“One of the most perfectly constructed lines in English poetry is, ‘To err is human, to forgive, divine.’ How perfect is the balance of those words. They enshrine two of the greatest mysteries which, as Christians, we are bound to accept. The doctrine, I mean, that man, being what he is, can rebel against God; and the doctrine that God, being what He is, can forgive man.”

                   – Father Ronald Knox

For Reflection:

How do the two “greatest mysteries” expressed by Father Knox encompass the whole of salvation history? How do they apply specifically to me? To what end do they prompt me?

Fire Within: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and the Gospel on Prayer.
Fr. Thomas Dubay, SM  Pb 358 pgs

Chapter One page 1 The Son, radiant Image of the Father’s glory, proclaimed that He had come to cast a fire upon the earth and that He longed for it to burst into blaze.  It was in the form of fiery tongues that the Holy Spirit of Pentecost descended upon a timorous group of men and women. Their minds and hearts having been enkindled with a burning love and ardent zeal, those who received the Spirit sparked the astonishing transformation of an unbelieving and corrupt civilization into a community of faith and love.