Work for the most wretched and dejected of the population “It is hard, you say, to put up with the evil-doer. But just for that very reason you should devote yourself lovingly to him. Your set purpose must be to win him from his sinful ways and to lead him on to virtue. But you retort that he does not mind what you say. Nor follow your advice. How are you so sure of this? Have you appealed to him and tried to win him over? You reply that you have often reasoned with him. But how often? Frequently, you say, time and time again. And do you look on that as often? Why, even if you had to continue for a whole lifetime, you should neither relax your efforts nor abandon hope. Do you not see the way in which God Himself keeps on appealing to us through His Prophets, through His Apostles, through His Evangelists? And with what result? Is our conduct all it should be? Do we set ourselves to obey Him in all things? Alas such is far from being the case. Yet in spite of that, He never ceases to pursue us with His pleadings. And why? It is because there is nothing as precious as a soul. ‘For what does it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul.’ (Mt 16:26)” (St. John Chrysostom)” (Handbook Chapter 37 Suggestions as to works, Section 6 footnote: Work for the most wretched and dejected of the population.)
Posted on: Sun, 06 Oct 2013 23:05:52 +0000