УЧИТЕЛЬ

Our existence will not end when we make good use of this life, the bodies will rise in greater glory, will be brighter than the sky, the sun and everything else, and will pass into a higher state. So, one way of knowing God [is achieved] through [considering] the whole creation; another, no less important, through conscience - and we fully outlined it then in extensive discussions, showing how the knowledge of good and bad arises naturally in us and how conscience itself instills all this in us. So, from the beginning we had these two teachers - creation and conscience, and both of them, without uttering words, taught people silently. Creation, striking the viewer with its appearance, arouses in the contemplator of the universe wonder at its Creator; and conscience, through internal suggestion, teaches everything that should be done; We recognize its strength and the court's decision by the state of the person. When she inwardly denounces sin, she covers her outward appearance with confusion and great despondency. It makes us pale and timid when we are convicted of something shameful, and although we do not hear the voice of [conscience], we notice [its] inner indignation by outward appearance (1). When a student sees vicious teachers, he becomes worse than them, because he does not stop at the degree of corruption of his teacher. When the teacher is good-natured, the student imitates him; and when he is bad, he also surpasses him in that, because there is nothing easier than to become worse (7). The humane, wise and all-seeing only begotten Son of God, knowing that over a long time and throughout the vast universe there would be many vicious priests, and wishing that their negligence would not increase the carelessness of those led by them, did not leave any excuse for the careless, saying: “The scribes and Pharisees sat in the seat of Moses; So whatever they tell you to observe... do; But do not follow their works” (Matthew 23:2, 3). By this He expressed that, even if you had a vicious teacher, this will not justify you in the least if you do not listen to his teachings. God will pronounce judgment on you not for what the teacher did, but for what you heard from him and did not fulfill. If you fulfill what is commanded, you will then appear with great boldness; and if you do not listen to the teaching, then even if you pointed to a thousand vicious priests, this will not justify you at all. And Judas was an apostle; however, this will not serve in the least to justify the blasphemers and money-lovers; none of them, being condemned, will be able to say that the apostle was a kidnapper, a blasphemer and a traitor: on the contrary, for this we will especially be condemned and punished because we did not understand the vices of others; They are described for this reason so that we beware of imitating them. Therefore, let’s leave others and be attentive to ourselves. Each of us will answer God for ourselves. And in order for us to give an answer that would serve to justify us, let us lead a pious life and extend a generous hand to the poor, remembering that fulfilling the commandments is our only justification, and there is no other. If we are able to present such a justification, then we will get rid of the unbearable torment of Gehenna and will be rewarded with future benefits (12). You might be interested in: