12/07/2026
Christ did not become the Son of Man simply to assure us that one day, after death, we shall be forgiven and enter heaven. The Kingdom He proclaims is already drawing near. The new creation has already begun.
If Christ is the true Human Being, then every encounter with Him is an invitation to become more truly human ourselves.
This changes the way we understand the Christian life.
We often imagine holiness as becoming “more religious.” We measure ourselves by how often we pray, how well we fast, how much theology we know, or how carefully we keep the commandments. These things matter deeply, but they are not the goal. They are the medicine, not the health.
The goal is to become fully alive.
To become truly human.
Every passion diminishes our humanity. Anger narrows our heart until we can no longer see another person as the image of God. Envy blinds us to the gifts already given to us. Pride imprisons us within ourselves. Fear keeps us from love. Resentment chains us to the past.
These are all forms of paralysis.
We may walk with healthy legs, build successful careers, and enjoy good health, yet remain unable to love freely, forgive sincerely, or receive another person without suspicion. We mistake movement for life.
Christ comes to restore our capacity for communion.
Every time we forgive someone who has wounded us, something within us begins to walk again.
Every time we choose humility instead of self-justification, our soul rises from its bed.
Every time we refuse to answer hatred with hatred, the image of Christ becomes a little clearer within us.
Every genuine prayer loosens another chain.
Every act of mercy restores another movement of the heart.
This is why the Church speaks of asceticism. Fasting, prayer, confession, almsgiving, silence, and the Divine Eucharist are not religious obligations imposed by God. They are the means by which Christ heals our humanity from within.
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