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Though holy doctors have uncovered many mysteries and wonders, and devout souls have understood them in this earthly condition of ours, yet the greater part
still remains to be unfolded by them, and even to be understood by them. We must then dig deeply in Christ. He is like a rich mine with many pockets containing treasures: however deep we dig, we will never find their end or their limit. Indeed, in every pocket new seams of fresh riches are discovered on all sides.
- St. John of the Cross (1542-1591), The Spiritual Canticle (In Christ, there is always "more" (love, wisdom, compassion, joy, etc.). How are you called to grow in Christ these days?) |
Gn 12:1-9; Ps 33:12-13, 18-19, 20 and 22
Mt 7:1-5 Jesus said to his disciples:
"Stop judging, that you may not be judged.
For as you judge, so will you be judged,
and the
measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye,
but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?
How can you say to your brother,
'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,'
while the wooden beam is in your eye?
You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first;
then you will see clearly
to remove the splinter from your brother's eye."
Praying the Daily Gospels: A Guide to Meditation, by Philip St. Romain, 2018 (3rd ed.) Matthew 7:1-5 (Do not judge) Christianity is a religion that emphasizes full, deep, intimate relationships between people. Because our judgments against other people limit our relationships with them, Jesus tells us to suspend judgment until we are perfect. For most of us, that will take forever. • An old proverb says, Search for the perfect church, and if you
find it, join it. But know that as soon as you join it, it will have ceased to be the perfect church.” What do you hold against your church? Why? • Which family members have you judged most harshly? Pray for the grace to forgive yourself and them, and resolve to start anew in your relationship with them.
Treatise on the Love of God, by St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622) ____________ BOOK III: OF THE PROGRESS AND PERFECTION OF LOVE Chapter 15: That there shall be different degrees of the union of the blessed with God.
Now this light of glory, Theotimus, shall be the measure of the sight and centemplation of the Blessed; and according as we shall have less or more of this holy splendour, we shall see more or less clearly, and consequently with more or less happiness, the most holy Divinity, which as it is beholden diversely so it will make us diversely glorious. All the spirits indeed in this heavenly Paradise see all the divine essence, yet it is
not seen and cannot be seen entirely by any one of them or by all of them together. No, Theotimus, for God being most singularly one, and most simply indivisible, we cannot see Him without seeing Him all: but being infinite, without limit, without bounds or measure at all in His perfection, there neither is, nor can be, any capacity out of Himself which can ever totally comprehend or penetrate the infinity of His goodness, infinitely essential and essentially
infinite.
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