In the wake of the Protestant Reformation, a countermovement arose within the Church in an effort to adhere to the strict orthodoxy of Catholic doctrine. Ironically, the movement was so rigid, that it became heretical itself. It sprang forth from the writings of Cornelius Otto Jansen, who presented his personal interpretation of St. Augustine’s teachings on grace. Although condemned by the Holy Office in 1641, Jansen’s ideas caught on with a small but loyal group of followers known as the “Jansenists,” who centuries later became known for their extreme moral rigorism. Their rigorism was so firmly adhered to that it led these Jansenists to disregard the authority of the pope himself, who opposed their claims. They no longer had eyes to see that in their efforts to condemn the world, they were only condemning themselves.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. (Jn. 3:16)
If believing in Jesus is all it takes not to be condemned, what does it mean to believe “in” Jesus? Let’s look at what St. Paul lays out for us in his letter to the Corinthians as the path that will lead us to Jesus’ kingdom:
Brothers and sisters, rejoice. Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace. (2 Cor. 13:11)
First, to believe in Christ is to be joyful. This does not mean that we must go around pretending that we have no problems or that we are not permitted to shed tears. But can we at least start with the practice of not complaining? Complaint has a way of clouding our judgement, compounding our frustration and anger, and making the people around us anxious and miserable too. There is nothing wrong with talking through our difficulties with a trusted spiritual confidant, but when we speak words of bitterness, it closes the eyes of our spirit to seeing the hand of God in our circumstances.
What opens those eyes of ours back up? Praise and thanks. Praise and thanks have a way of restoring peace and joy such that we do not have to “fake” our disposition because it is the Spirit Himself who has given us the grace to be genuinely joyful. We experience a peace that, in the words of St. Paul, “surpasses all understanding” (Phil. 4:7). So if today we are tempted to grumble, let us utter a quick “thank you” instead.
Secondly, St. Paul instructs us: “mend your ways.” But how do we help others to do so without wagging an accusing finger at them? Thankfully, Paul has not instructed us to mend our neighbor’s ways; rather, he has instructed us to mend our ways. Why? Because when we get busy examining the faults of others, we tend to miss our own. What’s more, we miss the opportunity to become a good example of what it means to mend one’s ways, which is by far the best way we can inspire others to change their own. We need only look back at our own personal faith journey to know that this is true. Was it someone debating or preaching religion to us that had the greatest effect on our faith, or was it the humble, peaceful, joyful example of a Christian who truly knew how to love?
When attempting to help others along the Christian way, let’s make sure that our way of helping is not like those Jansenists who pointed their fingers at others. A person will be hard put to change if they hear themselves labeled only as “sinner.” If we are going to label them at all, let’s call them by their primary identity: child of God. That is how Jesus looks upon souls for whom He thirsts.
There is something about seeing the child in the soul whom God loves that makes us love them too. And it is that love of God flowing through us that will encourage and inspire them to do better, to be better. They may still feel the sting of humiliation at the awareness of their sinfulness, but it is a sting that, rather than cause them discouragement, stirs their soul to aspire to something greater. A renewed determination arises in their hearts to correct their path, and a security in the knowledge that should they fall, Jesus knows their weakness and will still be there to pick them back up. The soul who experiences this kind of merciful love will come to understand that it is perseverance that melts the heart of Jesus, far more than does mastery over one’s imperfections.
Next, when Paul tells us to “agree with one another,” he is not talking about “you do what you do, I do what I do, let’s all get along.” He is talking about striving to meet one another on common ground, instead of reacting from emotion. Paul, of all people, knows exactly what it is like not to agree with another member of the Church. This Apostle to the Gentiles had gone up against Peter, the Apostle to the children of Israel. Things could have ended very differently between them; this could have been the very first split in the Church before the Church was even underway! So Paul is no stranger to disagreement. What, then, does he mean by instructing us to “agree”?
He means that we must recognize that the disagreements that occur between us is a call for us to prayerfully and peacefully ponder, “What is Jesus asking of us?” There are many, many things which we take for granted today that had to be “hashed out” before coming to agreement in our Church. But after much pondering, discussing, and even debating, that which our ancestors were once blind to, we all now see. We agree. And it is no different with the divisions occurring in our Church today. So let us not be afraid: if our Church is going through a painful time in its history, let us realize that this is simply because it is working toward growth.
Finally, Paul tells us that we can have pain and peace at the same time. There is no sin in being sorrowful as we endure pain, but anxiety over our pain will drive away the peace that Christ wills for us. So whatever we do, let us hold onto the peace that Jesus offers us at every moment of every day, and then we will have eyes to see clearly His will for us.
Peace is the surest, quickest way to Paul’s goal of agreement. But how do we maintain peace when our circumstances are so difficult? By understanding that if we have placed our lives in God’s hands, then nothing that befalls us is outside God’s purview. If it is happening to us, then it is the way in which He is working out the answer to our prayer. May we ever seek to view all things in the context of eternity.
Author’s Note: M.C. Holbrook is the author of the book series, The Safe Haven: Scriptural Reflections for the Heart and Home and 26 Steps with the Holy Spirit. To purchase, visit Amazon or The Catholic Company, where all other volumes currently in print are also available.
Photo by Jensine Odom on Unsplash
