Falls And Labour

Plerumque humanis obrepit mentibus, ut aliqua levi praestricti offensione, si non illis cedant pro studio voluntaria, officio desistant; quod in alio genere hominum tolerabile, in his vero, qui rei divinae intendunt, plenum doloris. Sunt enim aliqui in clericorum munere, quibus inimicus obrepere studet, si alias eos non potuerit circumvenire, ut laesis huiusmodi inserat cogitationes: Quid mihi prodest in clero manere, subire iniurias, labores perpeti, quasi non possit ager meus me pascere, aut si ager desit, quasi aliter exercere sumptum non queam? Sunt enim aliqui in clericorum munere, quibus inimicus obrepere studet, si alias eos non potuerit circumvenire, ut laesis huiusmodi inserat cogitationes: Quid mihi prodest in clero manere, subire iniurias, labores perpeti, quasi non possit ager meus me pascere, aut si ager desit, quasi aliter exercere sumptum non queam? Itaque hujusmodi cogitationibus etiam boni mores ab officio retrahuntur: quasi vero hoc solum sit in clerico, ut sumptum expediat suum, et non ut divinum sibi post mortem potius subsidium locet; quamquam ille post mortem abundet, qui tutus hic potuerit decernere adversum tot inimicorum insidias. Unde Ecclesiastes ait: Optimi duo super unum, quibus est merces bona in labore ipsorum; quoniam si ceciderit, unus erigit socium suum. Ubi sunt duo optimi super unum, nisi ubi Christus est, et is quem Christus tuetur? Quia si ceciderit, qui cum Domino est Jesu, erigit eum Jesus. Sed qua ratione dixit: In labore ipsorum? Ergo et Christus laborat? Utique laborat, qui ait: Laboravi clamans. Laborat, sed in nobis, denique ad puteum fatigatus sedebat. Sed quomodo laboret, docuit nos Apostolus minore exemplo, dicens: Quis infirmatur, et ego non infirmor? Docuit Dominus sua voce: Aeger eram, et non visitastis me: nudus eram et non operuisitis me. Laborat, ut me jacentem erigat. Sanctus Ambrosius Mediolanensis, Epistola LXXXI, Clericis Source: Migne PL 16.1273b-1274a

It is a common fault which creeps into the human mind, that men easily take offence if things do not happen according to their wishes, and they desist from their duty, which in other types of men may be tolerable, but in those who are devoted to the Divine service it is full of sorrow. There are certain men in the clerical order into whose minds the enemy has crept, if by other means he cannot deceive them, so that he may instil harmful thoughts of the following kind: 'What good for me to be among the clergy, to suffer injuries, to undergo such toil, as if my own farm could not support me, or, if I have no farm, as if I could not obtain some other support?' It is by thoughts like these that even good dispositions are drawn away from their office, as if it were fit for a cleric to care alone for his own sustenance, and not rather to purchase for himself the Divine support after death, for he alone shall be in abundance after death who here was able to watch unharmed against the wiles of his many adversaries. Thus Ecclesiastes says: 'Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labour. For if one fall, the other will lift up his friend.' 1 Where are two better than one, but where Christ is and the one whom Christ guards? For if he falls who is with the Lord Jesus, Jesus lifts him up. But with what sense is it said, 'for their labour'? Does Christ labour? Yes truly, for He says, 'I have laboured, crying out.' 2 He labours, but it is over us. Then He sat down wearied at the well. 3 And how He labours the Apostle teaches by his humbler example, saying: 'Who is weak, and I am not weak?' 4 Our Lord Himself has also taught us in the words, 'I was sick, and you did not visit me. I was naked and you did not cover me.' 5 He labours to lift me up when I fall. Saint Ambrose, from Letter 81 To The Clergy 1 Eccles 4.9-10 2 Ps 58.4 3 Jn 4.6 4 2 Cor 11.29 5 Mt 25.43