St. Augustine and the battle with Spiritual Indifference?

There is an important echo in St. John’s Gospel that reminds us of the primacy of things. He begins his discourse by proclaiming that in the beginning was the Logos, the Word of God, and that the Word is God Himself.[1]. This means that from the very beginning, we have been exposed to a process of both reception and proclamation of the Word of God. There is an initial kerygmatic identity that St. John, I argue, wanted his disciples to know, understand, and apply in their relationship with the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. What we encounter in the first proclamation of St. John’s Gospel is an intimate connection between the Logos and the act of faith rooted in the Logos.

As human beings made in the image and likeness of God, we reflect a living, intimate relationship between the Logos and faith. It is understood that all human beings possess a soul, and with the soul, possess an intellect and will to help us engage in a relationship with Christ if we choose. It provides the basis for our ability to incorporate the gift of reason into a relationship with faith anchored by Divine Revelation. The entire scriptural sequence described in St. John’s Gospel emphasizes the necessity for truth in our relationship with Christ, and our ability to both proclaim the Word of God and articulate the Creed of the faith. Our aim is to be saturated in truth and not opinion, which leads to a desire to proclaim the truth with love and joy.

Pope Leo XIV, in his address to representatives of the media[2] spoke of the challenge to bring us out of the Tower of Babel, which promotes a language not rooted in genuine love. His words are very significant because the address, in my opinion, is the premise of the kerygma and, more importantly, the process of teaching Catholic doctrine in love. St. Augustine of Hippo was no stranger to encountering various intimations of the Tower of Babel during his time. In many ways, he indirectly describes this spiritual phenomenon in his Confessions. One of the most telling aspects of his Confessions was the necessity to exercise charity in all things. It was through the virtue of charity that he came to the realization of God’s love for him and that he was capable of entering into an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.

The virtue of charity, I argue, is the antidote in battling the act of Spiritual indifference, which can be defined as a worldview where the virtue of love makes no difference in how one lives their life. This means that the development of a relationship with God or another human being is not predicated on the virtue of love. This means that the thought of redemptive suffering, the desire to embrace suffering in the name of Christ, or the expression of mercy and forgiveness toward another person never becomes forethought.  

In his catechetical masterpiece, the First Catechetical Instruction, St. Augustine emphasized the introduction of the kerygma or the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the initial entryway to introduce the virtue of joy and love and their importance in Christian living. This means that our responsibility as disciples and missionaries must reflect the virtue of joy and love in all things.

The letter to the Hebrews reminds us that it is impossible to please God without faith since anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists, and that he rewards those who try to find him.[3] Thus, we are called to have a joyful spirit and live a life rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which, I argue, is an antidote toward battling the spirit of indifference. St. Pope Paul VI understood the value of authentic joy when exclaiming that modern man is more willing to listen to an authentic witness of the Gospel (Evangelization In the Modern World, 41).

A basic structure toward battling the spirit of indifference involves possessing a genuine love for the Word of God, a willingness to live out the Word, and a desire to hand it on to others. Consider the following exercise toward battling the spirit of indifference,  

One: Preach the Gospel, especially Christ Crucified (1 Cor 1:23; Gal 1:4).

Two: Ask the question: What do you believe? This question serves as a good segue to the Creed.

Three: Present a holy disposition to the person you encounter (1 Pt 3:15); it goes a long way.

Four: Evangelization is the greatest act of love. (Rom 5:5-8) The aim is an authentic exposition of the truth of Jesus Christ, not an imposition.

It is imperative that the aim of our efforts, both as disciples and teachers, address the importance of unveiling the truth, joy, and love of Jesus Christ to those who are veiled from His love.