Today, in this glorious Easter Season, we celebrate the feast of St. Anselm, who was a bishop and doctor of the church – which meant that he was noted for his learning and teaching! He was born in Aosta in Piedmont in 1033. As a young man he entered the Benedictine Monastery of Bec in France. He quickly progressed in the spiritual life and taught theology to his fellow students. He went to England where he was appointed archbishop of Canterbury. He fought vigorously for the freedom of the Church against government interference, thus getting himself twice exiled. He was achieved in fame for his writings, especially those on mystical theology. He died in 1109.
Our readings today well fit the feast! Anselm was one who had a deep knowledge of Christ Jesus academically, but what he knew to be even more essential and vital than that was to experience a true and deep relationship with Jesus as a person: as a friend, if you will. He knew that such an experience would fill him and anyone else who sought after it with the fullness of God, which is joy and peace!
The gospel passage tells us something that Anselm knew quite well: it is not only important to hear the word of God, but one must also act on it; and not just crying out "Lord, Lord – help me!" What the passage and Anselm are trying to communicate is that in the doing comes the power and the strength to do even more, and subsequently to feel good about it – because the power and the strength is the presence of the Holy Spirit who enables us to do God's work of loving and helping other, and to experience satisfaction.
Therefore, if you truly want to experience the life of the Risen Jesus in you, which is the life of joy and peace; the life of the Gospel in you; the life that Anselm knew and understood – then all it takes is a simple prayer: Lord, Lord help me to do what you want – and see, here I go, I am trying now to say and do for others what I knew is right and good! And you will find a newer inner strength and power that you did not know was there before. You will find joy, you will find peace!
These are St. Anselm's own words regarding finding joy in God:
O God, let me know you and love you so that I may find my joy in you; and if I cannot do so fully in this life, let me at least make some progress every day, until at last that knowledge, love and joy come to me in all their plenitude. While I am here on earth let me learn to know you better, so that in heaven I may know you more fully; let my love for you grow deeper here, so that there I may love you fully. On earth then I shall have great joy in hope, and in heaven complete joy in the fulfillment of my hope!
Your words, Lord, are spirit and life; you have the words of eternal life! Let us live your word today and have our spirits soar and our life renewed!
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