Thursday, June 22 : Tertullian

Among brethren and fellow servants, where there is common hope, fear, joy, grief, suffering, (because there is a common Spirit from a common Lord and Father), why do you think the others to be anything different from yourself? Why flee from those who have known the same falls as if from people who would cheer on your own? The body cannot feel glad at the trouble of any one member; it must necessarily grieve as a whole and work towards their healing as a whole. There where two of the faithful are together is the Church, but the Church is Christ. Therefore when you cling to the knees of your brethren, it is Christ you touch and Christ you entreat. Similarly, when the brethren shed tears over you, it is Christ who suffers, Christ who begs for mercy from the Father. And what a Son asks is ever speedily obtained.
maronite readings – rosary,team