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UID:13189-1741392000-1741478399@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading
DESCRIPTION:HE CAME TO CALL SINNERS \nFrom a letter by St Maximus the Confessor7 \n◊◊◊ \nGod’s will is to save us\, and nothing pleases him more than our coming \nback to him with true repentance. The heralds of truth and the ministers of \ndivine grace have told us this from the beginning\, repeating it in every age. \nIndeed God’s desire for our salvation is the primary and preeminent sign of his \ninfinite goodness\, and it was precisely in order to show that there is nothing \ncloser to God’s heart than the divine Word of the Father. With untold \ncondescension\, he lived among us in the flesh\, and did\, suffered and said all that \nwas necessary to reconcile us to God the Father\, when we were at enmity with \nhim\, and to restore us to the life of blessedness from which we had been exiled. \nHe healed our physical infirmities by miracles; he freed us from our sins\, many \nand grievous as they were\, by suffering and dying\, taking them upon himself as \nif he were answerable for them\, sinless though he was. He also taught us in \nmany different ways that we should wish to imitate him by our own kindness \nand genuine love for one another. \nSo it was that Christ proclaimed that he had come to call sinners to \nrepentance\, not the righteous\, and that it was not the healthy who required a \ndoctor\, but the sick. He declared that he had come to look for the sheep that was \nlost\, and that it was to the lost sheep of the house of Israel that he had been sent. \nTo give the same lesson he revived the man who\, having fallen into the \nhands of brigands\, had been left stripped and half-dead from his wounds; he \npoured wine and oil on the wounds\, bandaged them\, placed the man on his own \nmule\, and brought him to an inn\, where he left sufficient money to have him \ncared for\, and promised to repay any further expense on his return. \nAgain\, he told of how that Father. Who is goodness itself\, was moved with \npity for his profligate son who returned and made amends by repentance; how \nhe embraced him\, dressed him once more in the fine garments that befitted his \nown dignity\, and did not reproach him for any of his sins. \nSo too\, when he found wandering in the mountains and hills the one \nsheep that had strayed from God’s flock of a hundred\, he brought it back to the \nfold\, but he did not exhaust it by driving it ahead of him. Instead\, he placed it on \nhis own shoulders and so\, compassionately\, he restored it safely to the flock. \nSo also he cried out: “Come to me\, all you that toil and are heavy of heart. \nAccept my yoke”\, he said\, by which he meant his commands\, or rather the whole \nway of life that he taught us in the Gospel. He then speaks of a burden\, but that \nis only because repentance seems difficult. In fact\, however\, “my yoke is easy”\, \nhe assures us\, “and my burden is light”. \nThen again he instructs us in divine justice and goodness\, telling us to be \nlike our heavenly Father\, holy\, perfect and merciful. “Forgive”\, he says\, “and \nyou will be forgiven. Behave toward other people as you would wish them to \nbehave toward you”.     \n  \n7 The Liturgy of the Hours – vol II – pg 304 – Catholic Book Publishing co – 1976.15 \n\n  \n.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-269/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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