Monday, September 2 : Hermas

The Shepherd showed me a mountain on which there were luxuriant green plants; the whole mountain was flourishing and all kinds of cattle and wild birds were feeding on the plants on this mountain. He said to me: “Believers from this place have always been sincere and without guile, blessed and holding nothing against one another but always rejoicing in the servants of God. Clad in the holy spirit of young virgins, always feeling compassion for all, they have provided for the needs of their fellows out of the sweat of their own brows. So the Lord, seeing their sincerity and perfect innocence, prospered them in the labors of their hands and showed them favor in all that they did… All those of you who so act, continue to be such, and your descendants will never be botted out…” The he showed me a very beautiful mountain, all white: “Here believers are like veritable babes into whose minds no evil comes. They do not know what wickedness is but have always continued in innocence. Such people, therefore, will undoubtedly live in the Kingdom of God for they have not by any act profaned God’s commands but have continued in innocence all the days of their lives in the same attitude of mind. All those of you, then, who will continue like babes, with no wickedness, will be more glorious than those who have been mentioned before, for all babes are glorious in the sight of God and are foremost in his sight. So blessed are you who have put off wickedness from yourselves and put on innocence; you will be the first of all to live to God.”

maronite readings – rosary,team