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January 3, 2024“See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God.”
God did not send his son, Jesus Christ, only to save us. He did not come to bring us back to Eden. He did not come merely to heal our wounds. God wants us to be more than just free from sin. He wants us to be “like him,” to be “begotten by Him,” and even to become more that “has not yet been revealed.” The Church has a term for this: “deification” or “theosis.” The novices in Dallas have had the opportunity over the last few months to dive into this doctrine. And it is a perfect thing to reflect on during the Christmas season when we celebrate Christ becoming man. In the words of St. Augustine, “In order to make gods of those who were merely human, one who was God made Himself human.”
The process of deification is one that will not be complete in this life, but it is promised to us and can be seen unfolding in our lives if we know where to look. St. John tells us, “everyone who acts in righteousness is begotten by Him.” When we do good, act mercifully, love our Lord and neighbor, and obey God’s commandments, we are not only being made into more perfect human persons, but we actively begin to share in God’s very being. On the flip side, when we sin, we fail to participate in God’s being, for “no one who remains in Him sins.”
As we continue our celebration of Christmas, keep this loving promise of God in mind: if we hold true to His son and His teachings, we will not just have our pains, worries, imperfections, and sins wiped away, but He will give us so much more: we will get to share in His divinity as well.
