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Holy Cross Abbey

901 Cool Spring Lane Berryville, Virginia 22611

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A Word in time of Temptation

November 1, 2023 by Fr Joseph

How often, and in how many different guises, have you communicated the sensation of your saving presence to me!  In what an immense blessing of sweetness have you consistently gone before me in my littleness, … especially when I am permitted to share in your blessed body and blood.  …

But thanks be to your faithfulness, my God, and to your protective care, true and single Divinity, single and three-fold Truth, three-fold and single Deity, which does not allow us to be tempted beyond our capacity.  For whenever you grant the enemy the power to tempt us, to test our progress, if you see that we are trustingly relying on your help, you take upon yourself the struggle planned for us.  You do this to such a degree that, reserving the fight for yourself, out of your abundant generosity you credit us with the victory as long as we cling to you with the intention of our will.  And what is outstanding among your gifts is that, to increase our merit, your grace preserves the freedom of our will.  You do not allow the Adversary to take it away, nor do you too have the desire to do so. 

Gertrud the Great of Helfta, The Herald of God’s Loving-Kindness, Books One and Two, Book Two, Chapter Eleven: “An Assault by Temptation” (CF 35, p. 129f)

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