Discourse 43

The limbs of the virtues, full of the wisdom of the spirit. Faith is the door of mysteries. That which the eyes of the body are to the sensible objects, that is faith to the hidden treasures for the eyes of the mind. Two spiritual eyes are established, as the fathers say, like the two eyes of the body. And it is not the same faculty that sees in each one. With one of them we see the hidden glory of God, which is concealed in the pure ones, and his power, and his wisdom, and his eternal providence over us, which is perceived by us through the distinctness of his governance. And with it, when it is with it, we also see the spiritual orders. And with that one we see the glory of his holy purity. But when our Lord wills that we enter into the spiritual mysteries, the sea of faith opens in our mind. Grace upon grace. Repentance is given to sinners. Repentance is the birth of the second, which is from God. That which we received in baptism, the greatness of his fear, by repentance we receive its place. Repentance is the door of mercy. It is opened to all who seek it. Through this door we enter into the divine mercies. Without this entrance, there is no possibility of mercy, because of all sin, as the word of Scripture says.

and are justified by grace. For this is repentance: spiritual grace, born from the heart, from faith and fear. Fear is the ancestral rod that guides us until the spiritual Church. And when it reaches the end, it leaves us and turns back. The Church is divine love, in which is the Paradise of all virtues, where the blessed Paul was seized by the ineffable rapture. And after he tasted from that Tree of Life there, he cried out and said: "Woe! I did not see, and I did not know, and I did not hear. And what God has prepared for his lovers has never entered the heart of man." From this Tree, Adam was cut off by the machinations of the slanderer. The Tree of Life is the love of God, from which Adam fell and never again encountered joy, but toiled and was troubled in the land of thorns. Those who are cut off from divine love eat the bread of sorrow as long as they labor, and even perform the service of affliction, which was commanded to the head of our race through his fall from it. Until we are able to attain love, we labor in the land of thorns, and through thorns we sow and reap, even the seed of affliction. And at all times we are bound by them, and however much we are justified, we live in the sorrow of our faces.

whoever finds love: the heavenly bread they eat, and are enriched without toil and without weariness. The heavenly bread is that which descended from heaven and gives life to the world. This is the food of angels. Whoever finds love eats Christ at all times, and becomes immortal from that moment. For whoever eats of this bread will never taste death. Blessed is the one who eats of the bread of love, which is Jesus. For when love is broken, Christ is broken, who is God over all. And John the Evangelist testifies, saying: Love is God. Therefore, life ascends from God; whoever lives by love lives in this creation. From that air of comfort, this air ascends here. In this air the righteous are refreshed at the resurrection. Love is the kingdom, that in which our Lord secretly revealed to the apostles: Eat of my kingdom. Eat, then, and drink at the table of my kingdom. What do they eat, if not love? That love suffices, which takes the place of food and drink and sustains the human. This wine gladdens the heart of man. Blessed is the one who drinks of this wine! This is what the weak have drunk, and they have become strong; and sinners, and they have found the ways of virtues; and the drunkards, and they have become sober; and the rich, and they have become eager for poverty.

and the poor: they became rich in hope. And the weary: they became strong. And the simple: they became wise. For no one can cross except through fear toward love. That is the terrible sea that lies between us and the known paradise. They cross in the boat of repentance, which has oars of fear. If the oars of fear do not steer this boat of repentance—this in which they cross the sea of this world toward God—they are drowned in the terrible sea. Repentance is the boat; fear is its steersman; and love is the divine harbor. Fear sets you in the boat of repentance and brings you across the terrible sea of the world, and brings you to the divine harbor, which is love. Wherever they look, all are submerged in repentance. But when they reach love, they reach God. And the journey is ended, and they cross to the island beyond the world, where the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are. To Him belong glory and honor, and to us may He grant to be worthy of His fear and His love. Amen.