“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be,
but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (I John 3:2)
We might get a preview of what the children of God will look like in the faces of infants and the icons of the saints: The babies in all their innocence and purity, and the saints who have attained their purposes as having been open to the action of the Holy Spirit in their lives. As for the rest, we should not want to have our faces frozen for all eternity at a given moment when they express grief, disgust, frustration, confusion, struggle or any emotion that would describe our feelings throughout our lifetime of ongoing change.
We Americans unlike most other peoples of the world consider it imperative that we smile at all times. As the song encourages us, let’s “put on a happy face.” The problem for us is that those happy faces are all too often put on. They hide a heart filled with all sorts of negative emotions. We can make a choice: Either go through life suppressing all the agony and sorrow that afflicts us, or we can strive for something much more challenging but longer lasting—that is, to “be like Him.” St. John the beloved evangelist is promising that when our Lord Jesus is revealed, we also will be exposed as having put on Christ. Why should this surprise us? Are we not all baptized into Christ? “For as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Alleluia.”
Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not proposing that we stop smiling. I smile at every opportunity. Nor would I suggest that any of us cease dealing with our problems by positive thinking. Sometimes it’s the only way to survive. We all have struggles to overcome—some physical, others emotional, at times family problems or financial matters—and the only way not to be overwhelmed is to rise above them with humor, diversions and an optimistic, upbeat attitude. If the Church has any value, it must be a catalyst of joy and cheer. What good are we for one another if not to be spirit lifters? That message should be so obvious that it needs no mention. The Church is a hospital for the emotionally and spiritually wounded. Humor, optimism and mutual encouragement are the medicines we use for healing one another. But it’s not enough.
To become like Christ is to develop His soul within us. It is to be so in touch with the Father and the Holy Spirit that nothing on earth will confuse or conquer us. This is the meaning of sacrament. When we receive Holy Communion, we understand that it is truly His Body and Blood; therefore, we must apply the implications. It’s not just a feel-good or even a spiritually enriched experience—it is to be like Him: To become invincible against every attack from Satan; to live in Christ as He lives in us. And to be dead to this world and immune to any claims it has on us, to “set your mind on things above, not on things on earth. For you died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:2).
Study the faces of the saints in the icons. Notice that light emanates from within, not as in photographs, from outside. See how they are not smiling, but neither are they frowning. Both are emotions that come and go in an instant. None of us smiles when we are alone, because it’s a social expression. You are a saint in the making. You as a child of God must have the same inner security of an infant assured in the awareness of being in the arms of a loving, caring Parent. Nothing will harm you; nobody can tear you away from His protection. The Father of Jesus is your Father too. Live then in that knowledge.