Quote of the day: 6 September

This is the trait of humble people: They do not dare deal with God independently, nor can they be completely satisfied without human counsel and direction.

God wants this, for to declare and strengthen truth on the basis of natural reason, he draws near those who come together in an endeavor to know it.

He indicated this by asserting that he would be in the mouth of both Aaron and Moses when they were together for consultation. This is why he also affirmed in the Gospel: Ubi fuerint duo vel tres congregati in nomine meo, ibi sum ego in medio eorum (“Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them”) [Mt 18:20]. It is noteworthy that he did not say: Where there is one alone, there I am; rather, he said: Where there are at least two.

Thus God announces that he does not want the soul to believe only by itself the communications it thinks are of divine origin, or for anyone to be assured or confirmed in them without the Church or her ministers. God will not bring clarification and confirmation of the truth to the heart of one who is alone. Such a person would remain weak and cold in regard to truth.

Saint John of the Cross

Ascent of Mount Carmel, II.22.11

John of the Cross, St. 1991, The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, Revised Edition, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K and Rodriguez, O with revisions and introductions by Kavanaugh, K, ICS Publications, Washington DC.