If I asked you if you were a Christian, you would have to have an understanding of what a Christian is in order to answer the question truthfully. The word "christian" is used so flippantly nowadays that the scenario "if you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" might apply.
For some, to be a "christian" is to be one who acknowledges Christ. The problem with this definition is that the devil acknowledges Christ but is in hell! Some think they are Christian just because they go to church every Sunday and try to do good, yet have no prayer life nor any sense of what God is asking them to do. Some are "christian" only on Sunday, and act like pagans the other days of the week, yet dare to say they are Christians. If I were to ask you, "What does it mean to be a Christian?", how would you answer?
Compare your answer to those of the the Saints. After doing this, if need be, ask God to help you to truly be a Christian. St. Basil has much to say about what it means to be a Christian. He says, "The mark of a Christian is faith working by charity; to be born anew through baptism of water and Spirit; that he be purified of all defilement of the flesh and of the spirit in the Blood of Christ, perfecting sanctification in the fear of God and the love of Christ (2 Cor. 7:1) and that he have no blemish nor spot nor any such thing; that he be holy and blameless (Eph. 5:27) and so eat of the Body of Christ and drink His Blood, for 'he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks judgement to himself' (1 Cor. 11:29); that his justice (the Christian's) abound in all things more than the Scribes and Pharisees, according to the rule of the doctrine which has been handed down in the Lord's Gospel (Mat. 5:20); that they love one another as Christ has loved us (Eph. 5:2); to set the Lord always in his sight (Ps. 15).
St. Ignatius, in his letter to the Romans, wrote; "... Only beg for me strength within and without, that I may be a man not merely of words, but also of resolution. In this way, I shall not only be called a Christian, but also prove to be one. For if I prove to be one, I can also be called a true believer then when I am no longer seen by the world."
St. Gregory of Nyssa wrote: "If, therefore, someone puts on The Name of Christ, but does not exhibit in his life what is indicated by the term, such a person belies The Name and puts on a lifeless mask in accordance with the model proposed to us. For it is not possible for Christ not to be Justice and Purity and Truth and estrangement from all evil, nor is it possible to be a Christian, that is, truly a Christian, without displaying in oneself a participation in these virtues. If one can give a definition of Christianity, we shall define it as follows: Christianity is an imitation of the Divine Nature... If the definition says that Christianity is an imitation of God, the person who has never been given an explanation of this mystery will think that the divine is such as he sees life among us to be, accepting it as a valid imitation of God, so that if he sees models of complete goodness he will believe that the divine revered by us is good; but if someone is emotional and brutal, changing from one passion to
It is clear from the writings of the Saints what it meant to be a Christian. Are you striving for holiness? There seems to be more emphasis today on the fact that we are sinners than there is on the call to total conversion to Jesus. Holiness was a goal for the Saints because they understood this as a prerequisite to be a Christian. They didn't give up the pursuit of holiness because they couldn't master a fault in a short period of time and use the excuse that they were a sinner to allow themselves to stagnate in spiritual growth. Rather, they persistently and consistently practiced virtue until the flesh was mastered. For them, being Christian was more than belief, it was a way of life. The word Christian was precious to them because it meant that they were like Christ, whom they loved and adored. Thus, it meant that they had to live their life differently. It meant that their choices would be different. They would live for God as they always set the Lord Jesus before them.
Take a moment now and ask yourself how important it is to you to be a Christian, from the perspective of the Saints. Is making money more important than being a Christian? Is being a Christian an occasional thing with you, rather than a focus for your life? Have you called yourself a Christian without striving for holiness, persistently and consistently practicing virtue, and being resolute with the changes that you must make in your life in order to be consistent with one who is called "Christ-like"? What we must never forget is that it is by His power that we can do these things. It's just that we must give God something with which to work. How important is it to you to truly be a Christian?
If we have a better understanding of what it means to be Christian, let's ask the question: "What does it mean to be a Catholic Christian?" Unfortunately, (I say unfortunately because such bring great disunity to our oneness of faith) there is a plethora in America today of what has been called "cafeteria Catholics." Cafeteria Catholics are Catholics who pick and choose what they want to believe, follow, and do. Imagine trying to communicate with someone who, on their own, called an elephant a robin, a robin a giraffe, and a giraffe a turkey! Such are the cafeteria Catholics. True Catholics believe that the Catholic church possesses the fullness (or fullest measure) of the truth. The Vatican II Documents state that, "They are fully incorporated into the society of Christ, accept her entire system and all the means of salvation given her, and through her visible structure are joined to Christ, who rules her through the Supreme Pontiff and bishops. This joining is effected by bonds of professed faith, of the S
If we have a better understanding of what it means to be a Catholic Christian, then what does it mean to be "Spirit-filled" in addition to being a Catholic Christian? I think we are still discovering all the implications of what "Spirit-filled" means. Ultimately, I think it means becoming to the fullest measure what God has called us to be, for we can only do this by the Spirit's help. Being Spirit-filled should mean that the Spirit of God is the "prime moving force" in our life. Whether it be spontaneous praise, charisms, evangelization, or your apostolate, it is the Spirit of God who enables it, who brings life to it, who causes it to grow. When we consciously choose to let the Holy Spirit direct our life, our life truly becomes different. Through our awareness of, our devotion to, our cooperation with, and direction by the Holy Spirit, we place ourselves on that road that leads us to becoming our full potential in Christ. Of course, we must die to ourself to accomplish this. When you die to yourself, you
Lord God, we give our lives to you. We want to truly be Spirit-filled Catholic Christians. Make it so, in Jesus name we pray. Amen V
This site Copyright © 1995-2001 Catholic Charismatic Center