Fr Ben Garren

Dear Siblings in Christ,

How do we become our authentic self? What does it mean to live life to the fullest? How can we be truly human? These are questions that percolate around our society. We are offered products, retreats, books, and all manner of strategies to help us achieve these somewhat nebulous criteria. The question that comes up, amidst Christianity, is what, if anything, do these goals have to do with following the Way of Jesus?

I want to suggest that this is actually a very old question for the Church. That within the first centuries of Christianity there was consistent debate about whether Jesus had an authentic human self, lived a human life to the fullest, was truly human. Many of the realities that were labeled “heresy” by the early church were repudiated specifically because they denied that Jesus had a full authentic and truly human life. This need to value Jesus as truly human arose in council after council over the centuries. The Council of Chalcedon, in 451, orchestrated by Pope Leo I was such an event. Leo I is considered a Doctor of the Church specifically for his arguments on this subject.

Today marks the commemoration of Leo’s death in 461. I find it important on this day when we remember an individual whose life was committed to the belief that Jesus was fully and truly human… that we understand following the Way of Jesus requires us to do the same. That finding our authentic self, figuring out how to live full lives, understanding what it means for us to be truly human is essential for us to be in relationship with Jesus Christ. That, in fact, our lives of Christian Formation and Discipleship are contingent upon just that.

This is not an easy ask. Within Christianity, and outside of it, many will attempt to provide an easy set of answers about how to be our authentic self. The reality is that any honest mechanism for going about such is going to be at points arduous, require us to be honest about ourselves in ways we may not want to, bring us to confront hurdles we would probably rather ignore… but that we commit to such for the sake of having a deeper and more meaningful sense of self.

Today take a moment to reflect on what those mechanisms are for you. Ask if you have allowed yourself to pause in your work of discipleship to fully know who you are and take just a few moments to engage the hope for a truer sense of self. For to be followers of Jesus is to be Truly Human as he was truly authentically and fully human.

Pax,

—Ben