Dimensions of obedience in selected sermons by Fabian Birkowski OP (1566–1636)

Abstract

Birkowski’s sermons show a deep vision of obedience which constitutes a program of spiritual life with its particular dimensions. Obedience as a man’s response to God’s plan is a way of getting all goods prepared by God and God alone, i.e. an ultimate accomplishment of a human heart. This posture means a crucial point of restoration of harmony of creatures made in relation to Jesus through Him the universe is subordinated to the Father. Christ’s submission embraces fulfilment of the Father’s will which expresses itself in service to people and in undergoing an evil in order to redeem the world. Inside this perspective every follower of Christ has to involve his whole spiritual life in obedience so that the corporal offering is supplemented by an act of free will and reason to turn from subjectivism towards real happiness. A very specific dimension of obedience concerns mystical life in which human ordinary way of cooperation with grace is to be replaced by mystical passivity. Thanks to it man is being nourished with new food of contemplation in a rhythm of progressive gratification.

The Birkowski’s apprehension reflects good points of early modern Catholic theology that is an optimistic vision of man and his liaison with grace. This program enables him to shape his spiritual experience in every respect by supplying rules of life and divine power. The complete system formulated by Birkowski can be regarded as an outstanding achievement against the background of Polish early modern spirituality along with Akademia pobożności (Krakow 1628) by the other Dominican Mikołaj Mościcki. Their mystical threads are also an interesting issue at the beginning of the XVII c., which turned out a flourishing period called later A Golden Age of Polish Spirituality.