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troubled_soul
Guest
Does the quote “Fear is the heart of love.” correspond with Catholic teaching (on love)?
Thanks in advance
Thanks in advance
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pjn6444
Guest
No, God is all loving. What does God have to fear?
J
johnco
Guest
hi,
the quote should be “fear of God is the begining of wisdom”
God bless,
johnco
the quote should be “fear of God is the begining of wisdom”
God bless,
johnco
C
catharina
Guest
Two quotes from Scripture:Does the quote “Fear is the heart of love.” correspond with Catholic teaching (on love)?
Thanks in advance
“Perfect love casts out fear.”
and
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
Hope that helps.
I
iamACE
Guest
God is Love.
God fears nothing.
Initium Sapientiae Timor Domini
-The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom
One of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit…
(Is 11:1-3)
The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord"
God fears nothing.
Initium Sapientiae Timor Domini
-The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom
One of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit…
(Is 11:1-3)
The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord"
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troubled_soul
Guest
What I meant by my quote is in regards to something like when nuns physically punished their students. The nuns set fear in their students so the students would show love for them.
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ateista
Guest
The beating will continue until the morale improves… old, tried and trusted method!What I meant by my quote is in regards to something like when nuns physically punished their students. The nuns set fear in their students so the students would show love for them.
S
St_Aloysius
Guest
I heard this quoted in a song once!
“In Catholic school,
As vicious as Roman rule,
I got my knuckles bruised
By a lady in black.
And I held my tongue
As she told me, ‘Son,
Fear is the heart of love,’
And so I never went back.”
I was trying to mull over the meaning of the quote. I could see a nun saying it… just not the reasoning behind it. I must agree with what someone else referenced: “Perfect love casts out all fear.” Right? When there is true, sincere love, there is also inexplicable boldness–the boldness to be oneself, free from reservation and restraint. To be as we truly are. As God would want us to be.
I can’t say, then, that I’d agree with this… Don’t know what went through the mind(s) of the nun(s).
“In Catholic school,
As vicious as Roman rule,
I got my knuckles bruised
By a lady in black.
And I held my tongue
As she told me, ‘Son,
Fear is the heart of love,’
And so I never went back.”
I was trying to mull over the meaning of the quote. I could see a nun saying it… just not the reasoning behind it. I must agree with what someone else referenced: “Perfect love casts out all fear.” Right? When there is true, sincere love, there is also inexplicable boldness–the boldness to be oneself, free from reservation and restraint. To be as we truly are. As God would want us to be.
I can’t say, then, that I’d agree with this… Don’t know what went through the mind(s) of the nun(s).
I
iamACE
Guest
Well, i studied in a Catholic School run by FMA Sisters from elementary to high school.
I was once pinched by a nun and it bled… but I realized it was my fault and she was only carried away by her emotions.
I was once pinched by a nun and it bled… but I realized it was my fault and she was only carried away by her emotions.
S
St_Aloysius
Guest
Ouch.Well, i studied in a Catholic School run by FMA Sisters from elementary to high school.
I was once pinched by a nun and it bled… but I realized it was my fault and she was only carried away by her emotions.
Why does it seem that anyone who was taught by nuns (before I was even born!) doesn’t remember it fondly?
They seem like such pleasant people. Why, then, they would have such a short fuse around children perplexes me…
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nick_aksureh
Guest
Well, every none I’ve every met has seemed to have the heart of an angel. But they certainly didn’t “naturally become that way.” I’m sure they themselves went through a lot of sacrifice and discipline to get to the humble place where they are in life.
Therefore, it would make sense, knowing the power of discipline, that they would want to give the blessing to the children as well. It may seem strange to think of painful discipline as a blessing, but I see it as one.
As for the “temper” thing, I think it goes along the same lines. If you found a place in the service of the Lord that called to you so dearly, wouldn’t it drive you stark mad to see a young child with a life of potential, misbehaving and being proud? I don’t pretend to know the mind of the nun, but I certainly understand that it could be easy to over-do-it at times.
just my 2 pennies.
Therefore, it would make sense, knowing the power of discipline, that they would want to give the blessing to the children as well. It may seem strange to think of painful discipline as a blessing, but I see it as one.
As for the “temper” thing, I think it goes along the same lines. If you found a place in the service of the Lord that called to you so dearly, wouldn’t it drive you stark mad to see a young child with a life of potential, misbehaving and being proud? I don’t pretend to know the mind of the nun, but I certainly understand that it could be easy to over-do-it at times.
just my 2 pennies.
F
fhansen
Guest
Fear of God is more along the lines of the inescapable knowledge of ones inferiority in His presence. It’s not an inferiority born of self-hatred or shame but rather of the simple truth of His power and awesomeness in light of our relative weakness. It’s probably more akin to love than fear as we normally think of it but in any case it tends to produce adoration and pretty much rules out irreverence just by virtue of His nature.
J
j1s2a3
Guest
Love is God and the fears of man are not.
D
davidv
Guest
I was taught by nuns from K-5. I did not observe any abuse by any nun during that time. One of them was one of my favorite teachers.Ouch.
Why does it seem that anyone who was taught by nuns (before I was even born!) doesn’t remember it fondly?
They seem like such pleasant people. Why, then, they would have such a short fuse around children perplexes me…
P
puzzleannie
Guest
quote from whom, please?Does the quote “Fear is the heart of love.” correspond with Catholic teaching (on love)?
Thanks in advance
Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom is the actual quote from Proverbs. to discuss another quote the source would seem requisite.
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puzzleannie
Guest
and you have some factual basis or evidence for such a claim?What I meant by my quote is in regards to something like when nuns physically punished their students. The nuns set fear in their students so the students would show love for them.
in your context what might be more relevant is actual teaching, say from the ancient rule of St. Benedict, which describes discipline within the monastery both of novices, monks and oblates–young boys left in the care of the monks for their education–in the context of its era, which was characterized by a brutal and despotic view of the relation between father and child, which was ameliorated by the discipline of the rule.
in chapter 2 the abbot is admonished to reprove, persuade and rebuke, to adapt himself to circumstances, to punish only when other measures have failed and then only in consideration of the needs of the individual, the severity of the fault, and the situation.
there are several successive paragraphs on discipline, governance and correction, all of which point to the aim of perfecting first the abbot himself, then of his charges in virtue, and modelling God as a loving father and shepherd. while I don’t see OP’s quote the entire chapter is grounded in the proper love, in imitation of God the Father, the abbot should have for the souls in his care, and the reasons with biblical cites why corporal punishment may be used in severe cases.
in successsive chapters such as 4 the tools of good works and 5 of obedience, the first degree of humility, fear of the Lord, and fear of eternal deprivation of His presence in Hell, and desire for everlasting life, is the basis of all profession and practice of the Christian life, and this fear leads to love of the Lord manifested by obedience to his commands (as Christ himself ordained at the Last Supper).
in chapter 7 Benedict uses the analogy of Jacob’s ladder to describe ascent to spiritual perfection which means to perfect love of God, and describes the first step as fear of the Lord and humble obedience to his commands, as conveyed by those he has appointed as shepherds of souls. the stages in ascent of the ladder are turning away from the loves and desires of the flesh, to love and desire for the things of God, but the first step is fear of the Lord and obedience to his commands.
when the 12 degrees of humility are described, the saint ends with the admonition that the monk will presently, through practice of these tools and virtues, come to the perfect love of God which casts out fear, and that he will begin to do all these things freely, joyously out of love, rather than fear of hell.
I hope this helps in putting the Catholic construction on the idea in OP.
no abbot or abbess or priest or bishop, or the nuns and brothers under their direction, who truly loved the Lord and the souls under their care ever punished, reproved, disciplined or cherished in order that those souls should love them, but that they should learn to love the Lord through obedience.
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japhy
Guest
I don’t think nuns who disciplined their students sought to instill fear (as in fright) of the nuns or of God in the students, but rather sought to remove inappropriate habits (no pun intended). God chastises and reproves those whom He loves.
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nick_aksureh
Guest
It is apparently from a song… meaning it must be taught in the Faith.I heard this quoted in a song once!
“In Catholic school,
As vicious as Roman rule,
I got my knuckles bruised
By a lady in black.
And I held my tongue
As she told me, ‘Son,
Fear is the heart of love,’
And so I never went back.”
R
Rach620
Guest
[Edited by Moderator]
…it’s from a song by the band Death Cab for Cutie (I’ve heard it myself), and is definitely NOT representative of the teachings of the Catholic Faith. If anything, it is nihilism, and I’m pretty sure that the young alternative rockers didn’t have experience with knuckle-bruising nuns…
"I Will Follow You Into The Dark"
Love of mine some day you will die
But I’ll be close behind
I’ll follow you into the dark
No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white
Just our hands clasped so tight
Waiting for the hint of a spark
If Heaven and Hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs
If there’s no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I’ll follow you into the dark
In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule
I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black
And I held my tongue as she told me
“Son fear is the heart of love”
So I never went back
If Heaven and Hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs
If there’s no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I’ll follow you into the dark
You and me have seen everything to see
From Bangkok to Calgary
And the soles of your shoes are all worn down
The time for sleep is now
It’s nothing to cry about
Cause we’ll hold each other soon
The blackest of rooms
If Heaven and Hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs
If there’s no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I’ll follow you into the dark
Then I’ll follow you into the dark
…it’s from a song by the band Death Cab for Cutie (I’ve heard it myself), and is definitely NOT representative of the teachings of the Catholic Faith. If anything, it is nihilism, and I’m pretty sure that the young alternative rockers didn’t have experience with knuckle-bruising nuns…
"I Will Follow You Into The Dark"
Love of mine some day you will die
But I’ll be close behind
I’ll follow you into the dark
No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white
Just our hands clasped so tight
Waiting for the hint of a spark
If Heaven and Hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs
If there’s no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I’ll follow you into the dark
In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule
I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black
And I held my tongue as she told me
“Son fear is the heart of love”
So I never went back
If Heaven and Hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs
If there’s no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I’ll follow you into the dark
You and me have seen everything to see
From Bangkok to Calgary
And the soles of your shoes are all worn down
The time for sleep is now
It’s nothing to cry about
Cause we’ll hold each other soon
The blackest of rooms
If Heaven and Hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs
If there’s no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I’ll follow you into the dark
Then I’ll follow you into the dark
F
fhansen
Guest
I attended parochial school in the 1960s. Everyone had more respect for authority then and teachers of all stripes were sterner disciplinarians then now but I never feared the nuns-most of them were of the kindest and gentlest nature while expecting more out of us at the same time.
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