Always in the context of victory

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

 

I MEAN the victory of Christ’s redemptive mission that takes care of everything in our life, no matter how things turn out to be. All our affairs, whether they are considered a success or a failure, done in the proper way or in the wrong way, etc., should be referred to the victory of Christ.

In that way, all our affairs can take part in the victory of Christ over sin and death that in the end is what truly matters in our life. Thus, we would have every reason to be happy and hopeful and to remain calm despite whatever. This is actually the ideal condition of our life, and we should try our best to attain it.

In that way also, we can be in a better position to see God’s will better, and to follow it properly. As we all know, we work or perform better when we feel light and animated by love, without as much as possible bearing the drag of a guilt feeling or anything negative.

Of course, we have to understand that Christ’s victory was gained through the cross, through his loving obedience to the will of his Father who wants him to assume all the sins of men, rendering death to all our sins by dying on the cross and then by resurrecting.

It’s important that we learn to assume the mind of Christ in everything that we do. Especially when we commit mistakes or even commit grave sins, if we have the mind of Christ, we would know how to repent and how to rid ourselves of bad feelings to regain the peace and joy that are proper to us as children of God.

And when we succeed in something, we also would know how to react properly if we assume the mind of Christ. We would be most thankful, and our joy would never make us proud and vain. In fact, what would happen is that we would be more motivated to do more good things, breaking new frontiers in the area of loving God and loving others.

To be able to refer everything in our life to the victory of Christ would definitely require some effort on our part. First we would really ask for God’s grace which we can do if our faith is strong and healthy. Then we have to go through the human process of learning.

It’s a step-by-step process, slow and kind of arduous especially at the beginning. But if we persist, things would just pick up, and voila!, referring things to Christ’s victory becomes an instinct.

This skill is most needed these days when many people are sinking in sadness and depression because they do not know how to cope with the many challenges and difficulties of our times.

Let’s hope that we can have many people who can inspire and impart this skill on others. To be sure, this is not merely a psychological trick or device. It’s what our faith is telling us. Christ himself said so. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Mt 11,28-29)

But for all that, let’s learn to carry the cross with Christ, because only then can we share in his victory.

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com