Notice where the responsibility of holiness lies. Also, pay attention to what de Caussade calls us to.
God wishes to dwell in us in poverty and without the obvious accessories of holiness which can cause people to be admired. This is because he wishes to be alone the food of our hearts, the sole object of our desiring. We are so weak that if the splendour of austerity, zeal, almsgiving or poverty were to shine out in us, we would take pride in it. Instead, in our way of following Christ, there is nothing but what seems unattractive, and by this means God is able to become the sole means of us achieving holiness, the whole of our support. Meanwhile the world despises us and leaves us to enjoy our treasure in peace.
God wishes to be the sole principle of our sanctity, and for that reason all that depends on us is our active fidelity which is very trifling. Indeed, in God’s sight there can be nothing great in us – with one exception: our total receptivity to his will. God knows how to make us holy, so let us stop worrying about it and leave the business of it to God. All depends on the special protection and operation of providence; our sanctification will occur unknown to us and through those very things which we dislike most and expect least.
Let us walk, then, in the small duties of our life, in active fidelity, without aspiring to great things, for God will not give himself to us for the sake of any exaggerated effort that we make in this matter. We will become saints through the grace of God and by his special providence. He knows the eminence to which he will raise us; let us leave it to him to do as he pleases. Without forming false ideas and vain systems of spirituality, let us be content to love God without ceasing, walking in simplicity along the road which he traced for us, a road where everything seems so insignificant to our eyes and to those of the world.
-- Jean-Pierre de Caussade, Abandonment to Divine Providence
God will make us holy; he will sanctify us. We are called to "active fidelity." de Caussade is talking mainly about our attempts to make ourselves holy and that is apparent.
But as I read this I keyed in on the thought of "vain systems" and our attempt to syncretize two worlds that have a hard time blending. There is a vain system of spirituality that is very pervasive in our world. It tries to bring the desire of wealth and prosperity along with a spirituality that says God wants this for me. It is on very dangerous ground that one stands upon while making that claim. No where in Scripture, nor history of the Church do we find this idea supported. For 99.9% of Christ followers around the sphere of time and space, this has not been their experience. Reason does not lend to this understanding either. It is a rather recent 20th Century American, modernist/individualist, self-focused lens through which the Bible is read.
Jesus said no one can serve two masters. As we approach the greatest advertising/marketing/spending season of the year, can we hear the whisper of simplicity amidst the ringing cash registers and covetous commercials?
What does it mean to be called to simplicity? What does it look like for us in America? In Suburbia? How does a call to simplicity affect our lives?
Also, what does it mean for us to be called to active fidelity, rather than a pursuit of holiness?
What say you?
6 comments:
Michael, nice post! I think there is definitely something for us to hear in this word, especially those of us who are professional Christians! I'm not sure we should intentionally make ourselves irrelevant to others, but I sense this is an intentional overstatement to emphasize our dependence on Christ rather than ecclesial and cultural power brokers.
But how can I possibly live "my best life now" with all this deep holiness stuff?? Aw, shucks, guess we won't buy the United Center...I guess we could just give the money to the poor, but...
Blessings
I was just reading in the Sacramental Nazarenes blog and some one made a comment along the lines of we are called to be different from the world, not to distance ourselves from the world.
"The ancients say that once upon a time a disciple asked the elder, 'Holy One, is there anything I can do to make myself Enlightened?' And the Holy One answered, 'As little as you can do to make the sun rise in the morning.' 'Then what use,' the surprised disciple asked, ' as the spiritual exercises you prescribe?' 'To make sure, ' the elder said, 'that you are not asleep when the sun begins to rise'" (Joan Chittister, _The Rule of Benedict: Insight for the Ages_, 32).
How's that for answering a quotation with another quotation? :)
What you speak of in this post seems to me to be the point of spiritual exercises. As 'active' as they seem, and potentially 'works' or 'works-oriented' they could potentially be, yet there has to be some activity, some 'doing,' to help ourselves actively turn toward God, and see the things of the world as they really are. Because in that light, it's more likely that we'll see through the lies and deception of the world, because we have tasted the Truth of God.
It also reminds me of how in an older spiritual tradition, it is understood that repentance is the work of a lifetime, and not just something I do when I 'get saved' or something.
Ahhh yes. I believe I remember reading/hear that Gregory of Nyssa said, "The Christian life is one of continual repentance."
You are spot on. Very well said.
You guys are really messing me up... I got my two trips to the altar, and I am good. I have to continually repent???
Funny funny Nate...
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