Faith and Love

Ista fidei simplicitate et sinceritate lactati nutriamur in Christo; et cum parvuli sumus, maiorum cibos non appetamus, sed nutrimentis saluberrimis crescamus in Christo, accedentibus bonis moribus et christiana iustitia, in qua est caritas Dei et proximi perfecta et firmata: ut unusquisque nostrum de diabolo inimico et angelis eius triumphet in semetipso in Christo quem induit. Quia perfecta caritas nec cupiditatem habet saeculi, nec timorem saeculi; id est, nec cupiditatem ut acquirat res temporales, nec timorem ne amittat res temporales. Per quas duas ianuas intrat et regnat inimicus, qui primo Dei timore, deinde caritate pellendus est. Debemus itaque tanto avidius appetere apertissimam et evidentissimam cognitionem veritatis, quanto nos videmus in caritate proficere, et eius simplicitate cor habere mundatum, quia ipso interiore oculo videtur veritas: Beati enim mundo corde, inquit, quia ipsi Deum videbunt. Ut in caritate radicati et fundati praevaleamus comprehendere cum omnibus sanctis, quae sit latitudo, et longitudo, et altitudo, et profundum; scire etiam supereminentem scientiam caritatis Christi, ut impleamur in omnem plenitudinem Dei; et post ista cum invisibili hoste certamina, quoniam volentibus et amantibus iugum Christi lene est, et sarcina eius levis, coronam victoriae mereamur. Sanctus Augustinus Hipponensi, De Agone Christiano

With this simple and sincere faith we are nourished on the milk in Christ, and when we are little we have no desire for food of older folk, but with wholesome nourishment we grow in Christ entering upon good morals and christian righteousness in which is the perfect and firm love of God and neighbour, that every one of us over our the enemy devil and his angels shall triumph in himself in Christ who leads. Because perfect charity has no desire for the world, nor does it fear the times, that is, neither does it desire that it acquire temporal things, nor has it fear that it will lose the same, through which two doors the enemy enters and rules, and who is expelled first by fear of God and then by love. We should, therefore, with great avidity desire most open and evident knowledge of the truth as much as we see we advance in love and His cleansing we have in simplicity of heart, because by the interior eye truth is seen. 'Blessed are the pure in heart,' He says, 'because they shall see God.' 1 In love rooted and founded we grow in understanding with all the saints, in breadth and length and height and depth, coming even to know the supereminent knowledge of the love of Christ, that we may be filled with every fullness of God, and after, in those struggles with the unseen enemy, because to those willing and loving the yoke of Christ is light and his burden easy, we may merit a crown of victory. Saint Augustine of Hippo, from On The Christian Struggle 1 Mt 5.8