kills!” Rising to this challenge calls for a true Catholic identity. Knowing who we are as a people and as an individual who stays strong in their faith demands strength and is a risk worth taking. Sometimes we need to keep silent and allow God to speak to us but then there are times when we must speak. It is at this moment that we must speak that we are helped with our words from Christ.

But our starting point is Christ. It has to be! He is how we begin and end our day. He is who we remember as we motor through our day of joy and laughter and pain. There is no one greater than Him. St. Paul of the Cross said,

Do not live any longer in yourself but let Jesus Christ live in you in such a way that the virtue of this Divine Saviour may be resplendent in all your actions, in order that all may see in you a true portrait of the Crucified and sense, the sweetest fragrance of the holy virtues of the Lord, in interior and exterior modesty, in patience, in gentleness, suffering, charity, humility and in all others that follow.

Most of us have an identity card of some sort. Driver’s licence, student card, credit card but do we have the mark of faith? Identifying with Christ is more than amazing! When I go to daily mass, I see the same faithful people. Each one of them makes time for Christ in whatever circumstances we are given. Each one of those people in that Church at 7 a.m. recognizes who is the centre of the world and their lives.

For me, I struggle with this daily to keep Christ at the centre. Saint Mother Theresa of Calcutta said, “Not all of us can do great things, but we can all do small things with great love.” Christ does not ask for great things from us, but he does ask us to take up our cross and follow.

I want to follow, and I cannot do this alone. Christ has given each one of us help along the way and we must be ready to ask for help. Once we recognize our identity lies in Him, our lives can be truly great. Greatness in God’s eyes is so much more beautiful than the beauty of the world’s eyes.

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4 thoughts on “My Catholic Identity”

  1. “At adolescence, however, the student is beginning to realize that the adult world is just around the corner.” but Christ is with me and Im not scared to turn thru the adults world corner.
    Beautiful words to explain something way more beautiful.

  2. I like your backpack analogy. As you say, there are many stages of life and many unexpected situations that cause us to rip into it and beg for help. “Lord, what am I supposed to do with THIS?” As the time ahead shortens, many useless things get tossed out and the backpack becomes very light and simple. Nice piece.

    1. Thank you for your kind words. I think it is important to start with our own experience.

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