Letter 879: Character is revealed not by what a person says but by what he does when no one is watching.
For some souls, as the divine command teaches, are consumed and exhausted by what they receive, while others are enriched. Consider that the things required of you pertain to piety and justice. The disposition of the soul that approaches the divine commandments determines whether those commandments become a savor of life unto life or a savor of death unto death. The same sun that melts wax hardens clay; the same rain that nourishes the wheat also feeds the weeds; the same word of God that saves the humble condemns the proud. It is not the commandment that changes, but the heart that receives it. The humble heart receives the word with joy and brings forth fruit — some thirty, some sixty, some a hundredfold. But the hard heart receives the same word with resentment and produces only bitterness and rebellion. Therefore attend to the condition of your heart before you attend to the content of the commandment. Soften what is hard, cleanse what is impure, straighten what is crooked. Prepare the soil before you plant the seed, and the harvest will take care of itself. For God does not sow upon rock but upon good ground, and good ground is not found by accident but made by cultivation. For it is not enough to know the truth; one must also have the courage to proclaim it, even when proclamation brings persecution. And it is not enough to proclaim the truth; one must also have the wisdom to proclaim it at the right time and in the right way, with gentleness and respect, yet without compromise or equivocation. The prophet speaks boldly because he speaks not his own word but the word of God; and the word of God, though it may seem foolish to the wise of this world, is wiser than the wisdom of men, and though it may seem weak, is stronger than the strength of men. Therefore take up the word of truth as your sword, and the shield of faith to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one, and stand firm in the day of battle.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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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