ACC ~ 1 John 5 v3

THE SUBSTANCE OF LOVE. DIDYMUS THE BLIND: The substance and ground of the love we ought to have for God is obedience to his commandments. COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN.

LOVE, AND YOU DO WELL. AUGUSTINE: The commandments of which John speaks are the two given by Jesus: Love God and love one another. Hold fast to this love and set your minds at rest. You need not be afraid of doing harm to anyone, for how can you harm the person you love? Love, and you cannot but do well. TEN HOMILIES ON 1 JOHN 10.7.

THEY ARE NOT BURDENSOME. ANDREAS: Keeping the commandments is both the form and substance of our love for God. Those who obey them are brought close to God by them. If someone looks at them in the wrong way and says that they are heavy to bear, he is merely revealing his own weakness. CATENA.

THE EASY YOKE. BEDE: The proof of love is found in the works that we do. We truly love God if we bend our wills to his commandments, for whoever runs after his own illicit desires does not love God, because he contradicts that love in his own will. God’s commands are not onerous, for Christ himself said: “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” ON 1 JOHN.

1 Jn