ACC ~ Matthew 5 v48

ALL THINGS ARE PERFECTED BY GOODNESS

HILARY: Matthew concludes, “All things are perfected by goodness.” The law used to demand that your neighbor be loved and allowed hatred against an enemy. Faith, rather, requires that enemies be cherished. It breaks the tendency we have to be peevish and urges us to bear life’s difficulties calmly. Faith not only deters anger from turning into revenge but even softens it into love for the injurer. It is merely human to love those who love you, and it is common to cherish those who cherish you. Therefore Christ calls us into the life of heirs of God and to be models for the just and the unjust of the imitation of Christ. He distributes the sun and the rain through his coming in baptism and by the sacraments of the Spirit. Thus he has prepared us for the perfect life through this concord of public goodness, because we must imitate our perfect Father in heaven. ON MATTHEW 4.27. [1]

[1] SC 254:146-48.

THE LAW OF GOSPEL LOVE

CHROMATIUS: The Lord has shown that we cannot have the good work of perfect love if we love only those from whom in turn we know the return of mutual love will be paid in kind. For we know that love of this sort is common even to nonbelievers and sinners. Hence the Lord wishes us to overcome the common law of human love by the law of gospel love, so that we may show the affection of our love not only toward those who love us but even toward our enemies. … Thus we may imitate the example of true piety and our Father’s goodness. TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 21.2.1. [1]

[1] CCL 9a:320.