By his own testimony, Christ came that we might live fully (John 10:10). Anything less seems a waste. And I want to live. I want to really live. I don’t want to live for things that, ultimately, don’t fulfill. I want to live for those things that never fade
(1 Cor 9:24-26).
Living isn’t ultimately about accomplishments, experiences, or accolades. Those things exist as a part of life, but they aren’t the weighty things that stand at its center. Living fully is, instead, about being pointed towards the only worthwhile goal—life with and in God—and spending our energies striving towards that end with all our heart, mind, body, and soul (1 Tim 6:7-12). Though the fullness of life will be found only in our resurrection, we can begin to live more fully, here and now, by engaging ourselves deeply in the life of faith.
Life surrounds us with people and things that push up against us and make demands of our time, our attention, and our strength. The Catholic faith is no different. If we’re really living the faith it, too, will make demands on our time, our attention, and our strength. These demands of faith are not merely intellectual. Certainly, the spirit is the most important part of man, but God desires us to bring our whole being into a right relationship with him. Living the fullness of faith isn’t just a matter of dealing with contrary arguments and nagging doubts, but letting the knowledge of God gained in faith guide and shape every part of our lives. Growing in the faith is about engaging ourselves in it completely, mind, body, and soul.
Embodying and incarnating our faith isn’t a new or foreign idea. Through sacraments, sacramentals, prayers, and popular piety Catholics have infused faith into culture so that everything in our lives can be taken up and transformed in the light of Christ. These physical acts and objects bring to earth the dogmas and ephemeral supernatural truths that we believe but may feel distant. Infused with faith every genuflection, sign of the cross, bow, or use of holy water is an opportunity to order our lives to God and experience his grace.
There exists, however, a problem of allowing these moments to slip by as mindless physical habits. Our physical acts can actively translate the faith to us bodily creatures, and in doing so, attune our minds and incline our hearts towards the things of heaven. The more we can engage these actions with our faith-infused reason, the more these acts draw us up to God.
For me, part of learning to live fully has been using the small actions of my day as moments of prayer to draw closer to God (Col 3:16-18). While genuflecting, I pray quickly for the grace to love God properly. When I use holy water, I ask God to strengthen the grace of my baptism. When I sign myself at the proclamation of the gospel, I ask that God’s word remain in my mind, on my heart, and on my lips. These and other moments throughout the day bring the faith to bear on my day, pouring God into every corner of my life.
Incarnating the faith does not require theological training or extensive study, and it actively reminds us of the real purpose of life. Our faith does not have to be grandiose or flashy. But it should be lived intensely. If we want to live fully—or truly live at all—we must infuse our lives with faith and turn the eyes of our hearts to the one who is the fountain of life and in whose light we see light (Ps 36:10).
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Photo by Hassan Saleh
