ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
August 6, 2022
Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.
~St. Catherine of Siena
This quote was in our weekly Highlights on Thursday, and ever since I came across the words, I have been both fascinated and troubled by them. I believe they are true, yet if they are true, why isn’t the world on fire with goodness, grace, kindness, justice and mercy? This is where I think the truth of the quote hits even harder. We spend an inordinate amount of time creating facades behind which we hide. All around us, there are those whose insecurity manifests as arrogance, toxic masculinity, haughty indifference, snobbery and embarrassing expressions of self-importance. When Jesus invited his followers to live a life of humility and self-giving love, he wasn’t suggesting they should lose their true selves. Just the opposite. It was in that moment of relinquishing that his disciples were able to find themselves. Finding out who we are as God’s beloved, and living into that knowledge through the gifts of the Spirit, will allow our purpose to be ignited and unleashed.
Holy God, in whose image I was created and whose image resides within me, help me embrace who I am and whose I am. Then, and only then, will I be able to join with others in the good work of reconciliation and healing in this world and beyond. Amen.
