REDEMPTION: A NEW POTENTIAL IS LAID IN HUMAN NATURE

 

"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"

POTENTIALITY IS BROUGHT INTO ACTUALITY BY BAPTISM - GMA JANSEN (FR NORBERT JANSEN OP)

 

"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. . . This potentiality is brought into actuality by baptism." [1]

"The above passage is rich with both philosophical depth and theological significance. It explores central Christian thought regarding human nature, freedom, grace, and the transformative power of faith and baptism. 

Redemption as "new potential" in human nature   

Jansen reframes redemption not merely as forgiveness of sins, but as a real transformation of what it means to be human. 

Philosophically, this resonates with the concept of potentiality and actuality, rooted in Aristotle [2] and Aquinas [4]. 

Aristotle emphasizes the foundational distinction between δύναμις (potentiality), and ἐνέργεια (actuality). [3] Human capacities become real through actualization. [3]  Aquinas develops Aristotelian thought within Christian theology. Aquinas explains how grace perfects nature, rather than destroying it. [4] Human beings possess potentials (capabilities), which can either remain dormant or be brought into fullness.

Prior to redemption, humankind is wounded, constrained by what theology calls Original Sin. Post-redemption, a new capacity is introduced into human nature itself. This capacity is not just moral improvement, it is ontological renewal (a change in being). Theologically, this echoes the second Epistle to the Corinthians 5:17.   "If anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation. The old has gone, the new is here!" 

Freedom: liberation and empowerment

   Jansen emphasizes two dimensions of this "new freedom": firstly, liberation from slavery to sin, secondly freedom for relationship with God.

    Freedom from slavery to sin

The concept of freedom from slavery to sin, reflects the classical Christian teaching that sin enslaves the will. As St Augustine of Hippo argued, fallen humankind suffers from a will that is curved (turned) in on itself (incurvates in se).   Incurvates in se is a theological phrase describing a life lived inward for oneself, rather than outward for God and others. Romans 5:8 tells us, "God proves His Love for us in that while we still were sinners, Christ died for us."  

    Augustine explains that the will is weakened and inclined towards sin. Further, he expresses that true freedom is restored through grace. [5] 

Sin as bondage, and freedom as restoration

    Redemption breaks this bondage, not by destroying freedom, but by restoring it. Jansen emphasizes that redemption is a new freedom which includes liberation from the slavery of sin. This emphasis resonates with John 8:34-36, "Everyone who commits a sin is a slave to sin ... if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

 Freedom for relationship with God

According to Jansen, freedom becomes the capacity to respond to God. Here Jansen is deeply personalist. The encounter with God is neither mechanical nor purely legal, but a person-to-person relationship with God. This aligns with the thought of Martin Buber, particularly the concept of the I-Thou relationship, where true personhood emerges in encounter. [6] Thus relationship is not just rescue; it is relational awakening.

Person-to-person encounter with God

Jansen's concept of person-to-person encounter with God also aligns with the thought of Rahner, who consistently defines grace as a personal self-communication of God. [7] Human beings are oriented towards God at their deepest level. Jansen's concept of "person-to-person encounter" with God [1] stands at the heart of his theology of redemption. Jansen moves beyond abstract notions of grace or law and places salvation within the living, relational space between God and the human person. To explain this theologically, we need to hold together three key truths: God as personal, the human person as capable of response, and grace as enabling that response.

God is revealed in the Person of Christ

Jansen's language assumes a fundamental Christian claim: God is not an impersonal force, but a personal, Self-revealing Being. This claim is rooted in Scriptur. In the gospel of St John, God is revealed in the Person of Christ, Who speaks, calls and loves. Further, God addresses humankind not as objects, but as "thou",  to use the language of Martin Buber.  Theologically, this means that revelation is not merely information, it is self-communication. As Karl Rahner explains, grace is God giving Himself, not just His gifts. Therefore, encounter as posited by Jansen is possible, if not inevitable, because God freely initiates relationship. 

Human capacity to turn towards God

Jansen's crucial insight is that redemption restores in the human person a capacity to respond, a freedom to "turn to God." [1] This "turning" is central to Christian anthropology: Augustine's description of sin shows the soul turned inward (incurvatus in se), while grace re-orients the person outward toward God. The human being is created Imago Dei (in the Image of God), which includes the capacity for relationship.

However, after the Fall, this capacity was wounded, not destroyed. The will was weakened, tending toward self rather than God. Redemption, then, does not replace human freedom; it heals and elevates it. Thus, when Jansen says the person has the power within himself to turn to God, he does not mean autonomous self-sufficiency, but a grace-enabled freedom, a restored ability to respond to God's initiative.

Encounter as mutual presence; not mechanical, but relational

A "person-to-person encounter" implied reciprocity: God calls, the human person responds. This is not a legal transaction,  nor a purely internal feeling. Rather, it is a real meeting of persons. Here Jansen aligns with personalist philosophy: in Buber's I-Thou, the human person becomes fully personal only in encounter. Similarly, the human person becomes most fully alive in encounter with God. Theologically, this encounter includes: knowledge (recognizing God), love (responding to God) and freedom (choosing God). It is, in essence, communion.

Grace and freedom: how the turning happens

A key theological tension lies here; if God initiates, how can the human person truly "turn"? Jansen's answer reflects the classical synthesis found in Thomas Aquinas: grace does not override freedom, it enables freedom that God moves the will "according to its nature," meaning that the human person freely chooses, yet that freedom is interiorly moved by grace. So the "turning to God" is: fully human ( a real decision), as well as fully graced (made possible by God). This avoids two extremes,  Determinism (no real freedom), and Pelagianism (self-sufficient effort). 

Grace as universal gift given to all humankind

Jansen insists, "this potentiality is given to all men." [1] This reflects a universal dimension of grace: Christ's redemptive act is objective and universal, even if the full realization thereof depends upon personal response. This concept resonates with Rahner, who spoke of a "supernatural existential" [8] - a grace already present as a condition of human existence. Rahner's concept suggests that every person has an innate desire for a relationship with the Divine. 

Faith as the act of encounter

For Jansen, this encounter becomes concrete in faith. Faith is not merely belief in propositions, but a personal entrustment, a "yes" to God's Presence. As described in Epistle to the Hebrews 11:6, "Whoever would draw near to God must believe in Him ..."  Faith therefore is the actualization of the potential for encounter, and the moment when the person truly turns towards God.

Re-creation of human nature

Jansen goes even further: redemption is a re-creation. This concept is profoundly biblical, in a cycle from creation, to Fall, to redemption, from thence to new creation. In the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks of being "born again". In John 3, Jesus tells Nicodemus that being "born again" (or "from above") is a necessary spiritual transformation - not a physical rebirth - required to enter the kingdom of God. It involves being born "of water and the Spirit", representing a purification and a new heart created by the Holy Spirit, enabling a believer to live for God.

Theologically, this suggests that humankind is not merely repaired, it is re-made. The early Church Fathers often described this as divinization (theosis). St Athanasius makes a connection between deification and the Incarnation, "God became man so that man might become god" (in participation, not identity). Deification (theosis) describes the saving effects of the Incarnation. God became human in order to brings human back into communion with God. 

Faith as the actualization of potential

Jansen identified this new potential with faith. Philosophically, potential is the capacity to believe and respond, while actuality is the lived act of faith. Faith is not just intellectual assent, it is a movement of the whole person, and a response to God's personal call. In this sense, faith is both a gift and an act: both grace-enabled and freely embraced.

Salvation is interior, relational and dynamic

Jansen's vision can be summarized as a dynamic movement: Christ redeems humanity, thus introducing a new potential into human nature. This potential is universal, offered to all. It consists in a new freedom and relational capacity towards God. This potential is identified with faith, the human response to Divine encounter. The potential is actualized through baptism, where new life truly begins. What is especially powerful in Jansen's thought is that salvation is not presented as something external or imposed. Instead, it is interior (within human nature), relational (person-to-person with God) and dynamic (potential becoming actuality). 

Baptism: from potential to reality

Jansen states, "this potentiality is brought into actuality by baptism." [1] Here we reach the sacramental heart of the passage. In Christian theology, particularly in traditions such as Catholicism and Orthodoxy, baptism is not symbolic only, it is efficacious - it truly effects change. Baptism incorporates the person into Christ, washes away sin, infuses grace and activates the new life within.

Thus redemption give the capacity, baptism awakens and initiates that capacity into lived reality.  

Baptism is the beginning of personal communion

Jansen connects this encounter with baptism, where the relationship is sacramentally initiated. In baptism, not only is the person incorporated into Christ, but the capacity for encounter becomes a living reality. As Epistle to the Romans 6 teaches, the baptized person shares in Christ's Life, and is enabled to walk in newness of life. Thus, the encounter is not momentary; it becomes a state of being in relationship.

Conclusion

In the article "Baptism and Co-Existence," Jansen's concept can be expressed as a dynamic movement: God freely offers Himself in love, while human nature (re-created by redemption), is given the capacity to respond. The person, moved by grace, turns toward God in freedom. This turning becomes a personal encounter, realized in faith; and sacramentally, grounded in baptism. 

At its deepest level, Jansen's insight is profoundly simple yet transformative. Salvation is not merely about being forgiven or improved; it is about meeting God as a Person. In that meeting, the human person does not lose freedom, but finds it fulfilled. To "turn to God" is therefore not an external act of obligation, but the awakening of the deepest truth of the human person: that we are created for relationship, and finally become ourselves only when we freely answer "yes" to the God Who first says "yes" to us.

Thus, Jansen has expressed that redemption is not merely about escaping sin: it is about becoming fully human in communion with God."

Where heaven bends to touch the soul

To river Jordan, still and wide,
Jesus walked with humble stride.
John the Baptist, hands aspace,
Poured water upon Living Grace.

Waters stir, heavens sigh,
Holy Spirit as dove draws nigh:
God's Voice declares from realms above,
This is God's Son, Whom all must love.

Yet more than this the moment gave,
Not only Christ, the world to save.
For in that stream, so pure, so deep;
Our hidden souls were stirred from sleep.

For there began a mystery bright,
Re-creation bathed in light; 
A seed was sown in human frame, 
Holy spark, a living flame.

A new potential, softly laid,
Within hearts that sin had swayed.
New freedom born post Fall so grim,
Now drawing souls to turn to Him.

No longer bound by shadowed chain,
Nor captive to old weight of stain,
The will once bent and turned aside,
Finds strength to face the healing tide.

For grace does not the soul compel,
But teaches where true freedoms dwell.
It lifts the gaze, it clears the sight,
To meet our God in living light.

A person meets the Person true,
No distant law, but Love in view;
And deep within, a quiet flame 
Wakens to call God by Name.

This gift is not for some alone,
Nor locked behind a guarded throne;
To every heart the grace is given,
Path renewed, a door to heaven.

And faith - O faith! - that sacred fire,
The soul's response, the heart's desire,
Takes what is hidden, still, unknown,
And makes the seed of life full-grown.

Then through the waters, pure and mild,
Each soul is born a living child;
In Baptism grace descends anew,
And makes the ancient promise true.

What lay as gift becomes our breath,
A rising life from sin and death;
The turning heart, the opened eye,
Now meets our God, no longer shy.

On Jordan's stream, still speaks today,
Of freedom found in mercy's way -
Where Christ first stood, we too may stand,
Re-made by Love's eternal Hand.

[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

[2] IAS Express. Actuality and Potentiality in Aristotle's Philosophy. Accessed 10/04 2026.

https://www.iasexpress.net/modules/1-7-actuality-and-potentiality-in-aristotles-philosophy/

[3] Aristotle. Metaphysics, Book IX (Theta)

[4] Aquinas, St Thomas. Summa Theologiae. I-II, q.109-114

[5] Augustine of Hippo, St. Confessions, Book VIII. On Nature and Grace

[6] Buber, Martin. I and Thou. Edinburgh. T & T Clarke 

https://www.maximusveritas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/iandthou.pdf

[7] Rahner, Karl. Foundations of Christian Faith: An Introduction to the Idea of Christianity (Accessed 10/04/2026)

https://archive.org/details/foundationsofchr0000rahn/page/n3/mode/2up

and

Vandervelde, George. Theological Studies 49. The Grammar of Grace: Karl Rahner as a watershed in contemporary theology. Page 446. Institute of Christian Studies, Toronto: 1988. (Accessed 10/04/2026)

https://theologicalstudies.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/49.3.3.pdf

[8] Eberhard, K. Karl Rahner and the Supernatural Existential. Thought: Fordham University Quarterly 46 (4): 537-561 (1971) (Accessed 10/04/2026)

https://philpapers.org/rec/EBEKRA

[9] Nassif B. 2021. Athanasius A C.S. Lewis of the Early Church. Cristian Research Institute. 2021 (Athanasius, On the Incarnation, paragraph 54) (Accessed 10/04/2026)

https://www.equip.org/articles/athanasius-a-c-s-lewis-of-the-early-church/

With thanks to sahistory.org.za, insexpress.net, iasexpress, maximusveritas.com, archive.org, theologicalstudies,net, philpapers.org and equip.org

Image courtesy of Chatgpt and CN Whittle, "Jesus is baptised in the River Jordan"

OUR LIVING WITH GOD - GMA JANSEN (FR NORBERT OP)

 

                                                                                                          Freepik

"When we bring these religious experiences to the surface of our consciousness and make them appear as they truly are, we begin to realize that we really live with God; we become conscious of a personal relationship with Him, 

In these experiences God has a face, He is our Father, who cares for us; He is our Creator, but a Creator who keeps us in existence here and now; He is the Master of life and death, but a Master who is very much concerned about our life and our death; living with Him gives our relationship with our fellowman a supplementary depth. 

Often we experience that we are in intimate dialogue with Him, that we can feel Him, and become emotionally involved with Him. 

Jesus taught us this relationship 

It does not take long to discover that this manner in which we live with God has been taught us by Jesus Christ. 

The sermon of the Mount is often portrayed as the blueprint of Christian behaviour, as a new code of morals. In reality Christ speaks as much about God in that sermon as about us; the sermon is really neither an exposition of God's nature, nor a series of commandments for us, but it is a blueprint for the intersubjective relationship which we have with God. 

In this relationship there are two poles. 

The one is God, our Father, who cares for us with a very personal, individual care, so that we do not need to fret about what we shall eat, what we shall drink or wear, because the heavenly Father knows what we need, and will provide us. He cares more for us than an earthly father cares for his son. 

"What man is there among you, who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? How much more will your Father who is in Heaven give good things to those who ask Him." (М. 7-9) He is the Father of the prodigal son, the good shepherd who goes after his lost sheep, He is the Father who invites all to the wedding feast of His son, who reveals Himself to little children. 

And the other pole is the follower of Christ, who seeks the Father in constant dialogue, praying to him in the secret of his heart, and finding Him in the relationship to his neighbour, by loving that neighbour, by being good to those who hate him and calumniate him, by being poor of spirit, merciful, meek, pure, suffering in silence, by being an arbiter of peace. We must be all these things, because we shall see God, we shall possess the Kingdom, we shall be called the children of God."

"There are moments in life - quiet, often fleeting - when something within us rises gently to the surface. A memory, a sense of presence, a deep interior awareness. These are not merely passing emotions; they are religious experiences, subtle yet profound invitations to see reality as it truly is. When we allow these experiences to emerge into the light of our consciousness, something remarkable happens: we begin to realize that we are not alone, that we truly live with God.

This realization is not abstract or distant. God is no longer a vague idea or a distant force. In these lived experiences, He has a Face. He becomes our Father Who knows us closely, cares for us personally, and walks with us constantly. 

He is our Creator, not only in the sense that He once brought us into being, but as One who sustains us here and now. God holds us in existence with love at every moment. He is the Master of life and death, yet not in a cold or detached way; rather, He is deeply concerned with the course of our lives, our struggles and joys. God supports us during the mystery of our passing.

To live with this awareness changes everything. Our relationship with God begins to shape how we see others. Human relationships gain new depth, a quiet sacredness. We begin to recognize others not merely as individuals, but fellow beings loved and sustained by the same Divine Presence. Compassion grows more naturally, patience deepens and forgiveness becomes easier. Living with God enriches our humanity.

It is here that the teachings of Jesus Christ become not only relevant but transformative. In the Sermon on the Mount, the Master offers us what can be called a blueprint for true holiness, This blueprint is not a distant ideal, but a practical and deeply human way of living. 

Jesus teaches us to be poor in spirit, to be gentle, to hunger for righteousness, to be merciful, pure of heart, and makers of peace. These are not merely moral instructions; they are a way of being that flows from living in relationship with God.

Through these teachings, we learn what it means to be truly human. Decency, kindness, integrity - these are not external rules imposed upon us, but virtues that grow from within. Holy values are nurtured by our relationship with Christ. The Sermon on the Mount reveals that holiness is not about separation from life, but about entering more deeply into life and community with others. 

As our relationship with God matures, we often find ourselves in what can only be described as close dialogue with God. We speak to Him, sometimes in words, sometimes in silence. We sense God's Presence; not always dramatically, but gently, faithfully. At times, we feel God so close,  that our hearts respond with emotions such as peace, longing and gratitude. At times, we even respond with tears. This is not illusion or sentimentality; it is the lived reality of a relationship.

It is no coincidence that we come to know God in this way. This manner of living with God as a present, personal, loving Companion has been taught to us by Jesus Himself. Christ revealed not only who God is, but how we are to relate to Him. Through the Saviour's Words, Life and Example, He showed us that God is not distant, but near. God is not impersonal, but deeply relational.

When we allow our religious experiences to surface and be seen for what they truly are, we begin to understand that we are already living with God. The invitation is simply to become aware of it; and to respond."

Heart-Stone of Christ

In quiet hours when earth grows still,
And bends at last to Heaven’s will,
A whisper stirs within the soul;
A Presence there that makes us whole.

Not distant, cold, or far above,
But near to us in tender love;
In hidden moments, soft and clear,
We wake and find that God is near.

We walk with Him through passing days,
In simple thoughts, in work, in praise;
And slowly, through His guiding Light,
Our hearts are formed in what is right.

For on the mount His voice once rang,
Where truth like living water sprang;
There mercy, meekness, hearts made pure,
Became the path both strong and sure.

And as we climb that sacred height,
Through shadowed vale or morning bright,
We bend beside the dusty sod,
To find a sign that speaks of God:

A rust-red stone, in heart’s own shape,
Time-worn by wind, by years’ escape;
We lift it up, we clear its face,
To hold it close in love’s embrace.

A token of Christ’s Love so deep,
A gift our weary souls may keep;
Through winding years, through joy and pain,
Its silent warmth doth still remain.

In that dear love, our lives are changed,
No longer distant, lost, estranged;
For every soul we come to see
As held in sacred dignity.

Our human bonds grow every day,
With depth from God's own loving way;
A quiet grace in all we share,
With sense of God’s own Presence there.

In fellowship our hearts unite,
Drawn onward by His gentle Light;
A living Church, 'mid joy and strife,
Made one within His hidden Life.

And when at last life’s course is run,
When fading falls the setting sun,
We cross the line no eyes can see,
Into love’s vast eternity -

No fear shall claim the final breath,
For He is Lord of life and death;
Companion, Saviour, ever near,
The One we love now drawing near.

[1] Fr G.M.A. Jansen. (Norbert Jansen OP). p 13, Pro Veritate Vol V No. 9. Our Living with God. 15 January 1967. Page 7

https://sahistory.org.za/sites/default/files/archive-files4/PvJan67.pdf

With thanks to sahistory.org.za 

ST NORBERT OF XANTEN: A HEART SET ON THE EUCHARIST

 

St Norbert of Xanten: Apostle of the Eucharist

There are some saints whose lives may feel distant, wrapped in history. Then there are those whose stories feel surprisingly close, as though their struggles and conversions could be our own. St Norbert of Xanten is one of those saints.

Norbert was born of noble parents around the year 1080, in Xanten (northern Rhineland, Germany). As a small child, he was presented to the collegiate church of St Victor in Xanten, where he was later ordained subdeacon. Emperor Henry V took note of Norbert's gifts and charm, and called him into personal service at the imperial court. There Norbert lived a comfortable life at court, surrounded by influence, privilege, and distractions. Faith was there; but not yet at the centre.

Then everything changed.

Fall that became a beginning

One day, caught in a sudden and violent storm, Norbert was thrown from his horse and nearly killed. In that moment as he lay on the ground, shaken to the core, he encountered something deeper than fear. Norbert encountered truth. Life was fragile. God was real. And Norbert's soul needed to change.

Much like Paul the Apostle on the road to Damascus, Norbert rose from that moment a different man. He walked away from comfort and chose a life of simplicity, prayer, and preaching. Most of all, Norbert began to centre his life on Christ in the Eucharist.

A love that drew others in

What is striking about Norbert is not just that he believed in the Eucharist; it is how deeply he loved the Eucharistic Presence

For him, the Eucharist was not an abstract doctrine or a distant mystery. It is Jesus; truly present, truly near, truly given. That love shaped everything.

In 1120, when St Norbert founded the Premonstratensian Order - also known as the Norbertines - he gathered devout followers who would live together in community. They would pray together, go out to serve, always returning to the altar as the source of their strength.

The rhythm of their lives was simple but powerful: prayer, service, and the Eucharist at the centre.  

Defending what he loved

In Norbert’s time, not everyone fully understood or accepted the truth of the Eucharist. Confusion lingered from earlier debates, especially those linked to Berengar of Tours. However, St Norbert didn’t respond with arguments alone; he responded with witness. He celebrated Mass with reverence, taught with clarity, and lived in a way that made people see: the Holy Eucharist matters.

St Norbert's  life quietly proclaimed what the Church has always held; that in the Eucharist, Christ is not symbolically present, but truly, really, and lovingly present.

Reform begun at the altar

St Norbert became a bishop and then Archbishop of Magdeburg. He faced challenges that would have overwhelmed many. Conflict surrounded Norbert, but he never lost sight of where renewal begins. Renewal begins not in strategies, nor in power; but at the altar.

Because if Christ is truly present in the Eucharist, then everything changes; how we pray, how we live, how we love.

What St Norbert teaches us today

It is easy, even for people of faith, to become familiar with the Eucharist - to receive without really pausing, to attend Mass without being deeply moved.

St Norbert of Xanten gently challenges that. His devoted life reminds us that the Eucharist is not routine, but encounter. Christ within the Eucharist is not distant, but deeply personal. Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar is not symbolic, but real.

Perhaps most of all, St Norbert reminds us that love for the Eucharist is not meant to stay inside the church walls. Our love for Christ spills out into our lives  in many ways. Eucharistic devotion shines out in how we treat others, how we serve, how we remain faithful in small, hidden ways.

Quiet invitation

St Norbert’s life does not shout. It invites. We are invited to slow down at Mass; to look again at the Host, and to remember Who is there. We are invited to let Christ's Presence change us; just as it changed Norbert, from a man of comfort into an Apostle of the Eucharist.

From Storm to Sacrament: Song of St Norbert

Norbert of Xanten once laughed where courtiers dine,
In halls of ease and cups of wine;
A carefree heart, a life of light,
Untroubled days and festal night.

Yet through the sky a storm was hurled,
A flash that split his gentle world;
Cast to the earth, his soul laid bare,
He met our God in trembling prayer.

Like Paul was struck on Damascus road,
Norbert rose beneath a different load;
No longer seeking passing flame,
But Christ the Lord the Living Name.

From courtly song to sacred plea,
He walked in holy poverty;
His voice now burned with truth made bright,
A shepherd calling souls to light.

O Eucharist, his heart’s deep fire,
His soul’s delight, his one desire!
No distant sign, no shadowed grace,
But Christ Himself in time and space.

He preached, he taught, with fervent breath,
Of Love that conquers sin and death;
At every Mass, with reverent art,
He placed the Lord before each heart.

In Premonstratensian Order’s holy band,
He formed a faithful, fervent stand;
To live, to serve, to kneel, adore -
And draw from Christ an endless store.

O soul, behold the altar fair,
The King of Glory hidden there;
Let not thy gaze grow dim, routine -
For Love Divine lies veiled, unseen.

Come, let Christ enter, still and true,
To touch thy heart and make thee new;
To turn thy fear, thy grief, thy night,
Into a flame of golden light.

From inner heart where silence grows,
Where secret grace in stillness flows,
Go forth into the market’s cry,
Beneath the wide and watchful sky.

And carry there, in word and deed,
The Eucharistic Love we need;
That every soul we meet may see
Christ’s living Presence, shining free.

O Norbert, guide our hearts today,
To love the Lord in hidden way;
Till all we are and all we do
Proclaim: Beloved, He is true.

Image courtesy of ChatGPT with CN Whittle "St Norbert celebrating Mass in Gothic church" 

ST TERESA OF ÁVILA AND THE INTERIOR CASTLE

 

St Teresa of Avila stands among the great spiritual teachers of the Church. Her masterpiece, "The Interior Castle", remains a profound guide to the life of prayer. St Teresa of Avila was proclaimed Doctor of the Church by St Paul VI. This proclamation was made in the Apostolic Letter "Multiformis Sapientia Dei," dated 27 September 1970.

Many mansions

In this work, Teresa invites us to imagine the human soul as a radiant castle made of crystal, filled with many rooms or “mansions.” At the centre of this castle dwells Jesus Christ, waiting patiently for us to draw closer to Him. The spiritual journey, she explains, is not about looking outward. It is about entering more deeply within ourselves, where God already resides.

Stage of growth in spiritual life

Each mansion represents a stage of growth in the spiritual life. As the soul progresses inward, it is purified, enlightened, and gradually transformed by grace. Teresa does not hide the difficulties of this journey; the distractions, struggles and trials. St Teresa emphasizes that - despite our challenges - we need to have perseverance, humility, and trust in God.

Prayer is living friendship

What makes The Interior Castle so compelling today is its deeply personal and relational message. For Teresa, prayer is not a rigid obligation but a living friendship. She famously teaches that the goal of the spiritual life is to become close friends with Jesus Christ. We need to speak with the Saviour and to listen to Him. We need to remain in His Presence with love.

Enter the silence

In a world often filled with noise and distraction, Teresa’s voice calls us back to silence, depth, and intimacy with God. Her message to the Church today is clear: take time to pray, dare to enter the “castle” within, and discover there the transforming presence of Christ.

More about Teresa of Avila

Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582), was a Spanish Carmelite nun, mystic, reformer and writer, whose profound influence on Christian spirituality earned her canonization and title of Doctor of the Church. She founded the Discalced Carmelites, emphasizing poverty, prayer and contemplative devotion within monastic life.

Key facts

* Full name: Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada

* Born: March 28, 1515, in Ávila, Spain

* Died: October 4, 1582, in Alba de Tormes, Spain

* Major works: The Life of Teresa of Jesus, The Way of Perfection,       The Interior Castle

* Canonized: 1622 

* Title: Doctor of the Church 1970

Early life and vocation

Born into a converso family, Teresa grew up in socially stratified Castile. Despite initial hesitation from her father, she entered the Carmelite Convent of the Incarnation in 1535. Serious illness and exposure to mystical writings deepened her spiritual life, preparing the way for her later reforms. [1] 

Mystical experiences and reform

Teresa's reported visions, became emblematic of Christian mysticism. Teresa's opinion was that the Carmelite Order had become somewhat lax, so she founded the Convent of St Joseph of Ávila in 1562, under a stricter observance of poverty and seclusion. Her movement expanded rapidly. Teresa founded 17 convents, and inspired the male reform branch with St John of the Cross. [2]

Literary and theological legacy

Teresa's writings united psychological insight with theological depth. The Way of Perfection guides communal prayer. The Interior Castle maps the soul's journey towards divine union, through seven stages. Her clear, conversational prose made complex mystical theology accessible and influential in later spirituality and literature. 

Canonization and influence

St Teresa was canonized in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV. In 1970, St Paul VI named her Doctor of the Church, recognized for her doctrinal clarity and practical mysticism. Teresa was the first woman to be named Doctor of the Church. Her Discalced Carmelite Order continues globally, and her works remain central texts in Christian contemplation and reform movements. [1]

Why not read "The Interior Castle?"

St Teresa of Ávila's work "The Interior Castle" may be found at the following link;

https://ccel.org/ccel/teresa/castle2.html

[1] Encyclopedia.com. Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582)

https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/spanish-and-portuguese-history-biographies/teresa-avila#2536600142

[2] Beliefnet. St Teresa of Avila (1515-1582).

https://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/catholic/saints/t/teresa-of-avila.aspx?utm_source=chatgpt.com 

[4] Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Interior Castle or The Mansions by St Teresa of Ávila.

https://ccel.org/ccel/teresa/castle2.html

With thanks to encyclopedia.com, beliefnet.com, and ccel.org

Image courtesy of ChatGPT and CN Whittle "St Teresa before the radiant castle"