Thursday, May 27, 2010

Reading Group, 2f


The Moral Idea of the Dogma of the Incarnation
6.
a. People have substantially changed their life and become more virtuous after a life most often through religious experiences, but also through friendship, marriage, or returning home. In such cases we see not simple imitation, but a direct assimilation.

b.The secret of this spiritual action on the sinful soul is that of co-suffering love. The true co-sufferer is Christ, Who has co-suffered with every person.

  1. How does co-suffering love effect this mysterious fusion between people? How is Christ’s prayer in Gethsemane the ultimate example of this?

1 comment:

Becoming said...

1. Co-suffering love effects this mysterious fusion between people in such a way that in the friendship of a depraved person with a virtuous one we do not see a simple imitation by the depraved of the virtuous but a “direct assimilation”. A life in this type of bond offers the strength to overcome evil habits which when alone seemed unconquerable.

Christ’s example of this with us wherein He expresses that complete desire to bond to us and have us overcome the world can be seen in His prayer in Gethsemane when he felt the oppression of all men’s sins and nonetheless “drank the cup.”

Matthew