Defensor Grammaticus Archives

Are you Over-Bearing? Knowing How to Teach.

09/05/2019

Are You Over-Bearing? The Superior must not reprove with anger. An angry or violent reproof does not set the brother free from his fault but it throws the Superior into a state of sin. That is why the Bible says: ‘The Lord’s servant must be … forbearing, correcting his opponents with gentleness.’ [2 Tim. 2:24-25] We ought not to be inflamed with anger when others have offended us, nor should we show ourselves too indulgent

Friday of the Sixth Week of Great Lent: The Ruler’s Responsibility. The Most Efficient Ruler is the One Who Serves with Love.

03/30/2018

The Ruler’s Responsibility The Superior who has the task of looking after everyone must act as if he had to give an account of each individual. He must realize that he will answer personally for a brother who has fallen into sin, because he has not shown him the Law of God. He will also have to answer for the brother who remains still in his sin, because he has not pointed out to him

Monday of the Sixth Week of Great Lent: How to Love a Friend … and Persecute an Enemy. Our Enemies do not Know the Gratitude We Owe Them.

03/26/2018

How to Love a Friend … and Persecute an Enemy Augustine said: ‘The evil-doer is sad when he sees that his enemy has taken a warning and avoided punishment.’ Gregory said: ‘We are only faithful to our friends when our actions match our promises. ‘People have no right to persecute their enemies with the sword, but they should persecute them with prayer.’ Jerome said: ‘Often our friends are only so-called friends: not being able to

Friday of the Fifth Week of Great Lent: Poison in your Heart: The Memory of Insults. Reconciliation with our Neighbours.

03/23/2018

Poison in your Heart: The Memory of Insults The memory of insults is the residue of anger. It keeps sins alive, hates justice, ruins virtue, poisons the heart, rots the mind, defeats concentration, paralyses prayer, puts love at a distance, and is a nail driven into the soul. If anyone has appeased his anger, he has already suppressed the memory of insults, while as long as the mother is alive the son persists. In order

Friday of the Fourth Week of Great Lent: Two Sexes but Only One Human Nature. Helps and Hindrances in Human Relations.

03/16/2018

Two Sexes but Only One Human Nature The author of the story of our creation teaches us that the Creator formed from the clay a man, formed from the man’s rib a woman and then, starting from the union of the two, filled the earth with their descendants. God did not create the woman from just any kind of material. He took from the man what he needed to create her. The reason? To prevent

Monday of the Fourth Week of Great Lent: Loving your Neighbour in Need. Make your Love as Big as the World.

03/12/2018

Loving your Neighbour in Need A brother asked an aged monk: ‘There are two brothers: one of them leads a life of solitude six days a week and does much penance, while the other is dedicated to the service of the sick. Which of the two is behaving in the way that is more acceptable to God?’ The old man answered him: ‘The brother who is always making a retreat would never attain the heights

Thursday of the Third Week of Great Lent: Persevering is More Important than Beginning. Hunger for Righteousness.

03/08/2018

Persevering is More Important than Beginning Jerome said: ‘Christians will not be asked how they began but rather how they finished. St Paul began badly but finished well. Judas’s beginning was praiseworthy but his end was despicable. ‘Many start the climb but few reach the summit.’ Gregory said: ‘The value of good work depends on perseverance. ‘You live a good life in vain if you do not continue it until you die.’ Isidore said: ‘Our

Tuesday of the Third Week of Great Lent: To Rise You Must Go Downward. Have You Ever Seen the Snow Catch Fire?

03/06/2018

To Rise You Must Go Downward Origen said: ‘If you are not humble and serene, it is impossible for the grace of the Holy Spirit to dwell in you.’ Augustine said: ‘God humbled himself: human beings should blush to be proud.’ Gregory the Great said: ‘The more humility aims at the depths, the higher it climbs on the path to the summit. ‘Humility in listening to the Word of God makes the path ready for

Friday of the Second Week of Great Lent: Uphold the Living Rather than Hold the Dead. Patience is our Martyrdom.

03/02/2018

Uphold the Living Rather than Hold the Dead A monk, seeing two men carrying a dead body on a stretcher, said to one of them: ‘Are you holding the dead? Go and uphold the living!’ An old monk received a visit from some thieves one day: ‘We’ve come to strip your cell.’ He answered: ‘My children, all you like to take is yours.’ The thieves cleared the place out and left. They forgot, however, a

Wednesday of the First Week of Great Lent: One Route but so Many By-Ways. The Spiritual Pilgrim’s Guidebook.

02/21/2018

One Route but so Many By-Ways Jerome said: ‘There are many virtues which lead those who practice them to the kingdom of heaven. There is only one route but there are many by-ways. ‘Whoever is anxious to make progress, even if he reaches a certain degree of perfection, can always find some need for improvement and become more proficient day by day. ‘No one can enjoy a good reputation both for virtue and for a

Archive

Are you Over-Bearing? Knowing How to Teach.

Friday of the Sixth Week of Great Lent: The Ruler’s Responsibility. The Most Efficient Ruler is the One Who Serves with Love.

Monday of the Sixth Week of Great Lent: How to Love a Friend … and Persecute an Enemy. Our Enemies do not Know the Gratitude We Owe Them.

Friday of the Fifth Week of Great Lent: Poison in your Heart: The Memory of Insults. Reconciliation with our Neighbours.

Friday of the Fourth Week of Great Lent: Two Sexes but Only One Human Nature. Helps and Hindrances in Human Relations.

Monday of the Fourth Week of Great Lent: Loving your Neighbour in Need. Make your Love as Big as the World.

Thursday of the Third Week of Great Lent: Persevering is More Important than Beginning. Hunger for Righteousness.

Tuesday of the Third Week of Great Lent: To Rise You Must Go Downward. Have You Ever Seen the Snow Catch Fire?

Friday of the Second Week of Great Lent: Uphold the Living Rather than Hold the Dead. Patience is our Martyrdom.

Wednesday of the First Week of Great Lent: One Route but so Many By-Ways. The Spiritual Pilgrim’s Guidebook.

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