Friday, November 17 : Hermas

Cast off doubt from yourself and do not hesitate at all to ask God for anything, or say in yourself, “How can I ask anything from the Lord and receive it, when I have sinned so much against him?” Do not reason thus, but turn to the Lord with your whole heart, and ask of him undoubtingly, and you will come to know his great mercy, that he will not desert you but will fulfill the request of your soul. For God is not like us, who hold grudges, but he is forgiving, and feels pity for what he has made. So cleanse your heart of all the vanities of this world, of evil and sin, and ask the Lord, and you will receive everything (…) if you ask the Lord without doubting. But if you doubt in your heart, you will receive none of your requests. For those who doubt in their relation to God are the waverers and do not get any of their requests at all. (…) For anyone who wavers, if they do not repent, can be saved only with difficulty. So cleanse your heart of wavering and clothe yourself in faith, for it is strong, and trust God that you will receive all that you ask for, and if ever, when you have asked the Lord for something, you are somewhat slow in receiving it, do not doubt, because you did not receive your soul’s request quickly, for surely it is on account of some temptation or some transgression of which you are unaware, that you are slow in getting what you asked for. So do not stop making your soul’s request (…) Beware of such wavering, for it is wicked and foolish and uproots many from the faith, even those who are very faithful and strong (…) Clothe yourself in strong and powerful faith, for faith promises all things and accomplishes all things, but doubt distrusts itself and fails in everything it undertakes.

Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team