"We may therefore call the redemption, I think, a new evolutionary explosion, to use a modern expression. This new man is the man who is capable of living a divine life, a life in intersubjective relationship with God, in such a way that he lives in perfect com(m)-union with God. And therefore redemption may be seen as a new potential which is laid in human nature, a new freedom which includes a liberation from the slavery of sin, but also more positively an ability to be a person who has the power within himself to turn to God in responding to a person-to-person encounter.
This potential is given to all men. It is a re-creation of the human nature. . . .
This new potential may be seen, I think, as our faith. Because faith is not merely the intellectual assertion of truth, it is the openness of the whole person to the approach of Christ, it is the freedom by which we are able to turn to Christ, to stand converted to Him, so that we may readily respond to His approach. It would still be a gift, a grace, because it is the fruit of the redemption." [1]
"The mystery wrought by Jesus Christ is not merely an event to be acknowledged, but an ever-evolving mystery into which the human soul is invited to enter.
Through the salvific work of the cross, we are not only rescued from sin, we are drawn into profound encounter with the depths of Divine Love and the depths of our own being. Scripture tells us, "In Him we have redemption through His Blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His Grace," (Eph 1:7). Redemption, therefore, is both gift and summons to openness of the whole person to the approach of Christ.
Philosophically, one might posit that every human person carries within themselves an uncharted interiority - a depth that often remains unexplored amid the noise and distractions of life. The Cross of Christ confronts us with the uncomfortable premise that love is most fully revealed not in comfort, but in self-giving, sacrifice and suffering. Romans 5:8 tells us, "God proves His Love for us in that while we still were sinners, Christ died for us." In beholding Christ crucified, we are invited to plumb the depths of existence itself - to ask what it means to live, to love, and to suffer authentically.
Theologically, the redemption of Christ opens a path into communion with God that is deeply personal. The path is not imposed externally, but unfolds within the heart. Christ stands at the threshold of that interior life. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My Voice and opens the door, I will come in to him." (Rev 3:20)
As we contemplate the Passion of Christ, we begin to recognize both the gravity of sin, and the immeasurable magnitude of mercy. "He Himself bore our sins in His Body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness," (1 Pet 2:24). This awareness leads to humility, repentance and transformation. Further, it may spark an explosion of inner evolution, a profound change within the inner tenor of our being. We substantively change from self-centred absorption to Christ-centred relationship.
In this sense, then, redemption becomes a journey inward. Our faith, as openness of our whole person to the approach of Christ, enables us to trust our inner journey to the Crucified Hands. The Cross on which the Saviour died, acts as a mirror, revealing who we are - wounded, finite, yet infinitely loved.
This interior search may border on the contemplative. Often we are called to be spiritual anchorites in the busy marketplace, with voices - such as those of technology, artificial intelligence, social media and frantic pace within workplace - competing for our attention. Spiritual anchorism within full apostolate would appear to be an impossible task, were it not for the fact that that we have the gift within us to respond to God in ongoing person-to-person encounter.
The Psalmist gives voice to this interior search, which borders on the contemplative: "O Lord, You have searched me and known me," (Psalm 139:1). It is precisely in entering into this truth that personal faith begins to mature. Faith becomes lived and tested, part of the warp and weft of our everyday life. As Saint Paul writes, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives in me," (Gal 2:20)
Thus, the redemption of Christ is not only about salvation in a final sense; it is about transformation in the present. It calls each person to go deeper. In plumbing the depths of our inner selves, we do not find emptiness, but the living Presence of God.
Redemption unlocks our inner potential to grow ever deeper in the mystery of Christ the Son of God. This is not a journey taken alone: the Crucified walks the path with the disciple, as faith is nurtured to strength and vitality. We are never alone in the evolutionary explosion of spiritual growth which emanates from the redemption won on the cross. We are accompanied by the Saviour, Who will never abandon us.
As Jesus promised, "I am with you always, to the very end of the age," (Matt 28:20).
The Cross Within
Upon the hill where silence bled,
Where thorns were crowned on Sacred Head,
The world stood still, with holy time,
As hidden dawn began to shine.
For not alone did Christ there die -
He broke the chains no eye could spy;
Within the soul, a spark caught fire,
Of fresh new life and God-desire.
An ancient self began to fall,
Its brittle pride, its hollow call;
And in its place, a fire was born -
A soul remade, no longer torn.
An inward bursting, vast and bright,
An unseen, sacred, living light;
As though creation woke anew
And breathed a deeper, purer view.
O Cross that splits the dark in two,
What hidden worlds are born in You!
For in that pain, love’s depths increase,
And suffering flowers into peace.
No longer slaves to shadowed sin,
We feel Your rising life within;
The chains once clasped around the heart
Now fall away, undone, apart.
A freedom fierce, yet softly known,
That bids the restless soul come home;
Not far away in distant skies,
But where the secret stillness lies.
There, in the rush of mortal days,
Through crowded streets and anxious ways,
A quiet cell begins to grow -
An anchorite no world can know.
Within the heart, a chamber still,
Where time bends low to Heaven’s will;
And Christ, once lifted high in pain,
Now lives and breathes in us again.
O mystery vast, O union sweet,
Where earth and heaven truly meet;
The Cross becomes our inward door,
And we the lost are found once more.
So let the world in clamour spin,
Its noise without, its strife within;
For in the soul that turns to Thee,
There blooms a vast eternity.
[1] Fr G.M.A. Jansen. (Norbert Jansen OP). p 13, Pro Veritate Vol V No. 12. Baptism and Co-existence. 15 April 1967
https://sahistory.org.za/sites/default/files/archive-files/PvApr67.pdf
With thanks to sahistory.org.za
Image courtesy of Chatgpt and CN Whittle "Anchoress praying beside crucifix and marketplace"
