Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious

Lectionary: 207

In this way,
the children of God and the children of the Devil are made plain;
no one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God,
nor anyone who does not love his brother.

The three Letters of Saint John, like the Gospel, describe the singular challenge of Jesus. His coming is more than an encounter; his conversation is more than dialogue. To use the words of the poet Yeats after Easter 1916: All changed, changed utterly: A terrible beauty is born.

In Saint John’s universe, the disciple of Jesus sees this new reality very clearly, and she appraises the world and its citizens with the light of the gospel. Some are children of God; some are children of the Devil.

But, ordinarily we do not stand so close to the abyss of Divine Judgment. That winnowing of the weeds from wheat is far from complete. Saint John has laid out the standards for us – for that we’re grateful – but there is still time for repentance.

The standards are: 

“No one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God, nor anyone who does not love his brother.”

Righteousness is often described in terms of right and wrong, with the assumption they are not hard to figure out. Good is good and bad is bad!

I think there is more to it. Saint Ignatius of Loyola tells us the Devil tempts the good person with good things. The good person obviously has no interest in bad things. He is not tempted by depravity; it’s disgusting to him. So the Devil suggests good things, things which God is not suggesting.

Saint Ignatius believed that God has a plan for each one of us. We are disciples of Jesus, animated and enlightened by the Spirit of God; each person should pursue the path God has assigned her. There may be many good things a person can do, but God has appointed only one of them, the one which the Holy Spirit reveals.

But the headstrong person ignores the Holy Spirit’s prompting and does what he thinks is the right thing to do – despite all the obstacles including the ones God puts up! This person is so sure of himself and his own judgment he doesn’t need to pray over it. Or, if he does pray, he doesn’t listen.

Once that attitude becomes habitual, it’s not so hard for the Devil to suggest things that are not so good, things that might have certain – shall we say? – unsavory tones. Is it wrong to sell junk to someone who can afford to lose a lot of money? Once I’ve done that, why not sell junk to anyone who will buy it? Is it my fault they’re both poor and stupid? Then, discovering that no one is watching what I do, I cut a few more corners around morality and ethics.

Finally, one day, after I become habituated to listening to Satan’s suggestions, he reveals himself in all his hideous wickedness, and I will have no choice but to do his prompting.

Righteousness is more than doing good things and avoiding bad things; it cultivates the ability to hear God’s quiet voice amid the world’s cacophony. It listens intently, waiting on a word from God – a word which might not come immediately. It might never come! Perhaps I am not the person God sends to this problematic situation. Or perhaps God has other ways to work it out. And so the righteous waits on God. In the fullness of time a word may come and he will know what to do.

Secondly, Saint John tells us, the one who does not love his “brother” (i.e. one’s fellow Christian) does not belong to God. No matter how well-respected, disciplined or pious a person may be, if she does not love her sister and brother she does not belong to God. As Saint Paul said, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love… (I Cor 13:1-3)

Fortunately, God is patient with us. We have time to repent, change our ways, and obey God’s spirit. And we can love one another. A too eager adoption of Saint John’s attitude might lead to despair or to presumption. I might think I will never be good enough; or, contrariwise, that I have already proven my worth. But we should know the Kingdom of God is near and the Judge is standing at the gate.