Theological Foundations new file

30 Theological Foundations — to the Catholic faith and to the religious life. Aman called to the faith became enriched with the benefits of the faith and received many graces and inspirations. The religious life, in turn, is a harbor in which he finds shelter from the dangers of the sea. It is like Ezechiel’s gate through which one enters the sanctuary of eternal life. 17 For it is true that in the religious life “one lives more purely, falls less often, rises more quickly, regrets more readily, acts faster, dies with greater confidence and is more certain to obtain salvation.” 18 As he calls upon us to show our gratitude to the Savior, Father Papczynski also encourages us to try and strengthen our faith in God. It is to be a faith which saves from eternal damnation. Such faith impels us to show concern for those who are not yet enjoying the benefits of redemption, among them “the pagans, sectarians and heretics.” This concern also involves those Christians who do not cooperate with the gift of their faith, who do not care about the good and follow the path of evil. We must sympathize with them because of their blindness and ask that the light of faith shine upon them. 19 In his meditations on the love of God, Father Papczynski constantly searches for new ways to stimulate such love in order to be able to touch the human heart as strongly as possible. The fact that our friends love us compels us to love them in return. But God created and made us in His likeness. What kind of love, then, does He deserve for this? If the ves- sels, paintings, and statues knew their creators and could talk to them knowing that it is to their hands that they owe their own beauty, they would love them without fail. We do know our Creator and we are in communion with Him. 20 Should we fall into bondage and should some- one ransom us, we would try very hard to show gratitude for such a blessing. Meanwhile, Jesus Christ did pay the ransom price for all of us in the bondage of death with His Blood. The knowledge of this should ignite in us true flames of love for Him. 21 However, Father Stanislaus is convinced that only in heaven will the human heart become fully immersed in God. The merciful God will make it so that “always and everywhere, throughout eternity, we will love Him perfectly, with all our