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Office Of Readings | Week 12, Tuesday, Ordinary Time | A Reading From The Treatise Of Saint Gregory Of Nyssa On Christian Perfection | We Must Show Jesus Christ In Our Whole Life
‘Jesus Christ should be manifest in our whole life.’
The Christian Life As Theosis
Saint Gregory’s theology is deeply shaped by the Eastern Christian doctrine of theosis, or divinisation. For Gregory, salvation is not merely juridical or moral but ontological: to be saved is to become by grace what Christ is by nature. When Gregory writes that Christians must examine their thoughts, words, and deeds to see whether they are ‘directed toward Christ’, he is describing a dynamic process of transformation. This process, which begins in baptism and continues throughout life, involves increasing conformity to the divine image. In this sense, Christian perfection is not a static achievement but an unending ascent towards God, as expressed in his Life of Moses.
Philosophical Background | Thought, Word, And Deed
Saint Gregory inherits the classical triad of thought, word, and deed from Greek philosophical traditions, especially Stoicism and Platonism. For Plato, the harmony of the soul’s faculties (reason, spirit, and appetite) is the foundation of virtue. Gregory Christianises this structure: the mind (or nous) must be aligned with the divine Logos, so that the soul’s activities (speech and action) manifest the purity of its source. By stating that the life of the Christian must reflect Christ in all three domains, Gregory presents a coherent anthropology where the inner and outer life are seamlessly united in the image of Christ.
Passions And The Purity Of Heart
Gregory’s distinction between actions that stem from passion and those that reflect Christ draws on early Christian and monastic traditions that treat the ‘passions’ (such as pride, lust, and anger) as distortions of the soul’s natural energies. Influenced by thinkers like Evagrius Ponticus, Gregory sees the spiritual life as one of purification and restoration. The heart, as the seat of intention and desire, must be cleansed and brought into harmony with divine truth. Only then can the ‘pearl’ of the soul reflect the light of Jesus Christ without distortion.
Baptismal And Catechetical Echoes
Gregory’s vision is likely grounded in the catechetical practices of the early Church. Baptism was understood not merely as a rite of initiation but as the beginning of a lifelong process of transformation. His insistence that we must ‘show a likeness to Christ’ in our words and deeds echoes the baptismal liturgy, in which the newly baptised are clothed with Jesus Christ and anointed with chrism. The metaphor of the flowing water, drawn from a pure source, evokes both baptism and the Eucharist as sacraments of purification and union.
Biblical Imagery And Theology
Gregory’s metaphors are richly scriptural. The pearl recalls the parable of the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45–46), suggesting the soul’s infinite worth and the need for purity. The image of water drawn from a pure stream evokes Jesus’ words in John 4 about the living water he offers. The ‘gleaming water in a jar’ mirroring its source underscores the idea that Christians are not autonomous but derive their beauty and life from Christ. Finally, the call to manifest Christ in thought, word, and deed parallels Jesus’ own life and the teaching of Paul: ‘Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.’ (Philippians 2:5)
A Reading From The Treatise Of Saint Gregory Of Nyssa On Christian Perfection | We Must Show Jesus Christ In Our Whole Life
The life of the Christian has three distinguishing aspects: deeds, words and thought. Thought comes first, then words, since our words express openly the interior conclusions of the mind. Finally, after thoughts and words, comes action, for our deeds carry out what the mind has conceived. So when one of these results in our acting or speaking or thinking, we must make sure that all our thoughts, words and deeds are controlled by the divine ideal, the revelation of Christ. For then our thoughts, words and deeds will not fall short of the nobility of their implications.
What then must we do, we who have been found worthy of the name of Christ? Each of us must examine his thoughts, words and deeds, to see whether they are directed toward Christ or are turned away from him. This examination is carried out in various ways. Our deeds or our thoughts or our words are not in harmony with Christ if they issue from passion. They then bear the mark of the enemy who smears the pearl of the heart with the slime of passion, dimming and even destroying the lustre of the precious stone.
On the other hand, if they are free from and untainted by every passionate inclination, they are directed toward Christ, the author and source of peace. He is like a pure, untainted stream. If you draw from him the thoughts in your mind and the inclinations of your heart, you will show a likeness to Christ, your source and origin, as the gleaming water in a jar resembles the flowing water from which it was obtained.
For the purity of Christ and the purity that is manifest in our hearts are identical. Christ’s purity, however, is the fountainhead; ours has its source in him and flows out of him. Our life is stamped with the beauty of his thought. The inner and the outer man are harmonised in a kind of music. The mind of Christ is the controlling influence that inspires us to moderation and goodness in our behaviour. As I see it, Christian perfection consists in this: sharing the titles which express the meaning of Christ’s name, we bring out this meaning in our minds, our prayers and our way of life.
Prayer With Jesus
Lord Jesus Christ, You are the source of all purity, the image of the invisible God, Grant that our thoughts, words, and actions May mirror your holiness. Cleanse our hearts of passion, Strengthen our minds with your wisdom, And fill our lives with your peace. That we who are called by your name May truly reflect your likeness in the world. Amen.
Glossary Of Christian Terms
- Theosis: The process by which a Christian becomes more like God through grace.
- Nous: A Greek term meaning ‘mind’ or ‘intellect’, often seen as the highest part of the soul.
- Passions: Disordered affections that draw the soul away from God; to be transformed, not merely suppressed.
- Logos: The Word of God; in Christian theology, identified with Christ as the rational principle of all creation.
- Catechesis: Religious instruction given to prepare individuals for baptism and full entry into the Church.
- Pearl of great price: A biblical image (Matthew 13) for the Kingdom of God or the soul’s value.
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Bernadette’s early years were marked by significant health challenges. She suffered from asthma and other respiratory ailments, which often left her weak and unable to attend school regularly. This lack of formal education meant that Bernadette struggled with reading and writing, and her understanding of Christian doctrine was limited. Nevertheless, she possessed a remarkable simplicity and purity of heart, qualities that would make her an ideal recipient of divine revelations. Bernadette’s life changed irrevocably on February 11, 1858, when she experienced the first of eighteen apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the grotto of Massabielle. On that cold winter day, Bernadette, her sister Toinette, and a friend were gathering firewood near the grotto when she heard a rustling sound and saw a beautiful lady dressed in white with a blue sash, holding a rosary. The lady, who later identified herself as the Immaculate Conception, appeared to Bernadette over the course of several months, delivering messages of penance, prayer, and the need for a chapel to be built at the site. Despite initial skepticism from her family and the local authorities, Bernadette remained steadfast in her account of the apparitions, enduring intense scrutiny and even ridicule. The apparitions drew enormous attention. Soon, people from all over France and beyond began to visit Lourdes, hoping to witness a miracle. One of the most significant messages conveyed by the Virgin Mary to Bernadette was the instruction to dig in the ground near the grotto, which led to the discovery of a spring. This spring, believed to have healing properties, became the focal point of the pilgrimage to Lourdes. Many miraculous healings have been attributed to the waters of Lourdes, reinforcing the belief in Bernadette’s visions and the sanctity of the site. 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Today, millions of pilgrims flock to Lourdes each year, seeking spiritual renewal and physical healing at the site of her visions. Saint Bernadette’s life continues to inspire countless individuals around the world, reminding us of the power of faith, the virtue of humility, and the enduring presence of divine grace in our lives. To Visit Lourdes Visiting Lourdes, in the picturesque foothills of the Pyrenees in southwestern France, is an experience that transcends the physical journey, drawing pilgrims into a profound spiritual adventure. The small town, known for the Marian apparitions witnessed by Saint Bernadette Soubirous in 1858, has become one of the world’s most revered pilgrimage sites. As we approach the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, the atmosphere is imbued with a palpable sense of reverence and anticipation. The grand basilicas, the tranquil Grotto of Massabielle and the gently flowing waters of the miraculous spring together create a sacred environment that invites reflection, prayer, and a deep connection with the divine. The focal point of any visit to Lourdes is the Grotto, where Bernadette experienced the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Here, pilgrims can touch the rock face, light candles, and drink or bathe in the spring’s water, believed to possess healing properties. The profound silence and sense of sacredness at the Grotto allow visitors to contemplate their faith, seek solace and find spiritual renewal. The Rosary Basilica, with its mosaics, and the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, perched above the Grotto, offer spaces for communal worship and personal meditation. The nightly candlelight processions, where pilgrims from around the globe unite in prayer and song, highlight the universal bond of faith and hope that Lourdes represents. 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