Love's Perfection

Qui autem servat verbum eius vere in hoc caritas Dei perfecta est... Ille itaque vere novit Deum, qui ejus mandata servando charitatem se ejus habere comprobat. Hoc est enim Deum nosse, quod amare. Nam quisquis eum non amat, profecto, ostendit quia quam sit amabilis non novit. Et quam sit suavis Dominus et dulcis, gustate ac videre non didicit, qui ejus conspectibus placere continua intentione non satagit. ...In hoc scimus quoniam in ipso sumus. Id est, per dilectionem nimiam etiam pro inimicis orare, sicut et ipse egit, dicens, Pater, ignosce illis. Sed et prospera mundi cuncta forti animo contemnere, libenter irrisiones et opprobia tolerare, sicut et ipse dixit: Si quis vult post me venire, abneget semetipsum, et tollat crucem suam, et sequatur me. Sanctus Beda, In I Epistolam Sancti Joannis, Caput II Source: Migne PL 93.90c-d

He who keeps His word, in him the love of God is perfected... 1 Thus he truly knows God who in the keeping of His commandments proves he has love for Him. This is indeed to know God, that we love. For whoever does not love Him undoubtedly shows that he does not know what is loveable. And he who has not learnt how sweet and delightful the Lord is, is he who does not exert himself with ceaseless intention to be pleasing in His eyes. ...In this we know that we are in Him. That is, in an abundance of love we pray even for our enemies, as He Himself taught, saying: 'Father, forgive them.' 2 Then we scorn with all our soul even all the riches of the world, and cheerfully endure ridicule and disgrace, as He said: 'If someone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take us his cross, and follow me.' 3 Saint Bede, Commentary On The First Letter of Saint John, Chapter 2 1 1 Jn 2.5 2 Lk 23.34 3 Lk 9.23