August 11
The river of grace
eceive the garment
of incorruption which Christ unfolds and holds out to you. Do not refuse
the gift or you will insult him who offers it. You have wallowed in the
mud long enough; hasten now to the Jordan, in answer not to the call of
John but to invitation of Christ. For the river of grace flows everywhere;
its source is not in Palestine, nor does it flow into the sea there, but
encircles the whole earth and empties itself into paradise. It flows in
the opposite direction to the four rivers which flow out of paradise, and
the things it carries in are far more precious than those they carry out.
For the rivers that flow away carry spices and agricultural produce and
the fruits of the earth. But the river of grace brings with it men and
women, the offspring of the Spirit.
You must follow the example of Joshua, the son of Nun, and carry the
gospel as he carried the ark. Leave the desert, leave sin behind you to
cross the river Jordan. Hurry to follow the way of Christ, to enter the
land fertile with gladdening fruits and flowing with the promised milk
and honey. All those things are symbols for us, all are prefigurations
of realities now made visible.
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
