The word citizen is a relatively new way to describe “the commoner” or the average member of the general populace. While the word is derived from Latin (civitas meaning city), the connotation of citizen is one that conveys political implications and has not always been used to describe a member of the general populace. Since the time of the Roman Empire and before, terms more broadly used for the commoner were peasant, subjects, and even plebeians (or plebeius, Latin for commoner). Looking back on history these terms carry negative connotations from our modern perspective and perhaps rightly, but the brute fact remains that most of our ancestors were such cases: commoners, subjects, peasants, plebeians. Even Jesus Himself lived the commoner life, working as a carpenter, living a simple and quiet life among his relatives and friends.
This sanctification of the plebeian life by Our Lord is the cornerstone of the Christian life. The hope for salvation from our broken state comes from Son of God, who became Man and Died. He died not just for the sins of those who accomplished feats in war or culture or business, or for those specifically graced with the ability to climb to the heights of the religious-intellectual life like Augustine or Ambrose or Aquinas or Teresa of Avila or Catherine of Siena, but also for the commoner like Frassati, Therese of Liseuix, Juan Diego, or Martin and Azelie Guerlin. Jesus lived in a family, in a community, in a nation and extends His hand to those who struggle with overcoming the burdens of existence and die with only those within a 5 mile radius ever knowing of their life, just like He does for those who contribute great works of literature or theology or philosophy or even morals. Our Good Lord, Jesus, died so that the sins of all may be forgiven, under one “condition”: repent and believe the Gospel. Thus, when looking at the history of Saints, it is plainly seen that even the simplest and most common of people were able to attain salvation and attest to the Glory of God through their commitment to Christ in their everyday life. Christ gave us, us being every living person, a path to greatness. This greatness is not an isolating one like the fame of popular musicians and film stars or like the empty lives of power hungry politicians, but one that is self-emptying so as to be filled with the Greatest Self which bestows purpose and meaning by virtue of its nature.
I believe part of this perversion of desire for greatness can be seen in the commoner’s understanding of his role in society. While the term citizen is not exactly new, the sterile connotation of the word has ruined the attitude of the Christian plebeian (commoner). The Christian plebeian’s role is to sanctify the world with the Gospel of Christ and help bring about the conversion of souls, starting with his own, then his family’s, and then his community around him. With the enlightenment idea of separating church and state, the idea of a citizen is one who unpassionately votes, who coldly calculates compromise, who does not love God in the public sphere enough to vote on His behalf. As a simple example, how else does the modern Christian allow abortion to continue without opposing it in some manner or form? The misuse of the idea of separation of Church and State led to the gradual erosion of the Christian plebeian’s own role in the functioning of the government and severed the self-perception of the Christian plebeian into two factions competing for his attention: a part that voted and a part that prayed. This tension between the church and state leads to a tension previously unknown to the Christian plebeian. No longer was there a living analogy for the Kingdom of God, which is eternal, in the societal and governmental structure. This is not a statement about the validity of democracies but rather the acknowledgement that God’s Kingdom is just that: a Kingdom, not a democracy. So the role of the plebeian needs to be updated rather than abandoned. No longer is the average person, the commoner, the plebeian expected to provide for society, but also to be responsible for the well-being of society. Ignoring the question about whether or not everyone is willing to take up such a monumental cross, this “update” to the subconscious understanding of the plebeian’s role is not only abused by modern politicians promising things for the “greater good” but it also has not been explicitly stated by the State. Partially due to the separation from the Church, the moral authority, but also partially due to particularly evil forces promising utopia. Many topics emerge from this line of thinking, but the most important will be addressed here. What does this look like for the plebeian?
There is an old saint named Lawdog, who can point towards the goal and purpose of the plebeian. St. Lawdog was a Christian in Wales who lived in or before the 6th Century and four churches were named in his memory. Without those four churches we would not even know his name because this is all we know about him. This is what it means to be a Christian plebeian: to live in such a way that your community, the people around you, is a reflection of the holiness that God’s Grace creates within you. This reflection of your holiness is not a type of fame because God sanctified the world by your life and left this world better when you return home: God did the work with your cooperation. It is a testament to the work God did in this world. St. Lawdog is a testament that God can work in anyone, even the lowly, faceless, average, forgettable commoner: the plebeian. We need to reclaim this understanding that the world is not our goal but the next. This higher goal is obtained through the most perfect means given by Our Lord “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me” Luke 9:23. This starts with yourself, then grows to include your family, then your friends, then your local community, then the regional society, and eventually the nation because even Jesus Himself deemed it worthy to be helped while carrying His own Cross. Plebeians make up the nation and with Christ can sanctify the nation, which is the call of the laity.
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