January 5
The road to Christ
ust as Christ
once came on earth in the flesh to accomplish our salvation, so he comes
daily in the spirit to save each individual soul; the difference is that
his first coming was visible to the eye, whereas the second is unseen.
As scripture says: Christ the Lord is the breath of life to us,
and the hidden nature of this spiritual coming is shown in the continuation
of the same text: Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.
For this reason, even if you are too sick to go very far to meet the Lord,
it is appropriate for you to respond to the great physician’s visit by
making an effort at least to raise your head and lift yourself up a little
to greet him on his arrival.
The road pointed out to you is not a long one; you do not have to cross
the seas or pierce the clouds or climb mountains to meet your God. Enter
into your own soul and you will find him, for his word is near you;
it is on your lips and in your heart. Go down deep into your heart
until you are stirred to compunction; make your confession, and so at least
turn your back on a conscience so defiled as to be unworthy of entertaining
the author of purity.
From John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., Tradition Day by Day: Readings from
Church Writers. Augustinian Press. Villanova, PA, 1994.
HTML text prepared by David P. Steelman
