,,LETUS IMITATE THAT PATIENT ENDURANCE HIS'' OF

MARC TUMEINSKI. M.A.

INTRODUCTION:

THE CALL TO PATIENCE

Patience to endure suffering with Christ-like love and sacrifice is the virtue which holds the key to the universal Christianvocationof the peacemaker. practicepatience To is to sow the seedof the divine gift of peace-magnified by faith, hope and love-in a Fallen world troubledby the bitter fruit of suffering, wrath, harsh words and acts,violence and revenge.In the midst of such sin, we can better follow Jesus'call to be peacemakers learning to be by patient, in the samehumble way that Christ was patient. Some wrongly belittle patience as passive or of minor importance,but in truth it is robust and active. The faithful habit of the virtue of parience, righrly understoodand embracedby the Christian disciple, helps to form the Christian into a sower of peace in a world of discord, one who can better follow in the footstensof the Prince of Peace.Striving to become more patient in this way will not only help us the better to see,hear and obey Christ Jesus;but will provide both a slgn of, and away of bringing, Christ's peace where it is most needed. As always, we are to turn to Holy Tradition and Scripture, served by Magisterial teaching, to help guide us via the practiceof patienceinto the way of peace.In this article, I shall briefly explore dual aspects of the virtue of patience-endurance and love-in Scripture, Tradition andMagisterialteaching.'After quickly reviewing the biblical understandingof peace,I shall link peacewith the witnessand practiceof patience. PATIENCE, ENDURANCE AND LOVE Early Christian writers saw patience as fundamental to the Christian life, describing it in rich Biblical and theological language. Church Fathers such as St. John Chrysostom preached passionately of the need for Christiansto practisepatience.St. Polycarp, St. Cyprian, Tertullianand St.Augustinewrote treatises the virtue of on patience."Let us imitate that patientendurance His . . . of for that is the exampleHe setus in His own person."t Scripture,too, is rich with instruction and with living examplesof holy patience and peace.3 The Bible is one long nanative illustrating God's patient love for sinful man and for all creation.As God was patientwith the people of Israel, with the early Church and with individual persons,so, too, we are to be patient with ourselvesand with others amidst the sufferingsof this world. Examples
MR TUMEINSKI, of Worcester,Mass., has taught courses in Faith Formation and Catholic School Teachins since 2009 at Anna Maria College il Paxton,Mass.

superabound the Bible. The patienceof God with His in peoplein Egypt and in the deserthasprofound lessonsfor contemporary Christians and the Church. The life of Job teaches patiencein the face ofunexplained suffering.In us his letter to the Galatians,St. Paul teachesthat peaceand patience are among the unitary fruits of the Holy Spirit. The book of the prophetIsaiahis full of wisdom concerning patience.Indeed,from her beginning,the Church has heard in the proclamation of Isaiah prophetic descriptions of Jesusthe divine Messiah,true God and true man, the One who brings peacethrough His patient sacrifice.It is Christ the Suffering Servant who "gave my back to the smiters,and my cheeksto thosewho pulled out the beard" and who "hid not my face from shame and spitting" (Is 50:6). Through His patient endurance, the Suffering Servantis vindicated by the Lord God (50:8-9), and can thus proclaim peaceto Israel (52:7). One of the most familiar prophetic titles of Christ found in Isaiah is Prince of Peace(Is 9:6), a title which is both inspiring and comforting: inspiring in that we can trust that the Messiah is bringing about a perfect peace, a peace founded on patience,and a peacewhich faith and reason tell us that no human ruler could bring; comforting in that it reveals to us even more about the divine nafure of the Messiah. He is not only Mighty God (Is 9:6), a Biblical title that teaches divine judgement,but Mighty God and of Prince of Peace.He is the Messiah who in His love perfectly tempers justice with mercy. These attributes of the Messiah are not contradictory but complementary. How will the Messiahbring aboutpeaceandjustice?Not by the sword but through His patient and suffering love, ultimately revealedfor us on the Cross,by His Resurrection, and with the gift of the Holy Spirit. This truth seemsfolly to the world, but is salvationfor thosewho believe. Christian disciples undoubtedlyare called to this same "folly", to the beatitude and vocation of patient endurance andpeacemaking,inimitation of the Son of God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, they shall be called sonsof God" for (Mt 5:9). Only consider how many times we pray for peaceduring the Mass:Lamb of God, grantus peace;offer to one anothera sign ofpeace. In the Eucharist,we receive the very gift of peace. In the primitive Church, an early word for the Eucharist waspcLX, peace.o Our challengeas individuals, as parishesand as the Church-is to carry this gift of patience and peace with us into our homes, workplaces and schools; into our conversationsand our disagreements; into our decisions and our actions; into moments of interpersonal conflict and of suffering.

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THE CALLAND CHALLENGE OF SHALOM IN SCRIPTURE If patience and peace are intertwined in the Christian vocation, what exactly is the peace we are seeking and which patience brings? It is not the false and often idolaffous lure of "peace and security" so often held up by the world. For those seeking truth, the Word of God in Scripture offers a window into the reality of peace. In readingthe Old Testament, example,we sense strong for a desirefor sftalom.Shalomis a broad term, describingooncord betweenpeoples(1 Kgs 5:i8), seekingthe good ofa city (Ps 122:6), praying for others' welfare @x 4:18), physicalsafery(Ps 4:9), a good death(Gn 15:15),health (Ps 38:4), friendship (Jer 20:10), and spiritual well-being (Ps4:9). We know that man broke shalom by his disobedience toward God, and that this continuesto bring about no end of strife between individuals and societies; yet the Messianichope of Israel was of an age of peace(Ps 72:7) g which would be universal and everlastin (Is 2:2-4). T\e reign of God usheredin by Jesus(Mt 4:17) is the advent of this promised reign of shalom, the Kingdom of righteousnessand peace (Rom 14:17).5 This is truly Good News, the living and effective Word of God amongstus. A prayerful reading of the Gospels clearly reveals to us that this Messianicpeaceis not a "worldly" peace,won by weaponsor governments, but a peacewrought by Christ on the Cross.6 Yet many Christians seem sadly confused about the nature of peace;we often mistake it for the mere absence violenceor war, or equateit with a stalemate of of opposing forces or a fteaty negotiated by diplomats. Peace,rather,is the positive fulfrlment of God's promise (Mk 1:14-15), and the good news of salvationannouncing shalom (Is 52:7). Christ's way of peace and His understanding of peace are radically different from the world's way; indeed,the world's way is antitheticalto His way (Is 55: 8) . The restoredcovenantofpeace betweenGod and sinful man is no human accomplishmenl it is bestowed by Jesus'long-awaitedestablishment the Kingdom.'As He of as enteredJerusalem, disciplesgreetedJesus the "King the who comes in the name of the Lord. Peacein heaven" (Lk 19:38).The risen Lord gavethis peaceto His disciples(Lk 24:36) on earth.And although the covenantKingdom is not yet complete,we seeit truly presentin Jesus'earthly ministry and the subsequentministry of His disciples. With God's grace,we enjoy its fruits here and now, even though not fully.s We are called by the Lord to be a people of peace,to be together in the midst of a God's family of peacemakers fallen world. We humbly welcome the gift of peacewhich Christ brings, reconciling us to the Father.We sffive to (re)build peace between ourselves and others, restoring and even exceedingthe peacewhich reigned in the Garden before the Fall. A fundamental question is, how? A key to

unlocking this question is found in the practice of the Christian virtue of patience,fruit of the Holy Spirit. As Catholics, we can mine great riches concerningthe witness and the practice of patience from our heritage of Scripture,Tradition and Magisterial teaching. PATIENCE: A SIGN OF PEACE St. Paul insffucts the Christian community to selve one anotherthrough love (5:13),living in the Spirit (5:25) and bearingthe holy fruit of the Spnt (5:22-23),including the fruit of patient endurance.We are to receive from the Holy Spirit, and then to live out, this gift and responsibility of the virtue of patience,long-suffering,enduranceand forbearance, for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom. Oppornrnities to practise this virtue abound, in big ways and small, in our daily interactions,in our relationships in with family and friends, in encounterswith strangers, setbacksand frustlations, in conflicts with enemies,even in our most severe tribulations. "The patience of man, which is right and laudable and worthy of the name of virtue, is understoodto be that by which we tolerateevil things with an even mind, that we may not with a mind unevendesertgood things, through which we may arrive at better."e Christians individually and communally are to help bring about shalom and to minister to others in part by our patientendurance(2 Co 6:6), by rejoicing in God's providential love and mercy even when we are suffering (2 Co 6:10). "Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,and like a is sheep that beforeits shearers dumb, so he openednot his mouth" (Is 53:7).Patientlytaking up our crossof long-suffering, whether deservedor undeserved,is redemptive. Such patience can help to heal our fallen relationships and fallen creation, bringing the peaceof the Kingdom where it is most needed. Having heard the word of God and eaten of His bread, we are thus able to bear holy fruit through our patient per(Lk 8:15). Mercifully, we a.re not alone in this. severance By virtue of our Baptism, we are part of God's covenant family. As members of the Body of Christ, which transcendstime and space,we share in the inheritance of the saints.Inspired by their example and even more aided by their prayers,we can spreadgood fruit in this world by our endurance, sacrifice,love and patience(cf. Col 1:10-12). A key insight of Scripture is that our efforts to embody and long-sufferingarethempatience,steadfast endurance selvesa reflection of God's nature."Love the patiencethat is of God, the patience of Christ; let us retum to Him that which He expendedfor us."'o God indeedis our exemplar of patience.The God of the covenantrevealsHis name to Moses; He is "slow to anger" (Ex 34:6). In embracing long-suffering endurance-particularly in the face of physical and mental suffering or in resistingtemptationwe show to others in some small way the face of our merciful Father. Many of us have become more patient by

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seeingthis virtue in others.Our patienttrust in Him, in the darkest of times, is a lamp set on a stand (Mk 4:21). Christians individually and united can thus become a sign of light in a darkenedworld. We can reflect, even indistinctly and intermittently, the light and glory of the Kingdom of shalom proclaimed and instituted by Christ. "Thus it is God who clothesus in the garmentof light, the garmentof life. Paul calls thesenew 'garments' 'fruits of the spirit', and he describesthem as follows: 'love, joy, peace,patience,kindness,goodness, faithfulness,gentleness,self-control'." " Our exampleof patience,of reflecting the divine patience as much as we are able, will therefore be used by God to help bring others to the truth of His holy peace. PATIENCE: AWAY OF PEACE Patienceis not only a sign ofpeace; it is also a way or meansto peace. The way is not easy,but we have the hope of glory, the example of the saints and the aid of grace to keep us on the way. To help build up the peace of the Kingdom here and now, we are to be patient in proclaiming the truth, in working for justice, in loving our neighbours and our enemies, and in freely taking up our cross daily." We are taught by the early Church Fathers that patience is an aid to the exercise of the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity. "Impatience . . . is opposed to faith." " "Hope is practisedthrough the virtue of patience, which continuesto do good even in the face of apparent failure, and through the virtue of humiJity, which accepts God's mystery and trustsHim evenat times of darkness."la Preachingon St. Paul's famous instruction that "love is patient" (1 Cor 13:4-5), St. John Chrysostom said, "Consider,for example,from what point he at oncebegan, and what he setfirst, as the causeof all its excellence. And what is this? Long-suffering."15 With unfailing gentleness,we are to avoid anger at our neighboursand our enemies.r6 With the help of the Holy Spirit, we are to keep watch over our tongues,repressour pride, extinguish the flames of enmity, remain courageous in adversity, perfect our passions, fortify our faith and remain gentle when wronged." Even in the face of grave injustice and evil, we are not to respondwith evil and violence in return but rather with patient hope and enduring trust in our Lord." Such perfection seemsimpossible,and so it is for man on his own, but aidedby God's grace,it is the call to holinesswhich eachChristiandiscipleand community hearsfrom our Lord (Mt 5:48). By grace we can endure even during times of severe trial and conflict, as the exampleof the marfyrsand saints, amplified by the exhortations of the Magisterium, teaches us. We are to be patient, to practise enduranceand forbearance, the face of injury, theft, curses,punishment, in bodily sufferingor the deathof a loved one.We startwith, but do not stop at, patient endurance. Rather,we are to go beyond, to the active ministry of patient love. We are patiently to refirn good for evil, charity for malice, and

peace for assaults.In the face of an angry attack, practising patience will at the very least bring us the joyful trust of eternal safefy in God our providential Father.'eNot only can we endure,but we believe that our humble efforts will be used by God to spreadHis word and His Kingdom. "You are the salt of the earth" (Mt 5:13) . . . Have salt in yourselves, and be at peacewith one another" (Mk 9:50). We can and should make the practice of patience into a virtuous habit. The exercise of patient endurancemust be rooted in prayer-flrst, throughout and last. "Pray constantly" (1 Th 5:17).We shouldpray for patience,implore the intercession Mary and the saints,and ask othersto of pray for us, that we may become more patient. Worthy reception of the sacramentswill more deeply incorporate us into the Body of Christ, of Him who is our model of patience. Meditating on His Passion, on Jesus' patient endurance in the face of unjust persecution and torment, will help mentally and emotionally to form us into more patientdisciples;almsgiving,the works of mercy and fasting will likewise form us bodily and spiritually to become more patient. Uniting our suffering to Christ's, we can strengthenour resolve to be patient. Whenever we fail, availing ourselves of the sacramentof Reconciliation will restoreus to life and grace. At first, we may only be ableto act patiently, sometimes even in opposition to how we truly think or feel, and that only in small ways, perhapsevenjust by abstainingfrom lashing out at another: by holding back a hostile word or by refraining from expressing our wrath. We may still in our minds, hearts and souls be entangledin impatience. Yet over time, and with divine grace, the mindful practice of Christian patiencewill help changeus as persons.By developing the habit of patience, we will over time become more patient, not only in word and deed, but in who we are as personsmade in the image and likenessof God, as disciplesof Christ. We can develop this habit by remembering in our prayers, thoughts, words and acts that the person in front of us at this moment is likewise made in the image and likeness of the etemal and holy God. We can say a loving word and perform a merciful act-no matter how small-to and for our neighbour,and even, as Jesuscommands,our enemies.Christ and many of the saintshave donethis from the crossof martyrdom.Few of us are called to such sacrifice, but reading Scripture and meditating on the lives of the saints will provide us great fruit for contemplation, prayer and action in small ways in our daily lives. We can act in trust that our heavenly Father loves us and sustains us. Patientlong-sufferingis not passivebut ratheran active engagementin peacemaking.Violence and wrath too often and too easily consumeus: our time, mind, emotionsand energy.When angry words, pride, enmity and violence are consciouslyput asideand let go of,'othe Christiandisciple has the spacein which he may patiently practise the spiritual and corporal works of mercy: feeding the hungry, visiting the imprisoned,counsellingthe ignorant,andburying

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the dead.We can then seeour way clearto loving asChrist loves-both neighbourand enemy-for His sake,trusting that He will bring good from our efforts, either now or in the world to come.Too often, individual persons, communities and states have fallen into the idolatrous frap of believing that by their own efforts, they can bring about, perhaps even impose, peace: not so. Such efforts have often started with the best of intentions but have ended in creating greater misery, suffering and sin. Rather, we are to trust our heavenly Father and to strive to become more faithful, patient and peaceful in imitation of the Son. CONCLUSION: PATIBNCE AND THE COVENANT OF PEACE From the kitchen table and the office water cooler, into the neighbourhood streetsand parks, parking lots and hospital rooms, to the classroom,corporateboardroom,courthouse,legislativechamber,and into distantlands,Christ's gift of peace is sorely needed. The Christian disciple is invited, welcomed and equipped to help bring the peaceof the Kingdom into this world. "Whatever house you enter, frst say,'Peacebe to this house!"' (Lk l0:5). To bring peacein this way, Christians would do well to recover the practice of the virtue of patience. As we have seen, patience is not shallow, mere good manners or complacence.Rather, Christian patience is a robust virtue, requiring fortitude, wisdom, faith, hope and love." To strive to live with patient enduranceand long-suffering as a sign and a way of peacemakingis ultimately to be faithful to the new covenant instituted by Christ. Tertullian challenged Christians with a question that continues to ring through the centuries: "Do you see whom patience gains for us as a Father'l""
NOTF.S 1. My mdentandilg of patience is also influenced by the taching of the Rev. Emmuel Chrles McCarthy on the nature of Christim love m incorporating: 1) the willilgness to seroe without the desire for reciprmation, md 2) the willingness to suffer without the desire for retaliation. Cf. E. C. McCarthy, "Agape: the Vmation of the Sewmt of God", in Boldly Like God, Go Agairct the Swords (retreat audiotapes, n. d.). Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippims $8. The language assmiated with patient endumce md love h Scripture is a rich tretrre, worthy of deep study md assimilation. Grek tems in the New

Testamentstch as mkruthumeo (Strong's G3114 et seq.) me found, e. g. in Mt18: 26, L8:29;Lk 18: 7; Acts 26: 3; Rom 2: 4,9: 22: 1 Cor 13: 412 Cor 6: 6:Gal 5:22:Eph4:21C ol l :11,3: 12;1 T h5: 14; 1 T i m 1: 16;2T i m 3: 1 0 , 4 : 2; Heb 6: 12, 6: 15; Jmes 5: 7-8, 5: l0; I Pet 3: 20|.2 Pet 3: 9, 3: 15. h the Old Testament, Hebrew tms'arek nd aph (Strong'sH750, H639) me found, the e. 9., in Ex 34: 6; Num 14: l8; Neh 9: l7; Ps 86: 15, 103:8, 145:8; hov 14: 29, 15: 18, 16:3Z ;Er c l l :8; J er 15: 15;Ez 17:3',J oel 2:13;J on4: 2; N ah 1 : 3 . Icture by Ctrdinal Ratzinger, "Eucharisl, Comunion md Solidtrity", to the bishops' conference of Cmpmia, Italy, held at Benevento, 2 June, 2ffi2 (accessedonLine). Rolmd Bainton, Christim Axitudes Tmard Wqr and Peqce (Nashville: Abirgdon Press,1960), 54; Joh Hugo ,The Gospel of Peace(privately printed, 1944),98. Raymond Brown e, ql., eds., The New Jerome Biblical Commentary (Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice Hall, 199t)), 43: 28,301. The Chalknge of Peace (Washington,D. C.: United StatesCatholic Conference,3 May, 1983), no.49.

7 8 9

The ChnllengeofPeace (op. cit.),no.54. ff Lisa Sowle Cahill ,lnve Your Enemies (Mimeapolis: Fortress hess, 1994).

St. Augustine, On p atim e \2.

lO. Terh:Jlin,Of patience El6. 11. BenedictX\rI,Pope,EmterVigilHomilyatSt.Peter'sBffilica(3April,2010). 12. Catechim of thc Catholic Church,2nd ed. lVmhinSon, D. C.: U. S. Catholic Conference, 1997) 5\726: Mrc Tmeinski, "Peace in the Nme of God", Homiletic & Pmnral Rnim 109(10) (July,2009),56-61, md'"The Prllm of Pwe" , Social lwtice Raim 100(5-6) (May-June , 2009),77-8O; Pope John XXil, Pacm in kris (1 1 April, 1963) $37. 13. Tertil\n,Of patierce 55.

14. Benedict XVI, Pope,Dew caitas est (25 Dec., 2005) $39. 15. St. John Chrysostom, "Homily 33 on lst Corinthians" 16. Episde of Polycarp to the Philippins (op. cit.) $12.

17. St. Cyprim, Ou the advmnge of patierce 520.

18 Tertd\n,Of patierce $6. 19 rbid.,E8.

To let go of anger is not !o "stuff it down" where it will only re-surface later and elsewhere, with possibly gHter destuctive fore-a tm-@mon mistake of both individuals md societies. Rather,I m talkiry about mgnizing that hated md wrath re not of Ckist, praying individually and commally for metanoia, renouncing the sin of wraft, striving to exercise patience at every moment, reking reconciiiation, rreiving the Sacment of Reconciliation, md wking the Holy FaceofChrist in the personsfacing us. the other virhres: hope, fortitude, tempermce, justie, prudence, etc. Se, e. 9., Stanley Hauevm, The Peaceable Kingdom: A Primer in Christinn Ethics Q.{otreDme, Ind.: University of Nohe Dme Press,1983), 102-6.

21 Much cm md should be written about the intimate link betwen patiene md

2. 3.

22. Tefillliadt,Of patkrce $6.

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