Remember Who You Are in Christ

A beautiful story has circulated for many years, sometimes attributed to the Himba people of Namibia, though its origin and authenticity are uncertain.

According to the story, every child has a special song. Before a child is born, the mother listens for the child’s song, one that represents the child’s unique identity, dignity, and place in the community. The song is sung at the child’s birth and at important moments throughout life.

But one part of the story is especially beautiful. When someone does something wrong or hurts another person, the community gathers around that person and sings the song again.

The purpose is not simply punishment. It is to remind the person: “Remember who you are. You are better than what you have done. Remember your dignity. Remember the person you are called to be.”

Whether or not this story represents an actual Himba tradition, it contains a beautiful truth: sometimes we need someone to remind us of who we really are.

Correction That Leads to Reconciliation

This gives us a beautiful way of understanding today’s Gospel.

Jesus speaks about correcting a brother or sister who has sinned. He does not tell us to pretend that sin does not matter. But neither does He tell us to humiliate or condemn the sinner. Instead, Jesus places correction within the context of relationship and community.

Christian correction does not say, “Your sin does not matter.” Nor does it say, “You are nothing but your sin.” Rather, it says, “What you have done is wrong, but this is not what God created you to become. Remember who you are in Christ and come home.”

Christian correction aims at conversion and reconciliation.

Jesus then says, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

The Church is that community gathered in the name of Jesus.

Hearing Our Song Again

In a sense, our Christian “song” begins at Baptism. God claims us as His own, and we receive a new identity as God’s sons and daughters.

Sin can make us forget that identity, but God never stops calling us back.

Every Sunday, God’s Word reminds us of who we are. When we sin, Scripture calls us to conversion. When we are discouraged, the Christian community strengthens us. When we lose our direction, Christ calls us back to Himself.

And then we come to the Eucharist.

The Eucharist does more than remind us about Jesus. Jesus Himself comes to us truly present, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. He gives Himself to us and strengthens us to become the people God calls us to be.

Every time we gather for Mass, it is as though God says:

“Remember whose you are. You belong to Christ. You are a child of God. You are called to holiness.”

If we truly open ourselves to God’s grace, we should not leave Mass unchanged. The Word we hear and the Eucharist we receive should gradually transform the way we think, speak, forgive, and love.

Helping One Another Remember

And when one of us falls, our response should not be condemnation or humiliation. But neither should love pretend that nothing is wrong. Christian love speaks the truth while seeking the person’s restoration.

Sometimes we need someone who loves us enough to say, “This is not who you are. Come back.”

That is what a Christian community should be. When someone is discouraged, we encourage them. When someone loses their way, we help them return. When someone falls, we help them stand again.

We remind one another who we are in Christ until, by God’s grace, we begin to live that song again.

So, whenever we forget who we are, may the Word of God, the Eucharist, and the community gather around us remind us:

“Remember the song. Remember who you are. Remember you belong to Christ.”