On Saturday, 13 February 2021, seven Knights of the Southern Cross joined us for the day to experience the monastic rhythm of prayer, study and work. It was an opportunity to listen to God's Word: in scripture, in the silence of the land, in each other, and in the experience of shared work.
Our scriptural guide was Saint Paul's Second Letter to Timothy (1:6-11), where Paul says to his young friend and protege:
"I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God that you have through the laying on of my hands, for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-discipline. Do not be ashamed therefore of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of suffering for the gospel with the strength that comes from God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began, but which is now made manifest through the appearance of our saviour Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought to light life and incorruptibility through the gospel ..."
As the title of a book by E. James Cuskelly MSC puts it: there are No Cowards in the Kingdom—and for one very good reason: to belong to the kingdom is to have accepted the gift of courage from the Spirit of love and self-discipline. The only "fear" a follower of Christ has is that deeply paradoxical "fear of the Lord"—itself a gift of the Holy Spirit, which is inextricably one with the gift of courage. Indeed, awe/wonder/"fear of the Lord" gives rise to reverence/piety/fidelity, and together with courage are the foundation of that "holy calling" Saint Paul is speaking of in his letter to Timothy.
We are all called to that "holy calling". We are all offered the gifts of courage, love and self-discipline. But we must accept these gifts. They are not imposed—or they wouldn't be gifts. They must be received.
And they are: in our baptism the spirit of cowardice is overcome by the paradoxical "fear of the Lord" (wonder and awe before the Mystery), by reverence (deep respect for the Mystery), and by courage (fortitude and strength in the Mystery).
As we prepare for the joyful and invigorating season of Lent (from lencten, meaning "springtime"), Saint Paul's words to Timothy are addressed as much to us as they were to that honourable young man nearly two thousand years ago:
... fan into flame the gift of God ...
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