What does it mean to fear the Lord? "The fear of the Lord is glory and exultation, and gladness and a crown of rejoicing. The fear of the Lord delights the heart, and gives gladness and joy and long life" --Sirach 1:11-12. Fear is that which is instilled in the heart by understanding the infinite majesty of the Lord. It is a feeling of being awe-filled rather than awful. This understanding recognizes the glory of God, the glory of man made in His image. It exults in being humbled, is full of gladness at the mercy of the Lord, partakes in a crown of rejoicing for our salvation! The heart delights in having its deepest desire fulfilled, and overflows with gladness and joy as it journeys to eternal life!
This is wisdom's full measure, that we should know God! The fruits of this? An overflowing of virtue and love, most of all a purity of heart that achieves the overwhelming peace and joy of the interior gaze. Knowing God means knowing Love!!! Nothing could be more intoxicating than His divine, pure love!!! In it we are cleansed, we are healed, we are delighted in; we give of ourselves completely to Him in response to His love, and become more like Him, we are transformed into our true selves! We become truly free, truly fulfilled! "Look to Him, and be radiant"-- Psalm 34:5.
Anything less than pure love is not a fruit of wisdom, and is not God-fearing. It is addictive, not intoxicating. It will only increase desire that can never be fulfilled, and turn the infinite mystery of a person into something that is finite, boring and discardable. We must lay hold of wisdom, that we may enjoy her fruits! We must know God, that we might know an eternal exchange of Love that lifts and captivates! May we all come to fear the Lord, to know the Trinity, to understand our gift of sexuality, that we may be intoxicated by the fruits of wisdom!
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