Death And Faith

Tot persecutiones animus quotidie patitur, tot periculis pectus urgetur; et delectat hic inter diaboli gladios diu stare, cum magis concupiscendum sit et optandum ad Christum, subveniente velocius morte , properare, ipso instruente nos et dicente: Amen amen dico vobis quoniam vos plorabitis et plangetis, saeculum autem gaudebit; vos tristes eritis, sed tristitia vestra in laetitiam veniet. Quis non tristitia carere optet? quis non ad laetitiam venire festinet? Quando autem in laetitiam veniat nostra tristitia Dominus denuo ipse declarat dicens: Iterum videbo vos, et gaudebit cor vestrum, et gaudium vestrum nemo auferet a vobis. Cum ergo Christum videre gaudere sit, nec possit esse gaudium nostrum nisi cum viderimus Christum, quae caecitas animi quaeve dementia est amare pressuras et poenas et lacrymas mundi, et non festinare potius ad gaudium quod numquam possit auferri? Hoc autem fit, fratres dilectissimi, quia fides deest, quia nemo credit vera esse quae promittit Deus, qui verax est, cujus sermo credentibus aeternus et firmus est. Si tibi vir gravis et laudabilis aliquid polliceretur, haberes utique pollicenti fidem, nec te falli aut decipi ab eo crederes quem stare in sermonibus atque in actibus suis scires. Nunc Deus tecum loquitur; et tu mente incredula perfidus fluctuas! Deus tibi de hoc mundo recedenti immortafitatem atque aeternitatem pollicetur; et tu dubitas! Hoc est Deum omnino non nosse; hoc est Christum, credentium dominum et magistrum, peccato incredulitatis offendere; hoc est in Ecclesia constitutum, fidem in domo fidei non habere. Sanctus Cyprianus, Liber De Mortalitate, V-VI Source: Migne PL 4.585b-586b

So many blows the soul suffers daily, so many perils press on the heart, and yet it is our delight to keep standing here among the blades of the devil, when it should rather be our desire and wish to hasten to Christ by the aid of a quicker death, as He Himself instructs us, saying: 'Truly, truly, I say to you, that you shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice, and you shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall attain joy.' 1 Who would not desire to be free of sadness? Who would not hurry to attain to joy? But when our sadness shall attain joy, the Lord Himself again declares, saying: 'I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man shall take from you.' 2 Since, therefore, to see Christ is to be joyful, and we cannot be joyful until we shall see Christ, what blindness of mind or madness is it to love the afflictions and punishments and tears of the world, and not rather hurry to the joy which can never be taken away. But this is so, beloved brethren, because of a lack of faith, because no one believes that the things which God promises are true, He who is true, whose word to the faithful is eternal and immoveable. If a sincere and admirable man should promise you anything, you would certainly have faith in him who promises, and you would not believe that you would be cheated and deceived by him whom you knew to be steadfast in his words and deeds. Now God is speaking with you, and do you faithlessly waver in your unbelieving mind? God promises to you immortality and eternity on your withdrawal from this world, and do you doubt? This is not to know God at all. This is to offend Christ, the Lord and teacher of believers, with the sin of incredulity. This is for one established in the Church not to have faith in the house of faith. Saint Cyprian of Carthage, On The Mortality, 5-6 1 Jn 16.20 2 Jn 16.22