Chi sei??

Who are you??


ONE rule before you answer that. DO NOT use your name to answer who you are. So again, I ask...

Who are you??

What came to your mind first? Profession? Personality attributes? Character description?...Who am I? The top three that come to my mind when I hear "Who are you"...I am:

SON
BROTHER
SEMINARIAN

I am a son of God. HE is the first and foremost person I draw my identity from. From the beginning of time He knew that I would exist, knew what I would do while on this earth, and loves me beyond any possible human comprehension.

Secondly--I am a brother. Not just to Chris and Juli, or to my brother seminarians, but to all. I believe we are all God's children, therefore we are all brothers and sisters. So, because of my identity as a son of God, I become a brother to all.

Lastly-- I am a seminarian, studying for the priesthood of Jesus Christ. I believe that this is what I was made for, the reason I exist. I believe I am called to lay down my life in service to Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church. I will not be a seminarian forever, but in the interim, it is part of my identity.

So....why this fixation on identity? Today is my FAVORITE Saint's Feast Day. On August 14, 1941, A Polish Franciscan Priest was killed at the Nazi Concentration Camp Auschwitz. His name was Fr. Maximilian Mary Kolbe. You can read more about him here: http://auschwitz.dk/Kolbe.htm ...I only intend to highlight my favorite part, and let you read the rest from the website.

From versions of the story I've heard...when Franciszek Gajowniczek was chosen to be executed, Fr. Kolbe stepped in and said he would take the prisoner's place. When questioned "WHO ARE YOU?" He responded "I am a Catholic priest."

Are not those words so beautiful??..."I am a Catholic priest." Fr. Kolbe drew HIS identity from his conformity to the ultimate high Priest, Jesus Christ. He believed to the core of his being that since he was a priest of Jesus Christ, he was called to lay down his life for others, and he literally did so. That act earned him the crown of martyrdom.

So today, reflect on who you are. From Whom do you draw your identity? I pray that you realize that you are a child of the Father, who loves you beyond human comprehension and wants you to love Him back.

Praised be Jesus Christ...

KPL


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