Tradition Day by Day: May 1

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May 1

Cold love

nyone whose love has grown cold is surely an unhealthy member of Christ's body. However, he who has already raised our head from the dead has the power to heal his members also, so long as extreme wickedness does not cut them off completely and they remain united to the body until they are restored to health. A limb attached to the body always has hope of recovery, but one which has been severed can be neither revived nor healed. Now since Christ is head of the Church and the Church is his body, the whole Christ is head and body together. As he has already risen from the dead, we have a head who intercedes for us in heaven. This sinless, immortal head of ours is even now offering himself in atonement for our sins before God, so that, at the end of time, we too may rise from the dead and be transformed. Then we shall follow him to heavenly glory, for where the head is, there will the members be. Even here on earth we are his members. Let us never give up hope, then; where our head has gone, we shall indeed follow.

Augustine of Hippo

Augustine Day By Day

The Augustinians - St. Thomas of Villanova Province

From John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., Tradition Day by Day: Readings from Church Writers. Augustinian Press. Villanova, PA, 1994.

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