Pentecost Ember Saturday
On the Use of the Gift of Fear in the School of Jesus Christ
On the Use of the Gift of Fear in the School of Jesus Christ
Thy fear, O Son of the Most High God, pure and filial, is holy and most worthy of Thy school, in which it begins and remains forever. Thy spirit, indeed, affects Thy friends with marvelous sweetness, so that they revere Thee and fear being separated from Thee more than death is feared. For since Thou art their most lovable life, it follows that it seems to them the bitterest death to be separated from Thee, to whom they desire to adhere eternally. Thus, Thy saints fear Thee, O King of Peace, and the more charity increases, the more this most noble fear grows, and becomes the distinctive mark of the children of God. However, servile fear is far from Thy school, since servility does not cling to its own charity, although the substance of servile fear is found in Thy new and imperfect servants, whom charity purges as it grows and casts out the fear of punishment, yet retaining with it the pure fear of offending Thee and of lacking Thy most blessed company.
O Lord, how numerously repeated are the acts of this fear by Thy most faithful disciples, whose chief care and concern is that they be not separated from Thee! O how often do they prostrate themselves to Thee with deepest reverence, subjecting to Thy Majesty themselves entirely - and even innumerable worlds, if they possessed them! Thy pure fear, O Lord holds Thy friends within itself and heals them from the poison of pride by the anointing of Thy spirit. They submit their wings to Thee, desiring to be protected by Thee, in Whom they have their firmest hope and safest refuge from all the distress that arises from the present life.
Blessed is the man who fears Thee, O Lord, because in Thy commandments he delights exceedingly, having his whole heart within the observance of Thy precepts, through which he attains to life. Certainly, he who fears Thee does good and diligently avoids evil, by which he might be separated from the Supreme Good, Which he loves with all his strength. With this fear, Thy house, O Lord, is wonderfully adorned, caring not if it suffers grievous punishments, so long as there is no fault that separates Thy people from Thee.
Would that all the children of Adam would fear Thee with filial fear and learn not to fear those who kill the body or take away temporal goods - which goods are wont to harm the spiritual life. But far from sinners is pure fear, because they are full of worldly fear, by which their unclean hearts and bodies are afflicted. But Thy disciples, O Lord, fear Thee as their dearest Father and adhere most strongly to Thy law. Therefore, Thou wilt give them in the consummation of the age the most blessed lot, as most beloved children and Thine heirs.