Thursday, September 11 : Dorotheus of Gaza

For, if we had charity, with compassion and pain, we would hesitate to observe our neighbour’s defects, as it is written: ‘Charity covers a multitude of sins,’ and again: ‘Charity does not take any account of evils, it bears all things,’ and so on. As for us then, if – as I was saying – we have charity, that charity should cover every fault, as is the case with the saints when they see people’s faults. I mean, are the saints blind? Do they not see sins? Indeed, who hates sin as much as the saints do? But nevertheless, they do not hate the sinner; they do not condemn him; they do not turn away from him. Rather, they show him sympathy; they admonish him; they entreat him. They seek to heal him, they do everything they can to save him. It is like a mother who has an unsightly son. She does not despise him or turnaway from him, but dresses him beautifully and does everything she can to get him to look more graceful. So the saints are always protecting, sorting out and giving assistance to anyone who stumbles, setting him straight at the right time, so that he doesn’t do any harm to anyone else, and they themselves also progress in the love of Christ. Let us too get some of this love for ourselves; let us acquire compassion for our neighbour, so that we may be saved from this dreadful business of speaking ill of people, or condemning them, or setting them at nought. Do all we can in thought and deed to help ourselves and each other. For we are members of one another, as the Apostle says. For if we are all one body, and if we are all members of one another, each in his own way, then if one member suffers, all of the members suffer together with it.

Roman Catholic Ordinary Calendar – rosary,team