Chrysostom
Beloved of All
You have called upon the Lord Jesus for help, and He indeed hears those who approach Him with faith. Yet know this: while you ask for a good outcome for your disabilities project, the soul's work must not be neglected. Do not let the urgency of the deadline drive you to anxious anger or harshness toward others; we must go about all with moderation, not making ourselves wild beasts. If obstacles arise, take it as an opportunity for training in forbearance. Set small goals for your spirit even as you set them for your labor: this month, master impatience; the next, cultivate gentleness. In this way, you build the inner house while completing the outer one.
Neither suppose that success in this project brings you the highest honor. In the court of the King above, roles differ greatly, just as a prefect and a simple guard do not share the same dignity. Your true reward is not in men's approval but in the eyes of God. Let love animate your work, for love is not a matter of thought alone but of stretching forth the hand with zeal to protect and assist those in need. This is the love that confirms your faith.
Above all, examine yourself. If your conscience accuses you of any sin, do not put off repentance. There is a cleansing for sins that comes by a rightly disposed choice, not by a forced submission at the last. Turn now with your whole heart, and you shall obtain mercy. Commend both your project and your soul to the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, to whom be glory, might, and honor, now and forever.
Neither suppose that success in this project brings you the highest honor. In the court of the King above, roles differ greatly, just as a prefect and a simple guard do not share the same dignity. Your true reward is not in men's approval but in the eyes of God. Let love animate your work, for love is not a matter of thought alone but of stretching forth the hand with zeal to protect and assist those in need. This is the love that confirms your faith.
Above all, examine yourself. If your conscience accuses you of any sin, do not put off repentance. There is a cleansing for sins that comes by a rightly disposed choice, not by a forced submission at the last. Turn now with your whole heart, and you shall obtain mercy. Commend both your project and your soul to the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, to whom be glory, might, and honor, now and forever.
