Who am I? Have you ever taken a quick look in the mirror and wondered who that person is? Or perhaps you get a feeling like you, the being, is somehow detached from the image you see looking back at you. It begs the question, “what defines me”. I am a member of the Knight’s of Columbus, and while good things have come from my affiliation with the organization, I am not defined as a person merely through my membership. I was not defined as a person when I coached my son’s volleyball teams. That’s a good thing since I knew next to nothing about the game when I started! At work I am an IT architect, but even though a large percentage of my life is spent in this capacity, it still does not define me as a person. Nor am I defined as a person by the wrongs I have committed, by the sinful failings of the human I am. For this I thank God, and am forever grateful for the chance to reconcile with Him through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. No, I am no more defined by the bad as I am the good I’ve done in my life.
What then defines me as a person? I have come to the conclusion that I am defined by God’s thumbprint on my being. His thumbprint is the roadmap of what I am, my role in His plan. How I am measured is what I do in life to achieve that role. God gave me a heart to love with, a body to work with, a mind to think with, and a spirit with which to discern. The combination is unique to me. That is my definition. All the things I mentioned above provide the opportunity to fulfill that definition. Even when we commit a wrong, what we do next, our reaction and our search and desire for reconciliation provide a measure for good. How we act and how we treat others in these various capacities of our lives prove the measure of that fulfillment. This might explain why so often I feel like I am trying to catch up with being the person I should be. I think I prefer that feeling though, than to feel like I’ve done everything right. That seems arrogant and is inaccurate.
Thank you God for my abilities, my place in life, and the chance to follow what I am defined for. God’s thumbprint is our roadmap, and he gives everyone the tools we need to follow and fulfill.
I’d like to take this chance to wish all of you and your families a safe and Merry Christmas!