Last rites declaration of Ioannes Paulus PP. II (Karol Wojtyla)
2nd April 2005
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When we want to think of God, is there nothing which turns us away, and
tempts us to think of something else? All this is bad, and is born in us.
479. If there is a God, we must love Him only and not the creatures of a
day. The reasoning of the ungodly in the Book of Wisdom is only based upon
the nonexistence of God. "On that supposition," say they, "let us take
delight in the creatures." That is the worst that can happen. But if there
were a God to love, they would not have come to this conclusion, but to
quite the contrary. And this is the conclusion of the wise: "There is a God;
let us therefore not take delight in the creatures."
Therefore all that incites us to attach ourselves to the creatures is bad;
since it prevents us from serving God if we know Him, or from seeking Him if
we know Him not. Now we are full of lust. Therefore we are full of evil;
therefore we ought to hate ourselves and all that excited us to attach
ourselves to any other object than God only.
480. To make the members happy, they must have one will and submit it to the
body.
481. The examples of the noble deaths of the Lacedaemonians and others
scarce touch us. For what good is it to us? But the example of the death of
the martyrs touches us; for they are "our members." We have a common t