July 9
Hope of receiving a return
ll the observable
works which are done in this world are done in the hope of receiving a
return for the labors they involve. If there were no assurance that it
would be profitable, work would be pointless. The farmer sows his seed
in the hope of a harvest, and this expectation encourages him in his labor.
As Saint Paul says, The plowman plows in hope. A man marries in
the hope of having heirs. The merchant risks death at sea for the sake
of gain. And it is the same in the kingdom of heaven. People dedicate themselves
to God in the hope that the eyes of their heart will be enlightened. They
withdraw from worldly activities and give themselves up to prayer and supplication,
waiting for the Lord to come and reveal himself to them and purify them
from their sins. For they do not rely solely on their own labors and conduct
to obtain what they hope for, namely, that the Lord will come and dwell
in them with the full experience and energy of the Spirit. And when they
experience the Lord's goodness and delight in the fruits of the Spirit,
and when the veil of darkness is lifted and the light of Christ shines
upon them to their unspeakable joy, they are completely satisfied because
they have the Lord with them in much love; they are like the merchant rejoicing
in his gains.
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
