examination of the heart 240 And you, my soul, with what words will you extol your Creator today? With what praises will you adorn Him, with what gratitude of heart will you remunerate Him, who is so inconceivably good and loves you so intensely that He offered His only Son to be sacrificed on the altar of the Cross for your salvation! In what way indeed will you praise Jesus Himself? With what deed will you repay Him for the death He endured for the world in general and for you in particular? Come! Offer Him in return as a sacrifice on the altar of obedience, your greatly beloved and only daughter (cf. Jgs 11:29-39), namely, your own will. 3. “that whoever believes in [H]im should not perish” (Jn 3:16). Everyone expects in return an equal benefit for one provided, or, at least the remembrance of and gratitude for it. There is nothing that people give to other people for free. In return for the inconceivable gift of redemption, God requires from you, my soul, and indeed at the same time from all men, nothing except faith; that they believe in Him. And He requires this not for His own sake, but for our advantage, for our benefit, for our good and preservation, lest we perish. However, consider that there are many pagans, circumcised Jews, and heretics, who, rejecting the gift of redemption, not only do not believe but also blaspheme. Yes indeed, how many Christians are there who do not cooperate with this gift of faith, neglecting the good and eagerly pursuing evil. Sympathize with their blindness and humbly ask the Sun, i.e., Jesus Christ concealed in the Most Holy Eucharist, for the light necessary for believing and acting, both for them and for yourself, so that by believing and acting in this way you may not perish, but may be saved by your obedience to divine inspirations, commands, and illuminations.
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