And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life.
I write you these things about those who would deceive you.
As for you, the anointing that you received from him remains in you,
so that you do not need anyone to teach you.
But his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and not false;
just as it taught you, remain in him.
Saint John Henry Newman, the 19th century Anglican priest who first became Catholic, and then a Catholic priest, cardinal, saint, and finally, a doctor of the Church, is known for his teaching about free will. As Bishop Barron recounts, "One of the most cited mots of Newman’s is his clever quip regarding the authority of the Pope: “If I am obliged to bring religion into after-dinner toasts, I shall drink—to the Pope, if you please—but to conscience first, and to the Pope afterwards.”
The sainted cardinal insisted upon the Church's teachings about free will and conscience as he objected to certain misunderstood teachings about God's election. Despite the many assurances the Christian has about the personal love of God, we also hear Jesus' admonition, "Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough." (Luke 13:24) His insistence on striving includes the disciplined formation of a conscience which discerns "everything and is true and not false" amid the Church's and the world's controversies.
Saint John the Evangelist, in today's first reading, reminds every Christian of that Holy Spirit which dwells with the Father and the Son in your own hearts, "so that you do not need anyone to teach you." If we listen to our conscience and to the Holy Spirit who instructs and forms our conscience, we can act with some confidence in our choices. Without the freedom to act with confidence, many necessary things might never happen!
Newman, of course, knew the demands of forming a right conscience. It is a lifetime of diligent study of God's word and Church teaching, while respecting one's own intuitions and sensibilities. A well formed conscience is never foolish, although some things (like martyrdom) may sound foolish in the ears of the world. Newman seemed to foresee his own decision to become Catholic but he waited a very long time until the moment came to act. A good conscience knows there is a time and place for everything; and premature acts, though apparently good and done with the right intention, can be catastrophically wrong.
Saint Maximilian Kolbe conceived the Militia of the Immaculate long before his superiors allowed him to act on it. He knew that obedience is far more important than serving his own bright ideas. When the moment came and permission arrived, his vision had ripened and matured. God had used the time to build deep reserves of courage and generosity in his heart to answer a call which few could understand. Not even repeated bouts of tuberculosis could discourage him!
The Evangelist also describes that indwelling of the Holy Spirit as "Eternal Life." We often imagine eternity as not very different from what we know now. Death appears to be a forbidding doorway into another dimension which is otherwise inaccessible. From ancient times, philosophers have supposed it should be there someplace. How can this amazing self disappear and be forgotten? Creative thinkers have often populated the place with saints, heroes, and scoundrels while Hamlet described it only as an "undiscovered country from whose bourn / No traveler returns."
No one can imagine eternal life and much of our speculation about it is wasted time. Called to life here and now, as this new year begins, we thank God for that Spirit which keeps faith with us, which often chastises us and sometime encourages, as we keep our eyes fixed on him as on a light in a dark place, until the day appears before us.
Happy New Year!
