Love, Good Works And Prayer

Diligite inimicos vestros... Hic ponit ipsam impletionem: et dividitur in partes duas, in quarum prima dat impletionem: et quia difficilis est, in secunda persuadet per rationem, quod aliter lex ista non ducit ad perfectionem, quam legislator intendit. Ut filii Patris vestri. Primam harum partium dividit in tres paragraphos: quia dicit, quod contra Ecclesiam pugnatur tribus modis odio, verbis, cruciam corporis: et econtra Eccleisa diligit, benefacit, orat. Et dilectionem quam opponit odio inimicorum tangit dicens diligite inimicos vestri. Quia iam ostensum est, quod proximi sunt, et quod causa dilectionis est in eis secundum naturam, licet non agant secundum illud ex perversitate peccati superducta, Diligite ergo quod Patris vestri est in eis, et non quod perversitas superduxit. Unde dicit, quod est novum mandatum. Mandatum novum do vobis. Dicitur mandatum vetus, et mandatum novum. Vetus enim est causa dilectionis, qua una est in omnibus, qui diliguntur: sed novum est in modo: quia gratis diliguntur, qui secundum antiquum populum non intelligebatur: quia non habebant nisi mercantum dilectionem in proximo, approprinquante eis per obsequium, vel munus. Si esurierit inimicus tuuus, ciba illum: et sitit, potum da illi: hoc enim faciens carbones ignis congeres super caput illius. Si esurierit inimicus tuus, ciba illum, et sitiit, da illi aquam bibere: hoc enim faciens prunas congregabis super caput illius, et Dominus reddet tibi. Benefacite his qui oderunt vos. Ecce secundum, ubi Ecclesia docetur benefacere his, qui oderunt eam, exemplo. Elisei, qui eos qui venerant ad capiento eum magna praeparatione ciborum procurari praecepit, et conduci ad locum tutum. Exemplo etiam David, qui Saul inimicum suum non occidit, sed ad vitam traditum in manibus eius reservavit. Quando praecidit partem vestimenti eius in spelunca. Quando descendens in castra Saul invenit eum dormiente. Si non dixerat viri tabernaculi mei: de carnibus eis quis det, ut saturemur. Hos enim collegit in tabernaculo, et hospitalitate exhibuit, qui si carnes eius potuisset, devorassent ex odio. Exemplo etiam Christi, qui sua cena propria manu cibavit traditorem. Noli vinci a malo, sed vince in bono malum. Et orate pro persequentibus, et calumniantibus vos... Ecce tertium, et dicit duo; orandum scilicet pro persequentibus, aperte laedentibus, et pro calumniantibus, qui furit sub simulatone iustitiae laedentes. Recordate, quod steterim in conspectu tuo, ut loquerer pro eis bonum, et ut averterem iram tuam ab eis. Pro eo, ut me diligerent, de trahebant mihi: ego autem orabam Dum mihi molesti essent, induebar cilicio, et humiliabam in ieiundio animam meam: et oratio mea in sinu convertetur. Blasphemamur, et obsecramus. Pater, ignosce illis, quia nesciunt, quid faciunt. Ne statuas illis hoc peccatum. Sanctus Albertus Magnus, Commentarium in Mattheum, Caput V Source: Here

Love your enemies... 1 Here he gives the fulfillment of the Law and He divides it into two parts, in which is given the fulfillment, and because it is difficult, in the second part He persuades with reason, that otherwise the Law does not lead to the perfection which the legislator intends. 'That you be sons of your Father.' 2 The first of these parts He divides into three, because He says that there are three ways of opposition against the Church, by hate, by words, and by the torment of the body, and on the other hand the Church loves and blesses and prays. 1 And the love which opposes the hatred of the enemy he treats of, saying, 'Love your enemies.' Because it has already been shown that they are neighbours, and that the cause of love in them is according to nature, it being possible that they do not behave according to that perversity of sin which has been added to it. Love, therefore, what is in them of the Father and not what has been added by perversity. Whence he says that this is a new commmandment. 3 And it is called an old commandment and a new commmandment. 4 Old is the cause love, which is one in all who are loved, but new is the way, because they are loved freely; for of old the people did not understand, since they did not love unless for reward in their neighbour, approaching for the sake of pleasing, or a gift. 'If your enemy hungers gives him food, and if he thirsts gives him to drink, for doing this you shall heap of fiery coals on his head.' 5 'If your enemy hungers, gives him food, and if he thirsts, give him water to drink, for doing this you shall heap up coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.' 6 Do good to those who hate you... Behold the second, where it is told that the Church does good to those who hate it. For example, Elisha, commanded that those who came to seize him should have brought to them a great preparation of food, and he led them to a safe place. 7 And by the example of David who did not kill Saul, his enemy, but holding him in his hands, granted him his life, when he cut off a part of his garments in the cave. 8 And then when going down into the camp he found Saul sleeping. 9 'If the men of my tent had not said: Let them be given meat that they be satisfied. For he gathered them in his tent, and showed them hospitality, he whose flesh, if they were able, they would have devoured from hate.' 10 And by the example of Christ who at His meal gave with His own hands to the betrayer. 11 'Do not conquer with evil but conquer evil with good.' 12 And pray for your persecutors and those who speak ill of you.... Behold the third, and he speaks of two things: obviously prayer for persecutors, that is, for those who overtly inflict harm, and then for those who speak ill of one, who in raging beneath an simulation of justice do harm. 'Remember that I stood in your sight, that I spoke for their good, and that I would turn your anger from them.' 13 'Instead of loving me, they spoke ill of me, but I gave myself to prayer.' 14 'While they troubled me, I put on haircloth and I humbled my soul in fasting, and pondered my prayer in my lap.' 15 'We are reviled and we bless.' 16 'Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do.' 17 'Do not hold this sin against them.' 18 Saint Albert The Great, Commentary On The Gospel of St Matthew, Chapter 5 1 Mt 5.44 2 Mt 5.45 3 Jn 13.34 4 1 Jn 2.7 5 Rom 12.20 6 Prov 25.21-22 7 4 Kings 6 8-23 8 1 Kings 24.1-7 9 1 Kings 26.6-12 10 Job 31.31 11 Jn 13.26 12 Rom 12.21 13 Jerem 18.20 14 Ps 108.4 15 Ps 34.13 16 1 Cor 4.12 17 Lk 23.34 18 Acts 7.60