St. Augustine
Much too risky
When a Christian begins to think of setting out on a
more perfect life, he will suffer from the tongues of his opponents. If anyone
does not find this so he is not trying to advance.
Listen to what I mean: if he wants to despise the
things of this world and the happiness they bring; he will have to put up with
contradiction and mockery, and, what is worse, advice from people who would
lead him away from salvation. Men with lying tongues will say, ‘What, do you
propose to do this? No one else does. Do you think you are the only Christian?’
And if the points out that others do, and shows them our Lord’s words in the
Gospel, they will say with guile, ‘You’ll never carry it through, it’s far too
much to undertake; oh yes, some people have, but perhaps, you won’t be able to.
If you try to climb up you’ll fall’. It sounds like sensible advice, but it’s
the voice of the serpent with poison under his tongue. Turn to God and say,
‘Lord deliver my soul from these lying tongues’. He will answer, ‘Can you not
do what others have done? Women, rich men brought up in luxury, sick people?’
You will say to him. ‘Yes, but I am a sinner; in the
past I have sinned greatly’. True: but in the Gospel we read ‘he to whom little
is forgiven loves little’ and so they love him more to whom more has been
forgiven. The country you wish to set out for won’t be reached without victory
against evil: but think how glorious a country it is.
(S. Augustini, Enarr. in ps. 119. 3.4.5.6)
