Fr. Billy Swan – Word on Fire Blog –
As I look back on the development of my faith growing up, I notice there was a certain order to it. First came believing—in God, in Jesus, and in the Holy Spirit. Then behaving—believing required that you had to behave in a certain way (do this but don’t do that). Lastly came belonging—faith gave you a sense of belonging to family, to a faith community, and yes, even to God himself.
This was the order of priority—believing, behaving, and belonging. The older I get, however, the more convinced I am that a sense of belonging to God comes first and not last. Only when we realize that we belong to our God who created us and loves us can we then come to believe and then see how both belonging and believing shape our behaving.
This theme of belonging finds its fulfillment in the New Testament, beginning with the Gospels. In the accounts of Jesus’ baptism in the river Jordan, the Father’s voice declared Jesus as his beloved Son “in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17; Mark 1:8). Therefore, from the very outset of his public ministry, Jesus’ life was claimed by his Father. When he was found in the temple, Mary learned a painful lesson that although Jesus belonged to her as his mother, as Son he ultimately belonged to the Father, and his mission was directed to save the whole world (Mark 3:31-35; Matt. 12:48-50; Luke 2: 41-50; 8:19-21). Then the Good Shepherd himself teaches that “the sheep that belong to me listen to my voice” (John 10:27).
…How extraordinary and countercultural this is! We might protest, “No one claims my life but me!” Or, “My life belongs first to myself.” Our postmodern culture tends to define identity in terms of what we possess rather than who possesses us…