To live “in Christ” is to live in a mystery equal to that of the Incarnation and similar to it. [1] This mystery, rooted in the very nature of Christ, is beyond mere intellectual grasp. To live in Christ is to participate in a reality where the divine, in its fullness, meets us where we are in our humanity.
The deepest depths of the depths of God and the deepest depths of the depths of you are, by the Grace of God, one depth. —James Finley
It’s not merely about adopting Christian principles or following teachings; it’s about an ontological transformation. The very life of Christ enters into ours, intertwining with our very being. This union, profound and sacred, is what makes Christianity unique: not merely a doctrine, but the experience of the divine taking root within. We receive Him in the ‘inspiration’ of secret love, and we give Him to others in the outgoing of our own charity. [1] This movement is not only toward God, but also toward our neighbors. The act of receiving Christ isn’t isolated; it’s meant to flow out in love, pouring forth into the world. This divine charity isn’t just a command; it’s a response, an inevitable reaction to the love we’ve received from God. Living in Christ, therefore, means becoming one with Him, sharing in His nature, and living out of that shared union. It is through this sacred bond that we are made more truly human, for it’s in our union with Christ that our true selves are revealed (John 15:4-5).
In the life of union with Christ, we begin to see that the outer circumstances of life lose their power to shape us. If I have this divine life in me, what do the accidents of pain and pleasure, hope and fear, joy and sorrow matter to me? [1] We are not defined by what happens to us externally. Our identity is no longer dictated by our circumstances. Life’s tribulations, temptations, and trials, though real, can no longer define us when we recognize the depth of divine life within us. This doesn’t mean we are immune to suffering; rather, it means that our suffering no longer holds the same power over us. Why should I worry about losing a bodily life that I must inevitably lose anyway, as long as I possess a spiritual life and identity that cannot be lost against my desire? [1] This statement from the profound sentences resonates deeply with Jesus' words in Matthew 10:28—"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul." Our deepest self is not bound to this temporal world, and in the knowledge that we have been made one with Christ, we begin to detach from the transient and invest in the eternal. The world is temporary, and so are the circumstances of life. But the divine life that has been imparted to us is eternal. [1] This deep understanding allows us to live with a different perspective, one that is not shaken by the external upheavals of life. In Christ, we live in a reality that transcends this world’s offerings (Romans 8:18).
This leads us into the understanding that our true identity is not of our own making. Souls are like wax waiting for a seal. By themselves, they have no special identity. [1] This beautiful metaphor speaks to the notion that without God’s intervention, we have no true identity. Just as wax has no form until it is shaped by a seal, so too do our lives lack purpose and fulfillment until we are sealed by God. We are not born into a vacuum but rather into a reality where our lives can only be fully understood when we surrender to the divine Will. The wax that has melted in God’s will can easily receive the stamp of its identity... But the wax that is hard and dry... will not take the seal. [1] To resist God’s shaping is to miss the very essence of what we were created to be. This is the nature of spiritual transformation—becoming the person we were always meant to be, by being shaped by the hands of the Creator. It is in surrendering to God's love and will that our deepest and truest self is revealed. This is a process of divine refinement, a journey in which we cease striving to become who we think we should be and instead trust that in God's hands, we become who we truly are (Jeremiah 18:6, Romans 9:21).
In the Eucharist, Christ’s presence develops your life into Himself like a photograph. [1] This profound teaching of the Eucharist speaks to the mystery of transformation that happens when we partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. The Eucharist is not just a remembrance of Christ; it is a participation in the reality of His sacrifice. It is in this sacred moment that Christ, in His fullness, enters into us and shapes us into His image. As we consume the Body of Christ, we are transformed, much like a photograph gradually coming into focus. Just as a photograph is a likeness, but not the reality, so too does the Eucharist transform us into the likeness of Christ. But it doesn’t stop there; this transformation is not just internal. It is meant to manifest externally, in how we live our lives and treat one another. The communion of the faithful in the Body and Blood of the Saviour not only really joins them to Him... but also unites them to one another in Christian charity and in the Holy Spirit. [1] This is the communal aspect of the Eucharist—the uniting of believers in Christ, making us a part of His Body. We are not isolated individuals coming to the table, but members of a greater family, bound together in love. This union with Christ, and with one another, is what the Church is meant to be: a living, breathing communion of saints, united in the life of God. And it is through this communion that we are called to serve one another, to love one another, and to be Christ’s presence in the world. Just as the Eucharist sustains us, so too are we meant to sustain one another (1 Corinthians 10:16-17, Acts 2:42).
The Christian life is not just about intellectual assent or moral improvement; it is about living in union with Christ, being transformed by His divine life, and reflecting that transformation in the world. To live “in Christ” is to live in a mystery equal to that of the Incarnation and similar to it. [1] It is a life of surrender, of accepting the shaping hands of God, of allowing the divine to imprint us with His love and likeness. As we partake in the Eucharist, we are reminded that this union is not just personal, but communal. The Body of Christ is not only Christ Himself but His Church, His people, all bound together in love. And it is through this love that we are made whole, that we discover our true identity and live out the calling of the Gospel (John 15:1-5, Colossians 1:24).
[1] Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation