| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: done that which was our duty to do."' And, indeed, which of us
is able to repay the debt that we owe our Master, for that he,
though he was rich, yet for our sakes became poor, that we
through his poverty might become rich, and, being without
suffering, yet suffered, that we might be delivered from
suffering? What thanks hath the servant if he suffer like as his
Master? But we fall far short of his sufferings. Meditate upon
these things, casting down imaginations, and every high thing
that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing
into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. And the
peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep thy heart
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from A Second Home by Honore de Balzac: brief moments when they met free from the active watchfulness of their
families, they had scarcely exchanged a few vague civilities at the
church door or in the street. Their happiest days had been those when,
brought together by one of those country festivities known in Normandy
as /Assemblees/, they could steal a glance at each other from afar.
In the course of the last vacation Granville had twice seen Angelique,
and her downcast eyes and drooping attitude had led him to suppose
that she was crushed by some unknown tyranny.
He was off by seven next morning to the coach office in the Rue Notre-
Dame-des-Victoires, and was so lucky as to find a vacant seat in the
diligence then starting for Caen.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Blue Flower by Henry van Dyke: ago. You have heard of the incident?"
"Yes," said Hermas, beginning to be interested; "the whole
city must have heard of it, for it is still talked of. But
surely it was a strange sacrifice that you brought to
celebrate the restoration of Apollo's temple?"
"You mean the ancient goose?" said the old man laughing.
"Well, perhaps it was not precisely what the emperor expected.
But it was all that I had, and it seemed to me not
inappropriate. You will agree to that if you are a Christian,
as I guess from your dress."
"You speak lightly for a priest of Apollo."
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