Episode 21 -- Imitation of Christ I.21 -- On Holy Sorrow and Fear of the Lord

Besides wanting to be close to God, what other inward disposition should we pray for, especially in Holy Week?Holy Sorrow. In chapter 21, Thomas a Kempis places before us our need to pray for the fear of the Lord. Why? The fear of the Lord, the Psalms teach, is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of the Lord is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Fear of the Lord has different degrees. But building on our faith in God's goodness, fear makes us feel REVERENCE towards God. Fear makes us afraid of sinning because we do not want to be separated from His love. From this fear of the Lord, we grow to hate our sins and all the ways we block out His mercy. This holy hatred leads us to a holy sorrow, a true sadness at sin.