The Private Victory

Winning the private victory with the sacraments

01/11/2019

1 John 5:5-13 Beloved: Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the one who came through water and Blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and Blood. The Spirit is the one who testifies, and the Spirit is truth. So there are three who testify, the Spirit, the water, and the Blood, and the three are of one accord. If we accept human testimony, the testimony of God is surely greater. Now the testimony of God is this, that he has testified on behalf of his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life.

I have always been a fan of Stephen Covey’s book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. If you have not read it, you should. It is very easy to see spiritual principles explained through the seven habits. Recently, I’ve discovered a deep correlation between the seven habits and the seven sacraments. See if this makes sense to you. Covey groups the seven habits into one group of three and a second group of four. He says the first three habits help achieve a private victory while the second four habits lead to a public victory. He puts it like this: “The seven habits are divided into the Private Victory, which means mastering self, and the Public Victory, mastering relationships with others.” He continues: “You look inside yourself firstly, you develop yourself and clear the limiting factors in your own life, before you become effective in your public life with others.”

I believe the seven sacraments can also be categorized into a group of three and a group of four, a private victory and a public victory. The first three sacraments of initiation: baptism, confirmation and Communion should help us achieve a private victory of faith inside ourselves. They establish our fundamental world-view, our purpose and our paradigm in life. I am a Christian, a child of God and my purpose is to love. The second group of four sacraments help us achieve the public victory of relating to others: holy orders, marriage, anointing of the sick and confession.

Now, here’s how Covey can help us be a better Christian. The problems we experience in the public victory are always rooted in the failures in the private victory. We haven’t cleared the limiting factors in our own life, before we can become effective in our public life, and so we deal ineffectively with others, our partners and our parishes. If you do not win the private victory, there is no public victory. If you do not get the first three sacraments right, you will struggle with to get the second four sacraments right.

In his first letter, St. John talks about the importance of the private victory, the first three sacraments of initiation. He writes: “So there are three who testify, the Spirit, the water and the Blood, and the three are of one accord.” St. John is using a Christian code language, but he is speaking about the sacraments of initiation. The water refers to baptism, the Blood is Holy Communion, and the Spirit is received in Confirmation. To accept their testimony, therefore, is to win the private victory of faith, to believe in God and his Son, Jesus Christ, or orient ourselves as Christians in this world. Only if we first win the private victory of deep personal faith through the sacraments of initiation, can we hope to win the public victory in our relationships with others (especially in our marriages and in our priesthood), living the sacraments of public service. In the gospel we see Jesus leaving the crowds to go off to deserted places to pray. Why? Through prayer and solitude Jesus took time to win the private victory – re-immersing himself in his relationship with his Father – before returning to the crowds and working on the public victory.

My friends, I think we tend to focus too much on our public victories and ignore our private victory. But the private victory in our Christian life is the crucial one, and we should dedicate time and attention to it like Jesus did in his earthly ministry. We need to re-immerse ourselves in the graces of baptism, Communion and Confirmation and listen to the testimony of the water, the Blood and the Spirit. Let me suggest three simple ways to reconnect with our Christian roots. First, spend time in solitude, go get some “me time.” But make your “me time” also “God time,” perhaps in Adoration or praying the rosary. Second, read spiritual books or do a Scripture study. Have you read this great new book called Oh, Lord, Have Mercy? It’s all the crazy today! And third, listen to what God says to you through the testimony of the water, the Blood and the Spirit. God has so much to say and share, but are we listening? It is not a transmitter problem; it is a receiver problem.

Stephen Covey was right: there can be no public victory without first the private victory. And the sacraments are divinely designed to do exactly the same thing in our Christian life. The water, the Blood and the Spirit help us achieve a great personal victory of faith, so we can go forth and win the public victory for the Kingdom.

Praised be Jesus Christ!