THE WISDOM OF THE DESERT MOTHERS

 

"The wisdom of the Desert Mothers can help strengthen your personal prayer life and ultimately, your personal ministry in this world. 

Like the message of Jesus, the women elders from the early days of Christianity offer you their treasury of wise Sayings and true-life parables. 

Let us give St. Mary of Egypt the last word. She is remembered praying in the desert: “Now, therefore, lead me, where ever you please, Lord; lead me to salvation, teach me what is true, and go before me in the way of repentance.” (David G.B. Keller, Desert Banquet [2011], 187)

If you wish to know more about the Desert Fathers and Desert Mothers, please click in the link below;

https://churchinterfaith.blogspot.com/2024/

The Desert Mothers (Ammas) of Early Christianity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U89J_euVenU

With thanks to Youtube

MOTHER SYNCLETICA, EARLY CHURCH MOTHER; CONSTANTLY CLEAN OUT THE SOUL

 

Mother Syncletica coached all her followers to: “Constantly clean out the soul. Smoke out the poison and vermin of sinful thoughts with the divine incense of prayer” (Matericon, 66).

If you wish to know more about the Desert Fathers and Desert Mothers, please click in the link below;

https://churchinterfaith.blogspot.com/2024/

Voices of the Ammas 

They left the rush of crowded days, the markets loud and wide,
And journeyed to the desert’s hush where God alone would guide.
The early mothers, strong in grace, in silence made their home,
Where hearts grew vast in hidden prayer, though outward lives seemed lone.

In caves of dust and burning sun, in cells both bare and small,
They learned to hear the still, soft Voice that gently speaks to all.
Through fasting deep and vigils long, through tears both pure and wise,
They fixed their gaze on Christ alone, their treasure and their prize.

The Ammas spoke with quiet strength, their counsel clear and true,
To souls who sought the narrow path and longed their God to view.
Their words, like wells in desert lands, still draw the thirsty near,
A living stream of holy truth that echoes year by year.

They call to us within our hearts, beyond the world’s loud claim:
“Become a desert in your soul, and kindle there His flame.
Be anchorites in secret depths, though streets around you roar,
Hold fast the Word in silent faith, and seek His Face the more.”

For we who walk the marketplace, with hurried steps and eyes,
Are summoned to that inward place where deeper treasure lies.
To live the wisdom that they gave, with steadfast hearts made whole,
And carry Christ, the Living Word, to every seeking soul.

O mothers of the ancient way, your witness still remains,
A lamp within our modern night, a balm for hidden pains.
Teach us to dwell with God within, though outward paths we roam -
Till every heart, made still in Him, becomes His desert home.

Image courtesy of ChatGPT and CN Whittle "Prayerful devotion in a desert cave" 

AMMA THEODORA, EARLY CHURCH MOTHER: GOD BECOMES YOUR DEFENCE

 

                                                                                 Freepik

Amma Theodora said: “Never forget that in a life of intense prayer, God becomes your defence in all the virtues. When needed, the mighty Lord will come to your defence, fully armed” (Matericon: Instructions of Abba Isaiah to the Honourable Nun Theodora [2001], 72)

If you wish to know more about the Desert Fathers and Desert Mothers, please click in the link below;

https://churchinterfaith.blogspot.com/2024/

Voices of the Ammas 

They left the rush of crowded days, the markets loud and wide,
And journeyed to the desert’s hush where God alone would guide.
The early mothers, strong in grace, in silence made their home,
Where hearts grew vast in hidden prayer, though outward lives seemed lone.

In caves of dust and burning sun, in cells both bare and small,
They learned to hear the still, soft Voice that gently speaks to all.
Through fasting deep and vigils long, through tears both pure and wise,
They fixed their gaze on Christ alone, their treasure and their prize.

The Ammas spoke with quiet strength, their counsel clear and true,
To souls who sought the narrow path and longed their God to view.
Their words, like wells in desert lands, still draw the thirsty near,
A living stream of holy truth that echoes year by year.

They call to us within our hearts, beyond the world’s loud claim:
“Become a desert in your soul, and kindle there His flame.
Be anchorites in secret depths, though streets around you roar,
Hold fast the Word in silent faith, and seek His Face the more.”

For we who walk the marketplace, with hurried steps and eyes,
Are summoned to that inward place where deeper treasure lies.
To live the wisdom that they gave, with steadfast hearts made whole,
And carry Christ, the Living Word, to every seeking soul.

O mothers of the ancient way, your witness still remains,
A lamp within our modern night, a balm for hidden pains.
Teach us to dwell with God within, though outward paths we roam -
Till every heart, made still in Him, becomes His desert home.

MOTHER THEODORA, EARLY CHURCH MOTHER: PASS BY SAFELY ALL THE EVIL IN THE WORLD

 

                                                                                          Freepik

“Raise your hands in prayer, my Sisters,” Mother Theodora said, “and beg God that, when it is your time, your soul and the souls of those dear to you, may pass by safely all the evil in the world impeding their way to Heaven” (Matericon: Instructions of Abba Isaiah to the Honorable Nun Theodora [2001], 68). 

In the spirit of the Desert Mothers, strive to be a spiritual person of the highest good.

If you wish to know more about the Desert Fathers and Desert Mothers, please click in the link below;

https://churchinterfaith.blogspot.com/2024/

Voices of the Ammas 

They left the rush of crowded days, the markets loud and wide,
And journeyed to the desert’s hush where God alone would guide.
The early mothers, strong in grace, in silence made their home,
Where hearts grew vast in hidden prayer, though outward lives seemed lone.

In caves of dust and burning sun, in cells both bare and small,
They learned to hear the still, soft Voice that gently speaks to all.
Through fasting deep and vigils long, through tears both pure and wise,
They fixed their gaze on Christ alone, their treasure and their prize.

The Ammas spoke with quiet strength, their counsel clear and true,
To souls who sought the narrow path and longed their God to view.
Their words, like wells in desert lands, still draw the thirsty near,
A living stream of holy truth that echoes year by year.

They call to us within our hearts, beyond the world’s loud claim:
“Become a desert in your soul, and kindle there His flame.
Be anchorites in secret depths, though streets around you roar,
Hold fast the Word in silent faith, and seek His Face the more.”

For we who walk the marketplace, with hurried steps and eyes,
Are summoned to that inward place where deeper treasure lies.
To live the wisdom that they gave, with steadfast hearts made whole,
And carry Christ, the Living Word, to every seeking soul.

O mothers of the ancient way, your witness still remains,
A lamp within our modern night, a balm for hidden pains.
Teach us to dwell with God within, though outward paths we roam -
Till every heart, made still in Him, becomes His desert home.

MOTHER THEODORA, EARLY CHURCH MOTHER: THIS PRESENT AGE IS A STORM

 

                                                                 Freepik

Mother Theodora said: “This present age is a storm, and it is only through many trials and temptations that we can obtain an inheritance in the kingdom of heaven.” (Apophthegmata Patrum, Theodora, 2). 

This Desert Mother was thought to be the widow of a fourth-century Roman Prefect of Egypt in Alexandria. Mother Theodora followed her faith in Jesus Christ into the desert. 

She is celebrated for having been a trusted colleague of her Bishop, Theophilus. Mother Theodora was often consulted about the living out of monastic life. Theodora is venerated as a saint on her feastday, September 11. 

Desert Mothers pursued personal spiritual holiness, and were committed to a deep sense of justice and service to the Christian community; for the love of their neighbour.

If you wish to know more about the Desert Fathers and Desert Mothers, please click in the link below;

https://churchinterfaith.blogspot.com/2024/

Voices of the Ammas 

They left the rush of crowded days, the markets loud and wide,
And journeyed to the desert’s hush where God alone would guide.
The early mothers, strong in grace, in silence made their home,
Where hearts grew vast in hidden prayer, though outward lives seemed lone.

In caves of dust and burning sun, in cells both bare and small,
They learned to hear the still, soft Voice that gently speaks to all.
Through fasting deep and vigils long, through tears both pure and wise,
They fixed their gaze on Christ alone, their treasure and their prize.

The Ammas spoke with quiet strength, their counsel clear and true,
To souls who sought the narrow path and longed their God to view.
Their words, like wells in desert lands, still draw the thirsty near,
A living stream of holy truth that echoes year by year.

They call to us within our hearts, beyond the world’s loud claim:
“Become a desert in your soul, and kindle there His flame.
Be anchorites in secret depths, though streets around you roar,
Hold fast the Word in silent faith, and seek His Face the more.”

For we who walk the marketplace, with hurried steps and eyes,
Are summoned to that inward place where deeper treasure lies.
To live the wisdom that they gave, with steadfast hearts made whole,
And carry Christ, the Living Word, to every seeking soul.

O mothers of the ancient way, your witness still remains,
A lamp within our modern night, a balm for hidden pains.
Teach us to dwell with God within, though outward paths we roam -
Till every heart, made still in Him, becomes His desert home.

AMMA SYNCLETICA, EARLY CHURCH MOTHER: HUMILITY

 

Freepik

Amma Syncletica;

She also said, “Just as one cannot build a ship unless one has some nails, so it is impossible to be saved without humility.”

If you wish to know more about the Desert Fathers and Desert Mothers, please click in the link below;

https://churchinterfaith.blogspot.com/2024/

Voices of the Ammas 

They left the rush of crowded days, the markets loud and wide,
And journeyed to the desert’s hush where God alone would guide.
The early mothers, strong in grace, in silence made their home,
Where hearts grew vast in hidden prayer, though outward lives seemed lone.

In caves of dust and burning sun, in cells both bare and small,
They learned to hear the still, soft Voice that gently speaks to all.
Through fasting deep and vigils long, through tears both pure and wise,
They fixed their gaze on Christ alone, their treasure and their prize.

The Ammas spoke with quiet strength, their counsel clear and true,
To souls who sought the narrow path and longed their God to view.
Their words, like wells in desert lands, still draw the thirsty near,
A living stream of holy truth that echoes year by year.

They call to us within our hearts, beyond the world’s loud claim:
“Become a desert in your soul, and kindle there His flame.
Be anchorites in secret depths, though streets around you roar,
Hold fast the Word in silent faith, and seek His Face the more.”

For we who walk the marketplace, with hurried steps and eyes,
Are summoned to that inward place where deeper treasure lies.
To live the wisdom that they gave, with steadfast hearts made whole,
And carry Christ, the Living Word, to every seeking soul.

O mothers of the ancient way, your witness still remains,
A lamp within our modern night, a balm for hidden pains.
Teach us to dwell with God within, though outward paths we roam -
Till every heart, made still in Him, becomes His desert home.

LAZARUS IS RAISED FROM THE DEAD

 

Lord Jesus raised his dear trusted friend Lazarus, from the dead. The Saviour called Lazarus from death's underworld back to life. All who saw the miracle marvelled. We, too, shall be called to eternal life after our earthly passing; have no fear. 

Yet after the resurrection, Lazarus had to learn to live again; to deal with the little things. Lazarus' experiences after death made earthly life so different now for the newly-raised. The calling by the Great Voice back to life was such mystery. Sheer amazement had overcome the crowds who witnessed the resurrection. Lazarus had experienced - in the deepest way - just how great God is throughout our lives. 

Let us not spiritually die within our hearts. May we always allow God's Holy Will to reign supreme in our lives. Safe in the harbour of God's Love, let us have joy in every day. May we enjoy earthly world's charm without sin.

Called by the Voice

Jesus Christ called His friend by name that day,
Lazarus rose as death was turned away;
From shadowed depths, from silent night,
He stepped again into the light.

The crowd stood still in trembling awe,
At what their very eyes then saw;
The grave undone, its hold released,
By Him Who is the Life and Priest.

So too shall we, when life has passed,
Be called to rise at last, at last;
No need for fear, nor dark despair,
For Christ Himself shall meet us there.

Yet Lazarus, restored to breath,
Had walked the hidden halls of death;
And life anew he learned to live,
Each simple act a gift to give.

The sunlight warm, the voices near,
All changed by what he’d known so clear;
The echo of that mighty call,
Still stirred his heart beyond it all.

O mystery deep, O wonder bright,
That Love can conquer death’s long night;
How great is God, through all our days,
Worthy of endless song and praise.

Then let us not within hearts die,
Nor let the soul in silence lie;
But let God’s holy Will take part,
And dwell alive in every heart.

With joy embrace each given day,
Walk gently in the rightful way;
Delight in beauty, pure within -
The world’s fair charm, untouched by sin.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/EvYQrYvrToU

With thanks to youtube

VOICES OF THE AMMAS

 

Voices of the Ammas 

They left the rush of crowded days, the markets loud and wide,
And journeyed to the desert’s hush where God alone would guide.
The early mothers, strong in grace, in silence made their home,
Where hearts grew vast in hidden prayer, though outward lives seemed lone.

In caves of dust and burning sun, in cells both bare and small,
They learned to hear the still, soft Voice that gently speaks to all.
Through fasting deep and vigils long, through tears both pure and wise,
They fixed their gaze on Christ alone, their treasure and their prize.

The Ammas spoke with quiet strength, their counsel clear and true,
To souls who sought the narrow path and longed their God to view.
Their words, like wells in desert lands, still draw the thirsty near,
A living stream of holy truth that echoes year by year.

They call to us within our hearts, beyond the world’s loud claim:
“Become a desert in your soul, and kindle there His flame.
Be anchorites in secret depths, though streets around you roar,
Hold fast the Word in silent faith, and seek His Face the more.”

For we who walk the marketplace, with hurried steps and eyes,
Are summoned to that inward place where deeper treasure lies.
To live the wisdom that they gave, with steadfast hearts made whole,
And carry Christ, the Living Word, to every seeking soul.

O mothers of the ancient way, your witness still remains,
A lamp within our modern night, a balm for hidden pains.
Teach us to dwell with God within, though outward paths we roam -
Till every heart, made still in Him, becomes His desert home.

Image courtesy of ChatGPT and CN Whittle "Living water in the desert cave" 

SATANIC CHURCH PLANS TO HOLD SATANIC REVIVAL ON MAY 1, AT MOBTOWN BALLROOM BALTIMORE; ALLEGED NEWS. WY NOT SIGN THE PETITION?

 

SATANIC TEMPLE PLANS TO HOLD AN EVENT CALLED THE "SATANIC REVIVAL" ON MAY 1, AT THE MOBTOWN BALLROOM IN BALTIMORE; ALLEGED NEWS. [1] 

This will be the satanic temple's latest national event since satancon in 2023, following a three-year hiatus; Alleged News [2] The revival includes satanic opening ceremony, and ceremony called "a ceremony of infernal pride," Alleged News. [2] The satanic temple also adds the requirement to sell one's soul to the devil to get a ticket for the event; Alleged News. [2] 

satan has no place in the public square

satan has no place in the public square. We need to keep the devil and his followers from establishing themselves in society. 

Why not sign the petition for the cancellation of the satanic revival event?

https://www.returntoorder.org/petition/protest-satanic-revival-in-baltimore/

and

https://www.tfp.org/petition/petition-stop-the-satanic-revival-event-in-baltimore/?PKG=TFPE3747

SOLUS CHRISTUS

Upon the clouds in radiant light, Christ rides the heavens high,
A crown upon His gentle brow, all glory in His Eye.
A white horse bears our King of kings through vast eternal air,
All the saints in garments white stand gathered round Him there.

Beside Him stands the angel bright, with standard lifted strong,
A banner cast upon the wind, the truth down ages long:
Solus Christus - Christ alone - the saving, sovereign Name,
The Lamb once slain, now risen Lord, forevermore the same.

We follow Him, our Messiah, through shadow, storm, and flame,
With hearts made still in trust and faith, we call upon His Name.
For He alone has borne our sin, has opened heaven’s door,
And leads us onward, step by step, to life forevermore.

Let not another voice arise to cloud the truth we sing,
No fleeting word of passing earth can crown another king.
For in the marketplace of souls, where many call and rail,
We lift our gaze to Christ alone, our hope will never fail.

All worship, honour, praise belong to God enthroned above,
Who sent His Son to ransom us in sacrificial love.
In Him our future firmly rests, our endless destiny - 
O Christ, our Lord, our guiding Light, our all eternity.

PRAYER CHAPEL FOR SATANISTS WHO WISH TO LEAVE THE MOVEMENT; WORDS OF COMFORT

https://churchinterfaith.blogspot.com/2016/01/prayer-chapel-for-satanists-who-wish-to.html

[1] Petition: stop the satanic revival event in Baltimore; Alleged News

https://www.tfp.org/petition/petition-stop-the-satanic-revival-event-in-baltimore/?PKG=TFPE3747

[2] Protest against "satanic revival" in Baltimore; Alleged News

https://www.returntoorder.org/petition/protest-satanic-revival-in-baltimore/

Image courtesy of ChatGPT with CN Whittle "Solus Christus"

With thanks to tfp.org and returntoorder.org

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"