A
reading from the letters of St Francis of Paola, Hermit (Letter AD 1486)
"May our Lord Jesus Christ, who repays most
generously, reward your labor. You must flee from evil, and drive away dangers.
We and all our brothers, although unworthy, pray constantly to God the Father
and to his Son Jesus Christ, as well as to Mary the Virgin Mother, to be with
you as you seek the salvation of your souls and your bodies.
Brothers, I most strongly urge you to work for the
salvation of your souls with prudence and diligence. Death is certain, and life
is short and vanishes like smoke. Therefore, you must fix your minds on the
passion of our Lord Jesus Christ who so burned with love for us that he came
down from heaven to redeem us. For our sakes he suffered all the agonies of
body and mind, and did not shrink from any torment. He gave us a perfect
example of patience and love. For our part, we too must be patient when things go
against us.
Put aside hatred and hostility. See to it that you
refrain from harsh words. But if you do speak them, do not be ashamed to apply
the remedy from the same lips that inflicted the wounds. In this way you will
show each other mercy and not keep alive the memories of past wrongs.
Remembering grievances works great damage. It is accompanied by anger, fosters
sin, and brings a hatred for justice. It is a rusty arrow spreading poison in
the soul. It destroys virtue and is a cancer in the mind. It thwarts prayer and
mangles the petitions we make to God. It drives out love and is a nail driven
into the soul, an evil that never sleeps, a sin that never fades away, a kind
of daily death.
Be lovers of peace, the most precious treasure
that anyone can desire. You are already aware that our sins drive God to anger,
"so you must repent of them, that God in his mercy may spare you. What men
conceal is open to God. Turn to him with a sincere heart. Live in such a way
that you bring upon yourselves the blessing of God, and that the peace of God
our Father may be with you always."
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