St. Augustine - Perseverance
Some of the things our Lord Jesus Christ foretold have
come to pass, others we still wait for; they will all happen, whether we
believe in them or not; and so, dearly beloved, nourish in your hearts the
faith that is yours.
In our fathers’ times the blood of the righteous was shed, and from that
seed the Church grew up.
The devil then, like a lion, raged openly; now he is like a wily
serpent. We must defeat him as the martyrs did; suffering was their weapon,
watchfulness must be ours.
The Church will always be persecuted, whether by the
lion or the serpent, and the enemy is more to be feared when he deceives than
when he rages. The Christians were pressed to deny Christ – now they are taught
to: violence then, snares now.
What shall we do? With his help let us persevere to the end.
Do not be misled by unbelievers, or, who are more dangerous, bad
Christians. The Church is like a net cast into the sea, which gathers up all
kinds of fish and is being pulled towards that shore which is the end of this
world.
Separate yourselves from the evil fish; not in body
but in heart; not by breaking out of the net, but by changing your way of life;
so that when the fish are separated on the shore, yours may be not eternal
punishment but eternal life.
