Trust

Passages

Every passage tagged with this emotion in the Vela corpus. Search the body text, narrow by source or register, click through to a book’s profile to see how the passage sits with the rest of the work.

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• From Saint Thomas Aquinas Collection (22 Books) (2016)

  (19.) Our answer to the nineteenth objection is that they who have relinquished all things for Christ, in the trust that He will provide for them, neither sin by presumption, nor do they tempt God. For, to have due confidence in God is not presumptuous nor is it tempting Him. Now the poor of Christ, especially the preachers of the truth, are bound to cherish this confidence in God. The Gloss says on the words in St. Luke (chap. x.), “Carry neither purse,” etc., “A preacher ought to have such trust in God that, even though he is not supplied with means to support him in this present life, he ought to be quite certain that necessary things will not be wanting to him, lest in his anxiety about temporal things, he fail to preach eternal truths.” Yes, unless he has this confidence in Providence, he is tempting God. On the words of 1 Cor. x, “neither let us tempt Him,” the Gloss says, “Let us not ask: ‘can God prepare a table in the desert?’” But we must distinguish between the cases in which this implicit confidence does or does not tempt God. There are certain dangers from which a man cannot be rescued save by miracle; and if he exposes himself to such perils he is tempting God. A person would tempt God if, in hopes of Divine protection, he should fling himself from a wall, unless, indeed, he had been miraculously forewarned that it was the will of God to save him from death. Such foreknowledge was givem to St, Peter when, at the command of Jesus, he walked upon the sea; to Blessed Martin, when he said, “Under your protection, not of helmet nor of shield, but of the sign of the Cross, I shall safely make my way through the ranks of the enemy”; to St. John the Evangelist when he courageously swallowed the poisoned draught; to St. Agatha, who said, “Carnal medicine for the body I have never taken; but I possess the Lord Jesus Christ who, by His word alone, restores all things.” There are other cases wherein a remedy is attainable by inferior means; and a man does not tempt God if, under such circumstances, he trusts Him entirely. Thus a soldier does not tempt God by going to battle, although he is uncertain as to the issue of the fight. Neither does someone tempt God who renounces for His sake all that he possesses, trusting both in Divine Providence and in the charity of the faithful for the supply of his necessities. Rather, he resembles a man who, seeing a bear approach, resigns, for some reasonable motive, his weapon of self-defence to armed, men whose duty and desire it is to defend him.

• From Saint Thomas Aquinas Collection (22 Books) (2016)

  In the second place, prayer is efficacious and useful to obtain all that one desires: “All things whatsoever you ask when you pray, believe that you shall receive.” When our prayers are not heard, either we do not persevere in prayer, whereas “we ought always to pray, and not to faint,” or we do not ask for that which is more conducive to our salvation. “Our good Lord often does not give us what we wish,” says St. Augustine, “because it would really be what we do not wish for.” St. Paul gives us an example of this in that he thrice prayed that the sting of his flesh be removed from him, and his prayer was not heard. Thirdly, prayer is profitable because it makes us friends of God: “Let my prayer be directed as incense in Thy sight.” THE OPENING WORDS OF THE LORD’S PRAYER PREPARATION FOR THE PETITIONSOur FATHER.—Note here two things, namely, that God is our Father, and what we owe to Him because He is our Father. God is our Father by reason of our special creation, in that He created us in His image and likeness, and did not so create all inferior creatures: “Is not He thy Father, that made thee, and created thee?” Likewise God is our Father in that He governs us, yet treats us as masters, and not servants, as is the case with all other things. “For Thy providence, Father, governeth all things;” and “with great favor disposest of us.” God is our Father also by reason of adoption. To other creatures He has given but a small gift, but to us an heredity—indeed, “if sons, heirs also.” “For you have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear; but you have received the spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we cry, Abba (Father).” We owe God, our Father, four things. First, honor: “If then I be a Father, where is My honor?” Now, honor consists in three qualities. (1) It consists in giving praise to God: “The sacrifice of praise shall glorify Me.” This ought not merely come from the lips, but also from the heart, for: “This people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips glorify Me, but their heart is far from Me.” (2) Honor, again, consists in purity of body towards oneself: “Glorify and bear God in your body.” (3) Honor also consists in just estimate of one’s neighbor, for: “The king’s honor loveth judgment.”

• From Saint Thomas Aquinas Collection (22 Books) (2016)

  Reply. It is quite an irrational error to suppose that all solicitude about making a livelihood is forbidden by the Lord. Every action requires care: if then a man ought to have no solicitude about temporal things, it follows that he should do nothing temporal, which is neither a possible nor a reasonable course. For God has prescribed to every being actions according to the peculiarity of its nature. Man, being made up of a nature at once spiritual and corporeal, must by divine ordinance exercise bodily actions; and at the same time have spiritual aims; and he is the more perfect, the more spiritual his aims are. But it is not a mode of perfection proper to man to omit bodily action: bodily actions serve necessary purposes in the preservation of life; and whoever omits them neglects his life, which he is bound to preserve. To look for aid from God in matters in which one can help oneself by one’s own action, and so to leave that action out, is a piece of folly and a tempting of God: for it is proper to the divine goodness to provide for things, not immediately by doing everything itself, but by moving other things to their own proper action (Chap.LXXVII). We must not then omit the means of helping ourselves, and expect God to help us in defect of all action of our own: that is inconsistent with the divine ordinance and with His goodness. But because, though it rests with us to act, still that our actions shall attain their due end does not rest with us, owing to obstacles that may arise, the success that each one shall have in his action comes under divine arrangement. The Lord then lays it down that we ought not to be solicitous for what does not belong to us, that is, for the success of our actions: but He has not forbidden us to be solicitous about what does belong to us, that is, for the work which we ourselves do. It is not then to act against the precept of the Lord, to feel solicitude for the things which have to be done; but he goes against the precept, who is solicitous for what may turn out even when (etiam si) he does all that is in his power to do, and takes due precautions beforehand (praemittat) to meet the contingency of such untoward events.

• From Saint Thomas Aquinas Collection (22 Books) (2016)

  It happens sometimes that for very friendship one denies his friend’s petition, knowing it to be hurtful to him, or the contrary to be better for him, as a physician refuses what his patient asks for. No wonder then if God, who fulfils the desires put before Him by His rational creature for the love that He bears to that creature, fails sometimes to fulfil the petition of those whom He singularly loves, that He may fulfil it otherwise with something more helpful to the salvation of the petitioner, as we read in 2 Cor. xii, 7-9; and the Lord says to some: Ye know not what ye ask (Matt. xx, 22). Therefore Augustine says (Ep. ad Paulin. et Theras.): “The Lord is good in often not giving what we will, to give instead what we should prefer.” CHAPTER XCVII HOW THE ARRANGEMENTS OF PROVIDENCE FOLLOW A PLANGOD by His providence directs all things to the end of the divine goodness, not that anything accrues as an addition to His goodness by the things that He makes, but His aim is the impression of the likeness of His goodness so far as possible on creation. But inasmuch as every created substance must fall short of the perfection of the divine goodness, it was needful to have diversity in things for the more perfect communication of the divine goodness, that what cannot perfectly be represented by one created exemplar, might be represented by divers such exemplars in divers ways in a more perfect manner. Thus man multiplies his words to express by divers expressions the conception of his mind, which cannot all be put in one word. And herein we may consider the excellence of the divine perfection shown in this, that the perfect goodness which is in God united and simple, cannot be in creatures except according to diversity of modes and in many subjects. Things are different by having different forms, whence they take their species. Thus then the end of creation furnishes a reason for the diversity of forms in things. From the diversity of forms follows a difference of activities, and further a diversity of agents and patients, properties and accidents. Evidently then it is not without reason that divine providence distributes to creatures different accidents and actions and impressions and allocations. Hence it is said: The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth, hath established the heavens in prudence. By his wisdom the depths have broken out, and the clouds grow thick with dew (Prov. iii, 19, 20).

• From Saint Thomas Aquinas Collection (22 Books) (2016)

  2. In every knowing mind, the mode of knowledge follows the mode of nature: hence an angel, a man, and a dumb animal have different modes of knowledge according to their differences of natures. But, for the gaining of his last end, man has a perfection superadded to him, over and above his nature, namely, grace. Therefore there must also be superadded to him a knowledge, over and above his natural knowledge, and that is the knowledge of faith, which is of things not discerned by natural reason. 3. As when wood is first warmed by fire, the fire does not take kindly to the wood; but finally, when the wood is all ablaze, the fire becomes as it were connatural to the wood and a part of its very being: or as when a pupil is taught by a master, he must, to start with, take in the ideas of the master, not as understanding them of himself, but in the spirit of one ready to accept on another’s word things beyond his capacity; and so in the end, when his education is advanced, he will be able to understand those things: in like manner, before we arrive at our final end, which is the clear vision of the First Truth as it is in itself, the intellect of man must submit to God in readiness to take His word; and that submission and readiness to believe is the work of divine grace. 4. See further, B. I, Chapp.IV,V. Hence the Apostle says: By grace ye are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God (Eph. ii, 8). Hereby is refuted the error of the Pelagians, who said that the beginning of faith in us was not of God, but of ourselves. CHAPTER CLIV THAT DIVINE GRACE CAUSES IN US A HOPE OF FUTURE BLESSEDNESSIN every lover there is caused a desire of union with his loved one, so far as may be: hence it is most delightful to live in the society of those whom one loves. As then by grace man is made a lover of God, there must be caused in him a desire of union with God, so far as may be. But faith, which is caused of grace, declares the possibility of a union of man with God in perfect fruition, wherein blessedness consists. Consequently the desire of this fruition follows upon the love of God. But desire is a troublesome thing, without hope of attainment. It was proper therefore that in men, in whom the love of God and faith in Him was caused by grace, there should be caused also the hope of attaining to future blessedness. 3. Virtue, the way to blessedness, is paved with difficulties: hence the need of hope. 4. No one stirs to reach an end, which he reckons it impossible to compass.

• From The Decameron (1353)

  Meanwhile, the servant, devising with the gentlemen of one thing and another, led them about by certain by-roads and brought them, without their suspecting it, to his lord's residence, where, whenas Messer Torello saw them, he came to meet them afoot and said, smiling, 'Gentlemen, you are very welcome.' Saladin, who was very quick of apprehension, understood that the gentleman had misdoubted him they would not have accepted his invitation, had he bidden them whenas he fell in with them, and had, therefore, brought them by practice to his house, so they might not avail to refuse to pass the night with him, and accordingly, returning his greeting, he said, 'Sir, an one could complain of men of courtesy, we might complain of you, for that (letting be that you have somewhat hindered us from our road) you have, without our having merited your goodwill otherwise than by a mere salutation, constrained us to accept of such noble hospitality as is this of yours.' 'Gentlemen,' answered Messer Torello, who was a discreet and well-spoken man, 'it is but a sorry hospitality that you will receive from us, regard had to that which should behove unto you, an I may judge by that which I apprehend from your carriage and that of your companions; but in truth you could nowhere out of Pavia have found any decent place of entertainment; wherefore, let it not irk you to have gone somedele beside your way, to have a little less unease.' Meanwhile, his servants came round about the travellers and helping them to dismount, eased[472] their horses. [Footnote 472: _Adagiarono_; see p. 447, note.]

• From Saint Thomas Aquinas Collection (22 Books) (2016)

  Three reasons may be given for this. First, because miracles are arguments of faith, inasmuch as when something is done above the faculty of nature, it provides a proof of that which surpasses the natural faculty of reason: hence it is said (Mk. xvi, 20): They going forth preached everywhere: the Lord working withal, and confirming the word with signs that followed. The second reason is because faith is based chiefly on the divine power, which it conceives as being the motive or medium of assent to things which appear to be above reason: wherefore the divine power in miraculous works comes especially to the assistance of faith. The third reason is because miracles are wrought independently of natural causes: and faith takes its arguments not from reasons pertaining to nature and the senses but from things pertaining to God. Hence just as poverty in worldly goods merits spiritual riches, and humility merits heavenly exaltation, even so faith through despising as it were things done naturally, merits after a. fashion the working of miracles which are wrought above the faculty of nature. In like manner faith makes a man suitable to work a miracle authoritatively. Three reasons will make this clear. First, because as already stated (A. 4) holy men are said to work miracles authoritatively, not as though they were the chief authors of miracles, but because as divine instruments they announce, as it were, to natural things the divine command which nature obeys when miracles are wrought. Now it is by faith that God’s words dwell in us, because faith is a kind of participation in God’s truth: wherefore faith disposes a man to the working of miracles. Secondly, because holy men who work miracles authoritatively, act by the power of God working in nature. For God’s action is compared to the whole of nature, as the soul’s action to the body: and the body is transmuted by the soul above the orderof natural principles, especiallybya persistent imagination whereby the body is heated whether through desire or through anger, or is even constitutionally changed so as to become feverish or leprous. Accordingly a man will be disposed to the working of miracles by that which gives persistence and stability to his apprehension. And a firm faith does this: and therefore firmness of faith conduces in no small measure to the working of miracles. This is made evident (Mt. xxi, 21) where it is said: If you shall have faith and stagger not, not only this of the fig-tree shall you do, but also if you shall say to this mountain, Take up and cast thyself into the sea, it shall be done: and (Jas. i, 6), Let him ask in faith nothing wavering.

• From Saint Thomas Aquinas Collection (22 Books) (2016)

  I answer that, Man’s relations with foreigners are twofold: peaceful, and hostile: and in directing both kinds of relation the Law contained suitable precepts. For the Jews were offered three opportunities of peaceful relations with foreigners. First, when foreigners passed through their land as travelers. Secondly, when they came to dwell in their land as newcomers. And in both these respects the Law made kind provision in its precepts: for it is written (Ex. 22:21): “Thou shalt not molest a stranger [advenam]”; and again (Ex. 22:9): “Thou shalt not molest a stranger [peregrino].” Thirdly, when any foreigners wished to be admitted entirely to their fellowship and mode of worship. With regard to these a certain order was observed. For they were not at once admitted to citizenship: just as it was law with some nations that no one was deemed a citizen except after two or three generations, as the Philosopher says (Polit. iii, 1). The reason for this was that if foreigners were allowed to meddle with the affairs of a nation as soon as they settled down in its midst, many dangers might occur, since the foreigners not yet having the common good firmly at heart might attempt something hurtful to the people. Hence it was that the Law prescribed in respect of certain nations that had close relations with the Jews (viz., the Egyptians among whom they were born and educated, and the Idumeans, the children of Esau, Jacob’s brother), that they should be admitted to the fellowship of the people after the third generation; whereas others (with whom their relations had been hostile, such as the Ammonites and Moabites) were never to be admitted to citizenship; while the Amalekites, who were yet more hostile to them, and had no fellowship of kindred with them, were to be held as foes in perpetuity: for it is written (Ex. 17:16): “The war of the Lord shall be against Amalec from generation to generation.” In like manner with regard to hostile relations with foreigners, the Law contained suitable precepts. For, in the first place, it commanded that war should be declared for a just cause: thus it is commanded (Dt. 20:10) that when they advanced to besiege a city, they should at first make an offer of peace. Secondly, it enjoined that when once they had entered on a war they should undauntedly persevere in it, putting their trust in God. And in order that they might be the more heedful of this command, it ordered that on the approach of battle the priest should hearten them by promising them God’s aid. Thirdly, it prescribed the removal of whatever might prove an obstacle to the fight, and that certain men, who might be in the way, should be sent home. Fourthly, it enjoined that they should use moderation in pursuing the advantage of victory, by sparing women and children, and by not cutting down fruit-trees of that country.

• From History of the Christian Church: The Complete Set of Eight Volumes (1858)

  The Hebrew Matthew was probably composed first; then Mark; the Greek Matthew and Luke cannot be far apart. If the Acts, which suddenly break off with Paul’s imprisonment in Rome (61–63), were written before the death of the apostle, the third Gospel, which is referred to as "the first treatise" (Acts 1:1), must have been composed before A.D. 65 or 64, perhaps, in Caesarea, where Luke had the best opportunity to gather his material during Paul’s imprisonment between 58 and 60; but it was probably not published till a few years afterwards. Whether the later Synoptists knew and used the earlier will be discussed in the next section. John, according to the universal testimony of antiquity, which is confirmed by internal evidence, wrote his Gospel last, after the fall of Jerusalem and after the final separation of the Christians from the Jews. He evidently presupposes the Synoptic Gospels (although he never refers to them), and omits the eschatological and many other discourses and miracles, even the institution of the sacraments, because they were already sufficiently known throughout the church. But in this case too it is impossible to fix the year of composition. John carried his Gospel in his heart and memory for many years and gradually reduced it to writing in his old age, between A.D. 80 and 100; for he lived to the close of the first century and, perhaps, saw the dawn of the second. Credibility. The Gospels make upon every unsophisticated reader the impression of absolute honesty. They tell the story without rhetorical embellishment, without any exclamation of surprise or admiration, without note and comment. They frankly record the weaknesses and failings of the disciples, including themselves, the rebukes which their Master administered to them for their carnal misunderstandings and want of faith, their cowardice and desertion in the most trying hour, their utter despondency after the crucifixion, the ambitious request of John and James, the denial of Peter, the treason of Judas. They dwell even with circumstantial minuteness upon the great sin of the leader of the Twelve, especially the Gospel of Mark, who derived his details no doubt from Peter’s own lips. They conceal nothing, they apologize for nothing, they exaggerate nothing. Their authors are utterly unconcerned about their own fame, and withhold their own name; their sole object is to tell the story of Jesus, which carries its own irresistible force and charm to the heart of every truth-loving reader. The very discrepancies in minor details increase confidence and exclude the suspicion of collusion; for it is a generally acknowledged principle in legal evidence that circumstantial variation in the testimony of witnesses confirms their substantial agreement. There is no historical work of ancient times which carries on its very face such a seal of truthfulness as these Gospels.

• From History of the Christian Church: The Complete Set of Eight Volumes (1858)

  In a remarkable letter to Chancellor Brück (Aug. 5), he expresses his confidence that God can not and will not forsake the cause of the evangelicals, since it is His own cause. "It is His doctrine, it is His Word. Therefore it is certain that He will hear our prayers, yea, He has already prepared His help, for he says, ’Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, these may forget, yet will not I forget thee" (Isa. 49:15). In the same letter he says, "I have lately seen two wonders: the first, when looking out of the window, I saw the stars of heaven and the whole beautiful vault of God, but no pillars, and yet the heavens did not collapse, and the vault still stands fast. The second wonder: I saw great thick clouds hanging over us, so heavy as to be like unto a great lake, but no ground on which they rested; yet they did not fall on us, but, after greeting us with a gloomy countenance, they passed away, and over them appeared the luminous rainbow .... Comfort Master Philip and all the rest. May Christ comfort and sustain our gracious Elector. To Christ be all the praise and thanks forever. Amen." Urbanus Rhegius, the Reformer of Braunschweig-Lüneburg, on his way from Augsburg to Celle, called on Luther, for the first and last time, and spent a day with him at Coburg. It was "the happiest day" of his life, and made a lasting impression on him, which he thus expressed in a letter: "I judge, no one can hate Luther who knows him. His books reveal his genius; but if you would see him face to face, and hear him speak on divine things with apostolic spirit, you would say, the living reality surpasses the fame. Luther is too great to be judged by every wiseacre. I, too, have written books, but compared with him I am a mere pupil. He is an elect instrument of the Holy Ghost. He is a theologus for the whole world." Bucer also paid him a visit at Coburg (Sept. 25), and sought to induce him, if possible, to a more friendly attitude towards the Zwinglians and Strassburgers. He succeeded at least so far as to make him hopeful of a future reconciliation. It was the beginning of those union efforts which resulted in the Wittenburg Concordia, but failed at last. Bucer received the impression from this visit, that Luther was a man "who truly feared God, and sought sincerely the glory of God."

• From Worried about Everything Because I Pray about Nothing (2022)

  (Matthew 6:10). Our prayers and our efforts are aligned with His will, and together we are bringing heaven to earth. Toward the end of His life on earth, Jesus told His disciples this: You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other. John 15:14–17 Notice the key words here: friends, fruit, ask, love. First, Jesus was saying that they were all friends. The disciples weren’t just servants, they were friends. There was trust and open communication between them. This same relationship continues with us today. We are friends of God. Second, this friendship was going to result in teamwork. “Fruit” refers to work. The disciples (again, that includes us) would bear fruit. What we do is in Jesus’ name and in alignment with God’s will, and it will have positive results. Third, prayer was going to be a key element of this relationship. Jesus refers to “whatever [they] ask,” which implies they were going to be doing a great deal of asking, talking, listening, and learning in prayer. Fourth, they would love one another. Earlier He had said they would also remain in His love (verse 9). We are connected to God and each other through love, teamwork, and open communication. What does this mean for us? It means that our prayers help bring to pass God’s will on the earth. In a very real sense, when we pray, we are working together with God. Yes, in His sovereignty He knows what we are going to pray. But He still invites us to participate. Crazy as it seems, He takes our prayers into account, and He chooses to let them influence Him. That’s what friends do, after all. They dream together, they love each other, and they share a common purpose.

• From Worried about Everything Because I Pray about Nothing (2022)

  Prayer is relational, not transactional. We don’t put in our devotional time and get answers back, as if prayer were some sort of payment for God’s generosity. If we reduce prayer to a shopping list, we miss the point. Prayer is not meant to be about getting quick answers and going on our way, but about relationship and connection with God. Maybe that’s why the first line of the Lord’s Prayer is about asking for God’s will to be done. Jesus modeled this in the garden of Gethsemane, when He asked for “this cup,” which referred to the suffering He knew was ahead, to be taken away from Him, but then added, “yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). That’s how we should pray. “God, I’d love this house or that job, I really would, and I’m praying for it and believing for it. But more than my desires, I want your will to be done.” The most effective prayers are the ones that are according to God’s Word and His will. The least effective prayers are the ones that are according to our desires and will. Prayer keeps us connected to God’s will and to the needs of people around us. It grounds us. It keeps us from getting isolated. 6. BOOMERANG PRAYERS Boomerang prayers are the kind of prayers you toss up to God but then catch again. In other words, you “give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7 NLT), but you don’t leave your worries and cares there with Him; you pick them back up. You carry them around with you. You sleep with them at night, wake up with them in the morning, and take them to school or work during the day. Prayer will only reduce your stress and worry if you are able to leave the things you’re anxious about with God. You have to learn to trust Him, to rely on Him, to wait on Him.

• From The Fermata (1994)

  She almost went for it. But then she said: “No, tonight is bad. I wish I could, but I’m probably going to have to stay late. I’m going to have to go over the stuff in that tape when you get it back to me. Thomas needs to look at it tomorrow morning.” “If I have it back to you in ten short minutes,” I said, “will you go out with me tonight?” “There’s an hour of stuff on that tape!” “I know that. I’m just saying, if I get it back to you in ten minutes, will you go out with me tonight? I know it’s a little strange, but it has to do with what I want to talk to you about.” “Okay, yes, sure,” she said. I took her to the restaurant at the Meridien. As we walked there, we followed some deep unwritten law adapted from business practice, a law that enjoins against any discussion of the main subject until a certain number of random-seeming conversational topics have arisen and been dealt with and a context of cool detachment thereby established. We talked about the rise and fall of shoe-store chains and the merits of various kinds of women’s shoes and whether women’s shoe salesmen were invariably fetishists. (Joyce’s own shoes were great-looking gray flats with sexy side-buckles.) But as soon as we got some wine, Joyce said. “Now: I want you to explain to me in detail how you did that tape so fast.” “If I tell you, will you tell anyone?” I asked. “You can’t know this about me,” Joyce said, “but I never, ever tell anyone anything that was revealed to me in confidence.” “Good—I want to believe you. I’ve listened to your voice so much transcribing your tapes that I think I have unusual insights into your character.” “You should believe me,” said Joyce. “I do. No—I think the problem really is whether you will believe me.” “The only way to find out is to try me,” said Joyce. So I told her that at various periods in my life, starting way back in fourth grade, I’d been able to disengage myself from time. I told her briefly about the race-track transformer, the thread going through my callus into the washing machine, about the rubber-band stretcher and the mechanical pencil, and about pushing up my glasses. Joyce laughed. “And this morning? How did you do it this morning?” “I just snapped my fingers. I won’t do it now, but whenever I snap my fingers, the entire universe immediately pauses for me, like a stretch limo waiting for me on the street while I run some errand. I spent probably, oh, an hour and a half doing your tape, with the universe in pause-mode, and then I snapped my fingers to turn it back on again and I went over to your desk and delivered the work.

• From The Story of My Experiments with Truth (An Autobiography) (1927)

  But from the first the Officer left us under no much delusion. Mr. Sorabji Adajania was a shrewd man. He warned me. ‘Beware of this man,’ he said. ‘He seems inclined to lord it over us. We will have none of his orders. We are prepared to look upon him as our instructor. But the youngsters he has appointed to instruct us also feel as though they had come as our masters.’ These youngsters were Oxford students who had come to instruct us and whom the Commanding Officer had appointed to be our section leaders. I also had not failed to notice the high-handedness of the Commanding Officer, but I asked Sorabji not to be anxious and tried to pacify him. But he was not the man to be easily convinced. ‘You are too trusting. Those people will deceive you with wretched words, and when at last you see through them, you will ask us to resort to Satyagraha, and so come to grief, and bring us all to grief along with you,’ said he with a smile. ‘What else but grief can you hope to come to after having cast in your lot with me?’ said I. ‘A Satyagrahi is born to be deceived. Let the Commanding Officer deceive us. Have I not told you times without number that ultimately a deceiver only deceives himself?’ Sorabji gave a loud laugh. ‘Well, then,’ said he, ‘continue to be deceived. You will some day meet your death in Satyagraha and drag poor mortals like me behind you.’ These words put me in mind of what the late Miss Emily Hobhouse wrote to me with regard to non-co- operation: ‘I should not be surprised if one of these days you have to go to the gallows for the sake of truth. May God show you the right path and protect you.’ The talk with Sorabji took place just after the appointment of the Commanding Officer. In a very few days our relations with him reached the breaking point. I had hardly regained my strength after the fourteen days’ fast, when I began to take part in the drill, often walking to the appointed place about two miles from home. This gave me pleurisy and laid me low. In this condition I had to go week-end camping. Whilst the others stayed there, I returned home. It was here that an occasion arose for Satyagraha. The Commanding Officer began to exercise his authority somewhat freely. He gave us clearly to understand that he was our head in all matters, military and non-military, giving us at the same time a taste of his authority. Sorabji hurried to me. He was not at all prepared to put up with this high-handedness. He said: ‘We must have all orders through you. We are still in the training camp and all sorts of absurd orders are being issued. Invidious distinctions are made between ourselves and those youths who have been appointed to instruct us.

• From Saint Thomas Aquinas Collection (22 Books) (2016)

  GREGORY. (Mor. 3. c. 11. Job 2.) But while the crowd thronged Him, one woman touched our Redeemer, because all carnal men in the Church oppress Him from whom they are afar off, and they alone touch Him who are joined to Him in humility. () The crowd therefore press Him and touch Him not, because it is both importunate in presence, and absent in life. BEDE. Or one believing woman touches the Lord, since Christ who is afflicted beyond measure by the diverse heresies multiplying around Him, is faithfully sought by the heart alone of the Catholic Church. AMBROSE. For they believe not who throng Him; they believe who touch. By faith Christ is touched, by faith He is seen. Lastly, to express the faith of her who touched Him, He says, I know that virtue is gone out of me, which is a more palpable sign, that the Divine Nature is not confined within the possibility of man’s condition, and the compass of the human body, but eternal virtue overflows beyond the bounds of our mediocrity. For the Gentile people is not released by man’s aid, but the gathering of nations is the gift of God, which even by its little faith turns to itself the everlasting mercy. For if we think what our faith is, and understand how great the Son of God is, we see that in comparison of Him we touch only the hem, we cannot reach the upper parts of the garment. If then we also wish to be cured, let us touch by faith the hem of Christ. But he who has touched Him is not hidden. Happy the man who has touched the extreme part of the Word. For who can comprehend the whole? 8:49–5649. While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master. 50. But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole. 51. And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. 52. And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. 53. And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. 54. And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. 55. And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat. 56. And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.

• From Macho Sluts (1988)

  “Shit, Jessie, I don’t know what I want from you.” Anger had crept into my voice. She shouldn’t be asking me what I wanted. It was way out of character. Then I got pissed at myself. I had a lot of nerve, expecting her to play master at the breakfast table. It would be stupid to think she hadn’t asked me what I wanted every step of the way. Okay, so she didn’t tip her hat and say, “Miss Liz, would you keep company with me?” But she was checking me out constantly. I could have said no any time. She was asking me an honest question, and I’d better get my act together. “I know I don’t want a twenty-four-hour-a-day S/M relationship,” I said quietly. “I’m not a social masochist. I enjoy taking care of Number One like any reasonably sane, adult woman.” She grinned with relief. “Hey, that’s not what I want, either. I can’t top somebody full-time. To borrow a famous quote, kicking ass is hard work.” I shook my head, smiled, drank coffee. She picked up my hand again, toying with my wristlet. “I know there’s one thing I want to do,” she said. “Name it.” “Come into my bedroom.” Despite the unmade bed and the toys strewn on the floor, magic still hung in the air. We had enacted a vital ritual here, a ceremony essential to us both. She asked me to kneel. I complied, blinking in the hot sun that streamed through the window. Jessie stood between me and the glass, shading me. She fished a pocket knife out of her Levis and unfolded its longest blade. I don’t know what I expected. The crazy thought flashed through my head that she was going to carve her initials on me, like a tree. I didn’t dream of protesting. She ran her thumb along the edge of the blade. “You are wearing the tokens of another woman,” she said. Her words were carefully measured out. “I find that … distracting. May I?” She lifted one wrist and cut the band of leather. “I don’t need anything as crude and obvious as this to set my mark on you. Do I?” She cut my other wrist free. She paused before severing my collar, her thumb holding it to the knife, to look into my face. “If I call you, you’ll come to me, won’t you?” she demanded. “Yes,” I whispered. A loop of leather fell onto my thighs. When she brought me to my feet, it fell to the floor. I rubbed my wrists. They felt curiously light without my bracelets. And my neck—I was more acutely aware of where my collar had been than I ever was of its actual presence. I shook my head in amazement. Her boldness was more appealing than iron chains. Her confidence created an intangible bond between us. A determination was kindled in me to justify that confidence she had in her own power.

• From Worried about Everything Because I Pray about Nothing (2022)

  It’s a place of both closeness and respect . I was raised on the West Coast, which is an entirely different culture from the South. Where I come from, it’s fine to respond to your parents with a simple yes or no. You could even get away with something more casual: sure, yeah, okay, nah, nope . If you grew up in the South, though, it’s a different story. You probably learned that the only acceptable answers to parental questions were yes, sir ; yes, ma’am ; no, sir ; or no, ma’am . Anything more casual than that could endanger life or limb. Why? Because they were your parents, and you’d better talk to them with respect. Or else. I’m not going to argue for one culture over the other. Actually, they both have something to teach us. Familiar language implies closeness and trust, while more formal language implies respect. Both are good, and both are needed. Closeness and respect are not mutually exclusive, of course. Whether you say sir or sure , you can respect and honor your parents and simultaneously trust them, lean on them, laugh with them. The same goes for God. Prayer should bring us closer to God, but it should also inspire awe and respect. The love of God and the greatness of God go together. We love Him, but we also worship Him. We run into His presence, but we also realize that He is King, that we are running into the throne room of heaven. We have great confidence and access as His children, but we remember that our Father is the God of the universe. Prayer creates both absolute trust and humble dependency. That’s a great place to be. It’s healthy, it’s restful, it’s honest. The problem with unchecked religious systems is that they tend to replace closeness with protocol and respect with fear. Our relationship with God becomes more about walking on eggshells and less about coming confidently before His throne of grace. We begin to see God as distant, not close to us. And we’re okay with that, because why would we want to be close to someone we’re scared of? True prayer upends the toxicity of empty religion. It creates closeness and awe at the same time. Think about the last time you prayed from your heart, with urgency and rawness. Maybe you heard about a family member who was sick, or you lost your job, or you were facing serious financial pressure, or you found yourself spiraling into anxiety or depression. How did you talk to God in those moments? Probably very directly. I’m guessing you didn’t sound super “spiritual.” You simply cried out to Him in desperation, maybe even anger, because you needed His help. When we pray, we connect directly with God. We skip the artificial protocols of empty religious systems. We bypass human-made rules about how to approach God, and we burst into His presence with a confidence and humility He adores.

• From Saint Thomas Aquinas Collection (22 Books) (2016)

  I answer that, God enables man to work miracles for two reasons. First and principally, in confirmation of the doctrine that a man teaches. For since those things which are of faith surpass human reason, they cannot be proved by human arguments, but need to be proved by the argument of Divine power: so that when a man does works that God alone can do, we may believe that what he says is from God: just as when a man is the bearer of letters sealed with the king’s ring, it is to be believed that what they contain expresses the king’s will. Secondly, in order to make known God’s presence in a man by the grace of the Holy Ghost: so that when a man does the works of God we may believe that God dwells in him by His grace. Wherefore it is written (Gal. 3:5): “He who giveth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you.” Now both these things were to be made known to men concerning Christ—namely, that God dwelt in Him by grace, not of adoption, but of union: and that His supernatural doctrine was from God. And therefore it was most fitting that He should work miracles. Wherefore He Himself says (Jn. 10:38): “Though you will not believe Me, believe the works”; and (Jn. 5:36): “The works which the Father hath given Me to perfect . . . themselves . . . give testimony to Me.” Reply to Objection 1: These words, “a sign shall not be given it, but the sign of Jonas,” mean, as Chrysostom says (Hom. xliii in Matth.), that “they did not receive a sign such as they sought, viz. from heaven”: but not that He gave them no sign at all. Or that “He worked signs not for the sake of those whom He knew to be hardened, but to amend others.” Therefore those signs were given, not to them, but to others. Reply to Objection 2: Although Christ came “in the infirmity” of the flesh, which is manifested in the passions, yet He came “in the power of God” [*Cf. 2 Cor. 13:4], and this had to be made manifest by miracles. Reply to Objection 3: Miracles lessen the merit of faith in so far as those are shown to be hard of heart who are unwilling to believe what is proved from the Scriptures unless (they are convinced) by miracles. Yet it is better for them to be converted to the faith even by miracles than that they should remain altogether in their unbelief. For it is written (1 Cor. 14:22) that signs are given “to unbelievers,” viz. that they may be converted to the faith.

• From The Story of My Experiments with Truth (An Autobiography) (1927)

  occasions. But nowadays I have not the confidence I had in South Africa and experience has even shown that these experiments involve obvious risks. The reference here, therefore, to these experiments is not meant to demonstrate their success. I cannot claim complete success for any experiment. Even medical men can make no such claim for their experiments. My object is only to show that he who would go in for novel experiments must begin with himself. That leads to a quicker discovery of truth, and God always protects the honest experimenter. The risks involved in experiments in cultivating intimate contacts with Europeans were as grave as those in the nature cure experiments. Only those risks were of a different kind. But in cultivating those contacts I never so much as thought of the risks. I invited Polak to come and stay with me, and we began to live like blood brothers. The lady who was soon to be Mrs. Polak and he had been engaged for some years, but the marriage had been postponed for a propitious time. I have an impression that Polak wanted to put some money by before he settled down to a married life. He knew Ruskin much better than I, but his Western surroundings were a bar against his translating Ruskin’s teaching immediately into practice. But I pleaded with him: ‘When there is a heart union, as in your case, it is hardly right to postpone marriage merely for financial consideratons. If poverty is a bar, poor men can never marry. And then you are now staying with me. There is no question of household expenses. I think you should get married as soon as possible. As I have said in a previous chapter, I had never to argue a thing twice with Polak. He appreciated the force of my argument, and immediately opened correspondence on the subject with Mrs. Polak, who was then in England. She gladly accepted the proposal and in a few months reached Johannesburg. Any expense over the wedding was out of the question, not even a special dress was

• From Martin Luther (2016)

  An early portrait of 1509 shows Spalatin with delec- table curls, dressed in a simple grey gown with a black lining which combines academic reserve with courtly display. A woodcut from 1515 depicts a serious young man in sober garb, meditating on the Cross. But Spalatin was not a courtier by birth. His father was a tanner, and he came from Spalt near Nuremberg. One of the ‘new men’, he had risen through education. He joined the court but knew that, as a - commoner, he was not an aristocrat’s equal; there was also specula- tion that he may have been illegitimate. While he was a trusted servant and important advisor — and on occasion intimate enough to be present when the Elector did his toilette before dinner — he was not invited to join the table afterwards.* Spalatin seems to have had a sure touch for negotiation and manoeuvre, a grasp of the possible and a sense of realism which Luther lacked. Like Luther he was educated in Greek as well as Latin, and he became part of the humanist circles around Conrad Mutian and Nikolaus Marschalk at the University of Erfurt. He did not possess Luther’s abrasive self-confidence, and was a poor speaker. But the two men formed a hugely creative partnership. Spalatin bought books for the university library and supported university reforms that brought in biblical studies and those of the Church Fathers. Together they made a series of brilliant appointments, of whom Melanchthon was the star. Repeatedly Luther would recommend people to Spalatin, asking for small favours, pensions from Friedrich or seeking posts for them. Spalatin worked tirelessly in the service of the Elector, often late into the night; he nevertheless found time to translate Luther’s Latin works into German, and did so with a fine musical sense.? We have just Luther’s side of the friendship, because it is only his letters that have survived — carefully catalogued and reverentially THE DIET OF WORMS 175 34. Lucas Cranach the Elder, Georg Spalatin Honouring the Cross, 1515. annotated, often in Greek, by Spalatin.° As the sheer number of Luther’s letter indicates — over 400 — this was perhaps the central rela- tionship in his life in between 1518 and 1525: he wrote more letters to Spalatin than to anyone else, even though they saw each other regularly.