CHAPTER FOUR
SIGNS OF HOLINESS IN TODAY’S WORLD
110. Within the framework of holiness offered by the
Beatitudes and Matthew 25:31-46, I would like to mention a few signs or
spiritual attitudes that, in my opinion, are necessary if we are to understand
the way of life to which the Lord calls us. I will not pause to explain the
means of sanctification already known to us: the various methods of prayer, the
inestimable sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation, the offering of
personal sacrifices, different forms of devotion, spiritual direction, and many
others as well. Here I will speak only of certain aspects of the call to
holiness that I hope will prove especially meaningful.
111. The signs I wish to highlight are not the sum total of
a model of holiness, but they are five great expressions of love for God and
neighbour that I consider of particular importance in the light of certain
dangers and limitations present in today’s culture. There we see a sense of
anxiety, sometimes violent, that distracts and debilitates; negativity and
sullenness; the self-content bred by consumerism; individualism; and all those
forms of ersatz spirituality – having nothing to do with God – that dominate
the current religious marketplace.
PERSEVERANCE, PATIENCE AND MEEKNESS
112. The first of these great signs is solid grounding in
the God who loves and sustains us. This source of inner strength enables us to
persevere amid life’s ups and downs, but also to endure hostility, betrayal and
failings on the part of others. “If God is for us, who is against us?” (Rom 8:31):
this is the source of the peace found in the saints. Such inner strength makes
it possible for us, in our fast-paced, noisy and aggressive world, to give a
witness of holiness through patience and constancy in doing good. It is a sign
of the fidelity born of love, for those who put their faith in God (pístis)
can also be faithful to others (pistós). They do not desert others in
bad times; they accompany them in their anxiety and distress, even though doing
so may not bring immediate satisfaction.
113. Saint Paul bade the Romans not to repay evil for evil
(cf. Rom 12:17), not to seek revenge (v. 19), and not to be
overcome by evil, but instead to “overcome evil with good” (v. 21). This
attitude is not a sign of weakness but of true strength, because God himself
“is slow to anger but great in power” (Nah 1:3). The word of God
exhorts us to “put away all bitterness and wrath and wrangling and slander,
together with all malice” (Eph 4:31).
114. We need to recognize and combat our aggressive and
selfish inclinations, and not let them take root. “Be angry but do not sin; do
not let the sun go down on your anger” (Eph 4:26). When we feel
overwhelmed, we can always cling to the anchor of prayer, which puts us back in
God’s hands and the source of our peace. “Have no anxiety about anything, but
in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests
be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts...” (Phil 4:6-7).
115. Christians too can be caught up in networks of verbal
violence through the internet and the various forums of digital communication.
Even in Catholic media, limits can be overstepped, defamation and slander can
become commonplace, and all ethical standards and respect for the good name of
others can be abandoned. The result is a dangerous dichotomy, since things can
be said there that would be unacceptable in public discourse, and people look
to compensate for their own discontent by lashing out at others. It is striking
that at times, in claiming to uphold the other commandments, they completely
ignore the eighth, which forbids bearing false witness or lying, and ruthlessly
vilify others. Here we see how the unguarded tongue, set on fire by hell, sets
all things ablaze (cf. Jas 3:6).
116. Inner strength, as the work of grace, prevents us from
becoming carried away by the violence that is so much a part of life today,
because grace defuses vanity and makes possible meekness of heart. The saints
do not waste energy complaining about the failings of others; they can hold
their tongue before the faults of their brothers and sisters, and avoid the
verbal violence that demeans and mistreats others. Saints hesitate to treat
others harshly; they consider others better than themselves (cf. Phil 2:3).
117. It is not good when we look down on others like
heartless judges, lording it over them and always trying to teach them lessons.
That is itself a subtle form of violence.[95] Saint
John of the Cross proposed a different path: “Always prefer to be taught by
all, rather than to desire teaching even the least of all”.[96] And
he added advice on how to keep the devil at bay: “Rejoice in the good of others
as if it were your own, and desire that they be given precedence over you in
all things; this you should do wholeheartedly. You will thereby overcome evil
with good, banish the devil, and possess a happy heart. Try to practise this
all the more with those who least attract you. Realize that if you do not train
yourself in this way, you will not attain real charity or make any progress in
it”.[97]
118. Humility can only take root in the heart through
humiliations. Without them, there is no humility or holiness. If you are unable
to suffer and offer up a few humiliations, you are not humble and you are not
on the path to holiness. The holiness that God bestows on his Church comes
through the humiliation of his Son. He is the way. Humiliation makes you
resemble Jesus; it is an unavoidable aspect of the imitation of Christ. For
“Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in
his steps” (1 Pet 2:21). In turn, he reveals the humility of the
Father, who condescends to journey with his people, enduring their infidelities
and complaints (cf. Ex 34:6-9; Wis 11:23-12:2; Lk 6:36).
For this reason, the Apostles, after suffering humiliation, rejoiced “that they
were counted worthy to suffer dishonour for [Jesus’] name” (Acts 5:41).
119. Here I am not speaking only about stark situations of
martyrdom, but about the daily humiliations of those who keep silent to save
their families, who prefer to praise others rather than boast about themselves,
or who choose the less welcome tasks, at times even choosing to bear an
injustice so as to offer it to the Lord. “If when you do right and suffer for
it, you have God’s approval” (1 Pet 2:20). This does not mean
walking around with eyes lowered, not saying a word and fleeing the company of
others. At times, precisely because someone is free of selfishness, he or she
can dare to disagree gently, to demand justice or to defend the weak before the
powerful, even if it may harm his or her reputation.
120. I am not saying that such humiliation is pleasant, for
that would be masochism, but that it is a way of imitating Jesus and growing in
union with him. This is incomprehensible on a purely natural level, and the
world mocks any such notion. Instead, it is a grace to be sought in prayer:
“Lord, when humiliations come, help me to know that I am following in your
footsteps”.
121. To act in this way presumes a heart set at peace by
Christ, freed from the aggressiveness born of overweening egotism. That same
peacefulness, the fruit of grace, makes it possible to preserve our inner trust
and persevere in goodness, “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death” (Ps 23:4) or “a host encamp against me” (Ps 27:3).
Standing firm in the Lord, the Rock, we can sing: “In peace I will both lie
down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Ps 4:8).
Christ, in a word, “is our peace” (Eph2:14); he came “to guide our feet
into the way of peace” (Lk 1:79). As he told Saint Faustina
Kowalska, “Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to my mercy”.[98] So
let us not fall into the temptation of looking for security in success, vain
pleasures, possessions, power over others or social status. Jesus says: “My
peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world gives peace” (Jn 14:27).
JOY AND A SENSE OF HUMOUR
122. Far from being timid, morose, acerbic or melancholy, or
putting on a dreary face, the saints are joyful and full of good humour. Though
completely realistic, they radiate a positive and hopeful spirit. The Christian
life is “joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 14:17), for “the necessary
result of the love of charity is joy; since every lover rejoices at being
united to the beloved… the effect of charity is joy”.[99]Having
received the beautiful gift of God’s word, we embrace it “in much affliction,
with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit” (1 Thess 1:6). If we allow
the Lord to draw us out of our shell and change our lives, then we can do as
Saint Paul tells us: “Rejoice in the Lord always; I say it again, rejoice!” (Phil 4:4).
123. The prophets proclaimed the times of Jesus, in which we
now live, as a revelation of joy. “Shout and sing for joy!” (Is 12:6).
“Get you up to a high mountain, O herald of good tidings to Zion; lift up your
voice with strength, O herald of good tidings to Jerusalem!” (Is 40:9).
“Break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people,
and he will have compassion on his afflicted” (Is 49:13). “Rejoice
greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your
king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he” (Zech 9:9). Nor
should we forget Nehemiah’s exhortation: “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the
Lord is your strength!” (8:10).
124. Mary, recognizing the newness that Jesus brought, sang:
“My spirit rejoices” (Lk 1:47), and Jesus himself “rejoiced in the
Holy Spirit” (Lk 10:21). As he passed by, “all the people rejoiced”
(Lk 13:17). After his resurrection, wherever the disciples went,
there was “much joy” (Acts 8:8). Jesus assures us: “You will be
sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy... I will see you again and your
hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (Jn 16:20.22).
“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your
joy may be full” (Jn 15:11).
125. Hard times may come, when the cross casts its shadow,
yet nothing can destroy the supernatural joy that “adapts and changes, but
always endures, even as a flicker of light born of our personal certainty that,
when everything is said and done, we are infinitely loved”.[100] That
joy brings deep security, serene hope and a spiritual fulfilment that the world
cannot understand or appreciate.
126. Christian joy is usually accompanied by a sense of
humour. We see this clearly, for example, in Saint Thomas More, Saint Vincent
de Paul and Saint Philip Neri. Ill humour is no sign of holiness. “Remove
vexation from your mind” (Eccl 11:10). We receive so much from the
Lord “for our enjoyment” (1 Tim 6:17), that sadness can be a sign
of ingratitude. We can get so caught up in ourselves that we are unable to
recognize God’s gifts.[101]
127. With the love of a father, God tells us: “My son, treat
yourself well... Do not deprive yourself of a happy day” (Sir 14:11.14).
He wants us to be positive, grateful and uncomplicated: “In the day of
prosperity, be joyful... God created human beings straightforward, but they
have devised many schemes” (Eccl 7:14.29). Whatever the case, we
should remain resilient and imitate Saint Paul: “I have learned to be content
with what I have” (Phil 4:11). Saint Francis of Assisi lived by
this; he could be overwhelmed with gratitude before a piece of hard bread, or
joyfully praise God simply for the breeze that caressed his face.
128. This is not the joy held out by today’s individualistic
and consumerist culture. Consumerism only bloats the heart. It can offer
occasional and passing pleasures, but not joy. Here I am speaking of a joy
lived in communion, which shares and is shared, since “there is more happiness
in giving than in receiving” (Acts 20:35) and “God loves a cheerful
giver” (2 Cor 9:7). Fraternal love increases our capacity for joy,
since it makes us capable of rejoicing in the good of others: “Rejoice with
those who rejoice” (Rom 12:15). “We rejoice when we are weak and
you are strong” (2 Cor 13:9). On the other hand, when we “focus
primarily on our own needs, we condemn ourselves to a joyless existence”.[102]
BOLDNESS AND PASSION
129. Holiness is also parrhesía: it is boldness,
an impulse to evangelize and to leave a mark in this world. To allow us to do
this, Jesus himself comes and tells us once more, serenely yet firmly: “Do not
be afraid” (Mk 6:50). “I am with you always, to the end of the
world” (Mt 28:20). These words enable us to go forth and serve with
the same courage that the Holy Spirit stirred up in the Apostles, impelling
them to proclaim Jesus Christ. Boldness, enthusiasm, the freedom to speak out,
apostolic fervour, all these are included in the word parrhesía.
The Bible also uses this word to describe the freedom of a life open to God and
to others (cf. Acts 4:29, 9:28, 28:31; 2 Cor3:12; Eph 3:12; Heb 3:6,
10:19).
130. Blessed Paul VI, in referring
to obstacles to evangelization, spoke of a lack of fervour (parrhesía)
that is “all the more serious because it comes from within”.[103] How
often we are tempted to keep close to the shore! Yet the Lord calls us to put
out into the deep and let down our nets (cf. Lk 5:4). He bids
us spend our lives in his service. Clinging to him, we are inspired to put all
our charisms at the service of others. May we always feel compelled by his love
(2 Cor 5:14) and say with Saint Paul: “Woe to me if I do not preach
the Gospel” (1 Cor 9:16).
131. Look at Jesus. His deep compassion reached out to
others. It did not make him hesitant, timid or self-conscious, as often happens
with us. Quite the opposite. His compassion made him go out actively to preach
and to send others on a mission of healing and liberation. Let us acknowledge
our weakness, but allow Jesus to lay hold of it and send us too on mission. We
are weak, yet we hold a treasure that can enlarge us and make those who receive
it better and happier. Boldness and apostolic courage are an essential part of
mission.
132. Parrhesía is a seal of the Spirit; it
testifies to the authenticity of our preaching. It is a joyful assurance that
leads us to glory in the Gospel we proclaim. It is an unshakeable trust in the
faithful Witness who gives us the certainty that nothing can “separate us from
the love of God” (Rom 8:39).
133. We need the Spirit’s prompting, lest we be paralyzed by
fear and excessive caution, lest we grow used to keeping within safe bounds.
Let us remember that closed spaces grow musty and unhealthy. When the Apostles
were tempted to let themselves be crippled by danger and threats, they joined
in prayer to implore parrhesía: “And now, Lord, look upon their
threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness” (Acts 4:29).
As a result, “when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered
together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke
the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).
134. Like the prophet Jonah, we are constantly tempted to
flee to a safe haven. It can have many names: individualism, spiritualism,
living in a little world, addiction, intransigence, the rejection of new ideas
and approaches, dogmatism, nostalgia, pessimism, hiding behind rules and
regulations. We can resist leaving behind a familiar and easy way of doing
things. Yet the challenges involved can be like the storm, the whale, the worm
that dried the gourd plant, or the wind and sun that burned Jonah’s head. For
us, as for him, they can serve to bring us back to the God of tenderness, who
invites us to set out ever anew on our journey.
135. God is eternal newness. He impels us constantly to set
out anew, to pass beyond what is familiar, to the fringes and beyond. He takes us
to where humanity is most wounded, where men and women, beneath the appearance
of a shallow conformity, continue to seek an answer to the question of life’s
meaning. God is not afraid! He is fearless! He is always greater than our plans
and schemes. Unafraid of the fringes, he himself became a fringe (cf. Phil 2:6-8; Jn 1:14).
So if we dare to go to the fringes, we will find him there; indeed, he is
already there. Jesus is already there, in the hearts of our brothers and
sisters, in their wounded flesh, in their troubles and in their profound
desolation. He is already there.
136. True enough, we need to open the door of our hearts to
Jesus, who stands and knocks (cf. Rev 3:20). Sometimes I
wonder, though, if perhaps Jesus is already inside us and knocking on the door
for us to let him escape from our stale self-centredness. In the Gospel, we see
how Jesus “went through the cities and villages, preaching and bringing the
good news of the kingdom of God” (Lk 8:1). After the resurrection,
when the disciples went forth in all directions, the Lord accompanied them
(cf. Mk 16:20). This is what happens as the result of true
encounter.
137. Complacency is seductive; it tells us that there is no
point in trying to change things, that there is nothing we can do, because this
is the way things have always been and yet we always manage to survive. By
force of habit we no longer stand up to evil. We “let things be”, or as others
have decided they ought to be. Yet let us allow the Lord to rouse us from our
torpor, to free us from our inertia. Let us rethink our usual way of doing
things; let us open our eyes and ears, and above all our hearts, so as not to
be complacent about things as they are, but unsettled by the living and
effective word of the risen Lord.
138. We are inspired to act by the example of all those
priests, religious, and laity who devote themselves to proclamation and to
serving others with great fidelity, often at the risk of their lives and
certainly at the cost of their comfort. Their testimony reminds us that, more
than bureaucrats and functionaries, the Church needs passionate missionaries,
enthusiastic about sharing true life. The saints surprise us, they confound us,
because by their lives they urge us to abandon a dull and dreary mediocrity.
139. Let us ask the Lord for the grace not to hesitate when
the Spirit calls us to take a step forward. Let us ask for the apostolic
courage to share the Gospel with others and to stop trying to make our
Christian life a museum of memories. In every situation, may the Holy Spirit
cause us to contemplate history in the light of the risen Jesus. In this way,
the Church will not stand still, but constantly welcome the Lord’s surprises.
IN COMMUNITY
140. When we live apart from others, it is very difficult to
fight against concupiscence, the snares and temptations of the devil and the selfishness
of the world. Bombarded as we are by so many enticements, we can grow too
isolated, lose our sense of reality and inner clarity, and easily succumb.
141. Growth in holiness is a journey in community, side by
side with others. We see this in some holy communities. From time to time, the
Church has canonized entire communities that lived the Gospel heroically or
offered to God the lives of all their members. We can think, for example, of
the seven holy founders of the Order of the Servants of Mary, the seven blessed
sisters of the first monastery of the Visitation in Madrid, the Japanese
martyrs Saint Paul Miki and companions, the Korean martyrs Saint Andrew Taegon
and companions, or the South American martyrs Saint Roque González, Saint
Alonso Rodríguez and companions. We should also remember the more recent
witness borne by the Trappists of Tibhirine, Algeria, who prepared as a
community for martyrdom. In many holy marriages too, each spouse becomes a
means used by Christ for the sanctification of the other. Living or working
alongside others is surely a path of spiritual growth. Saint John of the Cross
told one of his followers: “You are living with others in order to be fashioned
and tried”.[104]
142. Each community is called to create a “God-enlightened
space in which to experience the hidden presence of the risen Lord”.[105]Sharing
the word and celebrating the Eucharist together fosters fraternity and makes us
a holy and missionary community. It also gives rise to authentic and shared
mystical experiences. Such was the case with Saints Benedict and Scholastica.
We can also think of the sublime spiritual experience shared by Saint Augustine
and his mother, Saint Monica. “As the day now approached on which she was to
depart this life, a day known to you but not to us, it came about, as I believe
by your secret arrangement, that she and I stood alone leaning in a window that
looked onto a garden… We opened wide our hearts to drink in the streams of your
fountain, the source of life that is in you... And as we spoke of that wisdom
and strained after it, we touched it in some measure by the impetus of our
hearts... eternal life might be like that one moment of knowledge which we now
sighed after”.[106]
143. Such experiences, however, are neither the most
frequent nor the most important. The common life, whether in the family, the
parish, the religious community or any other, is made up of small everyday
things. This was true of the holy community formed by Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
which reflected in an exemplary way the beauty of the Trinitarian communion. It
was also true of the life that Jesus shared with his disciples and with
ordinary people.
144. Let us not forget that Jesus asked his disciples to pay
attention to details.
The little detail that wine was running out at a party.
The little detail that one sheep was missing.
The little detail of noticing the widow who offered her two small coins.
The little detail of having spare oil for the lamps, should the bridegroom delay.
The little detail of asking the disciples how many loaves of bread they had.
The little detail of having a fire burning and a fish cooking as he waited for the disciples at daybreak.
The little detail that wine was running out at a party.
The little detail that one sheep was missing.
The little detail of noticing the widow who offered her two small coins.
The little detail of having spare oil for the lamps, should the bridegroom delay.
The little detail of asking the disciples how many loaves of bread they had.
The little detail of having a fire burning and a fish cooking as he waited for the disciples at daybreak.
145. A community that cherishes the little details of love,[107] whose
members care for one another and create an open and evangelizing environment,
is a place where the risen Lord is present, sanctifying it in accordance with
the Father’s plan. There are times when, by a gift of the Lord’s love, we are
granted, amid these little details, consoling experiences of God. “One winter
night I was carrying out my little duty as usual… Suddenly, I heard off in the
distance the harmonious sound of a musical instrument. I then pictured a
well-lighted drawing room, brilliantly gilded, filled with elegantly dressed
young ladies conversing together and conferring upon each other all sorts of compliments
and other worldly remarks. Then my glance fell upon the poor invalid whom I was
supporting. Instead of the beautiful strains of music I heard only her
occasional complaints… I cannot express in words what happened in my soul; what
I know is that the Lord illumined it with rays of truth which so surpassed the
dark brilliance of earthly feasts that I could not believe my happiness”.[108]
146. Contrary to the growing consumerist individualism that
tends to isolate us in a quest for well-being apart from others, our path to
holiness can only make us identify all the more with Jesus’ prayer “that all
may be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you” (Jn17:21).
IN CONSTANT PRAYER
147. Finally, though it may seem obvious, we should remember
that holiness consists in a habitual openness to the transcendent, expressed in
prayer and adoration. The saints are distinguished by a spirit of prayer and a
need for communion with God. They find an exclusive concern with this world to
be narrow and stifling, and, amid their own concerns and commitments, they long
for God, losing themselves in praise and contemplation of the Lord. I do not
believe in holiness without prayer, even though that prayer need not be lengthy
or involve intense emotions.
148. SaintJohn of the Cross tells us: “Endeavour to remain
always in the presence of God, either real, imaginative, or unitive, insofar as
is permitted by your works”.[109] In
the end, our desire for God will surely find expression in our daily lives:
“Try to be continuous in prayer, and in the midst of bodily exercises do not
leave it. Whether you eat, drink, talk with others, or do anything, always go
to God and attach your heart to him”.[110]
149. For this to happen, however, some moments spent alone
with God are also necessary. For Saint Teresa of Avila, prayer “is nothing but
friendly intercourse, and frequent solitary converse, with him who we know
loves us”.[111] I
would insist that this is true not only for a privileged few, but for all of
us, for “we all have need of this silence, filled with the presence of him who
is adored”.[112] Trust-filled
prayer is a response of a heart open to encountering God face to face, where
all is peaceful and the quiet voice of the Lord can be heard in the midst of
silence.
150. In that silence, we can discern, in the light of the
Spirit, the paths of holiness to which the Lord is calling us. Otherwise, any
decisions we make may only be window-dressing that, rather than exalting the
Gospel in our lives, will mask or submerge it. For each disciple, it is
essential to spend time with the Master, to listen to his words, and to learn
from him always. Unless we listen, all our words will be nothing but useless
chatter.
151. We need to remember that “contemplation of the face of
Jesus, died and risen, restores our humanity, even when it has been broken by
the troubles of this life or marred by sin. We must not domesticate the power
of the face of Christ”.[113] So
let me ask you: Are there moments when you place yourself quietly in the Lord’s
presence, when you calmly spend time with him, when you bask in his gaze? Do
you let his fire inflame your heart? Unless you let him warm you more and more
with his love and tenderness, you will not catch fire. How will you then be
able to set the hearts of others on fire by your words and witness? If, gazing
on the face of Christ, you feel unable to let yourself be healed and
transformed, then enter into the Lord’s heart, into his wounds, for that is the
abode of divine mercy.[114]
152. I ask that we never regard prayerful silence as a form
of escape and rejection of the world around us. The Russian pilgrim, who prayed
constantly, says that such prayer did not separate him from what was happening
all around him. “Everybody was kind to me; it was as though everyone loved
me... Not only did I feel [happiness and consolation] in my own soul, but the
whole outside world also seemed to me full of charm and delight”.[115]
153. Nor does history vanish. Prayer, because it is
nourished by the gift of God present and at work in our lives, must always be
marked by remembrance. The memory of God’s works is central to the experience
of the covenant between God and his people. God wished to enter history, and so
our prayer is interwoven with memories. We think back not only on his revealed
Word, but also on our own lives, the lives of others, and all that the Lord has
done in his Church. This is the grateful memory that Saint Ignatius of Loyola
refers to in his Contemplation for Attaining Love,[116] when
he asks us to be mindful of all the blessings we have received from the Lord.
Think of your own history when you pray, and there you will find much mercy.
This will also increase your awareness that the Lord is ever mindful of you; he
never forgets you. So it makes sense to ask him to shed light on the smallest
details of your life, for he sees them all.
154. Prayer of supplication is an expression of a heart that
trusts in God and realizes that of itself it can do nothing. The life of God’s
faithful people is marked by constant supplication born of faith-filled love
and great confidence. Let us not downplay prayer of petition, which so often
calms our hearts and helps us persevere in hope. Prayer of intercession has
particular value, for it is an act of trust in God and, at the same time, an
expression of love for our neighbour. There are those who think, based on a
one-sided spirituality, that prayer should be unalloyed contemplation of God,
free of all distraction, as if the names and faces of others were somehow an
intrusion to be avoided. Yet in reality, our prayer will be all the more
pleasing to God and more effective for our growth in holiness if, through
intercession, we attempt to practise the twofold commandment that Jesus left
us. Intercessory prayer is an expression of our fraternal concern for others,
since we are able to embrace their lives, their deepest troubles and their
loftiest dreams. Of those who commit themselves generously to intercessory
prayer we can apply the words of Scripture: “This is a man who loves the
brethren and prays much for the people” (2 Mac 15:14).
155. If we realize that God exists, we cannot help but
worship him, at times in quiet wonder, and praise him in festive song. We thus
share in the experience of Blessed Charles de Foucauld, who said: “As soon as I
believed that there was a God, I understood that I could do nothing other than
to live for him”.[117] In
the life of God’s pilgrim people, there can be many simple gestures of pure
adoration, as when “the gaze of a pilgrim rests on an image that symbolizes
God’s affection and closeness. Love pauses, contemplates the mystery, and
enjoys it in silence”.[118]
156. The prayerful reading of God’s word, which is “sweeter
than honey” (Ps 119:103) yet a “two-edged sword” (Heb 4:12),
enables us to pause and listen to the voice of the Master. It becomes a lamp
for our steps and a light for our path (cf. Ps 119:105). As
the bishops of India have reminded us, “devotion to the word of God is not
simply one of many devotions, beautiful but somewhat optional. It goes to the
very heart and identity of Christian life. The word has the power to transform
lives”.[119]
157. Meeting Jesus in the Scriptures leads us to the
Eucharist, where the written word attains its greatest efficacy, for there the
living Word is truly present. In the Eucharist, the one true God receives the
greatest worship the world can give him, for it is Christ himself who is
offered. When we receive him in Holy Communion, we renew our covenant with him
and allow him to carry out ever more fully his work of transforming our lives.
CHAPTER FIVE
SPIRITUAL COMBAT, VIGILANCE AND DISCERNMENT
158. The Christian life is a constant battle. We need
strength and courage to withstand the temptations of the devil and to proclaim
the Gospel. This battle is sweet, for it allows us to rejoice each time the
Lord triumphs in our lives.
COMBAT AND VIGILANCE
159. We are not dealing merely with a battle against the
world and a worldly mentality that would deceive us and leave us dull and
mediocre, lacking in enthusiasm and joy. Nor can this battle be reduced to the
struggle against our human weaknesses and proclivities (be they laziness, lust,
envy, jealousy or any others). It is also a constant struggle against the
devil, the prince of evil. Jesus himself celebrates our victories. He rejoiced
when his disciples made progress in preaching the Gospel and overcoming the
opposition of the evil one: “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Lk 10:18).
More than a myth
160. We will not admit the existence of the devil if we
insist on regarding life by empirical standards alone, without a supernatural
understanding. It is precisely the conviction that this malign power is present
in our midst that enables us to understand how evil can at times have so much
destructive force. True enough, the biblical authors had limited conceptual
resources for expressing certain realities, and in Jesus’ time epilepsy, for
example, could easily be confused with demonic possession. Yet this should not
lead us to an oversimplification that would conclude that all the cases related
in the Gospel had to do with psychological disorders and hence that the devil
does not exist or is not at work. He is present in the very first pages of the Scriptures,
which end with God’s victory over the devil.[120] Indeed,
in leaving us the Our Father, Jesus wanted us to conclude by asking the Father
to “deliver us from evil”. That final word does not refer to evil in the
abstract; a more exact translation would be “the evil one”. It indicates a
personal being who assails us. Jesus taught us to ask daily for deliverance
from him, lest his power prevail over us.
161. Hence, we should not think of the devil as a myth, a
representation, a symbol, a figure of speech or an idea.[121] This
mistake would lead us to let down our guard, to grow careless and end up more
vulnerable. The devil does not need to possess us. He poisons us with the venom
of hatred, desolation, envy and vice. When we let down our guard, he takes
advantage of it to destroy our lives, our families and our communities. “Like a
roaring lion, he prowls around, looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet 5:8).
Alert and trustful
162. God’s word invites us clearly to “stand against the
wiles of the devil” (Eph 6:11) and to “quench all the flaming darts
of the evil one” (Eph 6:16). These expressions are not
melodramatic, precisely because our path towards holiness is a constant battle.
Those who do not realize this will be prey to failure or mediocrity. For this
spiritual combat, we can count on the powerful weapons that the Lord has given
us: faith-filled prayer, meditation on the word of God, the celebration of
Mass, Eucharistic adoration, sacramental Reconciliation, works of charity,
community life, missionary outreach. If we become careless, the false promises
of evil will easily seduce us. As the sainted Cura Brochero observed: “What
good is it when Lucifer promises you freedom and showers you with all his
benefits, if those benefits are false, deceptive and poisonous?”[122]
163. Along this journey, the cultivation of all that is
good, progress in the spiritual life and growth in love are the best
counterbalance to evil. Those who choose to remain neutral, who are satisfied
with little, who renounce the ideal of giving themselves generously to the
Lord, will never hold out. Even less if they fall into defeatism, for “if we
start without confidence, we have already lost half the battle and we bury our
talents… Christian triumph is always a cross, yet a cross which is at the same
time a victorious banner, borne with aggressive tenderness against the assaults
of evil”.[123]
Spiritual corruption
164. The path of holiness is a source of peace and joy,
given to us by the Spirit. At the same time, it demands that we keep “our lamps
lit” (Lk 12:35) and be attentive. “Abstain from every form of evil”
(1 Thess 5:22). “Keep awake” (Mt 24:42; Mk 13:35).
“Let us not fall asleep” (1 Thess 5:6). Those who think they commit
no grievous sins against God’s law can fall into a state of dull lethargy. Since
they see nothing serious to reproach themselves with, they fail to realize that
their spiritual life has gradually turned lukewarm. They end up weakened and
corrupted.
165. Spiritual corruption is worse than the fall of a
sinner, for it is a comfortable and self-satisfied form of blindness.
Everything then appears acceptable: deception, slander, egotism and other
subtle forms of self-centredness, for “even Satan disguises himself as an angel
of light” (2 Cor 11:14). So Solomon ended his days, whereas David,
who sinned greatly, was able to make up for disgrace. Jesus warned us against
this self-deception that easily leads to corruption. He spoke of a person freed
from the devil who, convinced that his life was now in order, ended up being
possessed by seven other evil spirits (cf. Lk 11:24-26).
Another biblical text puts it bluntly: “The dog turns back to his own vomit” (2
Pet 2:22; cf. Pr 26:11).
DISCERNMENT
166. How can we know if something comes from the Holy Spirit
or if it stems from the spirit of the world or the spirit of the devil? The
only way is through discernment, which calls for something more than
intelligence or common sense. It is a gift which we must implore. If we ask
with confidence that the Holy Spirit grant us this gift, and then seek to
develop it through prayer, reflection, reading and good counsel, then surely we
will grow in this spiritual endowment.
An urgent need
167. The gift of discernment has become all the more
necessary today, since contemporary life offers immense possibilities for
action and distraction, and the world presents all of them as valid and good.
All of us, but especially the young, are immersed in a culture of zapping. We
can navigate simultaneously on two or more screens and interact at the same
time with two or three virtual scenarios. Without the wisdom of discernment, we
can easily become prey to every passing trend.
168. This is all the more important when some novelty
presents itself in our lives. Then we have to decide whether it is new wine
brought by God or an illusion created by the spirit of this world or the spirit
of the devil. At other times, the opposite can happen, when the forces of evil
induce us not to change, to leave things as they are, to opt for a rigid
resistance to change. Yet that would be to block the working of the Spirit. We
are free, with the freedom of Christ. Still, he asks us to examine what is
within us – our desires, anxieties, fears and questions – and what takes place
all around us – “the signs of the times” – and thus to recognize the paths that
lead to complete freedom. “Test everything; hold fast to what is good” (1
Thess 5:21).
Always in the light of the Lord
169. Discernment is necessary not only at extraordinary
times, when we need to resolve grave problems and make crucial decisions. It is
a means of spiritual combat for helping us to follow the Lord more faithfully.
We need it at all times, to help us recognize God’s timetable, lest we fail to
heed the promptings of his grace and disregard his invitation to grow. Often
discernment is exercised in small and apparently irrelevant things, since
greatness of spirit is manifested in simple everyday realities.[124] It
involves striving untrammelled for all that is great, better and more
beautiful, while at the same time being concerned for the little things, for
each day’s responsibilities and commitments. For this reason, I ask all
Christians not to omit, in dialogue with the Lord, a sincere daily “examination
of conscience”. Discernment also enables us to recognize the concrete means
that the Lord provides in his mysterious and loving plan, to make us move beyond
mere good intentions.
A supernatural gift
170. Certainly, spiritual discernment does not exclude
existential, psychological, sociological or moral insights drawn from the human
sciences. At the same time, it transcends them. Nor are the Church’s sound
norms sufficient. We should always remember that discernment is a grace. Even
though it includes reason and prudence, it goes beyond them, for it seeks a
glimpse of that unique and mysterious plan that God has for each of us, which
takes shape amid so many varied situations and limitations. It involves more
than my temporal well-being, my satisfaction at having accomplished something
useful, or even my desire for peace of mind. It has to do with the meaning of
my life before the Father who knows and loves me, with the real purpose of my
life, which nobody knows better than he. Ultimately, discernment leads to the
wellspring of undying life: to know the Father, the only true God, and the one
whom he has sent, Jesus Christ (cf. Jn 17:3). It requires no
special abilities, nor is it only for the more intelligent or better educated.
The Father readily reveals himself to the lowly (cf. Mt 11:25).
171. The Lord speaks to us in a variety of ways, at work,
through others and at every moment. Yet we simply cannot do without the silence
of prolonged prayer, which enables us better to perceive God’s language, to
interpret the real meaning of the inspirations we believe we have received, to
calm our anxieties and to see the whole of our existence afresh in his own
light. In this way, we allow the birth of a new synthesis that springs from a
life inspired by the Spirit.
Speak, Lord
172. Nonetheless, it is possible that, even in prayer
itself, we could refuse to let ourselves be confronted by the freedom of the
Spirit, who acts as he wills. We must remember that prayerful discernment must
be born of a readiness to listen: to the Lord and to others, and to reality
itself, which always challenges us in new ways. Only if we are prepared to
listen, do we have the freedom to set aside our own partial or insufficient
ideas, our usual habits and ways of seeing things. In this way, we become truly
open to accepting a call that can shatter our security, but lead us to a better
life. It is not enough that everything be calm and peaceful. God may be
offering us something more, but in our comfortable inadvertence, we do not
recognize it.
173. Naturally, this attitude of listening entails obedience
to the Gospel as the ultimate standard, but also to the Magisterium that guards
it, as we seek to find in the treasury of the Church whatever is most fruitful
for the “today” of salvation. It is not a matter of applying rules or repeating
what was done in the past, since the same solutions are not valid in all
circumstances and what was useful in one context may not prove so in another.
The discernment of spirits liberates us from rigidity, which has no place
before the perennial “today” of the risen Lord. The Spirit alone can penetrate
what is obscure and hidden in every situation, and grasp its every nuance, so
that the newness of the Gospel can emerge in another light.
The logic of gift and of the cross
174. An essential condition for progress in discernment is a
growing understanding of God’s patience and his timetable, which are never our
own. God does not pour down fire upon those who are unfaithful (cf. Lk 9:54),
or allow the zealous to uproot the tares growing among the wheat (cf. Mt 13:29).
Generosity too is demanded, for “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
Discernment is not about discovering what more we can get out of this life, but
about recognizing how we can better accomplish the mission entrusted to us at
our baptism. This entails a readiness to make sacrifices, even to sacrificing
everything. For happiness is a paradox. We experience it most when we accept the
mysterious logic that is not of this world: “This is our logic”, says Saint
Bonaventure,[125] pointing
to the cross. Once we enter into this dynamic, we will not let our consciences
be numbed and we will open ourselves generously to discernment.
175. When, in God’s presence, we examine our life’s journey,
no areas can be off limits. In all aspects of life we can continue to grow and
offer something greater to God, even in those areas we find most difficult. We
need, though, to ask the Holy Spirit to liberate us and to expel the fear that
makes us ban him from certain parts of our lives. God asks everything of us,
yet he also gives everything to us. He does not want to enter our lives to
cripple or diminish them, but to bring them to fulfilment. Discernment, then,
is not a solipsistic self-analysis or a form of egotistical introspection, but
an authentic process of leaving ourselves behind in order to approach the
mystery of God, who helps us to carry out the mission to which he has called
us, for the good of our brothers and sisters.
* * *
176. I would like these reflections to be crowned by Mary,
because she lived the Beatitudes of Jesus as none other. She is that woman who
rejoiced in the presence of God, who treasured everything in her heart, and who
let herself be pierced by the sword. Mary is the saint among the saints,
blessed above all others. She teaches us the way of holiness and she walks ever
at our side. She does not let us remain fallen and at times she takes us into
her arms without judging us. Our converse with her consoles, frees and
sanctifies us. Mary our Mother does not need a flood of words. She does not
need us to tell her what is happening in our lives. All we need do is whisper,
time and time again: “Hail Mary…”
177. It is my hope that these pages will prove helpful by
enabling the whole Church to devote herself anew to promoting the desire for
holiness. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us a fervent longing to
be saints for God’s greater glory, and let us encourage one another in this
effort. In this way, we will share a happiness that the world will not be able
to take from us.
Given in Rome, at Saint Peter’s, on 19 March, the
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, in the year 2018, the sixth of my Pontificate.
Francis
[1] BENEDICT XVI, Homily for the Solemn Inauguration of the Petrine Ministry (24 April 2005): AAS 97 (2005), 708.
[2] This always
presumes a reputation of holiness and the exercise, at least to an ordinary
degree, of the Christian virtues: cf. Motu Proprio Maiorem
Hac Dilectionem (11 July 2017), Art. 2c: L’Osservatore
Romano, 12 July 2017, p. 8.
[7] JOHN PAUL II,
Encyclical Letter Novo
Millennio Ineunte (6 January 2001), 56: AAS 93 (2001), 307.
[9] Homily
for the Ecumenical Commemoration of Witnesses to the Faith in the Twentieth
Century (7 May 2000), 5: AAS 92 (2000), 680-681.
[29] We need to
distinguish between this kind of superficial entertainment and a healthy culture
of leisure, which opens us to others and to reality itself in a spirit of
openness and contemplation.
[31] REGIONAL
EPISCOPAL CONFERENCE OF WEST AFRICA, Pastoral Message at the End of the
Second Plenary Assembly, 29 February 2016, 2.
[33] Cf. CONGREGATION
FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH, Letter Placuit
Deo on Certain Aspects of Christian Salvation (22 February
2018), 4, in L’Osservatore Romano, 2 March 2018, pp. 4-5: “Both
neo-Pelagian individualism and the neo-Gnostic disregard of the body deface the
confession of faith in Christ, the one, universal Saviour”. This document
provides the doctrinal bases for understanding Christian salvation in reference
to contemporary neo-gnostic and neo-pelagian tendencies.
[36] Homily
at Mass in Casa Santa Marta, 11 November 2016: L’Osservatore
Romano, 12 November 2016, p. 8.
[37] As Saint
Bonaventure teaches, “we must suspend all the operations of the mind and we
must transform the peak of our affections, directing them to God alone… Since
nature can achieve nothing and personal effort very little, it is necessary to
give little importance to investigation and much to unction, little to speech and
much to interior joy, little to words or writing but all to the gift of God,
namely the Holy Spirit, little or no importance should be given to the
creature, but all to the Creator, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”:
BONAVENTURE, Itinerarium Mentis in Deum, VII, 4-5.
[38] Cf. Letter
to the Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina for
the Centenary of the Founding of the Faculty of Theology (3 March
2015): L’Osservatore Romano, 9-10 March 2015, p. 6.
[40] Video
Message to Participants in an International Theological Congress held at the
Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina (1-3 September 2015):
AAS 107 (2015), 980.
[42] Letter
to the Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina for
the Centenary of the Founding of the Faculty of Theology (3 March
2015): L’Osservatore Romano, 9-10 March 2015, p. 6.
[47] Cf.
Bonaventure, De sex alis Seraphim, 3, 8: “Non omnes omnia
possunt”. The phrase is to be understood along the lines of the Catechism
of the Catholic Church, 1735.
[48] Cf. THOMAS
AQUINAS, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 109, a. 9, ad 1: “But here
grace is to some extent imperfect, inasmuch as it does not completely heal man,
as we have said”.
[52] In the
understanding of Christian faith, grace precedes, accompanies and follows all
our actions (cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL OF TRENT, Session VI, Decree on
Justification, ch. 5: DH 1525).
[61] Lucio
Gera, Sobre el misterio del pobre, in P. GRELOT-L. GERA-A.
DUMAS, El Pobre, Buenos Aires, 1962, 103.
[62] This is, in a
word, the Catholic doctrine on “merit” subsequent to justification: it has to
do with the cooperation of the justified for growth in the life of grace (cf.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2010). Yet this cooperation in no way makes
justification itself or friendship with God the object of human merit.
[65] FRANCIS, Homily
at Mass for the Jubilee of Socially Excluded People (13 November
2016): L’Osservatore Romano, 14-15 November 2016, p. 8.
[67] The order of
the second and third Beatitudes varies in accordance with the different textual
traditions.
[70] From the
patristic era, the Church has valued the gift of tears, as seen in the fine
prayer “Ad petendam compunctionem cordis”. It reads: “Almighty and
most merciful God, who brought forth from the rock a spring of living water for
your thirsting people: bring forth tears of compunction from our hardness of
heart, that we may grieve for our sins, and, by your mercy, obtain their
forgiveness” (cf. Missale Romanum, ed. typ. 1962, p. [110]).
[73] Detraction
and calumny are acts of terrorism: a bomb is thrown, it explodes and the
attacker walks away calm and contented. This is completely different from the
nobility of those who speak to others face to face, serenely and frankly, out
of genuine concern for their good.
[74] At times, it
may be necessary to speak of the difficulties of a particular brother or
sister. In such cases, it can happen that an interpretation is passed on in
place of an objective fact. Emotions can misconstrue and alter the facts of a
matter, and end up passing them on laced with subjective elements. In this way,
neither the facts themselves nor the truth of the other person are respected.
[82] We can recall
the Good Samaritan’s reaction upon meeting the man attacked by robbers and left
for dead (cf. Lk 10:30-37).
[83] SOCIAL
AFFAIRS COMMISSION OF THE CANADIAN CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS, Open Letter
to the Members of Parliament, The Common Good or Exclusion: A Choice
for Canadians (1 February 2001), 9.
[84] The Fifth
General Conference of the Latin American and Caribbean Bishops, echoing the
Church’s constant teaching, stated that human beings “are always sacred, from
their conception, at all stages of existence, until their natural death, and
after death”, and that life must be safeguarded “starting at conception, in
all its stages, until natural death” (Aparecida Document,
29 June 2007, 388; 464).
[95] There are
some forms of bullying that, while seeming delicate or respectful and even
quite spiritual, cause great damage to others’ self-esteem.
[101] I recommend
praying the prayer attributed to Saint Thomas More: “Grant me, O Lord, good
digestion, and also something to digest. Grant me a healthy body, and the
necessary good humour to maintain it. Grant me a simple soul that knows to
treasure all that is good and that doesn’t frighten easily at the sight of
evil, but rather finds the means to put things back in their place. Give me a
soul that knows not boredom, grumbling, sighs and laments, nor excess of
stress, because of that obstructing thing called ‘I’. Grant me, O Lord, a sense
of good humour. Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke and to discover in
life a bit of joy, and to be able to share it with others”.
[103] Apostolic
Exhortation Evangelii
Nuntiandi (8 December 1975), 80: AAS 68 (1976), 73. It is worth
noting that in this text Blessed Paul VI closely links joy and parrhesía.
While lamenting a “lack of joy and hope” as an obstacle to evangelization, he
extols the “delightful and comforting joy of evangelizing”, linked to “an
interior enthusiasm that nobody and nothing can quench”. This ensures that the
world does not receive the Gospel “from evangelizers who are dejected [and]
discouraged”. During the 1975 Holy Year, Pope Paul devoted to joy his Apostolic
Exhortation Gaudete
in Domino (9 May 1975): AAS 67 (1975), 289-322.
[107] I think
especially of the three key words “please”, “thank you” and “sorry”. “The right
words, spoken at the right time, daily protect and nurture love”: Post-Synodal
Apostolic Exhortation Amoris
Laetitia (19 March 2016), 133: AAS 108 (2016), 363.
[113] Meeting
with the Participants in the Fifth Convention of the Italian Church, Florence,
(10 November 2015): AAS 107 (2015), 1284.
[118] FIFTH
GENERAL CONFERENCE OF THE LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN BISHOPS, Aparecida
Document (29 June 2007), 259.
[119] CONFERENCE
OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF INDIA, Final Declaration of the Twenty-First
Plenary Assembly, 18 February 2009, 3.2.
[120] Cf. Homily
at Mass in Casa Santa Marta, 11 October 2013: L’Osservatore
Romano, 12 October 2013, p. 2.
[121] Cf. PAUL
VI, Catechesis, General Audience of 15 November 1972: Insegnamenti X
(1972), pp. 1168-1170: “One of our greatest needs is defence against that evil
which we call the devil… Evil is not simply a deficiency, it is an efficiency,
a living spiritual being, perverted and perverting. A terrible reality,
mysterious and frightful. They no longer remain within the framework of
biblical and ecclesiastical teaching who refuse to recognize its existence, or
who make of it an independent principle that does not have, like every
creature, its origin in God, or explain it as a pseudo-reality, a conceptual
and imaginative personification of the hidden causes of our misfortunes”.
[122] JOSÉ
GABRIEL DEL ROSARIO BROCHERO, “Plática de las banderas”, in CONFERENCIA
EPISCOPAL ARGENTINA, El Cura Brochero. Cartas y sermones, Buenos
Aires, 1999, 71.
[124] The tomb of
Saint Ignatius of Loyola bears this thought-provoking inscription: Non
coerceri a maximo, conteneri tamen a minimo divinum est (“Not to be
confined by the greatest, yet to be contained within the smallest, is truly
divine”).
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