Introduction

The Christian Path as Sacrament of Identity and Unity

What does it mean to be a Christian?  This is a question answered in many ways, depending upon your understanding of Christianity.  Christianity can be best understood through the guidance of one particular passage from the Gospel of John (17:21), when Jesus makes his prayer to God for his followers that, “All may be one as you, Abba, are in me and I in you; may they be one in us.”   This is a prayer for the recognition of our identification with Christ and for our identification with others.  We are one Self with Christ and with the world around us.  The identification of Christ with all human beings is also shown by Jesus in Matthew 25:40, when he teaches that, “What you have done for the least of my brothers and sisters you have done for me.”

 The Christian life is a sacrament in that it is a sign of the living reality of Christ.  It is an expansion of the great sacrament we call Eucharist.  In the Eucharist we receive Christ and we become what we receive.  In our daily life of faith we not only receive Christ through the love and prayer of those around us; we also give Christ through our service and through our mere presence – for we are Christ in the world.  The great saints have attested to this throughout the ages.  St. Teresa of Avila wrote this great prayer in Spain, where she lived during the sixteenth century:

Christ has no body now on earth but yours;
No hands but yours,
No feet but yours,
Yours are the eyes through which is to look out
Christ’s compassion to the world;
Yours are the feet with which he is to go about
Doing good;
Yours are the hands with which he is to bless all people now.[1]

Similarly, St. Symeon, who lived in Constantinople more than 500 years earlier, wrote this hymn that celebrates our identity with Christ:

We awaken in Christ’s body as Christ awakens in our bodies,
And my poor hand is Christ’s
He enters my foot, and is infinitely me.

 I move my hand and wonderfully my hand becomes Christ,
Becomes all of him
–       for God is indivisibly whole, seamless in his Godhead.

 I move my foot, and at once
He appears like a flash of lightning.
Do my words seem blasphemous?
Then open your heart to him.

 And let yourself receive the one
Who is opening to you so deeply.
For if we genuinely love him,
We wake up inside Christ’s body.

 Where all our body, all our every most
Hidden part of it,
Is realized in joy as him,
And he makes us utterly real.

 And everything that is hurt,
Everything that seemed to us dark harsh, shameful,
Maimed, ugly, irreparably damaged,
In him is transformed.

 And recognized as whole, as lovely
And radiant in his light,
We awaken as the Beloved,
In every last part of our body. [2]

While this strong identification with Christ has not been emphasized in Western Christianity, it is ever present in the writings of the great teachers of the Church, from the very beginning, when St. Paul wrote (1 Corinthians 12:27), “You, then, are the body of Christ.  Every one of you is a member of it.”  We find our identity in Christ both individually and together – Christ discovered in the whole and in each member.

 If we return to the citation of John 17:21 we will find that Christianity as identity with Christ means three things: unity, growth and healing.  These are the guiding lights to tell us if we are on the right path in finding that identity with Christ.  To be Christ in the world is to act as Jesus did during his historical life.  Examples of Jesus’ ministry of unity, growth and healing can be seen in these New Testament references:

 Ø     Unity           In Matthew 5:23-24, we learn that we need to reconcile with our estranged brothers and sisters before coming to worship God. [The First Letter of John (4:20) expands this by saying that we cannot say that we love God whom we cannot see if we cannot love the brother or sister we do see.]  In Luke 15, he teaches the great parable of reconciliation – the Prodigal Son.  In John’s Gospel, Jesus prays for the unity of his followers again and again in chapters 14-17.

Ø     Growth       Jesus constantly taught his disciples and developed their understanding of his teaching.  He taught that the “reign of God” is like a mustard seed that grows into a large plant, and like yeast that slowly transforms flour into dough (Matthew 13).  He shaped their attitudes by sending them into the countryside to proclaim the Gospel, and by commenting on their ministry upon their return (Luke 10).  Jesus assures his followers (John 16:13) that the Spirit will come to teach them even more and to develop their understanding.

Ø     Healing       Again and again Jesus heals people throughout the gospels.  He heals the sick, the disabled and the spiritually ill.  He forgives as a ministry of transformation (Luke 19: 1-10) and protection (John 8: 1-11) rather than a ministry of judgment.

 Every interpretation of scripture, and every action in our daily lives must be submitted to the scrutiny of these three characteristics.  Otherwise, scripture and Christian doctrine can be used to divide, to stifle and to damage people – the opposite of unity, growth and healing.  How we can be certain of this is found in the example of the great Christians who lived the life of Christ throughout the ages.  The towering figures of Francis of Assisi, Catherine of Siena, John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and America’s own civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, are only a few of the millions of faithful followers who have reflected Christ in their own lives.  This reflection is always characterized by peace as the fruit of unity; wisdom as the fruit of growth; and joy as the fruit of healing. These elements are the signs that we are on the right track – we are finding and following Christ in our daily lives and in our life as a Christian community.

 The following chapters contain reflections of what this means as to the identity of Christ and our own identities, as well as implications for the traditional doctrines of the Church.  Chapters can be used by individuals, but may be followed in a group to provide mutual support.  A group allows for expanded sharing of each chapter’s meaning for the Christian life.  Here are some guidelines for a group.  Please use them as guidelines, not rules:

1.     Begin with an opening prayer.  A suggested opening prayer is that of St. Teresa, which is at the beginning of this introduction, but another may be substituted as the weeks go on. [Approximately 1 minute]

2.     Then begin by a simple chant, such as the words, “Come, Holy Spirit.”  After a minute of such chanting, simply move to silence for about 5-10 minutes.  End the meditation period with a short hymn, or by repeating the word “Peace” three times.  Peace is the greeting of the risen Christ found in John 20:21.  [Approximately 10-15 minutes]

3.     If you are in a group, allow each person just one minute to report a highlight from their time since the last group meeting.  This highlight may be based upon their mindful reflection during the week.

4.     Next, move to the shared reading of some part(s) of the chapter for the week. Groups should not feel obligated to read whole chapters.  Hopefully, the participants have read the appropriate chapter before the group meeting.  If not, ask participants to finish the material on their own.  The group may also want to split some chapters into two weeks.  The whole point is to be flexible.  The aim of the Mirror of Christ is growth, not a rigid completion of a program.

5.     If you are in a group, allow each member to comment upon the chapter.  The group’s tone should be relaxed, with all contributing and no one dominating the conversation.

6.     (Optional)  Allow each member of the group to choose a word or phrase that they would like to take home as a source of mindful reflection for the week to come.  That word or phrase should be written on a small card, so that it can be carried in a purse or pocket.

7.     Finally, pray for the needs of each person in the group.  Make sure that the prayer is short enough so that every person can be included – about minute per person at the most.

8.     Conclude with the Blessing of Peace, or a similar blessing.

9.     Refreshments may be served at the end of the blessing.

Be flexible about the program.  The whole point of it is to bring peace, wisdom and joy – the fruit of the Christian life.  There will be bumps in the road because peace is found through unity and reconciliation; wisdom is found through the struggle for maturity; and joy is the blessing of a heart that is healed of fear and anger. The road is not long for those who remember that it is the Spirit in our hearts that beckons us to travel it – coming closer to our truest Self – our identity with the Living Christ.

The Blessing of Peace

Peace is in the heavens;
Peace is in the skies;
Peace is on the earth;
The waters flow with peace;
The herbs and plants grow peacefully.
May the divine powers bring us into peace.
The supreme Lord is peace.
May we all be in peace, peace and only peace.
And may that peace come unto each of us.
Amen.

 (Adapted from the Vedas of India)