The fear of the Lord casts out the fear of the devil. Hermas reminds us that true strength lies not in resisting evil spirits by our own might, but in standing firm through reverent obedience to God. Fear Him alone, and every lesser terror fades. Augustine looks upon creation and asks why God blessed men, fish, and birds—but not herbs or beasts. He discovers a mystery of divine multiplication: that blessing is not mere reproduction but the spiritual fruitfulness of love and understanding. And Aquinas explains that some desires belong to our nature and others do not; concupiscence, when unbridled, distorts our natural longing for good into something infinite and restless. Together these readings teach us that holy fear, ordered desire, and divine blessing all spring from the same root—the love that multiplies righteousness in the soul.
Readings:
The Pastor of Hermas, Commandments 7–10
Augustine, The Confessions, Book 13, Chapter 24
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 30, Article 3
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