On true friendship & reproof of others

The greatest test of a friendship is whether one person can reprove the other.  All of us commit sins from time to time; and all of us try to blind ourselves to our sins, making excuses for ourselves, or pretending the sin did not even occur.  At such times we need friends to open our eyes to the reality of our sins.  Put yourself now in the position of the friend.  Are you willing to open that person’s eyes?  Are you willing to expose the excuses as false?  Are you prepared to risk that person’s wrath, as wounded pride rises up in anger?  Or do you prefer to blind yourself to your friend’s faults, and so join a conspiracy of blindness?  In choosing our friends, we should embrace those who are willing to be honest with us, and those prepared if necessary to endure our anger.  Without such honesty the friendship has no depth, and is useless.  Yet when it is your duty to express criticism to a friend, beware of destroying that friend’s self-respect.  Always soften your reproof with words of affirmation, in which you acknowledge their virtue.  And ensure that your own motives are good:  that love, not jealousy or anger, is the true wellspring of your words. 

On the two natures of Christ

We sometimes try to distinguish between the divine and human aspects of Christ.  We say that in the desert his divine nature restrained his appetites and desires, while his human nature felt hungry and weary.  His divine nature healed people and performed numerous miracles; his human nature felt power go out of him at every miracle.  His divine nature redeemed humanity on the cross; his human nature endured the most terrible agony.  Yet is such a distinction between divinity and humanity valid?  Can we actually see two quite distinct elements in the person of Christ?  When we look at ourselves we can distinguish between the physical and spiritual aspects of our nature.  We know that at times life becomes a battlefield as the spiritual and the physical aspects struggle for supremacy.  Yet it would be wrong to say that the spiritual aspect should defeat and destroy the physical; rather we want harmony between the two. Our physical wants and desires should not be suppressed or ignored; rather they should be satisfied within the framework of morality which the spirit dictates.  We should understand Christ in a similar way.  It is not a question of his divine nature conquering and destroying his human nature; rather he revealed how human flesh and blood can live in perfect harmony with God. 

A right perspective for a Christian

Some people see the houses in which they live as their kingdom; and although in their minds they know that death will one day force them to leave, in their hearts they feel they will stay forever.  They take pride in the size of their houses and the fine materials with which they are built.  They take pleasure in decorating their houses with bright colors, and in obtaining the best and most solid furniture to fill the rooms.  They imagine that they can find peace and security by owning a house whose walls and roof will last for many generations.  We, by contrast, know that we are only temporary guests on earth.  We recognize that the houses in which we live serve only as hostels on the road to eternal life.  We do not seek peace or security from the material walls around us or the roof above our heads.  Rather, we want to surround ourselves with a wall of divine grace; and we look upward to heaven as our roof.  And the furniture of our lives should be good works, performed in a spirit of love. 

The exposure of evil

Why did the devil attack Jesus, knowing that Jesus was without sin?  The devil could not possibly have been victorious.  Why did the devil, through Judas, hand Jesus over to be crucified? The death of Christ on the cross could not possibly have served the devil’s purpose, except to give the devil pleasure in seeing Christ suffer.  Nor could God have ordered the devil to attack and betray Jesus; the fulfillment of God’s plan cannot belong to the devil, but must belong to God alone.  In truth the whole matter worked the other way round.  By attacking and betraying a person so manifestly good and holy as Christ, the devil exposed himself; the devil revealed himself as evil.  This may sound strange; surely we know evil for what it is, without such a terrible exposure.  On the contrary, the problem of evil is that it is usually disguised as goodness.  Think of Judas.  Throughout the early ministry of Jesus, Judas was a most loyal and passionate disciple.  And he willingly went out with the others to proclaim the Gospel and heal the sick.  Yet all the while, evil thoughts were seething in his heart; the lust for power and wealth burned within him.  So when the opportunity arose to destroy Jesus, he seized it.  Judas shows us how evil operates in the world; that is why God allowed evil to be exposed—by allowing Jesus to die on the cross. 

 

What do I possess?

Do I possess the house in which I live?  No, it is only on loan to me from God while I remain in that place.  Do I possess the clothes I wear?  No, they are on loan to me until they wear out, or until I give them away to someone in greater need.  Do I possess this body that you see before you?  No, it was lent to me by God when I was born, and he will take it back when I die.  Do I possess the mind that is composing the words that I speak?  No, that, too, was lent by God at my birth and will go when I die.  So, do I possess anything?  Yes, I possess the virtues which during my life have grown and flourished within my soul.  Inasmuch as I have grown in love, I possess love.  Inasmuch as I have grown in faith, I possess faith.  Inasmuch as I have grown in gentleness, I  possess gentleness.  These things are immortal; they are divine gifts which God will not take away, because he wants heaven itself to be filled with virtue.  And, of course, I possess my soul, in which these virtues have their roots. 

 

Whose fool are you?

Only a fool would attempt to change the world with a simple message of love and peace.  So we can conclude that Jesus was a fool.  Only fools would agree to follow such a man, and then continue his mission even after he had been killed.  So we can conclude that the apostles were fools.  Only fools would take seriously the message which a bunch of fools were preaching, and accept that message.  So we can conclude that all of us are fools.  All this is hardly surprising.  God did not choose a wise philosopher to proclaim the Gospel, but a humble carpenter.  And for his apostles he chose fishermen and tax collectors.  Can we claim to be any better?  Of course not.  Even those among us who have been educated know that in relation to the Gospel our education is worthless.  So let all happily admit we are fools.  Then we will happily commit ourselves to trying to change the world.  Yet weren’t those apostles cowardly and timid?  Aren’t we equally afraid of trying to persuade strangers to change their lives?  Doesn’t the crucifixion of Christ give us ample reason to be frightened?  Yes; but his Resurrection gives us superhuman courage. 

 

St. John Chrysostom on sleeplessness

Almost all of us at times find ourselves unable to sleep at night.  We lie awake during the dark, silent hours. 

This rarely happens when our hearts and souls are at peace; it usually happens when we are troubled in some way.  For this reason do not curse your lack of sleep.  These times of wakefulness have been sent by God as a sign that something is wrong, and as a period for reflection.  So when you cannot sleep, allow the thoughts that lie deepest in your heart to rise up to the surface.  Often these thoughts are a reproach, telling you of a sin you have committed or an act of charity you failed to perform.  If you have already confessed and made amends for these past failures, then you must assure yourself that God has forgiven you, so that you can sleep in peace.  But if you have not confessed and made amends, then you must confess at once, admitting to God the precise nature of your sin, and asking forgiveness.  Then you must plan how the following day you can put right your wrong.  You might be so troubled that even then you cannot sleep.  But do not worry:  your mind and body will eventually sleep when your soul is at rest.