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Chapter Twenty One

The Virtue of Hope

DefinitionHope is a theological virtue infused by God into the will, by which we trust with complete certitude in the

attainment of eternal life and the means necessary for reaching it, assisted by the omnipotent help of God.

The primary material object of hope is eternal beatitude; the secondary material object consist in all themeans which lead to it. The formal quod object is God Himself, as the objective beatitude of man, connotingformal beatitude or the beatific vision. The formal motive of hope (formal quo object) is the assistingomnipotence of God, connoting divine mercy and God's fidelity to His promises.

The Nature of HopeHope resides in the will, because its proper object is a movement of the rational appetite toward the good,

which is the object of the will. (ST. II II q.18 a.1) Charity and faith are more perfect than hope. Absolutelyspeaking, faith and hope can exist without charity (unformed faith and hope), but no infused virtue can existin the soul without faith. (ST. II II q.65 aa.4 - 5)

As St. Thomas points out, hope tends to its object with absolute certitude, a truth which requires someexplaining. As the Church teaches, without a special revelation we cannot be certain that de facto we shallattain our eternal salvation, (Cc. of Trent Dz. 805) although we can and ought to have absolute certitude thatwith the assistance of the omnipotent help of God (the formal motive of hope) there can be no insuperableobstacle to our salvation. Hope treats, then, of a certitude of inclination and of motive, but not of a previousinfallible knowledge nor of any event or exercise that cannot be frustrated. The goods of this world fall underthe secondary object of hope, but only to the extent that they can be useful to us for salvation. For that reason,St. Thomas says that, apart from the salvation of our soul, we ought not ask God for any other good unless itis in some way related to our salvation. (ST. II II q.17 a.2 ad.2)

Theological hope is impossible in infidels and formal heretics, for no infused virtue can exist withoutfaith. Sinners who have not despaired may possess unformed hope, but this virtue is properly found in the just on earth and in the souls in purgatory. Those who are in hell do not have hope because they have nothingto hope for; the blessed in heaven do no to have this virtue because they are already enjoying the infinite goodfor which they had hoped. For the same reason, Christ did not have hope, since He was at once a blessed (orcomprehensor) and a wayfarer.

The act of hope, even of unformed hope, is of itself good and virtuous (as opposed to the teaching ofCalvin, Baius and the Jansenists, who stated that any act of virtue performed out of the hope of an eternalreward was selfish and immoral). This is expressly stated in Sacred Scripture and can be demonstratedtheologically, since eternal life is the supernatural ultimate end of man. (Matt 6; 33) Therefore, to work withone's gaze fixed on this end is not only good and virtuous but necessary. The contrary doctrine has beencondemned by the Church in a decree of the Holy Office (December 7, 1690; Denz. 1303) condemning the

errors of Jansenism.By the same token, in this life there is no state of perfection which habitually excludes the motives of

hope. The opposite view is an error of the Quietists and semi-Quietists, also condemned by the Church invarious decrees (Denz. 1227, 1232, 1327 ff.). The error of the Jansenists and the Quietists consisted in theaffirmation that to work out of hope is immoral and imperfect and gives evidence that the individual desiresGod as a good for himself, thus subordinating God to his own personal happiness. But such is not the case. AsCajetan explains (In II II q.17 a.5 n.6): "It is one thing to desire this thing for me, and it is another thing todesire it because of me." We desire God for ourselves, not because of ourselves but because of Himself. Godcontinues to be the end or goal of the act of hope, not ourselves. On the other hand, when we desire someinferior thing, such as a created good, we desire it for ourselves and because of ourselves ( nobis et propter nos).

Sins Against Hope

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St. Thomas explains that two vices are opposed to hope: one by defect, despair, which considers eternalsalvation impossible and proceeds principally from spiritual sloth and lust; and the other by excess,presumption. Presumption takes two principal forms: that which considers eternal beatitude as attainable byone's own efforts without the aid of grace (heretical presumption), and that which expects to be savedwithout repentance for sin or to obtain glory without any merit (a sin against the Holy Ghost). Presumption

may be caused by vainglory and pride.The Increase of Hope

Like any other virtue, hope can increase more and more. Let us consider the principal phases of itsdevelopment in the various stages in the spiritual life.

Above all, beginners will avoid falling into one of the two extremes contrary at hope: presumption anddespair. To avoid the first, they should consider that without the grace of God we can do absolutely nothingin the supernatural order. "Without me, you can do nothing" (John 15; 5). Without God's help one could nothave a single good thought or even pronounce worthily the name of Jesus (1 Cor. 12; 3). They should keep inmind that God is infinitely good and merciful, but that He is also infinitely just and no one can laugh at Him(Gal. 6; 7). He is disposed to save us, but on the condition that we voluntarily cooperate with His grace (1 Cor.15; 10) and that we work out our salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2; 12).

Against despair and discouragement the beginner will remember that the mercy of God is untiring inpardoning the repentant sinner; that the violence of our enemies can never overcome the omnipotent help ofGod; and that, if it is certain that of ourselves we can do nothing, it is likewise certain that with God's gracewe can do all things (Phil. 4; 13). It is necessary, then, to rise courageously from one's falls and renew the journey with greater effort and zeal, taking occasion from the fault itself to redouble one's vigilance and effort."All things work for the good with those who love God" (Rom. 8; 28); and St. Augustine dares to add "evensins" so far as they are an occasion of making the soul more vigilant and cautious.

Beginners should also endeavor to raise their gaze to heaven, and this for several reasons:1) In order to disdain the things of earth . Everything here below is shadow and vanity and deceit. No createdthing can fill completely the heart of man, in whom God has placed an infinite capacity. And even in the eventthat such things could satisfy man completely, this would be a transitory and fleeting happiness, as is lifeitself on this earth. Pleasures, wealth, honors, the applause of men; all these things pass and vanish like

smoke. St. Francis Borgia was right when he said: "I shall no longer serve a master who can die to me." Whenall is said and done, "What does it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, but suffer the loss of his ownsoul?" (Matt. 16; 26).2) To be consoled in the midst of their Iabors and sufferings . The earth is a valley of tears and miseries.Suffering accompanies us inevitably from the cradle to the grave, and no one escapes this inexorable law. ButChristian hope reminds us that all the sufferings of this life are as nothing in comparison with the giory whichis to be manifested in us (Rom. 8; 13), and that if we bear them in a holy manner, these momentary and lighttribulations prepare us for the eternal weight of a sublime and incomparable glory (2 Cor. 4; 17). What aconsolation this is for the soul that suffers tribulation if it is able to contemplate heaven through its tears!3) To be encouraged to be good . The practice of virtue is arduous indeed. It is necessary to be detached fromeverything, to renounce one's own tastes and caprices, and to turn back the continuous attacks from theworld, the devil and the flesh. Especially at the beginning of the spiritual life this constant battle is most

difficult. But what great encouragement the soul can experience in raising its eyes to heaven! It is well worthwhile to struggle for a short time during the brief years of this life in order to obtain the possession for alleternity of the fatherland. Later, when the soul begins to advance along the paths of union with God, themotives of disinterested love will prevail over those of the soul's own happiness, but these desires for perfecthappiness will never be completely abandoned. Even the greatest saints experience a kind of nostalgia forheaven, and this is one of the most powerful stimuli for advancing without discouragement along the way ofheroism and sanctity.

In the measure that the soul progresses along the path of perfection, it will strive to cultivate the virtue ofhope by intensifying as much as possible its confidence in God and in His divine assistance. To this end, thefollowing practices are necessary:1) Never to be preoccupied with anxious solicitude for tomorrow . We are submerged in the divine and lovingprovidence of our own good God. Nothing will be lacking to us if we trust in Him and if we hope for all

things from Him. As regards the temporal order, we have the words of Christ Himself: "Look at the birds of

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the air. ... Consider how the lilies of the field grow. ... How much more you, O you of little faith" (Matt. 6; 25 -34). In the order of grace, the same Christ tells us: "I come that they may have life, and have it more

abundantly" (John 10; 10). And St. Paul remarks: "This grace has abounded beyond measure in us." (Eph. 1; 7 -8).2) To simplify their prayer as much as possible . "But in praying, do not multiply words. ... for your Father

knows what you need before you ask Him." (Matt. 6; 7 - 13). The formula of the Our Father, which came fromthe lips of the divine Master, will be their favorite prayer, together with those other prayers from the Gospelwhich are so brief and filled with confidence in the goodness and mercy of God: "Lord, he whom thou lovestis sick"; "if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean"; "Lord, that I may see"; "teach us to pray"; "increase ourfaith"; "show us the Father and this will suffice." What simplicity and sublimity in the Gospel, but how muchcomplication and confusion in us when we pray! The soul must endeavor to attain that ingenuous confidencewhich is simple and which draws miracles from Christ.3) To advance in detachment from all earthly things . Of what value are all created goods when comparedwith a smile from God? "Since the time that I have known Jesus Christ, no created thing has seemed to mesufficiently beautiful to be desired" (Pere Lacordaire). Before the thought of the sovereign beauty of God,whose contemplation will make us intoxicated with happiness in eternal life, the soul will readily renounce allearthly things, and reach the point of conquering the threefold concupiscence to which so many souls are

subject on earth and which prevents them from flying to heaven (1 John 2; 16).4) To advance with great confidence along the path of union with God . Nothing will be able to detain the soulif it wishes to proceed at any cost. God, who calls the soul to a life of intimate union with Himself, extendsHis divine hand with the absolute guarantee of His omnipotence, mercy and fi- delity to His promises. Theworld, the devil and the flesh will declare war against the soul, but "those who trust in the Lord will renewtheir strength, and they will have wings like the eagles, and they will fly speedily without tiring, and they willrun without becoming weary" (Is. 40; 31). With good reason did St. John of the Cross say that hope "is thatwhich especially makes the soul pleasing to the beloved, and that by it the soul will attain all that it desires."The soul that continues courageously in spite of all contradictions and obstacles and with all confidence inGod will undoubtedly arrive at the height of perfection.

The following are the principal characteristics of the operation of the virtue of hope in perfect souls:1) Universal confidence in God . Nothing is able to discourage a servant of God when he enters upon an

enterprise which pertains to the divine glory. One would say that contradictions and obstacles, far fromdiminishing the virtue of hope, intensify and augment it; such a soul's confidence in God will sometimesreach the point of audacity. One need only recall the obstacles which St. Teresa of Avila had to overcome inthe reform of the Carmelites, and the most firm assurance of success with which she began that work, farbeyond all human power, trusting only in God. As St. Paul said of Abraham, these holy souls hope "againsthope" (Rom. 4; 18). They are disposed at any moment to repeat the heroic phrase of Job: "Slay me though hemight, I will wait for him" (Job. 13; 15). This heroic confidence glorifies God greatly and is of the greatestmerit for the soul.2) Indestructable peace and serenity . This is a natural consequence of their universal confidence in God.Nothing is capable of disturbing the tranquility of their spirit. Ridicule, persecution, calumny, injury, sickness,misfortune; everything falls upon their soul like water on marble, without leaving the slightest trace oralteration in the serenity of their spirit. The saintly Cure of Ars received an unexpected slap, and he merely

smiled and said: "Friend, the other cheek will be envious." St. Louis Bertrand inadvertently drank a poisoneddrink and remained completely tranquil when he discovered it. St. Charles Borromeo remained unmoved andcontinued to recite the Rosary when a gun was discharged and a bullet passed by his cheek. St. Hyacinth ofPoland did not defend himself when he was a victim of a terrible calumny but trusted in God to clarify themystery. What peace, what serenity, what confidence in God these heroic examples of the saints presuppose!One would say that their souls had lost contact with the things of this world and were as "immovable andtranquil as if they were already in eternity" (Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity).3) The desire to die in order to reach the fatherland . This is one of the clearest signs of the perfection of hope.Nature experiences an instinctive horror of death. No one wishes to die; only when grace has taken completepossession of the soul can one desire death in order to live the true life hereafter. Then the soul givesexpression to the "I die because I do not die" of St. Augustine, which was repeated later by St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross and constitutes one of the most ardent desires of all the saints. The soul which continues tobe attached to the life of this earth and looks with horror on the death which approaches shows by that fact

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that its vision of the reality of things and its Christian hope are as yet very imperfect. All the saints desire todie in order to go to heaven.4) Heaven begun on earth . The saints desire to die to go to heaven, but in reality their life in heaven hasalready begun on earth. What do the things of this world matter to them? The servants of God live on earthonly in their bodies, but their soul and their yearning are fixed in heaven. It is simply another way of stating

the phrase: "But our conversation is in heaven" (Phil. 3; 20).The Gift of Fear

The sublime dispositions of the saints which we have just recorded are an obvious effect of thesuperhuman actuation of the gifts of the Holy Ghost. The virtues, if left to themselves, would never arrive atsuch heights. The rule of reason, even when illumined by faith, is too imperfect to perceive these exquisiteactions. According to St. Thomas, the gift which pertains to the perfection of the virtue of hope is fear of theLord.

Its NatureThe gift of fear is a supernatural habit by which the just soul, under the instinct of the Holy Ghost,

acquires a special docility for subjecting itself completely to the divine will out of reverence for the excellency

and majesty of God, who is capable of inflicting punishment on us. In order to understand this doctrine it isnecessary, first of all, to discuss a problem which can be formulated in the following question: "Should God befeared?" The answer is that God in Himself, as supreme and infinite goodness, cannot be an object of fear, Heis an object of love. But so far as He is able to inflict evil upon us in punishment for our sins, He can andought to be feared. In answering this question, St. Thomas harmonizes fear and hope, which at first glanceseem to be incompatible, by saying that in God there is justice and mercy, the first of which arouses fear in us,the second, hope. And thus, for different reasons, God is the object of fear and of hope.

It is necessary to examine the nature of this fear, however, because there are many types of fear and notall of them are gifts of the Holy Ghost. Some of them are not even virtues. Fear can be divided into mundanefear, servile fear, filial fear and initial fear.

Mundane fear is that which would not hesitate to offend God in order to avoid some temporal evil. Thusone would apostatize from the Faith in order to avoid the torments and sufferings of persecution. This fear is

always evil, because it places its end and goal in this world and turns its back completely upon God. It fleestemporal suffering and falls into sin before God.Servile fear is that which serves God and fulfills His divine will because of the evils which would fall

upon us if we did not do so (temporal punishment or the eternal punishment of hell). This fear, althoughimperfect, is substantially good; when all is said and done, it enables us to avoid sin and it is directed to Godas to its end, not considering the pain or punishment as the only evil, because if that were so, the fear itselfwould be evil and sinful. It flees from sin to avoid punishment.

Filial fear (also called reverential or chaste fear) is that which serves God and fulfills His divine will,fleeing from sin only because it is an offense against God and for fear of being separated from Him. It is calledfilial fear because it is proper for sons to fear the loss and separation of their father. This fear, as is evident, isgood and perfect. It flees from sin without taking any account of punishment.

Initial fear is that which occupies an intermediate place between the last two types of fear. It flees from sin

principally as an offense against God, but there is mixed with this flight a certain fear of punishment. This fearis better than servile fear, but it is not as perfect as filial fear.

The question now arises: which of these fears is the gift of the Holy Ghost? Evidently the gift of fear is notmundane or servile fear. Mundane fear is sinful because it fears more the loss of the world than the loss ofGod, whom it would abandon for the world. And servile fear, although not evil of itself, could be found evenin a sinner by means of an actual grace which would move him to the sorrow of attrition because of the fear ofpunishment. This fear is a grace from God which moves one to repentance, but as yet it is not connected tocharity and therefore could not be related to the gift of the Holy Ghost.

According to St. Thomas, only filial or chaste fear is the gift of fear, for it is based on charity or reverenceof God as Father, and it fears to be separated from Him. But as initial fear does not differ substantially fromfilial fear, that also is a part of the gift of fear, although only in its incipient and imperfect manifestations. Inthe measure that charity increases, initial fear is gradually purified, so that it loses the servile aspect which

still fears punishment and gradually considers sin simply as an offense against God.

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In Sacred Scripture we are told that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Ps. 110; 10). But thismust be understood, not as regards the essence of speculative wisdom, whose first principles are the articlesof faith, but as regards practical wisdom, whose first effect is to subject souls to the law of God. This is doneimperfectly by servile fear and perfectly by filial fear. The gift of fear, like all the other gifts, will remain inheaven, not as servile fear, which is not a gift of the Holy Ghost, nor as initial fear, since there will be no

possibility of punishment in heaven, but only as filial fear. And only in its reverential aspect before themajesty of God will the gift of fear remain, not in its aspect of a fear of offending God, for this also iscompletely impossible because of the intrinsic impeccability of the blessed in heaven.

The Necessity of FearThe necessity of the gifts in general is based on the imperfection with which the infused virtues operate,

even when subjected to the rule of human reason illumined by faith. There are three principal virtues whichneed to be strengthened by the divine rule or government of the gift of fear: hope, temperance and humility.

A man feels a natural inclination to love himself excessively, to presume that he is something, that he isable to do much in the pursuit of eternal beatitude. Such is the sin of presumption, the contrary of the virtueof hope, which can be uprooted only by the gift of fear. For fear gives us that supernatural awareness of ourabsolute impotence before God and, as a consequence, inclines us to rely only on the omnipotent help of God,

the formal motive of hope. Without the gift of fear, the virtue of hope would never be completely perfect inus.St. Thomas states that the gift of fear looks principally at God, whom we must avoid offending, and in

this sense it pertains to the virtue of hope, as we have already indicated. But secondarily fear can also look atany other thing which would be able to help man avoid offending God. In this sense the gift of fear helps tocorrect the disorderly tendency by which a man experiences a strong attraction to carnal delight, byrepressing or controlling it through fear of the Lord and thus aiding and strengthening the virtue oftemperance. (ST. II II q.141 a.1 ad.3)

A man especially loves his own grandeur, and he loves to be considered greater than he really is. This isthe result of pride; humility reduces this self-magnification, so that a man will not pretend to be more than heis. The gift of fear acts in this matter by submerging the soul in the abyss of its own nothingness before Godand in the depths of its own misery before the divine justice and majesty. And thus, when the soul is

permeated with this gift, when it sees that it is nothing when compared to God, and that it has nothing ofitself but misery and sin, it does not seek its own glory apart from God nor does it judge itself to be worthy ofanything but disdain and punishment. Only in this way does humility reach its perfection. Such was thehumility we see in the saints, who had a complete disdain for themselves.

In addition to these three fundamental virtues, the gift of fear also exercises its influence in regard toother virtues; there is no moral virtue which does not receive the influence of some gift. Thus the gift of fearacts upon the virtue of chastity, by elevating it to the most exquisite delicacy; on the virtue of meekness, bytotally repressing disordered anger; on the virtue of modesty, by suppressing any disorderly internal orexternal bodily movements. Moreover, it combats the passions which, together with vainglory, are thedaughters of pride: criticism, presumption, hypocrisy, pertinacity, discord, insolence and disobedience. (ST. IIII q.132 a.5)

Effects of the GiftThe effects of the gift of fear are of greatest value in the sanctification of souls. The following are the

principal effects of this gift:1) A lively sentiment of the grandeur and majesty of God , which arouses in the soul a profound adorationfilled with reverence and humility. This is the most characteristic effect of the gift of fear, and it follows fromits definition. The soul that is acted upon by this gift feels itself transported by an irresistible force before thegrandeur and majesty of God, which makes even the angels tremble ( tremunt potestates ). Before this infinitemajesty the soul feels as if it is nothing or less than nothing. It is overwhelmed with a sentiment which is sostrong and penetrating as regards reverence, submission and subjection that it would like, if it could, to suffera thousand deaths for God. Humility reaches its full perfection here. The soul feels great desires to suffer andto be disdained for God (St. John of the Cross). It never occurs to the soul to have the slightest thought ofvanity or presumption. It sees its own misery so clearly that, when others praise it, it seems that they are

ridiculing it (St. Cure of Ars).

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This respect and reverence for the majesty of God is also manifested in all the things which have anyrelationship to God. The church or oratory, the priest, sacred vessels, the images of the saints; all are regardedwith the greatest respect and veneration. The gift of piety produces similar effects, but from another point ofview, as we shall see later. This aspect of the gift of fear will continue forever in heaven. (ST. II II q.19 a.11)There it will not be possible, given the impeccability of the blessed, to have any fear of offending God, but the

gift will remain for all eternity to express reverence and subjection before the infinite grandeur and majesty ofGod.2) A great horror of sin and a lively sorrow for ever having committed sin . Once its faith is illumined by thesplendour of the gifts of understanding and knowledge and once its hope has been subjected to the action ofthe gift of fear, which brings the soul directly to the divine majesty, the soul understands as never before thealmost infinite malice which is contained in any offence against God, however insignificant it may appear. TheHoly Ghost, who wishes to purify the soul for the divine union, subjects it to the action of the gift of fear sothat it understands the rigour with which divine justice, offended by sin, must punish in the next life ifpenance is not done in this life. The poor soul experiences a mortal anguish which reaches its greatestintensity in the terrifying night of the spirit. It seems to the soul that it is condemned and has nothing else tohope for. In reality, it is then that the virtue of hope reaches an incredible degree of heroism, because the soulhas now reached the point of hoping against hope and gives the sublime cry of Job: "Slay me though he might,

I will wait for him" (Job. 13; 15).The horror which these souls experience before sin is so great that St. Aloysius Gonzaga fell at the feet ofhis confessor to accuse himself of two light venial sins. St. Alphonsus Liguori experienced a similarphenomenon on hearing a person blaspheme. St. Teresa of Jesus writes that there could be no death moreterrible for her than to think that she had offended God (The Life, c.34). The repentance of such souls for theslightest fault is most profound. From it proceeds the anxious desire to make reparation, a thirst for self-immolation, an irresistible tendency to crucify oneself in a thousand ways. This is a natural consequence ofthe gift of fear.3) An extreme vigilance to avoid the slightest occasion of offending God . This is a logical consequence of theprevious effect. These souls fear nothing so much as the slightest offence against God. They have seen clearly,in the contemplative light of the gifts, that in reality there is only one evil in the world and that the others donot deserve to be called evil. How far these souls are from voluntarily placing themselves in the occasion of

sin! No person is as apprehensive as they are to flee with the greatest rapidity and promptness from anypossibility or danger of offending God. Their extreme vigilance and constant attention cause them to live,under the special movement of the Holy Ghost, with a purity of conscience that is so great that at times itseems impossible to receive sacramental absolution because of a lack of matter and they must be satisfiedwith confessing some sin from their past life and thus renewing their sorrow and their repentance.4) Perfect detachment from all created things . We have already seen that the gift of knowledge produces thiseffect in the soul, but from another point of view. The gifts are mutually interrelated among themselves andwith charity, and for that reason they mutually influence each other. This is perfectly understandable. Thesoul which has become aware of the grandeur and majesty of God must necessarily consider all created thingsas base and useless. Honours, wealth, power, dignity; all are considered as less than straw and unworthy of amoment of attention. We need but recall the effect produced in St. Teresa of Avila when a friend of hersshowed her some precious jewellery; the saint could not understand how people could have such a great

esteem for such things (The Life, c.38). Keeping this in mind, we can see why St. Thomas links the gift of fearwith the first beatitude, poverty of spirit.

The Beatitudes and Fruits of FearTwo beatitudes are connected with the gift of fear: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the

kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5; 3) and "blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted" (Matt. 5; 5).The first corresponds directly to the gift of fear because, in virtue of the filial reverence which it causes us toexperience before God, it impels us not to seek our own grandeur nor to exalt ourselves (pride) nor to becomeattached to external goods (honours and wealth). All of this pertains to poverty of spirit, whether as theannihilation of the proud and puffed-up spirit of which St. Augustine speaks, or as the detachment from alltemporal things of which St. Ambrose and St. Jerome speak. (ST. II II q.19 a.12)

Indirectly the gift of fear is also related to the beatitude which pertains to those who weep and mourn.

(ST. II II q.19 a.2) The reason for this is that from the knowledge of the divine excellence and of our own

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pardon injuries, and we must treat all our neighbors with exquisite delicacy, profound humility andmeekness. We should consider them to be better than we are, at least in the sense that probably they have notresisted grace as much as we have or they would not have done what they have done if they had received thegifts which God has given us. He who has committed any mortal sin in his life can never humiliate himselfsufficiently; there is no place so low that it is not too high for him who, having sinned mortally, at one time

deserved a place in hell.5) To beg frequently of the Holy Ghost a reverential fear of God . When all is said and done, every perfectdisposition is a gift of God and it can be attained only by humility and persevering prayer. Scripture is filledwith sublime formulas by which we can petition holy fear: "Fulfill for your servant your promise to those whofear you" (Ps. 118; 38); etc. Such sentiments should spring frequently from our hearts and our lips, once weare convinced that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Sirach 1; 16) and that it is necessary towork out our salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2; 12), as the Holy Ghost Himself warns us through thepsalmist: "Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice before him" (Ps. 2; 11).

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