Wednesday, August 9 : Saint Augustine

When the Lord commits the person wanting to follow him to renounce himself, we think his commandment is difficult and hard to hear. But if the one who commands us also helps us to fulfil it, his commandment is neither difficult nor painful… And that other word the Lord spoke is also true: “My yoke is easy and my burden light.” (Mt 11:30) For love sweetens what might be painful in the precepts. We all know what marvels love can accomplish… What rigors have people endured, what unworthy and intolerable living conditions have they borne so as to be able to possess the object of their love! …Why be surprised that someone who loves Christ and wants to follow him renounces himself in order to love him? For if someone loses himself by loving himself, there is no doubt that he will find himself by renouncing himself… Who would refuse to follow Christ to the dwelling place of perfect happiness, of supreme peace and of eternal tranquility? It is good to follow him there. But we have to know the way in order to arrive… The path seems to you to be covered with rough patches, it puts you off, you don’t want to follow Christ. Walk behind him! The path, which we have laid is rugged but it was made level when Christ walked upon it as he returned to heaven. So who would refuse to go forward towards glory? Everyone likes to rise up in glory, but humility is the ladder that must be climbed in order to get there. Why do you lift up your foot higher than yourself? Do you want to fall down instead of go up? Begin with this ladder. It will make you go up already. The two disciples who said: “Lord, see to it that we sit, one at your right and the other at your left, when you come into your glory,” paid no attention to this degree of humility. They aimed for the summit and did not see the ladder. But the Lord showed them the ladder. So what did he answer? “Can you drink the cup I shall drink? (Mk 10:38) You who desire to reach the height of honors, can you drink the chalice of humility?” That is why he did not limit himself to saying in a general way: “May he renounce himself and follow me”, but rather, he added: “May he take up his cross and follow me.”

Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team