Becoming a Community of Disciples

66

Becoming a Community of Disciples

Prologue (RBen) 1 Listen, O my son to the precepts of the master, and incline the ear of your heart: willingly receive and faithfully fulfill the admonition of your loving father (cf. Prov 1:8, 4:20, 6:20); 2 that you may return by the labor of obedience to him from whom you had departed through the laziness of disobedience. 3 To you therefore, my words are now addressed, whoever you are, that through renouncing your own will you may fight for the Lord Christ, the true king, by taking up the strong and bright weapons of obedience. 4 First, whenever you begin any good work, beg of him with most earnest prayer to perfect it; 5 so that he who has now granted us the dignity of being counted among the number of his sons may not at any time be grieved by our evil deeds. 6 For we must always so serve him with the good things he has given us, that not only may he never, as an angry father, disinherit his children; 7 but may never as a dread Lord, incensed by our sins, deliver us to everlasting punishment as most wicked servants who would not follow him to glory. 8 Let us then at last arise, since the Scripture arouses us saying: It is now time for us to rise from sleep (Rom 13:11). 9 And let us open our eyes to the deifying light; 1 let us attune our ears to what the divine voice admonishes us, daily crying out: 10 Today if you hear his voice, harden not your hearts (Ps 95:7–8). 11 And again, You who have ears to hear, hear what the Spirit says to the churches (Rev 2:7). 12 And what does he say? Come my sons, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord (Ps 34:12). 13 Run while

1 Deifying light – the light that makes us be like God in our actions.