Because We Love the Brethren
We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. —1 John 3:14
Those who don't love our Lord Jesus Christ look with disdain at Christians. They call them foolish, backward, bigoted, misogynistic, idiotic, deluded, hypocritical, and all other sorts of slanderous titles. They hate them as they hated their Leader. They hate Jesus Christ, and they hate his people.
But we love the brothers, with all their faults. And we desire to be of their number.
Do you see the light radiating off their unveiled faces? Do you see the flames of fire above their heads? Do you see the Oil, poured on the Head, flowing down to the beard? Flowing down even to the fringe of the garment?
We Know We Are Born of God
Little children, love one another. This became the repeated admonition of St. John in his old age:
The blessed John the Evangelist lived in Ephesus until extreme old age. His disciples could barely carry him to church and he could not muster the voice to speak many words. During individual gatherings he usually said nothing but, “Little children, love one another.” The disciples and brothers in attendance, annoyed because they always heard the same words, finally said, “Teacher, why do you always say this?” He replied with a line worthy of John: “Because it is the Lord’s commandment and if it alone is kept, it is sufficient.” He said this because of the Apostle’s present mandate: “Let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the household of faith.” —St. Jerome, Commentary on Galatians
Love for the brothers is evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work. St. John is so bold as to say that we know we have the saving grace of God because we love the brothers. If you grabbed one-hundred people walking out of churches today and asked them “How do we know if we are born of God?”, I do not think you would hear a lot of “Because we love our Christian bros so much.” St. Peter repeats this same idea:
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart —1 Peter 1:22
The saving grace of God produces a love for the brothers: those in whom that same grace resides. We have passed through the same baptismal waters into new life. One Lord, one faith, one baptism. From my post We All With Unveiled Face:
Where can you go to see these forgiven faces? Where can you look around the room and see the smiles of righteous men and women? Where can you hear the singing practice of the men and women that will populate the Heavenly City? Where else can you go, look to the left and the right, and see all this?
Christ died for each of their sins. I love to scan the church and look at the faces: they are bright. They are bright for the same reason the moon is bright. They are reflecting the light of the sun. They are bright because they are washed clean, so they can reflect the glory of God. They've been washed by the blood of Christ, that cleanses them from all sin. They have entered into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, and are beholding His glory
The Communion of the Saints is vivifying. It is a central part of our hope for eternal life in Christ. It is connected to our new identity as a son, by membership in the Son. It is so central to that change in identity that we “know have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.”
Brothers, Pray for Us
Brothers, pray for us. —1 Thessalonians 5:25
May we grow in love for the brethren. Every day, we are praying for them. Our Father. Forgive us. Deliver us. May we have the heart of the Corinthians that received St. Clement’s letter:
Day and night you were anxious for the whole brotherhood, that the number of God's elect might be saved with mercy and a good conscience. —St. Clement to the Corinthians
How few are the hot tears we have shed before the throne of God in prayer for the brethren. We have a long journey until Christ is formed in us.
But, the mustard seed has been planted, the branch has been grafted on, and the heart of stone has been replaced with a heart of flesh. The sap is flowing in the heart of the tree, even though the present winter slows its pace.
Let each return to his own heart: if he find there brotherly love, let him set his mind at rest, because he is "passed from death unto life." Already he is on the right hand: let him not regard that at present his glory is hidden: when the Lord shall come, then shall he appear in glory. For he has life in him, but as yet in winter; the root is alive, but the branches, so to say, are dry: within is the substance that has the life in it, within are the leaves of trees, within are the fruits: but they wait for the summer. —St. Augustine, Homily 5 on First John
Let us hasten on to that eternal summer, where no eye has seen, and no ear has heard, and has not entered into heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love Him.
Brothers, pray for us.
Happy Advent, and thank you for reading Power & Glory. A few updates:
My post, Traditionalist from Bogota, has continued to be shared. It was translated into Slovak the other week. It is a goal of mine to popularize Nicolás Gómez Dávila in the world of South American literature. He is a genius traditionalist thinker. Give it a read/share if you haven’t. If any of my readers are able and interested in translating that essay into Spanish, please reach out.
Some of the posts I have planned for the coming months are: an introduction to a very interesting French aphorist and mystic, multiple poems, and an essay on divorce and how it relates to the Gen Z conservative mind.
My first daughter is due to be born in February. Please pray for her.
Congratulations!!!