Belonging to Him

We are communal beings. We are made to be in communion with one another, and that is why we are in society with one another. As a matter of fact, society can only exist when men and women of good will choose to come together for the greater good of all. Society exists when we desire to make sacrifices that are not necessary only for our good. Hence, that is why we desire to belong to some types or forms of society, and that is why rejection hurts.

However, rejection is an undeniable and very common part of life. We do not always belong, and that hurts us a lot, but we have to come to realize that we have to choose to love Christ above all things — even if it means that we might be rejected by others. To be Christians means that we must first and foremost choose to be disciples of Christ Jesus! There will be times when we will not belong to certain circles or be accepted by people because of who we are, especially if we remain true and faithful to our Christian values and beliefs. Not everyone will like us or listen to what we have to say, especially if we speak the truth that will challenge them and require them to change their way of life. At those moments, it will seem easier for them to reject, isolate, or ignore us… and that is what hurts so much.

It is not easy to be Christian, and to be faithful to who we are means that we have to accept the real possibility of being rejected and not belonging in the world. No matter of hard we try to be understanding, compassionate, kind, and committed to living Christian charity, we will end up not being accepted by others… and we have to be fine with that possibility! If we read the Acts of the Apostles, Pauline and apostolic letters, we will see that rejection was part of their evangelization and apostolic ministry. They suffered much for the Gospel. However, they never lose their joy in the Holy Spirit.

Over and over again, we see that the Apostles learned to shake the dust off their feet when they were rejected and shunned by others. They might have been hurt and rejected by others, but they never lost that true joy given to them through the consolation of the Holy Spirit. They were tested and tried, but they never lost their true joy. If we see that very same reality in our lives, we may meet unhappy, challenging situations and people in life, and they can dampen our spirit, test our patience, and make us question many things, but they should never steal the joy that has been afforded to us from the Lord.

One of my favorite images from the Book of Revelation is from 7:14-17, reminding us that God will wipe away every tear from our eyes. Please remember that God never promised that our life of faith and discipleship will make everything all right and without strife, but He did not promise that we will never be alone! He will always be with us until the end of the age, even at times when we are going through hardships, trials, and sufferings. He will be with us when we are happy as well as when we shed tears. He will always be present because He is the true source of our joy, even in the midst of life’s stormy ups and downs. It gives me great consolation in knowing that God is with us on our hard days. I can attest to you that I am where I am today because He has never abandoned me! He was truly there when I cried to Him. He was my consolation when everything else was falling apart. He has always been faithful.

Oftentimes, when we are facing hardships, we often think that we are abandoned and rejected by God and forgotten by others. Nonetheless, at times like those, there was always an indescribable, but always present, source of energy that helped us to move forward or to overcome the obstacles. I truly believe those moments were not of chance nor self-willed efforts.

We could be lifted up by someone who is across the world… By the grace of God, we are strengthened by someone’s sacrifices, one person who is offering their sufferings for someone who is in need, someone in the hospital who offers their struggles and loneliness, a child who prays for others from the purity of his or her heart. I know that I would not be here today if it were not for the prayers of those who lifted me up and interceded for me in times of need. We are lifted by one another’s prayers and sacrifices. In the same way, our prayers help, by the grace of God, someone who perhaps has nothing else to turn to when things are tough.

For us to be the Church, members of the Mystical Body of Christ, we have to be able to be humble and listen to Him. Just as the Church is faithful to the Lord in loving Him as His Bridesmaid, as her children, we need to be faithful to Him, too. Hence, that means that we need to know who He is through a life of prayer and discipleship. The Lord knows us! He knows and calls us by name, but it is important that we know Him in a real, personal, and intimate way. This knowledge of Him has to grow both in a life of prayer and worship, so we are able to be strengthened, deepened, and grounded in our very own Christian identity, else we will forever remain as bystanders and spectators instead of being His disciples.

The Church is growing exponentially at places where believers are willingly taking on the mission to evangelize, catechize, and care for the least of our brethren. However, the Church is dying in places where believers are only cultural Catholics, those who say that they were baptized or raised Catholics but are now too busy with their own lives, plans, and agendas. As a matter of fact, many international students and recent immigrants told me many times how they do not understand the Church in America. They often said, “It’s so dead and lifeless at times, Father!” According to them, they do not see the joy in worship because people want to leave right away, and no one wants to do anything in comparison to the life of the Church where they came from, which is oftentimes the center of people’s lives. They often label the Church in America as “vanilla flavor” — sweet but boring — with no real life. Many often struggle to fit in or try to feel a part of something that they so dearly love but cannot find here.

We are the Church because we are united with one another in Christ Jesus. This is not simply a union of like-minded people or a for-profit organization. We do not come together because we like each other or because we look alike and have something in common. As a matter of fact, many of us are different in many ways, and oftentimes strong and unwilling, ways! That is why when we forget who lovingly called us together and lose focus on our common mission, division, envy, jealousy, and the like begin to creep in. The Church is the Church because it is the Lord who feeds us with His divine words, as well as His Body and Blood. The Church exists because of His love for us. We exist to perpetuate His redemptive and salvific sacrifice in an unbloodied manner at each Mass, preach the Gospel, and make disciples of all nations.

Jesus Christ is our secret consolation, strength, and power. He was the reason why past Christians were joyful in the midst of many persecutions, trials, and hardships. They knew that everything they went through was worth it because they had one another, and they recognized the presence of the Lord in their midst! They lived this reality in both words and actions — with convictions. This was why their zeal and joy were so contagious!

It is important, therefore, for us to remember that we are all in this together. We are the Church! If we are not committed, the Church will be dead. She will be dead in places where we are too worried about protecting the institution than becoming zealous and loving with our Christ-given mission. She is much more than a beautiful facade or set of buildings to behold, and is treated as a trophy in the case. The age of (assumed) cultural Catholicism is dead! Many have made their choices to stop believing altogether, or only by words, but with no personalized responses and actions. We need intentional disciples who will choose to let faith be the center of their lives by daring to truly love, care, and be in communion with one another. Just like Christ, who is the cornerstone that the builders rejected, we are living stones of His Church that the world will often dislike or reject. However, nothing in this world can ever rob His joy from us!

We have to choose not just to go to church but to actually be the Church! Do not just say that this used to be the parish where my parents or grandparents used to love, but this IS where I want to belong. Do not just say, “This was how things used to be!” We have to organically mature like a tree, deeply rooted in Christ Jesus but flexible enough to grow and respond to the needs of this present age. The Acts of the Apostles reminds us of how the believers responded to persecution: “The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 13:52) Can we say the same? Are we filled with joy and the Holy Spirit as to endure all things and make the Church‘s mission ours with personal conviction and zeal? I hope and pray that we do if we truly understand that we are the Church.