Configuration to Christ

Being configured to Christ entails imitation and encounter. For in that imitation and encounter came forth the true fulfillment in life, which is seeing God face to face in Heaven, as St. Irenaeus puts it, "The glory of God is man fully alive." To carry out this calling, there are things we must keep in mind. All of this starts with a longing, an ongoing conversion, and a mission to be a witness to this experience.

First, the longing to encounter Christ is the prerequisite for configuration. A soul that longs for God instills in one's heart the graces that are found in the Lord. This is challenging in our times, where many people, especially the youth, are distracted by the technology that is prevalent today. This is a hindrance to silence and contemplation. This longing can be gauged in the hearts of men by the beauty and richness of our faith. The good news is that Christ died and rose from the dead so that we can live forever with Him in the next life. Acceptance of Christ is the end of his longing.

Second, once we encounter Christ, it requires the idea of ongoing conversion. It's a huge temptation of Satan to think that once we encounter Christ, we will never go astray again. No, let us remember that the Devil is shrewd and we have a battle to strive for. The more we know and love Christ, the more the Devil will tempt us to turn away from Him by sinning. God allowed this to happen to prove our love for Him. Thus, the frequent reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is the best remedy to conquer the false notion of absolute righteousness once we encounter Christ. Divine intervention and human cooperative effort should complement each other in this life of continual conversion.

Third, when ongoing conversion is measured, the witnessing mission enters the picture. This mission is instilled in the hearts of baptized Christians. This is the commission that Christ has given us: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." This is the mission of all the baptized, not just the ordained. We need to preach the gospel to our own hearts each day; it helps us to be thankful for what the Lord has done in our lives through our longing and ongoing conversion. We also need to realize that there are things that hinder us from sharing. These could be fear, a lack of love, and many more excuses. In spite of these difficulties, St. John reminds us that "perfect love casts out fear." The love of the Lord that we experience in our longing and ongoing conversion gives us the inspiration to share the love that we experience.

This cycle of configuration is a grace that God Himself initiated. Let us remember that God longs more for us than we do; the Lord desires our ongoing conversion more than ourselves, and the Lord gives us His Spirit to be a missionary and be a gift to others. It teaches us that God's love never fails us because He is always present in our being configured to Him.