The dangers of "passing from witness to ideas, of watering down our witness" and of seeking "a new Christian identity". "We should ask the Lord to always give us this gift, the gift of an identity that does not seek to adapt to things" to the point that “they lose the taste of salt”."

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Christian identity is concrete witness to Jesus, not just a "nice, ethereal idea"; Christian identity does not need to "broaden its consciousness in order to fit everything in, nor does it need to look for "novelties", because "God’s last word is called 'Jesus' and nothing mor".

This was Pope Francis message today at Mass in Casa Santa Marta, commenting on the words of St. Paul to the Corinthians where he speaks of the identity of Jesus' disciples.

It's true, he said, that "to arrive at this Christian identity," God "has taken us on a long journey throughout  history" until he sent his Son. "We must also make a long journey in our lives, so that this Christian identity is strong in us," so we are able to give "witness”

"We can describe this journey as one from ambiguity to true identity”.  “Sin, exists and cause us to fall, but with the Lord’s strength we pick ourselves up again and continue onwards with our identity But I would also say that sin is part of our identity: we are sinners, but sinners with faith in Jesus Christ. It is not only a faith of knowledge, no. It is a faith that is a gift of God and that came into us through God.' God who establishes us in Christ. And there He has anointed us, placed His seal on us, given us the deposit, the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts. God gives us this gift of identity".

What is essential is that we are true to this Christian identity and let the Holy Spirit, which is its guarantor, the pledge of our hearts, to bring us forward in life". We are not people who follow "a philosophy," he warned, "we are anointed" and have the "guarantee of the Spirit."

"It is a beautiful identity that is visible in our witness. This is why Jesus speaks of witness as the language of our Christian identity. " And this even though the Christian identity, since "we are sinners, is tempted, it is tempted; temptations are always there" and this identity "can weaken and can get lost”.

This can happen because of two dangerous paths. "First changing from witness to ideas, watering down our witness. 'Oh yes, I am a Christian. Christianity is this, it is a good idea. I pray to God '. And so, the real Christ, because Christian identity is real - we read this in the Beatitudes.  This substance is also in Matthew 25: Christian identity is concrete - we turn it into a soft, airy religion and this is the road of the Gnostics. This hides a certain scandal. This Christian identity is scandalous. And the temptation is: 'No, no, no without causing any scandal' '. “The cross is a scandal," and then there are those who seek God "a Christian spirituality that is a little ethereal", "modern-day gnostics ".

Then there are "those who always need a new Christian identity" and have "forgotten that they were chosen, anointed" that "they have the guarantee of the Spirit" and who say “Where are the visionaries who can tell us exactly what message Our Lady will be sending at 4’o’clock this afternoon?”. 'For example, no? And live with this. This is not Christian identity. God’s last word is Jesus' and nothing more. "

Another path to weakening Christian identity, he added, is worldliness: "Broadening the boundaries of Christian consciousness in order to fit everything in. 'Yes, we are Christians, but yes ...' not only morally, but also humanly. Worldliness is human. And so the salt loses its taste. And we see Christian communities, even Christians, who call themselves Christians, but they cannot give witness to Jesus Christ. And so their identity is lost, and weakened, and this mundane nominalism that we see every day.

In the history of salvation God, with his Father's patience, he brought ambiguity to certainty, to the reality of the incarnation and the redemptive death of his Son. This is our identity. “Saint Paul, he recalled, boasts of Jesus he "became man and died for obedience", "this is the identity and that is where our witness lies." It is a grace, he concluded, "we must ask the Lord to always give us this gift, the gift of an identity that does not seek to adapt to things" to the point of losing the taste of salt."

 

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