By Father John Bayer, O.Cist.
Special to The Texas Catholic
Lent is a season dedicated to conversion. It is a period of self-reflection, resolution, and anticipation. We must change our ways and grow. Easter is dedicated to celebrating the revelation of God’s infinite mercy, the new life and grace He showers upon us as He forgives us all our sins, heals all our infirmities, and even enables us to pass through death to share in His divine love forever.
One of my favorite passages in the New Testament is Philippians 3:12-14. In my mind, it captures the movements of both Lent and Easter in a single experience — friendship with Jesus.
This passage beautifully expresses the mystery of life as a play of effort and grace rooted in abiding peacefully with Jesus, in experiencing His unfailing fidelity to each of us personally, within all our imperfect but sincere striving.
“It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.”
What I love about this passage is twofold. First, it expresses all the ambition and adventure of a life open to further growth — that’s the movement of Lent. St. Paul wants to enjoy every excellence and so he keeps climbing the mountain. In his humility, he knows he is not yet at the top; but aware of his dignity, he knows that he belongs there. Second, he roots his hope that one day he will take possession of his goal in the realization that already today someone else has taken possession of him — and that’s the movement of Easter. St. Paul’s confidence comes not from his own strength but from the strength of the one who wants him. God has hold of him and won’t let go. St. Paul still searches for God, however inconstantly, because God searches for him indefatigably. He continues to grow in love for God, however imperfectly, because God loves him unconditionally.
Moreover, the excellence St. Paul desires is a share in the life of Christ — and since Christ already has a hold on him, he is even now, precisely as a pilgrim climbing up the mountain, in some way already at the top. Our “upward calling” is not a lonely or insecure journey. For we are accompanied by Christ, and not simply like a fellow traveler. He accompanies us by dwelling within us mystically, by enabling all our powers to reach a knowledge and love far beyond their natural capabilities. “I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20). No matter the challenges we face, we are at every moment “held” or “possessed” by Christ — He wants us, and the power that secures our union with Him is His own strength to hold on to us rather than any power of our own. How freely would you scale a mountain, if you knew the mountain would grab hold of you if ever you slipped? I cannot imagine anything more inspiring.
Finally, this passage also expresses a beautiful attitude toward time. St. Paul wants us to set aside the past; that is, we should not allow ourselves to be imprisoned by former failures or achievements. Our mistakes don’t define us. Nor do our achievements define us, and therefore we should never live in fear that we won’t ‘live up’ to them since they are not in fact our true measurement – because in Christ we want to surpass them. In Christ, we look to the future; that is, we accept peacefully to strain ourselves forward. We are not afraid of a challenge or whatever lies beyond our control. We are ready and open for God to provide whatever will lead to the good of those who love Him (cf. Rm 8:28). All we need focus on is the present moment, on our feet taking the next step on the path in front of us: all we really need to do is just “continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.”
Lent is over but let us keep striving. Easter is here, so let us strive within the knowledge that God has taken hold of us in Christ, and that He will never let go; through all things, He wants to draw us to join Him at the divine peak of His own love. Happy Easter!
Father John Bayer, O. Cist., is a monk at the Cistercian Abbey of Our Lady of Dallas in Irving.
