Friday, October 23 : Saint Theodore the Studite

Listen to my words and give ear to my humble discourses; I cry out to you all, I exhort you: “Lift up your hearts to God, unbind yourselves from your attachment to the passions!” Here is what the prophet cries to you: “Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob” (Is 2:3), which is that of impassibility, and let us contemplate with the eyes of our minds the joy held in store for us by the heavenly promises. My beloved children, gather up your fervor, take wings of fire like the dove, as it is written, fly away (cf. Ps 54[55]:7), place yourselves among the virtuous, those on the right side (Mt 25:33). Receive joy, spiritual desire, impassioned for God. Taste the great sweetness of his love (cf. Rev 10:9-10) and, by it, considering all else as secondary, tread vainglory underfoot, the desire of the flesh and bitter anger! (…) Let us hike up our tunics, be on the alert, have eagle eyes: this is the speediest flight for the trip that leads us from earth to heaven! It is true that travelers can have something to endure. And this happens to you too: indeed, as you see, you struggle under hard labors, you tire yourselves, you work the ground until you are out of breath, you pour with sweat, you are at the end of your strength, hungry, thirsty, one of you laboring at the plow, the other cultivating the vineyard, another pressing oil, or cooking, constructing, making bread or busy about the cellar. Briefly, each is at their post. All go forward on the highway to God, they approach the great city and, in death, they will have entry to the unutterable joy of the good things God reserves for all those who have loved him. (…) May we be accounted worthy of the kingdom of Christ himself, our God, to whom belongs all glory and power with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, world without end. Amen.

Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team