October 12, 2011

Letter to Francesco Cappelli from Anthony M. Zaccaria



06_Letter12.m4a Listen on Posterous
 Study Guide to  Letter to Francesco Cappelli  

1. SPIRITUAL-THEOLOGICAL THEMES OF THE LETTER
 Loss of Light
  • “I have buried my talent of helping my neighbor.  And little by little I have lost the initial fervor to bring people to Christ.  As a result, I have lost also the clear vision of the spiritual state of my own soul.”
  • -“And so now…I tarry in lukewarmness because, as I have already said, I lost my pristine light.”
  • “It was that light that animated my spiritual life.”
Gift of Light
  • “I have decided to devote myself to the care of the spiritual welfare of my neighbor.  By so doing, I hope to grow in Jesus’ love; and the good Lord crucified will give me back the spiritual light and fervor, which used to keep me spiritually alive.”


    2.  REFLECTIONS
    • That which causes us to fall into a state of spiritual apathy, that is, the lack of concern toward other people for fear of appearing proud, cannot be humility. 
    • Fear blocks spiritual growth which is always a going forward on God’s way.
    • God himself will see to it that we are gradually cleansed of every trace of pride.
    • Fear of making mistake should not stop us from moving forward. He who stops makes an even greater mistake.

    QUESTIONS
    •  Did I sometimes stop doing good for fear of being praised by people, as if doing good, even without any hint of pride or self-aggrandizement, were evil?
    • Am I humble enough to let God be the judge of my deeds and intentions, and am I ready to ask forgiveness from him when I do wrong?
    • Do I believe that acting imperfectly is better than not acting at all?


    No comments: