Susan's Musings: In Pursuit of Christian Maturity

To prevent us from mistaking “baby steps” for “end stages” in our pursuit of Christian maturity, let us turn to the wise counsel found in a famous work by Saint Bonaventure (1217-1274) on “The Six Wings of the Seraph.” In this spiritual classic, he details six essential dispositions of the heart that enable us to move from lukewarm modes of Christian living to lasting expressions of an interior life modeled on Christ himself.

The six “wings” that characterize our commitment to grow in Christ-likeness are: zeal, compassion, patience, virtuous living, discretion, and devotion to God. Zeal for righteousness means first and foremost that we consent to do no evil and to pursue the good. For example, we strive to be witnesses to the Gospel by living with moral rectitude. As we become more zealous devotees of Gospel living, we may find a deepening desire in our hearts to integrate sanctity and service. We are no longer content with routine prayer practices; we want to become living prayer. We do God’s will not motivated by mere duty but out of sheer joy. And the more fervent our prayer life becomes, the more we detest wrongdoing and desire to deepen our intimate knowledge of God. In the past, we may have tended to hold some of our zeal in reserve, motivated by the intent of preserving peace at any price. Now, these somewhat self-centered orientations are cast aside in preference for leading a holy life and being on fire with zeal for the salvation of souls. We practice virtue with the hope of leading others to God. Compassion stirs our hearts when we see how much our brothers and sisters suffer ailments of body, mind, and spirit. Mercy flows from us to them because we recognize in others our own physical, mental, and spiritual woundedness. Whether we are physically enfeebled or spiritually weak, due perhaps to lapses in morality or long bouts of aridity, what opens our heart to care for others is our desire to imitate Christ, who said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners” (Matthew 9:12-13). Patience is a necessary feature of our living in zeal and compassion. Reformation never happens in a rush. It takes time to become a worthwhile disciple of Jesus, concerned for the welfare of others. Instant results are seldom, if ever, to be seen. When we quiet our egocentric tendency to push against the pace of grace, we become more patient. We avoid impetuous actions in favor of peacemaking in modest and kindly ways. Our pursuit of Christian maturity bears lasting fruit the more we rely on grace to lead us “to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8). Virtuous living is a sign that we are embodying daily the teaching we derive from reading Scripture and the writings of classical Christian masters like Saint Bonaventure. We do our best not to be deceived by wolves in sheep’s clothing but to follow the Good Shepherd. Day by day, we conduct ourselves with honesty, courage, and earnest deliberation. We avoid obstacles like having to look good at any price or following the trajectory of cultural trends and forgetting our membership in the Body of Christ. Neither do we play favorites or indulge in sarcastic humor. Our goal is to “live honorably” and to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (see Rom 13:13-14). Discretion becomes second nature to us when we practice the discipline of good judgment, abide in awe-filled attention to what is God’s will for us, and decide what to do in keeping with Gospel truths. The more we appraise what Jesus would do in any situation, the better able we are to provide for our own and others’ needs with charity toward all and malice toward none. Devotion to God gives us the strength to persevere in the pursuit of Christ, to such a degree that, according to Saint Bonaventure, demons flee from us and angels become our companions. Avoided as a rule is mere “devotionalism” and the false guilt it can evoke. Instead, we offer praise and glory to God in ways that edify those entrusted to our care. Enhanced with every step along the way to Christian maturity is our growth in fervent zeal; compassion for others; patience in adversity; exemplary virtue; discretion in regard to our decisions and actions; and devotion to find and follow God’s loving plan for our life.