Sublime

I LOVE YOU ABOVE ALL ELSE Lord, I love you above all other things. You are the one I seek. You are the one I follow. You are the one I am ready to serve. I want to dwell under your rule, for you alone reign. Command me as you will, but heal and open my eyes to see your wonders. And drive all foolishness and pride from me. Give me wisdom to

In Augustine’s striking picture, “By your gift we are set on fire and carried upwards: we grow red hot and ascend. We climb ‘the ascents in our heart’ (Ps. 84:7) and sing ‘the song of steps’ (Ps. 121:1). Lit by your fire, your good fire, we grow red-hot and ascend, as we move upwards ‘to the peace of Jerusalem’ (Ps. 122:6).”10 Discipleship should

In this ruin of mankind no one now experiences God either as Father or as Author of salvation, or favorable in any way, until Christ the Mediator comes forward to reconcile him to us. Nevertheless, it is one thing to feel that God as our Maker supports

Augustine developed the doctrine of original sin and with it cast humanity as forever alienated from the Divine. Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden of Eden for disobeying God, and every person in every generation has paid for their transgression since, throughout the history of humanity, by being born inherently bad. Our inability to heal