In the last twenty years (or so) there has been much to discredit the church and seriously question its purported divine origin—it seems all too human, sinful, and earthly. As we know, this has led many to abandon it—a trend that shows little sign of letting up. It is at such painful and difficult times that we need to keep before us those, sadly, relatively rare persons whose exemplary lives and holiness are the blessed product of this same apparently imperfect and sinful church. We have had the privilege of living during the lifetimes of several of these: Pope John XXIII, Mother Theresa, Pope Paul VI, John Paul II, and our own Atlas Brothers whose death was bound up not only with their allegiance to Christ, but also with their membership in his Church.
Jesus, who welcomed the dying criminal into the paradise of his kingdom, insisted that that Kingdom was less something out there and was, instead, among you. The kingdom as present among Christ’s disciples requires, in turn, that each disciple’s heart is lovingly ruled by Christ the King. Thus, the kingdom is not only among his disciples, but also within each one of them. The saints I mentioned a moment ago are among those in whom the Kingdom of God had come in all its fullness. Their attainment of this blessed state (that so wondrously transformed their lives) was inseparable from their membership in Christ’s Church, and would not have been possible without the graces the church bestowed—not only through its sacraments but also through the support of their fellow members. The saints thus bear witness to what the church is both called to be.
Returning, for a moment, to Jesus’ insistence that the Kingdom is among his disciples (and thus also within the heart of each), it is well to remember that witnessing to the Kingdom “among us” is more powerful than witnessing to the Kingdom within the sanctified Christian’s heart. For, the Kingdom “among us” is living proof of sanctity’s ability to recreate the human family (and society) according to God’s original intention. Thus, whereas the individual saint inspires and edifies, a group or community, like our Atlas Brothers, united in their love for Christ witnesses even more effectively to God’s power to heal the wounds of humanity’s sin, hatred, violence, disunity, and division.
As Cistercian Monks we are thus charged with a special responsibility to bear witness to God’s Kingdom “among us,” and not just the kingdom “within us.” This helps explain why the early Jerusalem Christians (they who were united in heart and mind and shared everything in common) have always been the ideal monks and nuns have set before them. If we, bound as we are by our common love and commitment to Christ and one another, fail to bring about the Kingdom of God “among us,” we will be neglecting one of the central tasks and responsibilities entrusted to us by Christ and his Church. Ideally, the world needs to look at our monasteries and see therein clear signs of God’s Kingdom and his saving and transforming power at work. Therefore, let us not tire, but persevere in our efforts to bring about the Kingdom “among us” and thereby witness to the glorious and joyous life of those lovingly living under the liberating reign of Christ our King.