The virtue of seeing Christ in others

In every encounter, we see one who is made in the image and likeness of God

By Deacon Bob Hunt

The universal call to holiness is one that is to be heard and acted on by every person who claims Christ as his or her savior. What does it mean to be holy? Most simply, I think, it means learning every day how to love a little better. This is how we love others: by being Christ for them, bringing Christ to them, and seeing Christ in them.

In his book The Weight of Glory, C.S. Lewis wrote, “Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.” Do we appreciate what it means to be human and to encounter another human being? In every encounter with another, we see one who is made in the image and likeness of God, one for whom Christ died and rose again. It matters not how important or unimportant this neighbor is in the eyes of the world. In the eyes of God, he or she is precious, glorious, and worth dying for. How silly and petty are our tiffs, quarrels, or feuds with others in light of the glory we each possess as children of God.

As always, the virtue of seeing Christ in others begins at home, among those we most take for granted. Do we see the light of Christ in our spouse, in our children, and even in the one looking back at us in the mirror? The Catholic home is a place where Christ dwells in the living room, kitchen, bedrooms, and hallways, where those who are baptized in Christ dwell. Christ lives in each, and we are to see Him in our parents, our children, our brothers, and sisters without distinction and at all times, even (especially!) when they get on our nerves, disobey us, or make poor decisions. Our commitment to each other as a family means that we can count on each other, especially when we fail or fall, because we see Christ in each other.

How easy it is to forget that Christ is present in each of the baptized and in all who hold dear the promises of God for them. How do we know who stands in right relationship with God? We don’t. Only God knows this. As such, we must see Christ in all, never presuming to judge another in how he or she stands before God, not even the worst of sinners, remembering that, for each of us, our own sins are sufficient for our damnation. Yet, Christ came to redeem us, and His grace is available to all, without exception. We cannot know the heart of another person. We can only have faith that God loves him or her, and that Christ suffered and died for all. The Council of Quierzy in France, a local council held in 853, declared: “There is not, never has been, and never will be a single human being for whom Christ did not suffer.”

If Christ is willing to suffer for all, how can we fail to see Him in any? The outward appearance of another says nothing of their inner disposition. Indeed, the kindest and gentlest spirits are often found among the poor who, even given their lack of material possessions, are frequently willing to offer what little they have for the sake of another in distress. The lonely truly know how to comfort the lonely, for they know well the deep crevices of loneliness. The despised truly know how to befriend the despised, for they know the disdainful glances and isolation they bear. Sinners know they are sinners, so they see Christ in all, hoping that others will see Christ in them, even given their sins.

St. Thomas Aquinas taught that the way we can fulfill the Lord’s commandment to love all, even our enemies, is to pray that they will receive what is best for them. What is best for any of us is to be in a loving relationship with the Father through Christ Jesus. I can hope that for anyone! I wish hell upon no one. Indeed, I pray that hell is empty, though Scripture and tradition both tell us it is not. Who populates hell? Those who refused to see Christ in his or her neighbor because their own hearts were made of stone. God, give us hearts of flesh! Give us hearts to love our neighbors as You love them! Give us hearts so filled with the spirit of Christ that we would never fail to see Christ present in the other! “See Christ for all” means loving others as Christ loves them. He was Himself, and as Himself He served and saved. We are called to do the same.

Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all.

Deacon Bob Hunt is a husband, father, grandfather, and parishioner at All Saints Church in Knoxville. He is author of the book “Thy Word: An Introduction to the Bible for People in the Pews.”