Clement I of Rome. The Peace and Harmony of the Universe

"And GOD saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good…

"By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible (Gen. 1:31, Heb. 11:3)." 

St. Clement I of Rome: "…let us look steadfastly to the Father and Creator of the universe, and cleave to His mighty and surpassingly great gifts and benefits of peace. Let us contemplate Him with our understanding, and look with the eyes of our soul to His long-suffering will. Let us reflect how free from wrath He is towards all His creation.

Milky Way by Dave Harvey (MGIO*)

"The heavens, revolving under His government, are subject to Him in peace. Day and night run the course appointed by Him, never hindering each other. The sun and moon, with the companies of the stars, roll on in harmony according to His command, within their prescribed limits, and without any deviation. The fruitful earth, according to His will, brings forth food in abundance at the proper seasons, for man and beast and all the living beings upon it, never hesitating nor changing any of the ordinances which He has fixed. The unsearchable places of abysses, and the indescribable arrangements of the lower world, are restrained by the same laws. The vast unmeasurable sea, gathered together by His working into various basins, never passes beyond the bounds placed around it, but does as He has commanded. For He said, “Thus far shalt thou come, and thy waves shall be broken within thee (Job 38:11).” The ocean...and the worlds beyond it, are regulated by the same enactments of the Lord. The seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, peacefully give place to one another. The winds in their several stations fulfil, at the proper time, their service without hindrance. The ever-flowing fountains, formed both for enjoyment and health, furnish without fail their breasts for the life of men. The very smallest of living beings meet together in peace and concord. All these the great Creator and Lord of all has appointed to exist in peace and harmony; while He does good to all, but most abundantly to us who have fled for refuge to His compassions through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be glory and majesty for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Clement to the Corinthians, Chs. 19, 20, A.D. 70-90) 

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* The Vatican Observatory Research Group operates the 1.8m Alice P. Lennon Telescope with its Thomas J. Bannan Astrophysics Facility, known together as the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT). This is located at the *Mount Graham International Observatory (MGIO) in southeastern Arizona.

Clement I of Rome. Keeping the Commandments of God in the Harmony of Love

"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." (John 14:15; also 14:21, 15:10).

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St. Clement I of Rome is an Apostolic Father who was the third successor to the Apostle St. Peter and Bishop of Rome from A.D. 88-97. Clement wrote to the Christians in Corinth about an uprising, within the Church at Corinth, that was incited by "a few rash and self-confident persons against their presbyters (chs. 1, 47)." The rebellion "removed some men of excellent behavior from the ministry, which they fulfilled blamelessly and with honor (ch. 44)." Clement often cites Scripture [Old Testament], as did Jesus and the Apostles, for our instruction (Rom. 15:4, 1 Cor. 10:11). Following is an excerpt about the harmony within the Church that is the fruit of God's Love [agape] among those "chosen by God through Jesus Christ our Lord (ch. 50)."

Pope St. Clement I: "Let him who has love in Christ keep the commandments of Christ. Who can describe the blessed bond of the love of God or tell the excellence of its beauty, as it ought to be told? The height to which love exalts is inexpressible (Eph. 3:16-19). Love unites us to God, "love covers a multitude of sins (1 Pet. 4:8)". Love bears all things, is long-suffering [patient] in all things. There is nothing vulgar, nothing arrogant in love (1 Cor. 13:4-7). Love knows nothing of schisms, love does not lead rebellions, love does all things in harmony (1 Cor. 14:33, 40). By love have all the elect of God been made perfect; without love nothing is well pleasing to God. In love the Lord has taken us to Himself. Because of His love for us, Jesus Christ our Lord gave His blood in accordance with the will of God; His flesh for our flesh and His life for our lives.  

"You can see, beloved, how great and wonderful a thing love is; its perfection is beyond description. Who is fit to be found in it, except those to whom God has graciously rendered it so? Therefore, let us pray and implore of His mercy, that we may live blameless in love, without human partiality (Eph. 1:4, 5, James 2:1, 9). All the generations from Adam even to this day have passed away; but those who, through the grace of God, have been made perfect in love, now possess a place among the godly, and shall be made manifest at the revelation of the kingdom of Christ (Col. 3:4). For it is written, “Enter into thy secret chambers for a little time, until my wrath and fury pass away; and I will remember a propitious day, and will raise you up out of your graves (Isa. 26:19, 20).”  Blessed are we, beloved, if we keep the commandments of God in the harmony of love; so that through love our sins may be forgiven us. For it is written, “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not impute to him, and in whose mouth there is no guile (Ps. 32:2, Rom. 4:7, 8).” This blessedness comes upon those who have been chosen by God through Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.  

"Let us therefore implore forgiveness for all those transgressions we may have committed through any suggestion of the adversary. And those who have been the leaders of sedition and disagreement ought to have respect to the common hope. ...For it is better that a man should acknowledge his transgressions than that he should harden his heart, as the hearts of those were hardened who stirred up sedition against Moses the servant of God, and whose condemnation was made manifest to all. For they went down alive into Hades and death swallowed them up (Num. 16:1-35, Jude 11). Pharaoh with his army and all the princes of Egypt, and the chariots with their riders, were sunk in the depths of the Red Sea and perished (Exod. 14), for no other reason than that their foolish hearts were hardened, even after so many signs and wonders had been wrought in the land of Egypt by Moses the servant of God." (Epistle of St. Clement to the Corinthians, [1 Clement] Chs. 49-51.  Written soon after a persecution against the Church in Rome; either Nero A.D. 70 or Domitian A.D. 97.  Scripture references added.)
 

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