Bearing The Commandments

Et mandata ejus gravia non sunt. Et ipse Dominus dicit: Jugum meum suave est et onus meum leve. Neque his vel Domini vel beati Joannis verbis debet videri adversum, quod et ipse Dominus alibi dicit, quia angusta porta et arcta via est quae ducit ad vitam; et Propheta ad eum: Propter verba, inquit, labiorum tuorum ego custodivi vias duras; at Apostolus: Quia per multas tribulationes oportet nos introire in regnum Dei. Quae enim natura sua dura sunt et aspera, spes coelestium praemiorum et amor Christi facit esse levia. Durum namque est persecutiones pati propter justitiam, sed et hoc facit suave, quod ipsorum qui sic patiuntur est regnum coelorum. Unde bene subditur: Quoniam omne quod natum est ex Deo, vincit mundum. Ideo namque mandata divina non sunt gravia, quia omnes qui vera devotione his mancipantur, et adversa mundi ejus et blandimenta pari mente contemnunt, ipsam quoque mortem velut ingressum patriae coelestis amantes. Et ne quis sua virtute mundi vel luxus vel labores se posse superare confideret, consulte subjungit: Et haec et victoria quae vincit mundum, fides nostra. Illa nimirum fides, quae per dilectionem operatur; illa fides qua ejus humiliter auxilium flagitamus qui ait: In mundo pressuras habebitis, sed confidete, ego vici mundum. Sanctus Beda, In I Epistolam Sancti Joannis Source: Migne PL 93.113a-d

And His commandments are not heavy. 1 And the Lord Himself says: 'My yoke is sweet and my burden light.' 2 Nor with these words should the Lord or the blessed John seem to be at variance with what the Lord said elsewhere: 'The gate is narrow and the way hard that leads to life.' 3 And the Prophet says to Him: 'On account of the words of your lips I have guarded the hard ways.' 4 And the Apostle: 'Because through many tribulations we should enter into the kingdom of God.' 5 For what is by its own nature hard and bitter, the hope of heavenly rewards and the love of Christ makes light. Hard it is to suffer persecution on account of righteousness, but even this is made sweet, because to those who so suffer belongs the kingdom of heaven. 6 Whence well it follows: Because everyone who is born from God conquers the world. 7 Therefore because the Divine commandments are not heavy, because all who posses true devotion are liberated by them, with an unshaken soul they condemn the troubles of the world and its allurements, and also love death as an entry into the fatherland of heaven. But lest someone be too confident that he is able overcome by his own strength or wealth or labours, wisely the Apostle adds: And this is the victory which conquers the world, our faith. 7 Certainly that faith which works through love, that faith by which we humbly entreat His help, who said: 'In the world you will have trials, but be confident, because I have conquered the world.' 8 Saint Bede, Commentary On The First Letter of Saint John 1 1 Jn 5.3 2 Mt 11.30 3 Mt 7.14 4 Ps 16.4 5 Acts 14.22 6 Mt 5.10 7 1 Jn 5.4 8 Jn 16.33