Tuesday, June 22, 2004

Christian Heritage - June 22 - We Have Been Bought at a Great Price

Let us invest with the Lord what he has given us, for we have nothing that does not come from him: we are dependent upon him for our very existence. And we ourselves particularly, who have a special and a greater debt, since God not only created us but purchased us as well — what can we regard as our own when we do not possess even ourselves?

But let us rejoice that we have been bought at a great price, the price of the Lord's own blood, and that because of this we are no longer worthless slaves. For there is a freedom that is baser than slavery, namely, freedom from justice. Whoever has that kind of freedom is a slave of sin and a prisoner of death. So let us give back to the Lord the gifts he has given us; let us give to him who receives in the person of every poor man or woman. Let us give gladly, I say, and great joy will be ours when we receive his promised reward.

Paulinus of Nola (AD 353-431), Ep. 34, 2-4: CSEL 29, 305-306

Hm, that's weird. Paulinus was a friend of Augustine (AD 354-430) and he lived one year longer than Augustine on each end of his life.

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