Ruminations of an Irascible Hermit.: Transformed into Christ

Monday, January 27, 2025

Transformed into Christ

Today is the memorial of St Henry de Ossò. He was a Spanish priest who spent much time and energy in teaching others through catechesis. Inspired by St Teresa of Avila, he ended up founding a congregation of teaching sisters called “The Society of St Teresa”.

It struck me in his writings how passionate he was about the necessity of uniting to Christ. But not in a generic sense - an absolute conformity of our whole life to the life of Christ, so that we can be transformed into Christ via our imitation and conformity to him. So that learning to think think and behave as Jesus did, we learn his own very thoughts and feelings - so that his heart becomes our own.

His entire thought was based on the mystery Incarnation. Through the mystery of God becoming flesh in Jesus Christ, our own flesh and humanity has now been sanctified and redeemed. His entire life and ministry saves us, not just his crucifixion and resurrection. Not just his preaching the Gospel. But his day to day existence of living - breathing, eating, sleeping. All of this was done for our salvation, which was the entire purpose for our existence. So the more that we live our entire daily life imitating Christ, learning to think and feel like him - then our conformity to him results in our transformation into him, so that our entire existence also saves us. Everything I do in Jesus united to him becomes part of Jesus’ own life that saves us all.

This is so profound and yet so simple. Our baptism makes us a new creation on Christ, so that our whole life is a process of transformation into Christ. Everything we do as Catholics is oriented to this. Then we we receive Jesus in the Eucharist he mysteriously unites us to himself and transforms us into himself, giving us the power to continue living out our life in union with him. Then with Christ living in me (Galatians 2:20), every little thing I do in him and with him becomes sanctifying moments where my life becomes the life of Christ… as St Henry de Ossò beautiful says:

What an inspiring thought! I will live, sleep, speak, listen, work, suffer—I will do everything, I will suffer everything in union with Jesus, with the same divine intention and sentiments that Jesus had and with which He suffered, which is what Jesus wants of me.

May all of us learn how to “Live Jesus!” so that together with St Paul we can truly say “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

May every Mass and Holy Communion you receive bring you into conformity to Christ, so that you may be transformed into him.

May your transformation in Christ show others the beauty and light of Christ, so they too desire him.

May your love of Christ overflow in all that you do, so that others desire to be Children of the Father, just as you are in Christ.

May the peace of Christ strengthen and fortify you, so that others seek to be anchored to the cross and crucified together with Christ.

May the life you live now, be the eternal life we will one day live with Christ, who loves us and feeds us even now in the Eucharist - which is his very own life.

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Disclaimer

Please note. I am a Catholic layman, not a qualified theologian or philosopher. What I say and write here are my own personal thoughts and ideas, although I always try to conform my writings to the Magisterium of the Church.

I- with firm faith believe and profess everything that is contained in the symbol of faith: namely,

I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: By the power of the Holy Spirit, he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died and was buried. On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. I believe in the one holy catholic and apostolic church. I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

With firm faith I believe as well everything contained in God's word, written or handed down in tradition and proposed by the church--whether in solemn judgment or in the ordinary and universal Magisterium--as divinely revealed and called for faith.

I also firmly accept and hold each and every thing that is proposed by that same church definitively with regard to teaching concerning faith or morals.

What is more, I adhere with religious submission of will and intellect to the teachings which either the Roman pontiff or the college of bishops enunciate when they exercise the authentic Magisterium even if they proclaim those teachings in an act that is not definitive.