March 1st, 2026: Our True Identity Is in Christ

Our True Identity Is in Christ

We live in an age that is obsessed with identity. Every day we are told to define ourselves, present ourselves, and defend ourselves. We are encouraged to build a personal brand. We are told that what we wear, what we support, who we vote for, what teams we cheer for, and what groups we belong to determine who we are. Identity has become the center of modern life.

Yet on the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the Church proclaims something very different. The Church reminds us that our identity is not something we invent. It is something we receive. We were created in the image and likeness of God. That is our true identity.

The Sunday of Orthodoxy comes during the first week of Great Lent. Lent is a season of repentance, fasting, prayer, and self examination. It is a time when we confront our sins and our weaknesses. It can feel heavy. Yet suddenly, in the middle of this penitential season, we celebrate a feast of victory. We process with icons. We proclaim triumph. We declare that the faith has been preserved.

At first, that might seem strange. Why celebrate victory during a season of repentance? Why speak of triumph in the first week of Lent?

The answer is simple. The victory we celebrate is directly connected to what Lent is about. Lent is about returning to who we truly are. It is about stripping away false identities and putting on Christ. The Sunday of Orthodoxy reminds us that salvation is real because Christ truly became man. He took on flesh. He entered our world. He restored the image of God within us.

The Seventh Ecumenical Council defended the use of icons because the incarnation is real. If God truly became man in Jesus Christ, then He can be depicted. The defense of icons was not about art preferences. It was about proclaiming that God entered history. It was about affirming that matter can be sanctified. It was about declaring that human beings, created in God’s image, are not accidents. We are not self created. We belong to Him.

Christian First, Everything Else Second

In our culture, identity is often layered in reverse order. People may think of themselves first by nationality, then by politics, then by career, then by hobbies, and somewhere down the list, perhaps, as Christian. The Church calls us to turn that order right side up.

We are Christian first. Orthodox second. Everything else follows after that.

This does not mean that our culture, background, or interests are meaningless. It means they are not ultimate. Governments rise and fall. Political parties change. Trends shift. Sports teams win and lose. Careers come and go. But Christ remains the same yesterday, today, and forever.

When we are baptized, we put on Christ. As Saint Paul writes, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Galatians 3:27. That is not symbolic language in a shallow sense. It means that our life is now hidden with Christ in God. Our true self is found in communion with Him.

Lent helps us remember this. When we fast, we are not dieting. When we pray more, we are not performing for others. When we repent, we are not trying to earn points. We are clearing away distractions so that the image of God within us can shine more clearly. We are learning to desire Christ more than comfort, more than approval, more than success.

The Sunday of Orthodoxy strengthens us at the beginning of that struggle. It reminds us why we are fasting. It reminds us why we are repenting. It reminds us that the goal is not self improvement for its own sake. The goal is communion with Christ.

When we process with icons, we are not performing a ritual for tradition’s sake. We are proclaiming that God became man and that His saints truly lived in Him. We carry icons of Christ, of the Theotokos, and of the saints to declare that holiness is possible. We are saying to the world that the incarnation changed everything.

We are also reminding ourselves. As we hold an icon, we are holding a visible sign of the invisible kingdom. We are declaring that our lives are meant to reflect the face of Christ. Just as an icon is painted carefully, layer by layer, so our lives are shaped through prayer, repentance, and obedience.

There is a powerful quote from Saint Athanasius the Great: God became man so that man might become like God. This does not mean we become divine by nature. It means we are called to share in God’s life by grace. We are called to reflect His love, His mercy, and His holiness.

In a world that constantly pressures us to redefine ourselves, the Church offers something steady and unchanging. You are made in the image and likeness of God. You are called to be united to Christ. You are not your politics. You are not your social media profile. You are not your failures. You are not your successes.

You belong to Christ.

This truth also changes how we see others. Every person we encounter, whether we agree with them or not, whether we like them or not, is created in the image of God. That reality demands respect. It calls us to love. It challenges us to look beyond labels and see the deeper truth.

The mission of the Church flows from this identity. At the end of the Gospel of Matthew, Christ commands His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations. The Church does not exist to protect a club or preserve a culture. The Church exists to proclaim Christ and to invite the world into His kingdom.

When we speak about growing the Church, this is what we mean. We are inviting others to discover who they truly are. We are inviting them into the life of Christ. We are inviting them into the Eucharist, where heaven and earth meet and where we are united to Him in the most intimate way possible.

Everything we do must be for Christ. Every ministry, every effort, every act of service must be rooted in Him. If it is not for Him, it is empty. If it is not centered on Him, it will not last.

As we continue through Great Lent, let us keep this before us. When the fast feels difficult, remember who you are. When repentance feels heavy, remember who you are. When the world tries to redefine you, remember who you are.

You are made in the image and likeness of God. You have put on Christ. You are called to become like Him.

Christian first. Everything else second.