Spiritually Vigorous Saint

At the beginning of a Kairos Retreat we lead the participants in a meditation called “Know Yourself.” It’s an important exercise. The first step in knowing Christ is to know ourselves, our good points and bad points, particularly that we are sinners in need of a savior. Sadly, it is fashionable these days to encourage folks to spend a lifetime knowing themselves, engaging in exercises of self-realization. Folks are taught to look within until they see “god.”  That’s a course doomed to failure. Salvation is not within. The answers to the deep questions of life or not within. We are not gods within. To have the Holy Spirit within is not the same as being the Holy Spirit. We are not gods no matter how much actualization we experience, no matter  how much we self-realize.

A saint is not to take the initiative toward self-realization, but toward knowing Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit is determined that we will have the realization of Jesus Christ in every area of our lives.  Self-realization only leads to the glorification of good works, whereas a saint of God glorifies Jesus Christ through his good works. Whatever we may be doing— even eating, drinking, or washing disciples’ feet— we have to take the initiative of realizing and recognizing Jesus Christ in it. Every phase of our life has its counterpart in the life of Jesus. Our Lord realized His relationship to the Father even in the most menial task. “Jesus, knowing . . . that He had come from God and was going to God, . . . took a towel . . . and began to wash the disciples’ feet . . .” ( John 13:3-5 ).

The aim of a spiritually vigorous saint is “that I may know Him . . .” Do I know Him where I am today? If not, I am failing Him. I am not here for self-realization, but to know Jesus Christ. In Christian work our initiative and motivation are too often simply the result of realizing that there is work to be done and that we must do it. Yet that is never the attitude of a spiritually vigorous saint. His aim is to achieve the realization of Jesus Christ in every set of circumstances.