September 3, 2011

Charity and Obedience

Back before I concluded from Universae Ecclesiae that I shouldn't mix and match OF and EF in praying the Divine Office (see my pre-UE dubium on the question here), I would often pray the little hours from the Roman Breviary rather than from the Liturgy of the Hours. In doing so, for large parts of the year I would find myself praying through Romans 13:8 as the capitulum for Sext:

Nemini quidquam debeatis, nisi ut invicem diligatis: qui enim diligit proximum, legem implevit.

"Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law." (RSV)


The passage has been coming to mind for me during my examinations of conscience for confession. More and more I find it hard to examine myself on obedience and charity as if they were separate things; some kind of new, converging understanding is starting to come into focus for me. I am not quite sure how to articulate it yet, but I'm confident that it's some kind of grace that God wills to give me.

Perhaps it has something to do with my new ministry as guardian, as a 'grace of office.' I'll pray for that.


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