Spiritual Quotes

The Gospel of John recounts what Jesus taught his disciples during the Last Supper. It could be said that this very emotional moment was a summary of what Jesus wanted to foreshadow to his disciples about what was to come: his crucifixion for the sins of humanity and the birth of the early Church with the arrival of the Holy Spirit. Jesus always demanded that his disciples have faith to achieve even the impossible. But they were not prepared for what the divine master told them at that dinner; when they heard him, they asked each other questions and didn't arrive at any concrete conclusions. Jesus' words constituted a true spiritual mystery for them. And this was logical because the disciples were still incomplete people, that is, prudent people, and they had not received from above the spirit of wisdom with its spiritual gifts. And after a long speech where Jesus discussed some mysteries of his Kingdom, he finally made three prayers: a prayer for himself, a prayer for his disciples, and a prayer for all who believe in him. And in his prayer over his disciples Jesus asked the Father: "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth" John 17:17. With this, Jesus asked for the Holy Spirit for his disciples, because with it comes sanctification, but with this Jesus also asked that his disciples not turn away from the word that he taught to them, which is the way, the truth, and the life. And then Jesus concluded: "I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth" John 17:19. With this, Jesus asked the Father that his sacrifice for all the sins of humanity in the cross would serve the purpose of giving his disciples that promised of the new life, a life that would instruct them in the truth and in the perfection of holiness.

Since the time of Joseph and Pharaoh in the Book of Genesis, wise men have been people with special spiritual powers granted by God. And so the Book of Wisdom of Ben Sira teaches that there are jobs for common people, and jobs for wise people. And this is so, because there is a spiritual reality that cannot be avoided; not just anyone can become wise or a doctor of wisdom. Acquiring wisdom requires special training. This is why the Bible says: "How can anyone become wise who handles a plow and who takes great pride in wielding the goad, who drives oxen, engrossed in that task, and whose main topic of conversation centers around cattle?" Ben Sira 38:25. And then the sapiential book of Ben Sira continues with its spiritual teaching, explaining that a city subsists and can be lived in because of its artisans, farmers, and builders, but this is not enough, because these people are not responsible for the following tasks: "But they are not sought out for the council of the people, nor are they prominent in the assembly. They do not sit on the judge's bench, nor can they understand law and justice. They cannot expound discipline or judgment, nor are they found among the rulers" Ben Sira 38:32-33. It is the task of the wise man to lead and do justice, as all philosophers such as Saint Thomas and Aristotle taught in their books. And this is due to sacred listening, which is the art proper to the wise. And this is what Ben Sira wanted to make clear when referring to the work of simple, ordinary people. Wise people are special individuals who, in order for society to achieve its true purpose, the common good, must be in the highest positions. An example of this was the great King Solomon, who had great wisdom, and through this gift, this great ruler prospered and made all the inhabitants of his kingdom prosper. Understanding this is understanding how the science of wisdom can build human society.

The Book of Tobit is one of the most unusual books in the Bible. It is not about the law, nor is it a book written by the prophets. The purpose of the Book of Tobit is to teach the spiritual meaning of the trust in God, and that all human wisdom must submit to it, because God provides for those who love him. The Book of Tobit begins by relating that this character was a God-fearing man who performed acts of mercy towards his fellow Israelites, and for this, he suffered persecution. But through life's twists and turns, Tobit was able to overcome this until one day he suffered an accident and became blind, and so Tobit prayed to God about his problem. Thinking that he had little time left to live, Tobit sent his son Tobias to look for some money that was his in the region of Media. The Book relates that God heard the prayer of Tobit and sent an angel named Raphael to help. With the angel's help, Tobias was able to recover the money, find a wife, and find a cure for his father's blindness. And as a form of celebration, the Book ends with a beautiful prayer of Tobit. And with these words the prayer begins: "Blessed be God who lives forever, for his kingdom endures throughout all ages" Tobit 13:1. With this, Tobit celebrated the wisdom and glory of God, and that with his gifts, and in particular the providence, the creator determines the destiny of people. Man is temporary, but God is eternal. And then Tobit continued with a call to the conversion of all the Israelites: "If you turn to him with all your heart and soul to do what is right in his presence, then he will turn to you and will no longer hide his face from you" Tobit 13:6. With this, Tobit recalled that God does not want evil and is like a father to his children; when men repent of their sins and live with mercy, he makes his face known, that is, his presence. The Prayer ends with a prophecy about the rebuilding of a new Jerusalem and the blessedness of the true worshippers of God.

King David was an extraordinary man, and in him, beyond a few mistakes he made, the government of God was embodied in the times of ancient Israel. Although David did not receive the wisdom of his son Solomon, understanding David's exploits as king is understanding how a person guided, enlightened, and inspired by God governs. David, along with Solomon, Josiah, and Hezekiah, is a good example of what spiritual government among men is. The first book of Chronicles relates that after the death of King Saul, David was crowned king, and the first thing he did was to establish his new capital in Jerusalem, which was in the hands of the Jebusites, and defeat the Philistines, who still constituted a great threat to Israel. And King David, in this sense, stood out as a great military leader and commander, something that the men who followed him in his projects always valued highly. David, as king, did not oppress his people but worked to establish peace and the common good, and that is how the Bible summarizes his actions: "So David reigned over all Israel and did what was just and right for all his people" 1 Chronicles 18:14. The First Book of Chronicles relates that the extraordinary events in the life of this king did not end there, and that David made a covenant with God through the prophet Nathan. With this, the Lord made to David the promise that one of his descendants would establish an eternal and permanent kingdom, which in the Christian faith is interpreted as a prophecy about Jesus. David, out of fear of God, was a progressive, edifying, and benevolent ruler, and he prepared his kingdom for its most glorious era, the reign of his son, King Solomon. Understanding the spiritual government of King David means understanding that the great goods of a society, such as the common good, prosperity, and peace, depend on the gifts that God bestows upon rulers.

The apostle Timothy was one of Paul's most important followers and disciples, and his role and performance within the early Church were very prominent. And this was so much the case that Paul mentioned Timothy in his first epistle to this disciple as his true son in the faith. With these words, the Book of Acts recounts the beginning of the spiritual relationship between the apostle Paul and Timothy: "Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him" Acts 16:1-3. After meeting Timothy, Paul wanted to take his new disciple with him on his second missionary journey, as recounted in the Book of Acts. Timothy assisted Paul in the founding of the Churches of Thessalonica and Corinth during his second missionary journey, and the founding of the Church of Ephesus during his third journey. And not only that, but he also assisted the apostle in writing numerous letters. Timothy was a fervent Christian, and his great faith yielded fruits of life for the early Church. Although it is not specified in any of the canonical books of the New Testament, Timothy became the bishop of Ephesus, probably appointed by Paul. The city where Paul ordered him to stay to evangelize it as recounted in the first epistle to this disciple. Although Timothy never saw his master again after the arrest of the apostle to the Gentiles in Jerusalem, their epistolary communication continued until the end of Paul's life. The actions of this remarkable disciple of Paul, with his faith and perseverance, were an example of what the early days of the early Church were like.

Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm in the Bible, and this makes sense; the hymn is a song of praise to the excellence of the law of Moses. And this praise must be understood in the context of sapiential literature. Because Psalm 119, like Psalm 1, teaches that men have the freedom to choose between two paths, and these paths are to accept the law or to reject it, because living in an edifying and benevolent way or living in a chaotic, unjust, and destructive way are before the reason of man. And the Psalm, among other things, reminds Bible readers that those who follow their own greed and selfishness cannot fulfill the law because hardened hearts are in conflict with the wisdom and the truth, and with these words the Psalm expresses this fact: "Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain" Psalm 119:36. And the Psalm also teaches that superficial analyses of the law of Moses should be avoided, because the law is not simply obeying a series of commands or orders. A deeper comprehension of the law of Moses is necessary to understand that the law is an expression of the eternal wisdom of God. Those who truly follow the law of Moses, that is, those who follow it with devotion, are the ones who receive that wisdom which is revealed like a hidden treasure, like King Solomon in the sacred place of Gibeon, because the spiritual gift of fear of God (constancy, firmness, devotion) is the beginning of law and wisdom. It must be remembered that the first two commandments boil down to a very simple idea: men must fear God and not men. This is why the Psalm also teaches with intelligence: "I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes" Psalm 119:99. The true application of the law with fidelity, and not masks, is then a source of common sense, understanding, and true knowledge, as expressed in the teaching of the Psalm.

Much of the knowledge contained in the Bible originates from the wisdom of the sages, who recorded important advice for living well in the sapiential literature. Just as King Solomon wrote Proverbs and Wisdom, the teacher Ben Sira also wrote the book that bears his name to guide Bible readers into the hidden treasure of the divine science. And it is common in all the books of the wise to explain that men must avoid error, that is, sin, because this is a problematic path. And so the master of wisdom Ben Sira wrote: "Flee from sin as from a snake, for it will bite you if you approach it" Ben Sira 21:2. The Bible contains many examples of the truth of this proverb. When Moses, as a prophet, appeared before Pharaoh, Pharaoh sinned against God by oppressing the Hebrew people, until he finally drowned while trying to cross the Red Sea, pursuing the chosen people who were escaping from Egypt. The tyrant Sennacherib, ruler of the Assyrian Empire, unsuccessfully attempted to take the city of Jerusalem, and upon returning to the capital of his kingdom, two of his sons took his life, and another took the throne. Following this teaching, Ben Sira also wrote: "A band of the wicked is like a bundle of fibers; it will end in a blazing fire" Ben Sira 21:9. And this teaching is valid because there is an inexorable ethical law, the law of sowing and reaping: "Do not sow in the furrows of injustice, and you will not reap a sevenfold crop" Ben Sira 7:3. Beyond the intelligence of human calculations, sin, through the progressive nature of error, produces unforeseen destructive events, the so-called stumbling rocks, and this is why those who come together to fulfill their sinful plans are destined for sudden destruction. For this reason, the sapiential literature, like the Book of Ben Sira, is repetitive with one teaching: sin leads to destruction, but wisdom to life.

The First Book of Maccabees is one of the few books in the Bible that recounts the period of time from the conquest of Alexander the Great to the arrival of the Roman Empire in the Middle East. This era in the history of the people of Israel was a very turbulent and chaotic period, where the chosen people had to fight for their independence and liberty against the successors of Alexander the Great. The First Book of Maccabees begins its story with the conquest of the Persian Empire by the Macedonian ruler and how, before his death, he divided his empire among his successors, which filled Asia with calamities. After this arose an impious man named Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who ruled the region of Syria and conquered Egypt. This tyrant, according to the First Book of Maccabees, decided that all the nations under his rule should become one people, which led to the persecution of those who followed the law of Moses. The religious oppression created in Judea triggered the revolt of the priest Mattathias and his sons, who successfully created an independent state in the region, thus saving the followers of the law of Moses. The First Book of Maccabees recounts the last speech of the priest Mattathias to his sons before his death, in which he spoke to motivate them to continue fighting for freedom. And with these words Mattathias spoke to them: "My children, be zealous for the law and give your lives for the covenant of our ancestors" 1 Maccabees 2:50. In his speech, Mattathias spoke to them about the illustrious figures in the history of Israel, such as Joshua, David, and Elijah, and how faithfulness to the law and the fear of God blessed them. Because in the spiritual teachings of Mattathias, spirituality boils down to a very simple precipice: only God must be feared and not men. And so, he ended his speech: "Do not fear the words of sinners, for their glory ends in corruption and worms. Today exalted, tomorrow not to be found, they have returned to dust, their schemes have perished" 1 Maccabees 2:62-63. Mattathias taught that whoever fears men is in error and lacks wisdom, because what comes from men is temporary, but what is divine is not. Mattathias concluded that fearing God and following his law is the greatest blessing.

Isaiah was a prophet who lived in the Kingdom of Judah before the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel, and was the author of one of the most influential books in the Christian faith. Like all prophets of the Old Testament, he declared the Israelites' need to perceive God's face in order to be blessed and live in peace, but the opposite was happening; the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Judah had become rebellious children before the God of Moses. This is why the prophet began his prophetic book by showing how Judah had lost that knowledge and understanding which comes from the wisdom from above: "The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's feeding trough, but Israel doesn't know, and my people don't understand" Isaiah 1:3. Isaiah was not only a prophet but also a teacher of wisdom; that is why he warned the inhabitants of Judah about the evil path through several admonitions. And this was so because there are inevitably two paths for man: righteousness and sin. This is why the prophet asked to return to the right path towards God, and to reject error, with these words: "Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong" Isaiah 1:16. God does not will evil, but it exists because of man's freedom to choose. The ruling class of the kingdom of Judah should not rely on weapons, riches, or diplomacy to avert the threat of the Assyrian Empire, but rather place their trust in God. And to achieve this, the prophet pointed out what pleases God, not masks, but a heart full of mercy and fear of God, with these words: "Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows." Isaiah 1:17. In the teachings of Isaiah, the path of the wisdom inspired by God and his eternal law is the only path to blessing. Like every prophet and teacher of wisdom, Isaiah pointed out the paths for man and his rewards. Because men have the freedom to choose, but God in his providence determines the course of history.

All Christian spirituality can be summarized in the Sermon on the Mount, a speech given by Jesus at the beginning of his public preaching on a mountain in Galilee as related by the Gospel of Matthew. In this speech, perhaps one of the most important given by Jesus, the divine teacher announced the Beatitudes, how to pray the Lord's Prayer, and the Golden Rule, among other things. The Sermon on the Mount is ultimately the beginning of the proclamation of the Kingdom of God among men, a Kingdom personified in the person of Jesus as God who becomes "Son of Man." And among the teachings of Jesus during this beautiful discourse, the master taught how to fast correctly. And with these words, he spoke about this topic: "When you fast, do not put on a sad face as the hypocrites do. They neglect their appearance so that everyone will see that they are fasting. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. When you go without food, wash your face and comb your hair" Matthew 6:16-17. For Jesus, men should not perform acts related to spirituality to please others or society, because God judges hearts and not appearances. Those who want to make spirituality a source of profit or to climb socially cannot receive a reward from God. An example of this was the rich young man who wanted to impress Jesus by asking him about eternal life, but in the end, he could not follow Jesus and went away sad. For Jesus, those who want to fast should do so in private, and not show outward signs, because true fasting is fasting of the heart and not of the body. Those who act this way are the ones who truly fear God and can follow him and thus enter the Kingdom of God. Because ultimately the Kingdom of God and the Christian faith consist in the search for truth and wisdom, which is ultimately God himself.

Psalm 103 is a beautiful psalm of praise to the Lord Almighty. This psalm is a very interesting song because it describes God's personality through his works and acts. God is supremely perfect, the psalm teaches, and he works perfections among humankind, and these perfections are also his spiritual gifts. This is why Psalm 103 begins with these wise words: "Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion" Psalm 103:2-4. God is wise, the hymn teaches, and that is why God loves with goodness and mercy (compassion, kindness, gentleness), and with these words the Psalm describes the love of God: "The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love" Psalm 103:8. And this generous love of God is poured out on everyone because God makes it rain for the good and the bad, but his blessings are especially for those who fear him with all their heart, because like seeks like teaches the Psalm. But in addition to this, God has a plan for humanity, because men are free to choose, and because of their imperfections, they are inclined to error. This is why the Psalm teaches something more: "The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed" Psalm 103:6. The Psalm recalls that God taught the prophet Moses his ways and helped the prophet to free the chosen people when they were oppressed in Egypt. With this, the Psalm teaches that God opposes everything that goes against his designs: sin, destruction, and the hopelessness of the humble. In other words, God in his wisdom humbles the proud and redeems the needy. Knowing God is very necessary, and we must trust in God, the Psalm teaches, because he is perfect, and whoever puts his hope in him is never disappointed.

It could be said that the two epistles of Saint Peter are the result of his pastoral experience after the birth of the Church at Pentecost. The first letter was addressed to several churches in Asia Minor, while the recipient of the second is not specified. Regarding the first letter, it is interesting to note that Paul referred to his recipients as foreigners, and this has a very profound theological meaning. And with these words, the apostle expressed this teaching: "I am writing to God's chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia" 1 Peter 1:1. The truth is that Peter's teachings, along with those of the other apostles, contrasted greatly with the pagan world. Entering the Kingdom of God and living according to the commandment of love means living the spiritual gifts, the blessed life, and this did not fit in a world given over to error, so Christians during the first century after Christ were seen as strange people. Given this situation, the spiritual war between Christianity and the pagan world was set in motion. As the Book of Acts recounts, the faith was rejected in many places, just as it was welcomed in others. The Kingdom of God, as it had friends, also had enemies. This is one of the reasons why the apostle Peter mentioned the word suffering on many occasions in his epistle. And as an example of this, the Book of Acts recounts that Peter even suffered imprisonment and was persecuted by Herod (Acts 12:6-19) for bearing witness to the gospel. This is why Paul also taught that being a Christian and bearing witness to the faith during the first century AD meant being prepared to suffer persecution; and so he wrote: "If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed" 1 Peter 4:14. And then Peter concluded: "However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name" 1 Peter 4:16. The first Christians had to persevere, inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit. But just as the persecution was great, so too is the reward of being called to live in the glory of God, and with this, the apostle concluded his letter.

The letters of the apostles and disciples of Jesus, along with the Book of Acts, recount the events of the Church during the first century AD. This was a time marked not only by persecution against the Church but also by internal divisions within the faith. The teaching of the faith in those times was free, and each teacher had his own little book. During this period, the only writings were the epistles, so the effort of the disciples and apostles was fundamental to developing Christian theological thought, and among these letters, the epistle of Jude, brother of James, stands out. This letter does not seem like a homily or a text relating personal situations, like some of Paul's letters. This spiritual letter is a warning and an exhortation to remain in the correct doctrine, avoiding the heresies that come from false teachers. The letter also does not have a specific recipient. The apostle Jude spoke in his letter about the danger of those who distort the doctrine of Christ to satisfy their worldly desires, because they not only mislead themselves but also lead unsuspecting and unwary believers astray with their doctrines, which makes everything worse. And the apostle compared these heretics or false teachers to characters from the Old Testament, to illustrate the problem of impiety in the Church, and he did so with these words: "Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error; they have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion". Jude 1:11. And in the face of heresies, the apostle emphasized the importance of living in the grace of God: "Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life" Jude 1:21. Because ultimately, only through perseverance in the true faith in Jesus can men achieve the spiritual salvation, the apostle Judas reflected.

The Book of Ben Sira is a sapiential text that begins by praising wisdom as a gift from God and the conditions for attaining it through the spiritual gift of fear of God (constancy, firmness, devotion). But the author of the book did not remain with a theoretical understanding of this marvelous wisdom, and so the wise taught how this perfect and immaterial wisdom flows like an overflowing river to the most needy, the oppressed, and the hopeless. Because wisdom, the same essence of God, is progressive, expansive, and benevolent. This is why the master of wisdom Ben Sira wrote to the sensible men a series of recommendations on how to deal with our neighbor, and among other things he taught: "Do not add to the problems of those who are desperate, or keep them waiting for your charity" Ben Sira 4:3. Wisdom opposes oppression in all its forms, such as ignorance, which is a form of passive oppression. Therefore, those who live with wisdom should not place further burdens on those in despair. Wisdom does not oppress but rather rehabilitates and redeems. And this is what Ben Sira taught with his counsel. But wisdom is also an active gift in helping others; that is why wisdom invites sharing from those who have more to those who are less fortunate, as the wise man also expressed. Wisdom is mercy (compassion, kindness, gentleness) towards others. And then the wise man concluded: "Do not neglect a suppliant in distress, or turn your face away from the poor" Ben Sira 4:4. In other words, this is an expression, but in different words, of the golden rule. To seek wisdom is therefore imperative. These teachings of Ben Sira would later materialize into something more transcendent for the followers of Jesus: the doctrine of the Kingdom of God, the empire or government of the divine perfections.

After the Christian Pentecost, the early Church began to take shape, although problems soon arose, on the one hand external problems such as the persecution of the apostles, but also internal problems, such as the threat of a schism between Christians coming from Judaism and Christians coming from paganism. After Stephen's martyrdom, many disciples escaped to Antioch, where they founded an important Christian community. In that city, the apostle Paul lived with the disciples after his conversion. And it was in Antioch where Paul and Barnabas were called by the Holy Spirit to undertake the first missionary journey. Once this journey was successfully completed, the Book of Acts recounts that Paul and Barnabas arrived in Antioch, where they encountered some teachers who demanded circumcision to enter the Christian faith, which provoked a significant discussion. This fact led to Paul and Barnabas being invited to the first council of the Church held in Jerusalem to resolve this division inside the church. At the council, one of the speakers was the apostle Peter, who spoke about how faith and gifts worked in the first conversions of pagans, explaining that God did not show favoritism and that all believers were saved by God's undeserved grace. After Peter, the apostle James took the floor and, inspired by the Holy Spirit, affirmed: "My friends, I don't think we should place burdens on the Gentiles who are turning to God" Acts 15:19. With this, James avoided a direct confrontation and made it clear that circumcision should not be mandatory but optional. The apostle ended his speech with a series of small recommendations to avoid sin. James's judgment prevailed in the council, and thus Paul was able to carry out his second and third missionary journeys without problems. With the resolution of the council, the path towards the transformation of the early Church had begun, and what began with the faith of a small community became the greatest religion in the history of the world.

The love of the wise, by the grace of God, is not directed toward money, power, or material things, but toward the most perfect immaterial object: wisdom. This is why the advice of a wise person is so valuable, because a wise person does not advise according to their own convenience or to please others, but rather advises based on truth, which is God himself. This is also why those who frequent the wise are never corrupted. And all the sapiential literature in the Bible, especially the book written by the master of wisdom Ben Sira, explains that the noblest task of a wise man is not only to advise others, but also to teach all men, like a lamp placed in the highest place of a city, the true path of life. Because life often deceives human reason, and many who have been led astray by superficial things, such as happiness or riches, end up in destruction or misfortune. If there is one thing that wisdom, the science of God, teaches to men, it is that good intentions are not enough to achieve well-being and personal development; knowledge is necessary and imperative. And it is logical that those who love with kindness and know the truth should also teach. This is why Master Ben Sira expressed in beautiful words the true intentions of writing his sapiential book in this way: "I will again make learning shine forth like the dawn, so that its light may be seen far and wide" Ben Sira 24:32. To then conclude: "Understand that I have not labored for myself alone but for all who seek wisdom" Ben Sira 24:34. What could be more sensible and beautiful than to share with others, specially Bible readers, the most excellent thing, wisdom, through teaching, because wisdom is the source of life and light, and this is what Ben Sira expressed with intelligence in his book.

Psalm 15 is fundamentally a continuation of Psalm 1, the Psalm of the Two Ways; that is, it is a sapiential or didactic hymn that seeks to instruct men on the path of righteousness. And the song has a special spiritual message: the man who lives in God's grace, following the gift of righteousness, is the man who lives drawing closer to God. And this is of fundamental importance because Psalm 14 states that humanity is astray, and few are those who practice good. This is why the Psalm begins with a question with these words: "Who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?" Psalm 15:1. In ancient times, the sacred tent was the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant and the place where Moses often communicated with God. The sacred mountain was the place where Moses received the Law. Clearly, these were the most sacred places in ancient times for the nation of Israel, where only a select few could see the face of God and live close to him. With this question at the beginning of the Psalm, the hymn raises the need for men to be worthy sons of God's presence. Then the Psalm goes on to describe what life is like that allows men to perceive the face of God: "The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart, whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others. Psalm 15:2-3. In short, this sapiential Psalm explains that God judges hearts and shows no partiality; masks, the Psalm teaches, have no place with God. To draw near to the Lord and perceive his face, which is the premise at the beginning of the Psalm, is to guard one's own heart from cultivating folly and error. Because there is only one possible path to the Most High, and that is the path of the spiritual gift of righteousness.