‘Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum’

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

THAT’S “Be it done to me according to your word,” the response of Mary to the Archangel Gabriel who told her that she was going to conceive the very Son of God in her womb. (cfr. Lk 1,26-38) She at first asked, “How shall this be done, because I know not man?” But when she was told how it was to take place, she gave that response which is an act of supreme faith, and with that God became man.

We should try to echo the same response of Mary, since we cannot doubt, if we have a working faith, that the Son of the Most High would also like to be born in us, since we are actually patterned after him. As God’s image and likeness, we are supposed to share the very same nature and life of God. And we can only achieve that if we have the same faith that Mary had in responding to God’s invitation to be the mother of Christ.

Remember what Christ once said: “Whoever is not with me is against me. Whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (Lk 11,23) It’s very clear that we are supposed to be so united with Christ, so identified with him, that he and us can be considered simply as one. We are meant to assume the very identity of Christ.

We need to process this truth of our faith about ourselves very slowly, because it will obviously astound us to think that we are supposed to be one with Christ. Who, me, one with Christ? We most likely would be tempted to say, tell it to the Marines!

But that’s just the naked truth about us, whether we like it or not.  We cannot be any other if we just bother also to know why it is so. An expression that is relevant to this matter is ‘alter Christus,’ another Christ. And it’s worthwhile to know what it is all about.

We are supposed to be ‘alter Christus,’ the goal and ideal that is meant for us, though we need also to do our part, free beings as are, to achieve that status. God, our Creator and Father, wants us to be that way, though he does not impose it on us without our consent that should also be shown with deeds and not just with intentions or words.

We are supposed to be ‘alter Christus’ simply because, if we have been created in the image and likeness of God, and Christ is the Son of God who is the perfect image and likeness that God has of himself, then we can only conclude that we have to be like Christ.

We need to do everything to pursue that goal of assuming the very identity of Christ. For this, a strong faith is needed. And it should give rise to the appropriate action on our part, so that little by little we think, speak and do as Christ would think, speak and do. We should react to the different situations of our life the way Christ would.

This can involve a number of things. We have to know more and more about Christ by reading, studying and meditating on the gospel and the other sources. We have to avail ourselves of the sacraments. We need to continually develop and grow in the virtues to slowly become more and more like Christ, etc.

Hopefully, at Christ’s birth on Christmas, let’s see if we can allow Christ to be born in us too! He wants it. We should also want it!

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com