Letter 1114: The spiritual life is a journey with a beginning, a middle, and an end.
On the verse: "Blessed are you when men shall revile you." Not all who suffer reproach suffer it on account of Christ, but sometimes on account of wickedness, sometimes on account of negligence, and sometimes on account of other transgressions. And sometimes reproaches are indeed endured for Christ's sake, but they are nevertheless true, and therefore not beneficial in the same way. Two conditions, then, must come together for the supreme blessedness and glory to belong to the sufferer: first, that the reproaches be false; second, that they be endured for Christ's sake. The first alone does not suffice without the second, for many suffer false accusations for reasons having nothing to do with faith. Nor does the second suffice without the first, for sometimes people are rightly censured even while engaged in ministry, and their sufferings, though connected with their service, are the consequence of their own failings. When both conditions are met, however, the blessedness is complete and the reward is great, for the sufferer shares in the very experience of Christ himself, who was falsely accused and reviled without cause, yet endured it all for the salvation of the world. And this is why I have written to you at such length, not because I take pleasure in admonition, but because the gravity of the situation demands nothing less than complete frankness. The physician who softens his diagnosis out of courtesy may please his patient for the moment, but he kills him in the end. I would rather offend you now with the truth than comfort you now with a lie that will destroy you later. For the wounds of a faithful friend are better than the kisses of an enemy, and the medicine that stings is better than the poison that soothes.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
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