Secret Identity (in Christ)
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Who is your favorite superhero? Mine is Spiderman. One Christmas, I got spiderman pajamas and that sealed the deal for me. I was jumping around, doing somersaults, zipping webs, and just generally acting like an acrobatic fool, all around the house. From that time on, Spidey has been my favorite. Not to mention the stellar advice from Uncle Ben: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
Mentioning Uncle Ben, the backstory of superheroes is such an important part of the whole picture. They are not always caped crusaders! One of the things I enjoy about superheroes is their secret identities. The idea that someone you walk by on the street could transform and rally to save someone in distress. It teaches us that greatness is hiding in plain sight; or if you like, secrets are right under our noses. People who are capable of remarkable things are present in our midst, even when we do not recognize them. Say it like that and they sound more like saints than superheroes. And in many ways, our saints are the true superheroes.
Afterall, superheroes and saints are special humans… but each of us is called to greatness. We all have a special calling in Christ. Paul tells the Ephesians as much, when reminding them they are chosen and called to live for “the praise of God’s glory” (See Eph 1:3-12 - a beautiful passage worth the read; maybe make it the scripture for your prayer time today!). Paul says we are chosen, destined, called to live for the praise and glory of God. In fact, this passage, and the phrase “praise of glory” was adopted by one of our modern-day saints as a life-verse. Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity referred to herself as laudem gloriae - praise of glory. These words began a sounding board for her life, the north star in her compass, how she understood the heart of her existence.
John the Baptist, too, had a life-verse that guided his existence. This weekend we again find ourselves in the desert with John the Baptist. Men sent from Jerusalem arrive to question him on his identity. The Pharisees want to know more about this prophet that all the people are streaming to in the desert. When examined, John the Baptist reveals his life-verse, that verse from Scripture that really spoke to his heart and became for him a kind of guiding principle in his own life. “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord” (John 1:23).
Over the course of these Advent weeks, we are pondering the secrets of Christmas. One truth is that God keeps secrets too, but God keeps secrets for you, not from you. Certain secrets for your life, God wants to reveal to you, share with you, and the best way to listen to the voice of the Lord is to find daily quiet time to pray with Scripture and listen to God. By praying, we can find our life-verses, those phrases that speak to our hearts and help us as guiding principles through life.
What is your life-verse? Do you have a passage from Sacred Scripture that really speaks to your heart and sets a purpose for your life? It is in there. God has a plan for you. He has a secret that He wants to share with you, something that God has hidden for you.
Do not let the fullness of this season keep you from the true preparation of prayer and quiet. “By waiting and by calm you shall be saved, in quiet and in trust shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15). That my friend is one of my life-verses, guiding me to be still and trust in the Lord. I would invite you to spend some daily quiet time in prayer with the Scriptures and discover your secret identity, your identity in Christ, and how God wishes to guide your life by speaking to your heart.
In His peace,
Fr. Joel
