Choose An Identity

So I was reviewing some comments on a blog this morning and noticed that on the right hand side of the page I was being prompted to leave my own comment and to do so you have to select what name you want to appear, so the screen prompts you to:

Choose an identity.  In reality, you have a true identity - you are a son or daughter of God - that is the truth of who you are - an unrepeatable person made in God's image and likeness.  So the question then becomes will you choose to live in the truth of who you really are or will you fall for a lie.  Will you choose your true identity or a false identity?   

Every person who has ever lived has had to make this choice all the way back to the beginning with Adam and Eve.  When faced with temptation from Satan it was not simply a question of eating a piece of fruit.  It became a question of trusting God and living according to their true identity or a false one.  Everyday you are asked this, too.  Every time you're faced with temptation, doubt, worry, decisions, relationships, vices, etc. it's as though you are being asked who you really are.  Will you recognize your dignity?  Or will you allow yourself to be degraded through sin?  This is why Satan is called the father of lies - he is constantly lying to us about who we are, saying things like 'you're not worth it', 'you're ugly', 'you're not loved', 'you aren't good enough, 'you can't be better', 'you're nothing'.  Lies, lies, lies - all lies!  Why do we listen to these lies so much!?

When we are tempted to succumb to the lies that are being thrown at us, we need to turn to our Blessed Mother.  She chose to live according to her true identity at every moment of her life.  "I am the handmaid of the Lord." This Woman knew who she was and never let a lie enter her Immaculate Heart.   Mary, the New Eve, and Christ, the New Adam, blew away the lies that were sowed in the garden. "The knot of Eve's disobedience, was untied with Mary's obedience" - St. Irenaeus.  Bearing the Truth Himself in her very womb, she shows us what it means to live in the truth.  As Catherine of Siena said, "If you are who you are meant to be, you will set the world on fire." And as a holy and Spirit-filled mentor once pointed out to me, you can see that Mary is on fire with the Holy Spirit:

"I have come to set a fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already blazing!" - Luke 12:49.  If we lived according to the truth of our identity the world would be set ablaze with the love of God because we would see Christ more clearly and when we look at Him we see who we are and who we are meant to be.  Sin blinds, darkens and hides the truth from us - whenever we sin we lie to ourselves about who we are - but thank God, the Truth sets us free and by His grace our true identity is revealed to us. 

So next time you are tempted to sin, doubt and despair, say to yourself: "what is my identity?  I am a son or daughter of God.  I am loved.  I have worth.  God made me for truth, beauty and goodness.  I was not  made for sin.  I was made for love."  Then ask the Blessed Mother to reveal the truth to your heart and she will bring you her Son's grace and mercy to choose your true identity.   

"Christian, recognize your dignity!" - Pope Leo the Great