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August 3 - August 7, 2023
Some people attribute the work to St. Bernard of Clairvaux,
but this is unlikely since it contains a quote from St. Francis of Assisi, who was born 30 years after St. Bernard's death.
Jean le Charlier de Gerson, the prominent Chancellor of the University of Paris and a leading figure in the Church in the early 15th century.
is Thomas Haemmerlein, also known as Thomas à Kempis, from his hometown of Kempen, near the Rhine, about 40 miles north of Cologne.
Apart from the Bible, no other Christian writing has gained such widespread popularity and maintained it as this one.
don't feel a strong desire for it, because they don't have the mindset of Christ.
they should strive to align their entire life with the mindset of Christ.
Truly, it's not complex words that make a person holy and upright; it's a good life that makes a person dear to God.
without the love and grace of God?
It is pointless to seek and rely on wealth that will eventually disappear. It is also pointless to crave recognition and elevate ourselves above others.
It is pointless to wish for a long life without focusing on living a good one.
It is pointless to love things that quickly fade away, instead of striving for eternal happiness.
Surely, a humble peasant who serves God is better off than a proud philosopher who observes the stars but neglects self-awareness.
Someone who truly knows themselves sees their own flaws and doesn't care about the praise of others.
There are many things to learn that provide little or no benefit to the soul.
Many words don't satisfy the soul, but a good life rejuvenates the mind, and a pure conscience provides great confidence in our relationship with God.
The more extensive and comprehensive your knowledge, the more strictly you will be judged,
Don't be arrogant, but rather admit your lack of knowledge.
If you want to know and learn something beneficial, embrace being unknown and considered unimportant.
The most valuable and beneficial lesson is when a person genuinely knows and thinks humbly about themselves. To consider oneself as insignificant and to always think kindly and highly of others is true and complete wisdom.
We are all weak and fragile; don't think anyone is more fragile than yourself.
Sometimes, I get tired of reading and listening to so many things; in You, I find everything I want and need. Let all the scholars be quiet; let all creation be silent before You: speak to me alone.
The more a person has unity and simplicity within themselves, the more they can understand things on a deeper level without much effort, as they receive the light of understanding from above.
This doesn't mean that learning is bad or that we shouldn't value what is good; rather, a good conscience and a holy life are more important than anything else.
Unfortunately, many people prioritize seeking knowledge over living a good life, which is why they often lose their way and bear little or no fruit.
The one who is truly great possesses great love and kindness.
In the Holy Writ, we should focus on seeking the truth rather than clever wordplay.
Whenever someone desires something excessively, they immediately become restless.
Proud and greedy people never find peace, while the humble and content ones experience an abundance of it.
True inner peace comes from resisting temptation, not giving in to it. So,
Peace is always with the humble person, but in the heart of the proud, there is envy and constant anger.
Don't be overly friendly with any woman, but appreciate all good women and commend them to God.
We should love everyone, but not become close friends with everyone.
It's truly a great thing to live in obedience, to be under authority, and not to be in control of ourselves.
No matter where you go or what you do, you won't find peace unless you humbly submit to the authority of the person in charge.
if Christ is among us, then we must sometimes set aside our own opinions for the sake of peace.
So, don't rely too heavily on your own opinion, but be open to listening to the perspectives of others as well.
Even if your opinion is good, if you let it go out of love for God and follow someone else's view, you...
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I've often heard that it's safer to listen and take a...
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We enjoy talking because we hope to find comfort in our conversations with others and seek to refresh our tired minds with different thoughts.
We can experience plenty of peace if we avoid getting involved in other people's words and actions, and things that don't concern us.
If we view our progress in religion as merely a progress in outward rituals and forms, our devotion will soon fade away. Instead, let's address the very core of our lives, so that, having been purified from our attachments, we may find peace within our souls.
Therefore, a person should rely completely on God, so they don't need to seek much comfort from others.
Running away from them isn't enough to overcome them; instead, by enduring and practicing true humility, we become stronger than all our enemies.
If you only resist outwardly and don't address the root cause, you won't gain much; in fact, temptations will come back to you more quickly and be even more intense.
The start of all temptations towards evil comes from being emotionally unstable and lacking faith in God.
Temptation tests a righteous person just as fire tests iron.
However, we must be vigilant, especially at the beginning of temptation, because that's when the enemy is most easily defeated
First, a simple idea comes to mind, followed by a vivid imagination, then pleasure, negative emotions, and finally agreement. And so, bit by bit, the enemy completely enters, because they weren't resisted from the start. The longer a person waits to resist, the weaker they become, and the stronger the enemy grows against them.
Many people unknowingly pursue their own goals in their actions.
