In Jesus' meeting with the Samaritan woman, He tells her that God is spirit and so He must be worshiped in spirit and truth. He also prophecies that time will come when true worshipers of God will come who will worship God in truth and spirit for that's what God seeks in those who worship Him [see John 4: 21-24].
For the Holy Friendship, this also means having that intimate union with God in simplicity. God is pure spirit, fully simple, in Him there are no parts. Even essence and existence are one in Him and His attributes are not components but included in His essence. Hence when we say God is good, we refer to God as goodness Himself, not that He has some goodness. When we say God is merciful, we mean that God is mercy Himself, not that He merely possess the characteristic of being merciful.
Through simplicity we can worship God in spirit and truth. This is so because by being simple, we free ourselves from the burden of corporeality or of the physical world. We allow the Spirit to move our hearts and minds and our spirits are freed from bondage to the body. We must remember that it is the body which keep us from soaring to the heights of prayer, of that ultimate intimate union with God in the spirit. The body weighs us down for it has needs which unless disciplined would not allow us to achieve union with God.
As the Apostles wrote, the body lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the body, and the two are always warring against each other [see Galatians 5:17; 1 Peter 2:11]. But Jesus has already sanctified the body through His resurrection and at the appointed time, our bodies will change into that glorified body and both body and soul will be together in the simple worship of God.
Simplicity is therefore necessary for us to become true friends of the Lord Jesus Christ because through simplicity we deny ourselves the physical comforts and bodily conveniences which hinder us from giving ourselves in total service to God and of expressing full obedience to the Lord's command to love one another. Through simplicity also, we become more focused on how to proclaim the Gospel of Holy Friendship for we have less concerns in life than those who run after earthly treasures and physical rewards.
We may not be called to respond to the so-called evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience like those who enter the religious life. But we are also asked to practice the same in simpler ways without the need of taking such vows as the religious take. We may not fully renounce riches and advantages in fulfillment of poverty, but still we are called to live simply, that is, to be content with what we have and aspire not for the things that are unnecessary in life and are not helpful toward the strengthening of our relationship with God [see Matthew 6: 24-34]. We may not take the vow of chastity, but still we are called to live simple, holy lives hence we have no permission to be enslaved to fornication, perversion and malicious living [see 1 Corinthians 6:18]. We may not take the vow of obedience but still we have to obey God rather than men [see Acts 5:29] so we have to humbly follow the Church [see Hebrews 13:17] which the Lord Jesus Christ has established on earth as His Body, His physical presence to continue His saving act and to which we belong [1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12:5].
Through simplicity we can truly manifest God's love and friendship in our lives. The simpler we live, the simpler we act, the simpler we speak, the better we can move closer to God and the better to communicate God to others. Let us just remember that when we speak of simplicity we do not mean being mediocre for we are called to perfection. Hence when we say simplicity, we mean that divine perfection for as the Lord said, we too must be perfect just like our Father in heaven.
Introduction to the Pillars of the Holy Friendship
Simplicity, the Second Pillar of the Holy Friendship
Simplicity, the Second Pillar of the Holy Friendship
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