To be a Christian is to be Moral

Who is a Christian? How to become one? Well, technically, in the Roman Catholic

Church or perhaps even in the other Christian denomination, we become Christians after the

baptism. By simply filling up the requirements given by the parish you can now become a

Christian! Easy right? But is that all that there is in becoming a Christian? Do we really

become Christians just right after baptism?

Christians, basically, are followers of Christ. To become a Christian is to follow the life

and teaching of Jesus Christ. To become a Christian is to be Moral. It is a moral that is based

upon the life and teaching of Christ. It is true that through baptism we are called Christians.

But baptism is just the entrance to Christianity. Through baptism we bear the name

“Christians” but we do not automatically become one.

There are many Christians here in the Philippines. It may be on different denomination

but together they are the dominant number of people residing here in the Philippines. But, the

number also of the crimes here in the Philippines were committed by Christians. The fact that

the number of Christians in the Philippines are high is good. But the fact that the great

number of crime committed here in the Philippines were done by Christians is bad. There are

many who are called Christians but few who are becoming one. They are Christians by name

but not by heart. They appear Christians but interior they are worldly.

All men are good by nature. Our will is always towards what is good. There are many

goods in our lives and man has the liberty of choices upon what he desires. Upon all the

goods that he has in his life, there is a higher good that is unconditional and is where man can

find fulfillment in his life. But even if man, by nature is good, he also has the nature to

commit mistakes. Because of these many goods, he is having a hard time choosing what is

the best of all the goods present in his life. So in exchange, man chooses the good upon where
he can benefit from. This is what he think is the best for his life. This is very evident

especially in our society. The real essence of goodness in man has become forgotten. It has

been covered by the conditional goods that man bear in his life. But being moral is not

limited only to the self. It is not just being a good man. It is a good man for others. It is to die

in loving for the other just like the Lord has done for us.

To be a Christian is hard because to become one is to be moral. It is a life living in

morality grounded in following Christ. It is choose to be good not just for goodness sake but

out of essence and value. In my life, as a Christian, I too, am striving to become a Christian

especially that I want to become a priest. I have many weaknesses that is against my nature as

a good man. I have the tendency to become immoral because of my nature as a sinful person.

But as of what Pope Francis said in one of his homilies: to become good is not easy. You do

not cast a magic spell in order to become good. To become good is an everyday renewal of

ourselves. It is the strive to become better than what we are yesterday. The strive to carry the

cross together with Christ. This is the true essence of becoming a Christian. This is our

essence. This is Christianity.

Morality is a key for leading a good life in right direction. Moral choices is marked by

true sacrifice. To choose to be moral is the highest good upon which man can desire in his

life because it is following what we really are as human and what God wills us to be. To

choose to be a moral person is easy but to become one is not. It may be hard but we must not

forget that we have Christ with us. There is no easy way in becoming a Christian. We must

recognize the risk and also the graces that it will come upon us.