Working In The Light

Est igitur, ut, quoniam hora praeteriit, brevi dicamus: Aversio a Deo, sive sensus rationalis a veritate, sive vitae a charitate, nox, in qua nemo valens est operari; conversio vero ad Deum per investigationem et imitationem, dies, qua exit homo ad opus suum, id est, ad cognoscendum ac diligendum Deum, et delectandum in ipsius cognitione et dilectione. Propter haec enim factus est homo ad imaginem et similitudinem Dei, ac per haec reficitur reformaturque ad easdem, per sensum ad imaginem, per vitam ad similitudinem. Verumtamen factus ad imaginem et similitudinem, reficitur ad similitudinem et imaginem propter conformitatem vitae reformandus ad participium naturae. Ut cognoscat verum Deum, aeterna est vita, sed ut toto corde diligat, aeterna est via. Charitas ergo via, veritas vita, charitas similitudo, veritas imago, charitas meritum, veritas praemium; charitate itur, veritate statur. Unde qui mane oriebatur, sed usque ad vesperam non finiebatur, Lucifer, in veritate non stetit; quia a charitate exorbitavit. Quoniam autem charitas nunquam excidit, cum ad veritatem charitatis, et in charitate veritatis, sicut feliciter, ita semper vivitur. Itaque dilectissimi, exeunti de nocte peccati, et carnalis conversationis, ad hanc operationem suam, prima illuminatione gratiae, tanquam primo mane conversionis suae ad Deum, occurrit homini sua conscientia; et qualiter vixit, dum male vixit, videt; qualis in tenebris fuit, in luce cernit. Itaque ipsa prima in vineam missa, dum se accusans, diligenter omnia recolit, universa ad memoriam reducit, procul dubio humiliter se inclinans, in altum fodit: omnisque injustitiae radices excidens, utique ad justitiam se colere incipit. Justus enim imprimis accusator est sui. Verumtamen sicut se convertens ad Deum, de praeteritis se graviter accusat, ita necesse est ut secundum qualitatem, quantitatem, et causam operis, omnia subtiliter dijudicet, et districte examinet, quatenus accusantem conscientiam, et in vinea ipsa accusatione laborantem, subsequatur ratio oblata subtiliter dijucians, et ipsam dolor et contritio cordis excrucians. Isaac De Stella, Sermo XVI Source: Migne PL 194.1744a-d

Therefore, since the hour grows late, let us briefly say that the turning away from God, be it of the rational sense from truth, or life from love, is the night in which no one is able to work. 1 But turning to God in investigation and intimitation is the day when a man goes out to his work, 2 to the knowing and loving of God and to delight in that same knowing and loving. By this a man is made into an image and likeness of God, and by this he is refashioned and reformed to the same, through understanding to the image, through life to the likness. But made to the image and likeness, he is remade to the likeness and image according to the conformity of life reformed to participation in His nature. The knowledge of the true God is eternal life, and to love with the whole heart is the way of eternity. Love, therefore, is the way, and truth is the life. Love is the likeness, truth is the image. Love is what is of merit, truth the reward. Love is the way, truth is that in which we stand. Whence he who arose in the morning did not reach the evening, that Lucifer who did not stand in the truth 3 because he strayed from love. Because love knows no end, 4 love brings to truth and truth is in love, as it lives joyously so it lives forever. Therefore, beloved, with the going out from the night of sin, and carnal ways, to his work, with the first illumination of grace, in the first light of the morning of his turning to God, a man's conscience comes to him, and he sees how he has lived, how wickedly he has lived; in the light he sees how he was in the darkness. Thus at first light we are sent to the vineyard while we accuse ourselves, diligently recalling everything, bringing all to mind, which certainly inclines a man to humiilty, and so he digs deep and cuts out all the roots of unrighteousness, and he begins to cultivate righteousnesss. The righteous man is the first accusor of himself. 5 But as he turns to God and accuses himself strictly of past deeds, so it is necessary to carefully judge the quality and number and cause of what has been done, and strictly examine to what extent the accusing conscience works in the vineyard with its accusation, so that what is offered to reason's judgement may drive one to sorrow and contrition of heart. Isaac of Stella, from Sermon 16 1 Jn 9.4 2 Ps 103.23 3 Isaiah 14.12, Jn 8.44 4 1 1 Cor13.8 5 Prov 18.17