This admonition also shows that no one will ever be able truly to excuse himself on the ground that he cannot possess true charity. For we have thought it well to insert into this sermon certain sentences from the homily which St. Augustine wrote on charity, as has seemed opportune to us. That we so frequently press upon you the good of true charity, dearly beloved brethren, this above all is the reason: because it is the chief and special commandment of the Lord, and there is nothing that can be held more sweetly, nor, with God's help, more easily and even more delightfully fulfilled;
for our concern is carried on, as it were, within a ring, in which, if the will admits no evil, iniquity can find no place; and where, if the covetousness which is the root of all evils be not present, the charity which is the root of all good things cannot be lacking. The first and singular cause of the divine mercy is this: that through the Holy Spirit charity itself is so
poured forth into the hearts of all Christians, that, if they will, they may keep it perpetually and be unceasingly satisfied with its sweetness. And because contraries are wont to be cured by contraries, and there is nothing so opposed or contrary to charity — which is the foundation of all good things — as covetousness, which is the root of all evils; and since these two can in no way coexist, because truly sweetness agrees not with bitterness, nor light with darkness, nor life with death: whoever recognizes that the root of covetousness holds sway within himself, let him implore God's help, that he may be able to root out covetousness and plant charity;
for whoever faithfully does this will fulfill all God's commandments with joy and exultation, because as often as any bitterness of the world comes upon him, the sweetness of charity within him does not permit it to prevail; and thus true charity instills into him the sweetness of all heavenly good things, so as to make him patiently endure the bitterness of earthly ones. The second cause is that the burden of charity is so light that it is wont not to press down but to lift up; for whoever, having received it from Christ, wills likewise to keep it by His help, will not feel weariness in walking with his feet nor in working with his hands, nor will he grow tired in carrying any heavy burdens upon his shoulders:
for as long as he exercises himself in some hard works for the love of charity, the sweetness of that love will not let him grow weary, because whatever is grievous to one who loves not, is agreeable and gentle to one who loves. Let each one therefore hold to good will, and love all men as himself, and what he wishes to be done to himself by others, let him will to be done to others; let him pray for the good, that they may be kept by the Lord; for the middling, that they may become better; for the wicked, that they may quickly correct themselves; and in all sinners let him hate the vices rather than the men themselves, and after the manner of good physicians let him hate the disease, not the sick man.
For he who, in sinners or in any of his enemies, hates the men themselves rather than their vices, and either desires them to be punished in the present or to be consumed in the eternal fire to come — how execrable and abominable a thing this is, your holy charity clearly recognizes. But good Christians desire all their enemies to be corrected rather than to perish, and out of an unspeakable goodness they take care to curse neither them nor others, on account of that which is written: Neither shall the evil-speakers possess the kingdom of God; and never to swear, because it is written: A man that sweareth much shall be filled with iniquity, and the scourge shall not depart from his house.
But when it says that the scourge shall not depart from his house, this is to be understood not of an earthly house, but of the soul, which is the temple of God. Let him also take care never to lie, because it is written: The mouth that lieth killeth the soul; and, Thou wilt destroy them that speak a lie. Let him strive to keep justice, on account of that word: Blessed are they that keep judgment and do justice at all times. Let him hasten to hold charity with his whole heart, because charity makes men like the angels. All these things which I have suggested are both brief, that they may be retained in memory, and also pleasant and sweet, and, with God's help, ought to be fulfilled in works.
Behold, in all these works of true and perfect charity, as has already been said, nothing is done either by the hands or by the feet, so that anyone might try to excuse himself on the ground of impossibility or infirmity. For since covetousness is more bitter than all bitterness, and charity is sweeter than all sweetness, why are men willing to bear the hard and rough yoke of avarice with such great perils and labors, so as to shake off from their necks the sweet burden of Christ and His gentle yoke? Against these things which I have suggested to your charity, no one, however much he may wish, will be able to offer any similar excuse, so that anyone should say that he cannot fulfill them. For it is not said to him:
Fast more than you are able, keep vigil more than you have strength for; nor is it imposed upon him that he abstain from wine or from meat, if the infirmity of his body does not bear it; and if perchance he is not able to be perfect, he is not compelled to sell all he has and give to the poor; and if he cannot be a virgin, he is not pressed to this, that he not be permitted to take a wife. For in all these things which pertain to the fatiguing of the body, no Christian is compelled against his will; but let him who is able to fulfill them give thanks to God; while let him who is not able to fulfill them hold true charity and have all things in it, because without these works which are mentioned above, charity suffices for itself, whereas those good works without charity will be able to profit nothing at all.
This whole thing I say again and again, dearly beloved brethren, that you may more fully recognize that no one will be able to excuse himself on the ground that he cannot fulfill God's commandments; for when he tries to excuse himself concerning those things in which the body labors, he will be able to allege nothing concerning those things which consist in the virtue of the soul, and especially concerning charity, in which are contained all good things, why he cannot, with God's help, fulfill them. And therefore he who is unwilling to retain true charity finds nothing that he can truly impute to others, but something that he ought to impute to himself. Hold fast therefore, dearly beloved brethren, the sweet and wholesome bond of charity, without which the rich man is poor, and with which the poor man is rich. The rich man, if he has not charity, what has he?
The poor man, if he has charity, what has he not? And because, as John the Evangelist says, charity is God, what will be able to be lacking to the poor man, if through charity he has been counted worthy to have God? And on the contrary, what will earthly wealth profit the rich man, if he has not been counted worthy to have God? Love therefore and hold fast charity, dearly beloved brethren, without which no one will ever see God. Do not flatter yourselves without charity, even if you should perfect all other good works; but fear that which is written: Whosoever shall keep the whole law, but offend in one point, is become guilty of all — and what is this one, save true and perfect charity, of which the Apostle again said: All the law is fulfilled in one word: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
For to such a degree do the other works profit nothing without charity, that the Apostle cries out with a free voice: If I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. And therefore, because it is true charity itself that loves all men, whoever recognizes that he hates even one man, let him hasten to vomit up the bitterness of gall, that he may be counted worthy to receive within himself the sweetness of charity, because without it neither fasts, nor vigils, nor prayers, nor almsgiving, nor faith and virginity can help any man. And because the Apostle, admonishing us concerning charity, said:
Rooted and grounded in charity, and, charity is the root of all good things — it is most evident that, just as any tree, beautiful and pleasant and full of flowers and fruits, if there be not a living root within it, all its beauty will wither: so also any Christian, if he shows that he has the other good works, as it were, in the branches, and, presuming upon them without charity, is unwilling to have the root of charity itself, will remain barren without any fruits.
For true charity endures in adversities, is temperate in prosperity, strong in hard sufferings, cheerful in good works, most safe in temptation, most sweet among true brethren, most patient among false ones, innocent amid snares, groaning amid iniquities, breathing again in the truth; chaste in Susanna toward her husband, in Anna after her husband, in Mary for her Son; humble in Peter unto obeying, free in Paul unto reproving, human in Christians unto confessing, divine in Christ unto forgiving. For true charity, dearly beloved brethren, is the soul of all the Scriptures, the strength of prophecy, the solid foundation of knowledge, the fruit of faith, the riches of the poor, the life of the dying.
Retain this therefore faithfully, love it with your heart and with all the strength of your soul, cleave to it perpetually. For the Lord is sweet and sweeter than all sweetness; His fellowship has no bitterness, His converse has no guile. If you are willing to hold it with an undivided heart, it will both make you fulfill God's commandments with joy in this world, and in the world to come attain to eternal rewards — which may He deign to grant who reigns unto the ages.