Tag: good intentions
Beating their swords into ploughshares?
Augustine, for all his pessimism about human nature, did not foresee the logical results of his thought, and in the original context, his “wars of mercy” to defend civilized order make a certain amount of sense. Always his idea is that the Church and the Christians, whatever they may do, are aiming at ultimate peace…. Read More ›
Deny Yourself in Order to Follow Christ
On my desk is a small statue of Gollum, the hobbit-like character from Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Those who have only read The Hobbit, when Gollum was introduced, only have seen an evil, angry little creature. But those who have read or seen The Lord of the Rings witnessed something else. Gollum was… Read More ›
No one is good save God
The blessed Antony often used to say, “If the miller does not blindfold the eyes of his animal it will consume the fruits of his labour. In the same way, by the dispensation of God, we put a blanket over our good deeds so as not to pay any attention to them, lest we beatify… Read More ›