The soul is able to bear only so much truth. Perhaps it’s like having a child: if anyone really knew the cost ahead of time, no one would ever do it. In the same way, if I were to see the depth of my own self-deceit and self-centeredness, I might give up on the possibility of change before I start. But there is hope, for as Francis Fenelon reminds us, “God is merciful, showing us our true hideousness only in proportion to the courage he gives us to bear the sight.” And the prophet Jeremiah bears witness: “I remember my affliction . . . the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my
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