Accordingly, two cities have been formed by two loves: the earthly by the love of self, even to the contempt of God; the heavenly by the love of God, even to the contempt of self. The former, in a word, glories in itself, the latter in the Lord. For the one seeks glory from men; but the greatest glory of the other is God, the witness of conscience. The one lifts up its head in its own glory; the other says to its God, “Thou art my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.”763 In the one, the princes and the nations it subdues are ruled by the love of ruling; in the other, the princes and the subjects serve one another in love, the latter obeying, while the former take thought for all. The one delights in its own strength, represented in the persons of its rulers; the other says to its God, “I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength.”764 And therefore the wise men of the one city, living according to man, have sought for profit to their own bodies or souls, or both, and those who have known God “glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened; professing themselves to be wise,”—that is, glorying in their own wisdom, and being possessed by pride,—“they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.” For they were either leaders or followers of the people in adoring images, “and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever.”765 But in the other city there is no human wisdom, but only godliness, which offers due worship to the true God, and looks for its reward in the society of the saints, of holy angels as well as holy men, “that God may be all in all.”766
-City of God, St. Augustine
Categories
Please teach me the SECRET
INQUIRER: Please teach me the “Secret”
VISIONARY: What secret?
INQUIRER: The secret that few men know, that which when
possessed is of the greatest delight.
VISIONARY: I know no secret
INQUIRER: That couldn’t be! How could it be?
You were supposed to know. For how could you,
how could you be so wise, and how could you shine
with such a glorious light if you knew not the secret
I was seeking for?
VISIONARY: I tell you the Truth. That which you seek
is no secret. That which you seek had been proclaimed
from the rooftops and from the mountaintops. It has been
taught from around the world and preached for centuries
that have passed. But the world sought yet the darkness
and the unseen, a secret that they could grasp better than
that which had already been proclaimed. Men were offered
life and wisdom but they chose to be fools; and so they heard,
but didn’t understand, and so they witnessed, but didn’t really see.
Categories
Prayer of a Troubled Soul
O troubled soul
cast your cares upon Him
who knows you most
and who loves you like no other
Categories
On the Nature of Love
Love is the Father
Love is the Son
Love is that which the Father and the Son express and manifest, that which encompasses both, that which communicates and conveys the most sublime.
Love is personal
Love is real
Love is the most tangible thing you’ll ever know
You lose yourself into love
but then you are never truly lost
Categories
The Futility of Worldly Knowledge
Against vain and worldly knowledge
“My Son, let not the fair and subtle sayings of men move thee.
For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
(1) Give ear to My words, for they kindle the heart and enlighten the mind,
they bring contrition, and they supply manifold consolations.
Never read thou the word that thou mayest appear more learned or
wise; but study for the mortification of thy sins, for this will
be far more profitable for thee than the knowledge of many
difficult questions.
2. “When thou hast read and learned many things, thou must always
return to one first principle. I am He that teacheth man
knowledge,(2) and I give unto babes clearer knowledge than can
be taught by man. He to whom I speak will be quickly wise and
shall grow much in the spirit. Woe unto them who inquire into
many curious questions from men, and take little heed concerning
the way of My service. The time will come when Christ will
appear, the Master of masters, the Lord of the Angels, to hear
the lessons of all, that is to examine the consciences of each
one. And then will He search Jerusalem with candles,(3) and the
hidden things of darkness(4) shall be made manifest, and the
arguings of tongues shall be silent.
3. “I am He who in an instant lift up the humble spirit, to learn
more reasonings of the Eternal Truth, than if a man had studied
ten years in the schools. I teach without noise of words,
without confusion of opinions, without striving after honour,
without clash of arguments. I am He who teach men to despise
earthly things, to loathe things present, to seek things
heavenly, to enjoy things eternal, to flee honours, to endure
offences, to place all hope in Me, to desire nothing apart from
Me, and above all things to love Me ardently.
4. “For there was one, who by loving Me from the bottom of his
heart, learned divine things, and spake things that were
wonderful; he profited more by forsaking all things than by
studying subtleties. But to some I speak common things, to
others special; to some I appear gently in signs and figures, and
again to some I reveal mysteries in much light. The voice of
books is one, but it informeth not all alike; because I inwardly
am the Teacher of truth, the Searcher of the heart, the Discerner
of the thoughts, the Mover of actions, distributing to each man,
as I judge meet.”
-The Imitation of Christ, Thomas Kempis