Letter to Francesco Cappelli from Anthony M. Zaccaria
Study Guide to Letter to Francesco Cappelli
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1. SPIRITUAL-THEOLOGICAL THEMES OF THE LETTER
Loss of Light
- “I have buried my talent of helping my neighbor. And little by little I have lost the initial fervor to bring people to Christ. As a result, I have lost also the clear vision of the spiritual state of my own soul.”
- -“And so now…I tarry in lukewarmness because, as I have already said, I lost my pristine light.”
- “It was that light that animated my spiritual life.”
Gift of Light
- “I have decided to devote myself to the care of the spiritual welfare of my neighbor. By so doing, I hope to grow in Jesus’ love; and the good Lord crucified will give me back the spiritual light and fervor, which used to keep me spiritually alive.”
2. REFLECTIONS
- That which causes us to fall into a state of spiritual apathy, that is, the lack of concern toward other people for fear of appearing proud, cannot be humility.
- Fear blocks spiritual growth which is always a going forward on God’s way.
- God himself will see to it that we are gradually cleansed of every trace of pride.
- Fear of making mistake should not stop us from moving forward. He who stops makes an even greater mistake.
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Did I sometimes stop doing good for fear of being praised by people, as if doing good, even without any hint of pride or self-aggrandizement, were evil?
- Am I humble enough to let God be the judge of my deeds and intentions, and am I ready to ask forgiveness from him when I do wrong?
- Do I believe that acting imperfectly is better than not acting at all?
