The mark of a true Christian

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

CHRIST described it very clearly. This is how he said it:

“You have heard that it has been said, You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you.”

And then he made this conclusion: “That you may be children of your Father who is in heaven, who makes his sun to rise upon the good, and bad, and rains upon the just and the unjust.” (Mt 5,43-45)

This is, of course, beyond our human powers in their natural state. But when animated by God’s grace, our natural human powers can assume the divine capacity to love everyone, irrespective of how they are to us, whether friendly or hostile, likeable or unlikeable, etc.

It’s when we manage to love our enemies that we prove our commitment to God, a commitment that springs from our conversion of heart. Though we continue to be hounded by temptations and sin, and fall into them from time to time, we also would struggle to begin and begin again, renewing and reaffirming our commitment as often as necessary.

This obviously will require a lot of virtues—humility, patience, magnanimity, fortitude, to mention a few. We have to learn how to discipline our emotions and passions, and to be most careful with what we say and how we react to things. We have to be quick to purify our thoughts and intentions whenever some negative elements enter into them.

Let’s remember that the greatest evil and the worst injustice have already been committed, and that is the killing of Christ by man. But such evil and injustice did not elicit another evil reaction from Christ. On the contrary, he offered forgiveness. We do not correct a wrong with another wrong. As one saint would put it, we have to drown evil with an abundance of good.

To be able to love our enemies even as we try our best to resolve with justice and charity our differences, conflicts and other issues is clearly a sign of being Christ-like. It could be the proof that one’s Christianity is real and genuine, and not fake.

We have to be ready to develop and assume this attitude, always asking first of all for the grace of God and trying to have the very mind and heart of Christ. We also need to discipline our reactions and to train our emotions to conform to this basic Christian standard.

Yes, this ideal can only be possible and doable with God’s grace and the constant effort to assume the very mind and heart of Christ. We should never take this requirement for granted.

This will require tremendous effort, of course, but once done, we will surely feel the way Christ felt even in his most difficult moment when he had to suffer his passion and death on the cross. That’s when we can echo St. Paul’s words: “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal 2,20)

Let us brace ourselves to face this challenge of becoming true Christians. Let’s make our Christianity really work, especially in difficult moments. Christ never abandons us, and he is willing to go through the experience with us. We just have to do our part, that is, to go to him, and follow him as best that we can.

Indeed, loving enemies is a sure mark of a true Christian!

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com