We are called to reflect Christ. How do the sacraments affect being the image of Christ? Is their hope for broken mirrors of Christ?

by Brendan Roberts | Source:

My friend pushed down with all his strength on his car window. Before my eyes it bent slightly and suddenly it shattered into thousands of tiny pieces.

Would you call yourself a mirror which images Christ to others? Maybe you have some cracks in your mirror because you have been dropped a few times. Like the car window you might feel totally shattered and even worthless. But if you have been broken the good news is that Christ calls you to wholeness. You are being called to a loving relationship with Him, a relationship that is restored.

That’s the wonderful thing with the miracles Christ performed in the Gospels. Through the healings and forgiveness of sins He restored the outcasts to Israel; they were thus restored to the community as well as the kingdom of God. It is the same with the Church. Through the Church Christ is calling you to wholeness, to be restored to His body as well as to His kingdom. Through this Church Christ is offering you special graces to restore and strengthen you.

While you may have thousands of shards of glass let others see the beauty of Christ. When we suffer each shard is still priceless and can reflect Christ. Christ offered up His suffering to the Father; we can lift our broken heart to the Father and ask Him to heal us. When we gather the shards together, the beauty will be greater than individual shards scattered.

For us Catholics and Orthodox the sacraments heal our broken mirror. There are no more shards but a beautiful shiny wholeness. The Sacrament of Reconciliation restores us and strengthens us and the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist unites us so intimately with Christ. Through these sacraments, the grace of Christ causes us to be even greater images of Christ.

When others see Christ reflected some will draw near to you. You have the answer for their lives. You have the answer for what they are searching for. They too want meaning, and the fullness of Christ in their lives. Once they experience and taste the joy and beauty of Christ they too will want to share and reflect it to others - for thus they have become a mirror of Christ.

Others will be ashamed of the mirror because they do not see themselves reflected as they should be. Some will hurl ‘rocks’ because of their fear or shame. We must help others to see they too can become such a beautiful mirror. We must give others hope. Let the glory of Christ shine from your mirror for you are the mirror of Christ.

Click Here to Donate Now!

Join the new media evangelization. Your tax-deductible gift allows Catholic.net to build a culture of life in our nation and throughout the world. Please help us promote the Church's new evangelization by donating to Catholic.net right now. God bless you for your generosity.