1 | Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, "I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
Exodus 15: 8 - 10, 12, 17 |
8 | At the blast of thy nostrils the waters piled up, the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. |
9 | The enemy said, `I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.' |
10 | Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them; they sank as lead in the mighty waters. |
12 | Thou didst stretch out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. |
17 | Thou wilt bring them in, and plant them on thy own mountain, the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thy abode, the sanctuary, LORD, which thy hands have established.
Matthew 12: 46 - 50 |
46 | While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. |
48 | But he replied to the man who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" |
49 | And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! |
50 | For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother." |
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It is a matter of real sorrow when God has given those strength to break stronger fetters, those of vanity and sin, that they neglect their own progress and the attainment of such great blessings because they will not detach themselves from trifles. Not only do they not advance, they fall back. For it is well known that on the spiritual road not to go on overcoming self is to go backwards, and not to increase our gain is to lose.As wood can never be transformed into fire if one necessary degree of heat is missing, so the soul that has even one imperfection can never be perfectly transformed in God.
ReplyDelete-- St. John of the Cross
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