I'm always delighted to come across another theological concept that I haven't considered. Lately it's the doctrine of "In Persona Christi" or "In the Person of Christ." In it's most basic sense, when a Catholic Priest celebrates the sacraments, he is not celebrating as himself, but in the person of Christ - that is, Christ is speaking through the priest during the Sacraments.
In his sermon for the Holy Chrism Mass in 2007, Pope Benedict XVI expanded this concept and used it to describe the ministry of all the Baptized. For it is through our baptism that we exchange our old selves and put on Christ. This time the Holy Father uses the metaphor of clothing to describe the change that's affected when we become a member of God's family - the sacred exchange. God gave up all of God's glory to become human, so that we, in our humanity may obtain that glory through grace. How much more of an insult is it when we fail to put on that glory - God effectively gave everything up for us, and we refuse to take it upon ourselves. Everything we do, every act of ministry we perform should not be done as ourselves, but In Persona Christi. Put on Christ and allow Christ to work through us.
I've heard of this sacred exchange many times before from my evangelical friends - always in the context of Good Friday. On the cross Jesus exchanged all of his righteousness for our lack thereof, suffering and dying for our sins. This Easter I've come to understand that the exchange began much sooner than the cross, it began the minute Christ was conceived within the blessed womb of Mary. At that moment God had emptied himself in order to make all his glory available to God's Children. All through his life, up to and including his death and resurrection, Jesus was experiencing humanity as the Empty God. I suppose the challenge was to remain humble and empty throughout his entire life - otherwise he would have been taking back the gift that was to be freely bestowed upon others. That's why the temptation in the wilderness was so pivotal. Had the Devil succeeded in his temptation, Christ would have taken his "clothing" back upon himself, and it would have been unavailable to us. Hence His entire life was an emptying - consider how lowly He stooped in the upper room when He washed His disciple's feet.
So what then happened at Easter, what happened at the Resurrection? I believe having experienced everything that human beings do - birth, life, and death, Jesus now reaped the reward of his perseverance and emptying. He received back His clothing, and the glory He emptied himself of, not as the Son of God, but as the Son of Man. He actually referred to himself as the Son of Man more often than any other title. The resurrection He experienced was the gift bestowed upon all humanity - the gift of God's "clothes" and glory - given up at the Annunciation, and restored on Easter Sunday.
During this Eastertide, it would do us well to take up this gift so freely bestowed upon us. Everything we do should be done while wearing the clothes that Christ emptied Himself of so long ago. Every act of ministry can only be done in the person of Christ. Far from making us proud, for such a great honor that has been bestowed upon us, this should make us humble, knowing what it cost. Let us offer our great thanksgiving to God for the work He has done through our Lord Jesus Christ.
In his sermon for the Holy Chrism Mass in 2007, Pope Benedict XVI expanded this concept and used it to describe the ministry of all the Baptized. For it is through our baptism that we exchange our old selves and put on Christ. This time the Holy Father uses the metaphor of clothing to describe the change that's affected when we become a member of God's family - the sacred exchange. God gave up all of God's glory to become human, so that we, in our humanity may obtain that glory through grace. How much more of an insult is it when we fail to put on that glory - God effectively gave everything up for us, and we refuse to take it upon ourselves. Everything we do, every act of ministry we perform should not be done as ourselves, but In Persona Christi. Put on Christ and allow Christ to work through us.
I've heard of this sacred exchange many times before from my evangelical friends - always in the context of Good Friday. On the cross Jesus exchanged all of his righteousness for our lack thereof, suffering and dying for our sins. This Easter I've come to understand that the exchange began much sooner than the cross, it began the minute Christ was conceived within the blessed womb of Mary. At that moment God had emptied himself in order to make all his glory available to God's Children. All through his life, up to and including his death and resurrection, Jesus was experiencing humanity as the Empty God. I suppose the challenge was to remain humble and empty throughout his entire life - otherwise he would have been taking back the gift that was to be freely bestowed upon others. That's why the temptation in the wilderness was so pivotal. Had the Devil succeeded in his temptation, Christ would have taken his "clothing" back upon himself, and it would have been unavailable to us. Hence His entire life was an emptying - consider how lowly He stooped in the upper room when He washed His disciple's feet.
So what then happened at Easter, what happened at the Resurrection? I believe having experienced everything that human beings do - birth, life, and death, Jesus now reaped the reward of his perseverance and emptying. He received back His clothing, and the glory He emptied himself of, not as the Son of God, but as the Son of Man. He actually referred to himself as the Son of Man more often than any other title. The resurrection He experienced was the gift bestowed upon all humanity - the gift of God's "clothes" and glory - given up at the Annunciation, and restored on Easter Sunday.
During this Eastertide, it would do us well to take up this gift so freely bestowed upon us. Everything we do should be done while wearing the clothes that Christ emptied Himself of so long ago. Every act of ministry can only be done in the person of Christ. Far from making us proud, for such a great honor that has been bestowed upon us, this should make us humble, knowing what it cost. Let us offer our great thanksgiving to God for the work He has done through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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