Vigils Reading

A reading from

SERVANT OF GOD

DOROTHY DAY

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When the apostles wanted to call down fire from heaven on the

inhospitable Samaritans, the “enemies” of the Jews, Jesus said to them, “You

know not of what Spirit you are.” When Peter told Our Lord not to accept the

way of the Cross and His own death, He said,”Get behind me, Satan. For you are

not on the side of God but of men.” But He also had said,”You are Peter and

upon this rock I will build my church.” Peter denied Jesus three times at that

time in history, but after the death on the Cross, and the Resurrection and the

Descent of the Holy Spirit, Peter faced up to Church and State alike and said,

“We must obey God rather than humans.” Deliver us, O Lord, from the fear of

our enemies, which makes cowards of us all.

There is plenty to do, each one of us, working on our own hearts, changing

our own attitudes, in our own neighborhoods. If the just person falls seven

times daily, we each one of us fall more than that in thought, word, and deed.

Prayer and fasting, taking up our own cross daily and following Him, doing

penance, these are the hard words of the Gospel.

As to the Church, where else shall we go, except to the Bride of Christ, one

flesh with Christ? Though she is a harlot at times, she is our Mother. We should

read the Book of Hosea, which is a picture of God’s steadfast love not only for the

Jews, His chosen people, but for His Church, of which we are every one

members, or potential members. Since there is no time with God, we are all one,

all one body, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, and He has commanded us to love

one another.

“A new commandment I give, that you love others as I have loved you,”

not to the defending of your life, but to the laying down of your life.

A hard saying. Love is indeed a “harsh and dreadful thing” to ask of us, of

each one of us, but it is the only answer.

6 By Little and By Little. Dorothy Day Alfred A. Knopf, 83,pp.337-9.13