Introductory Note:

One of the quickest and least pleasant ways of forming a sense of humility is to be corrected in our errors by a brother or sister. Clement of Rome reminds us of the necessity, though, of loving correction within the Christian community so that we all may better conform to the perfect will of God.

Renovaré Team

Let us then also pray for those who have fall­en into any sin, that meek­ness and humil­i­ty may be giv­en to them, so that they may sub­mit, not unto us, but to the will of God. For in this way they shall secure a fruit­ful and per­fect remem­brance from us, with sym­pa­thy for them, both in our prayers to God, and our men­tion of them to the saints. Let us receive cor­rec­tion, beloved, on account of which no one should feel displeased. 

Those exhor­ta­tions by which we admon­ish one anoth­er are both good [in them­selves] and high­ly prof­itable, for they tend to unite us to the will of God. For thus saith the holy Word: 

The Lord hath severe­ly chas­tened me, yet hath not giv­en me over to death” (Psalm 118:18).

For whom the Lord loveth He chas­teneth, and scour­geth every son whom He receiveth” (Hebrews 12:6).

The right­eous,” saith it, shall chas­ten me in mer­cy, and reprove me; but let not the oil of sin­ners make fat my head” (Psalm 141:5).

And again he saith, Blessed is the man whom the Lord reproveth, and reject not thou the warn­ing of the Almighty. For He caus­es sor­row, and again restores [to glad­ness]; He woundeth, and His hands make whole. He shall deliv­er thee in six trou­bles, yea, in the sev­enth no evil shall touch thee. In famine He shall res­cue thee from death, and in war He shall free thee from the pow­er of the sword. From the scourge of the tongue will He hide thee, and thou shalt not fear when evil cometh. Thou shalt laugh at the unright­eous and the wicked, and shalt not be afraid of the beasts of the field. For the wild beasts shall be at peace with thee: then shalt thou know that thy house shall be in peace, and the habi­ta­tion of thy taber­na­cle shall not fail? Thou shall know also that thy seed shall be great, and thy chil­dren like the grass of the field. And thou shall come to the grave like ripened corn which is reaped in its sea­son, or like a heap of the thresh­ing-floor which is gath­ered togeth­er at the prop­er time” (Job 5:17 – 26). 

Ye see, beloved, that pro­tec­tion is afford­ed to those that are chas­tened of the Lord; for since God is good, He cor­rects us, that we may be admon­ished by His holy chastisement.

Excerpt­ed from Clemen­t’s first let­ter to the Corinthi­ans (Chap. LVI. Let us admon­ish and cor­rect one anoth­er), via the EWTN Library.

📚 The 2022 – 23 Ren­o­varé Book Club

This year’s nine-month, soul-shap­ing jour­ney fea­tures four books, old and new, prayer­ful­ly curat­ed by Ren­o­varé. Now under­way and there’s still time to join.

View Selections & Learn More >