Catherine of Siena: Persevere in Virtue

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8

“There are two goals, and, for the attainment of either, perseverance is needful—they are vice and virtue. If you desire to arrive at life, you must persevere in virtue, and if you would have eternal death, you must persevere in vice. Thus it is with perseverance that they who want life arrive at Me who am Life, and with perseverance that they who taste the water of death arrive at the Devil.”

Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) in Dialog (Grand Rapids, MI: CCEL) 82.

This week we turn our attention to what is needful for us to live, give, serve, and love generously in the thinking of Catherine of Siena from her classic work, Dialog.

And our Scripture today comes from the second letter of Peter. He writes it to “To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours.” That includes us.

He says “make every effort” to add this list of qualities to add to your faith. The first one in Greek is aretēn which means virtue. Essentially it means add actions consistent with your faith. Are you doing that?

Another one of the qualities to add is perseverance. Catherine says that perseverance is needful, but specifically perseverance in virtue if we want someday to attain to life eternal.

Catherine might say this to you and me. Show your faith by your perseverance, by not growing weary in doing good, but choosing to be generous at all times and on all occasions. You will be eternally glad you stayed the course!

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9

“This is the work of power done by priests, who with purity of heart and hands and in the strength of good works offer the holiest of sacrifices… and the most glorious of their works is to show mercy, always offering generous help for every grief and distributing alms to the poor with a gentle heart while saying with their whole soul, ‘This is not my property, but that of Him Who created me.’ And this work, inspired by God, is before His eyes in Heaven, when by the teaching of the Church it is done among the faithful on earth.”

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) in Scivias (Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1990) 170-171.

Today marks the seventh and final post from this classic work at this time. In today’s Scripture the apostle Peter describes the people of God as “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession.”

We are here for a purpose: to “declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” We get to share truth with love. And we offer generous help with humility.

How do we get to this place so we shine like lights in a dark world? One way to develop this missional focus with humility relates to disciplining the posture of our heart.

We do this by saying, “This is not my property” when we give. Try it over the next few weeks and see what happens. This practice will shape your heart which will impact your service as part of the royal priesthood of God.

You are chosen, a priest, a holy (set apart) person, and God’s special possession. Now go steward your gifts, goods, the ground (creation), and the gospel. This is the way of the Lord brought to our remembrance by Hildegard.

God, thank you for your love for me. Help me discipline the posture of my heart to remember that “This is not my property” when I give, so that my service as part of your royal priesthood brings you glory. Amen.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10

“Now the just, who will receive the words of the most equitable Judge, have indeed done many good works, but while they lived in the world they did not act with fullness of perfection, and therefore their deeds must now be judged. And the unjust, who will suffer a severe judgment against them, have
indeed done much evil; but they did not act in ignorance of the Divine Majesty, in the wicked unbelief that would damn them without judgment. And so they will not escape the Judge’s sentence, for all things must be weighed equitably.”

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) in Scivias (Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1990) 402.

What is needful in the thinking of Hildegard is to prepare to be judged. Are you ready to meet Jesus? You can’t slip into heaven like you slip into a service in the back row at church.

At the Judgment Seat of Christ, believers will give an account of their lives. Why must we all appear? This is not a judgment for salvation or condemnation, but for rewards.

Christ will evaluate their motives, actions, and faithfulness. Errant deeds are burned away, while faithful service receives eternal crowns and divine commendation.

Regardless of what everyone else it is doing, it is needful to aim at the fullness of perfection or maturity. You will be glad you did when you meet the most equitable Judge.

As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” Hebrews 3:15

“Liberality; she is of childlike simplicity, with no over-subtlety or hardheartedness with respect to human suffering. Together with Abstinence she withdraws herself from all harshness and takes the right path to God; for when Abstinence decides on a work, Liberality begins to carry it out.”

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) in Scivias (Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1990) 402.

Yesterday you learned that “self-denial is the prerequisite for generosity toward God and neighbor.” Hildegard uses the term abstinence when encouraging self-denial. Notice that is a prerequisite for the right path.

In old English, it is common to translate generosity as liberality. It’s the right path on the way of the Lord after you practice self-denial. Your deny yourself so you can act as Christ would have you act.

And you avoid hardheartedness and harshness. The people of God in the Old Testament rebelled frequently. Over and over they acted like they knew better. Is that you?

The remedy for hardheartedness and harshness is openhanded liberality with childlike simplicity. And God loves to see it. Will he see it from you?

John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. Matthew 3:4

“What does this mean? Divine grace had woken miraculous abstinence in [John the Baptist], and by that grace he had a defense of his virtue, for in his mind he had despised honor and earthly riches, and in his body he had tamed the wanton urges through the restraints that, to mortify vice, he had put on the pleasures of the flesh. For, advancing through hard and rough ways and trampling down earthly lust, he built greater towers of virtue than his predecessors. How?

Because, vigorously performing many works of virtue, he ardently loved chastity and showed the way of healing to those who devotedly sought it. Therefore, all monks who make profession should follow John in his way of life, who shone by his lofty works of blessed virtue amid the great darkness of the world; they should flee from the meaningless expanse of worldly things, restrain their wandering minds and so force their bodies to renounce evil desire. Thus they will outshine by more excellent means those who before their time walked simply in the way of the Lord and made their simple habitations; they will take the steep and narrow path by firmly treading underfoot those things that are the pleasures of the world. How?

Because, despising themselves and subjecting their bodies to the service of Christ in the work of the virtues, they will shun wantonness by austere behavior and so shine brightly for others by their good examples. For they faithfully imitate the angelic choir. How? By renouncing worldly things; for, as the angels do not seek or long for the things of earth, these people follow them miraculously in despising all fleeting things.”

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) in Scivias (Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1990) 211.

John the Baptist set an example that monks after him chose to follow. Remember what Jesus said about him.

“Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” Matthew 11:11

Don’t you love that? Jesus speaks of him as the greatest guy who as ever lived, and then adds the powerful truth that the greatest on earth is the least in the kingdom. It means John got to serve everyone.

He did a great job. What about you? You may not be a monk but you can ‘shine brightly’ by renouncing worldly things. This is not easy. But it is good.

Someone asked me recently how has the discipline of writing Daily Meditations has impacted me over nearly 17 years. They continued, “You are so busy. Where do you find the time?”

I replied that I can’t not do it. I have found that the best use of my time is to block an hour a day with Jesus and it transforms me, teaches me things to share, and gives me clarity, energy, confidence, and joy.

Using Hildegard’s language, I think the daily office for the monk – that includes you and me – is the place to locate the well of miraculous abstinence. When we drink from there we never thirst again. Why?

It satisfies. It’s the only thing in the world that satisfies.

If the secret to his miraculous abstinence was divine grace imparted to him by separating himself from others to be with God, then let us make that our prayer today.

Is God whispering to you to block time with him daily?

You don’t need to wear camel’s hair and a leather belt or eat locusts and wild honey, but you do need divine grace to have miraculous abstinence to choose Jesus over everything else.

God give us divine grace in abundance and help us live lives of miraculous abstience. Amen.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24

“Self-denial is the prerequisite for generosity toward God and neighbor.”

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) in Scivias (Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1990) 39.

Someone asked me recently to find more short ones. Here’s a winner for you. Just read it ten times so that it sinks in and is so important.

Without self-denial, there is not generosity toward God or neighbor. Why?

Think about it. As a follower of Christ, you must surrender your will to the Father, like Christ did, and acknowledge that the Father will look after you better than I can look after yourself.

The surrender novena points the way: Jesus, I surrender myself too you, take care of everything.

Pray that ten times today. Make it a daily habit. What’s at stake if you don’t? I’m serious here. You cannot be right toward God or generous toward your neighbor without self-denial.

In the words of Jesus, you just might gain the whole world and lose your soul in the process.

What would Hildegard say to us today? She would say, do not just know the way of the Lord, deny yourself and walk it. Live simply, give sacrificially, serve humbly, and love generously.

Then the angel who was speaking to me said, “Proclaim this word: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion, and I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they went too far with the punishment.’ “Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,’ declares the Lord Almighty. “Proclaim further: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.’” Zechariah 1:14-17

“This is to say that in the Jealousy of the Lord there is no clamorous voice of warning raised in its pride, but a motionless persistence in strength and righteous judgment. It punishes the mad deeds that merit its vengeance, deeds done without fear of the Lord; it confounds and crushes them to the full extent of its justice, as was shown to you, O human, in this most true vision. And because God is just, it is needful to examine all injustice by the standard of His justice; for God Himself knows well the capacity of Man’s knowledge to scrutinize all things.”

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) in Scivias (Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1990) 428-429.

Zechariah calls the people of God to return to Him. Speaking the word spoken to him, he refers to God as jealous for Jerusalem and Zion. Pause for a moment. Affix that idea on yourself. Did you know God is jealous for you. He wants your love, time, and attention.

And He wants every corner of your life and every part of your heart. That’s why Hildegard reminds us today that “it is needful to examine all injustice by the standard of His justice.” This reminds me of a post from a few days ago.

Last week, C.S. Lewis reminded us of the need to “cure our illusions about ourselves” and I recounted what I learned from Chuck Colson years ago – to “never underestimate the ability of the human person to rationalize their disobedience.” That statement impacted many readers who responded.

Hildegard says something similar in saying “for God Himself knows well the capacity of Man’s knowledge to scrutinize all things.” We rationalize and scrutinize and, in the end, we end up looking more like the ways of the world than the ways of God.

God is jealous and He wants your prosperity, but before that, He wants you to return to Him. Examine your life. Pick one of these four areas where maybe God is speaking to you to follow His standards: live simply, give sacrificially, serve humbly, and love generously.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. Matthew 13:45-46

“I am the Grace of God, my little children; therefore hear and understand me, for my admonition makes radiant the souls of those who do. I keep them in blessedness, so that they will not return to iniquity. And because they have not despised me, I choose to touch them with my admonition so that they will do good works; those, that is, who seek me in simplicity and purity of heart.

So I admonish and exhort humanity, and grant it pearls of goodness; when a person’s mind is touched by me, I am his beginning. That is to say when a person understands my admonition with his sense of hearing, and his senses consent to my touching his mind, I initiate good in him. And it is needful that he begin thus, with me helping him. Then a struggle follows: Will my gift attain its end or not? How?

Understand thus. When I admonish a person, so that he begins to lament and weep for his sins, then if his will consents to my admonition-for he will feel the change in his mind, and according to his mind’s desire he will raise his eyes to see and his ears to hear and his mouth to speak and his hands to touch and his feet to walk-his mind will raise itself to conquer his senses, so that they will learn things their habits could not teach them.”

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) in Scivias (Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1990) 428-429.

This week our readings on what is needful for living simply, giving sacrificially, serving humbly, and loving generously come from Hildegard of Bingen’s classic work Scivias, contraction of the Latin phrase “Scito vias Domini,” which literally translates to “Know the Ways of the Lord.”

And I changed out the header photo. The last time I was walking my son’s dogs by Bear Creek it was so peaceful and the reflection the water was a mirror image of the sky. I hope you like the photo and that it fills your heart with the peace of Christ.

Turning our attention today’s reading, I am captivated by Hildegard’s vision of how the Lord works graciously in our lives. He grants us pearls of goodness – little beautiful insights to raise our awareness to our sins to nudge us to righteousness living. Will we respond?

Her use of the word ‘pearl’ took me to Today’s Scripture. The bloke in the story responded! He sold everything and bought the pearl. He was all in! That’s what the grace of God beckons us to be. But the Spirit does not work by force, but by giving us pearls of goodness, like whispers on a calm day.

What is God whispering to you related to living simply, giving sacrificially, serving humbly, and loving generously? If we get these four things right, our lives reflect the ways of the Lord. Sit with God for a few minutes, ask for a pearl of goodness and be “all in” in your response to God.

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:35-36

“I said in a previous chapter that chastity was the most unpopular of the Christian virtues. But I am not sure I was right. I believe there is one even more unpopular. It is laid down in the Christian rule, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.’ Because in Christian morals ‘thy neighbour’ includes ‘thy enemy’, and so we come up against this terrible duty of forgiving our enemies. Every one says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive, as we had during the war.”

C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) in Mere Christianity (New York: HarperCollins, 1980) 137.

So in today’s final post from this classic work looking at what is needful, we discover that forgiveness comes into view as both a command and a gift.

Jesus forgives us as we forgive others. Brace yourself. The etymology of the word “forgive” means: “to give away, to give up, or to grant completely.”

See why forgiveness might just be the greatest or one of the greatest forms of generosity? We give away, give up, and grant completely to others the way we want God to give and grant to us.

God, make us people known for our forgiveness. Remind us of the forgiveness you have extended to us so we become people willing to forgive others. Do this by your Holy Spirit I pray in Jesus name. Amen.

This week, I heard the whisper of Jesus. It was a still small voice. It beckoned me to plan a trip back to Ukraine in the coming months to encourage workers on the front lines and deliver aid plus a message.

What is the message: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21

While the Ukrainians have suffered unspeakable losses and horrible pain, it will only be worse if they chose to hate their enemies. I need to remind them of this and take some emergency aid.

My wife just returned from teaching there last month. The Ukrainians feel exhausted and forgotten. If you want to help send me, reply to this message. I feel led to go serve and help them.

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

“We may, indeed, be sure that perfect chastity — like perfect charity — will not be attained by any merely human efforts. You must ask for God’s help. Even when you have done so, it may seem to you for a long time that no help, or less help than you need, is being given. Never mind. After each failure, ask forgiveness, pick yourself up, and try again. Very often what God first helps us towards is not the virtue itself but just this power of always trying again. For however important chastity (or courage, or truthfulness, or any other virtue) may be, this process trains us in habits of the soul which are more important still. It cures our illusions about ourselves and teaches us to depend on God. We learn, on the one hand, that we cannot trust ourselves even in our best moments, and, on the other, that we need not despair even in our worst, for our failures are forgiven. The only fatal thing is to sit down content with anything less than perfection.”

C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) in Mere Christianity (New York: HarperCollins, 1980) 137.

In our second to last post from this classic work, what is needful is to engage “habits of the soul” which “cure our illusions about ourselves” and they teach us “to depend on God.”

I love this expression to “cure our illusions about ourselves” as Chuck Colson taught me, years ago, to “never underestimate the ability of the human person to rationalize their disobedience.”

Related to generosity, we tend not to focus on obedience to Jesus and learning habits of the soul that lead to life. Instead we focus on others and rationalize we are good if exceed what they are doing.

What is the goal of such habits of the soul? To teach us the needful posture of dependence on God. If you have room to grow, welcome to the club. We all do. Aim at maturity, or in biblical terms, perfection.

Engage habits of the soul, like growing your giving from surplus giving to sacrificial giving. This cures your illusions about yourself and it teaches you to depend on God.