Thursday, January 5, 2012

The Alternatives






The alternatives

There are two cities: the earthly city which consists in the love of self even to the contempt of God, and the heavenly city which is the love of God even to the contempt of self.

Consider these two cities, Jerusalem, a vision of peace, and Babylon, called confusion: they are made by two loves, love of God and love of the world. Let each of you ask himself which is his love, and he will know of which city he is a citizen.

There are two births: one of earth and the other of Heaven, one of mortality and the other of eternity, one of human parents, the other of God and the Church.

Who are born of the flesh? Lovers of this world, of this life. For the root of all sin is to turn away from the unchangeable things of God to what is mutable and unsure. Who are born of the Spirit? Lovers of the Kingdom of Heaven, those who long for eternal life.

In this life there are two loves fighting each other in every temptation: love of God and love of the world, and whichever wins draws its lover in its train as by a weight. 




DAILY READING WITH
St Augustine --- The Heart at Rest


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