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Caritatem secundum deum rem esse deo digna

That love according to God is a work worthy of God.

61.681 No word is able worthily to praise love, the ladder to heaven.

Love is enthroned with the Father, love joins earthly things to heavenly things; concerning which the tongue will not suffice, nor the mind discover how to praise it worthily; but the work itself shows that love is the guide of the best way of life. For it clothes the creation of God with perfect seemliness; it is the instructor of the many into unity, which fashions the multitudes of men, angels and men, to the likeness of the one and holy beauty. For being one form, it forms every rational nature into the likeness of God; it rests not on those alienated from him, but on those who have come to be through him and are mingled with him. Though being many, all inclining to one accord, they display a most beautiful and delightful harmony in themselves. Thus the many and diverse workings through the Holy Spirit, being brought together to one good unanimity, display a most God-like and God-befitting beauty, most precious to God and worthy of the holy gladness that is with the Creator.

Because of love for men, God came down to earth, and went about with men, not worshipped in a hidden and separate sanctuary, as before, but having come down as a fellow-dweller with men to our likeness and fellowship, so that by bringing all into the intimacy of one Spirit, he might make them as one body and one spirit. Being a handmaid of the Lord and a minister of the Spirit, divine love brings together what is separate, makes kindred what is alienated. O wonderful work of Christ, love! O mystery of the world's salvation! Through love the Father and God sends into the world his only-begotten Son; For Christ, it says, loved the Church, and gave himself up for her; love gladly bears the toils for its neighbor, through love we are commanded to be slaves of one another; For through love serve one another; love makes the private possessions of each one common to all; love shows you your neighbor as yourself, and bears sins as its own. You will be angered for a little, but you will be longsuffering for much. Through love the flock of Christ increases; love calms murderous rages, blunts the weapons of enemies, and puts a forgetfulness of all enemies within, and introduces the peaceful polity of Christ to the world. For nation will not take up sword against nation, and they shall not learn war any more. Therefore, it says, In his days righteousness will dawn, 61.682 and abundance of peace, until the moon is taken away; And bright also is the type of the peaceful polity. O love, author of blessed peace! which drives out the enemy and adversary demon among men, through which the devil groans over peaceful men, and angels rejoice seeing the image of their own peace in men, we are cheerful towards one another, and greater than all cheerfulness is a brother seen by a brother.

Paul says, at any rate, that he was comforted in his afflictions by the presence of Titus; but when he is not present, he has no rest in his spirit. Love of God, and love of brethren, two inseparable things. And this commandment, says John, we have from God, that he who loves God, love also his brother. For he also said this to Peter; If you love me, feed my sheep. That is, Show the love for the shepherd,

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Caritatem secundum deum rem esse deo digna

Ὅτι θεοπρεπὲς ἔργον ἡ κατὰ Θεὸν ἀγάπη ἐστί.

61.681 Ἀγάπην τὴν οὐρανοκλίμακα λόγος οὐδεὶς κατ' ἀξίαν ὑμνῆσαι δύναται.

Ἀγάπη τοῦ Πατρὸς σύνθρονός ἐστιν, ἀγάπη τὰ ἐπίγεια συνάπτει πρὸς τὰ οὐράνια· περὶ ἧς γλῶττα οὐκ ἐπαρκέσει, οὔτε νοῦς ἐξευρήσει ἐπαξίως δοξάσαι· τὸ δὲ ἔργον αὐτὸ δεικνύει ἡγεμόνα οὖσαν τῆς ἀρίστης πολιτείας τὴν ἀγάπην. Τῇ γὰρ δημιουργίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ αὕτη τελείαν περιβάλλει εὐπρέπειαν· αὕτη τῶν πολλῶν εἰς ἑνότητα παιδαγωγὸς, ἡ πρὸς ὁμοιότητα τοῦ ἑνὸς καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου κάλλους τὰ πλήθη τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐξεικονίζουσα ἀγγέλους καὶ ἀνθρώπους. Μία γὰρ οὖσα μορφὴ πᾶσαν λογικὴν φύσιν μορφοῖ εἰς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁμοιότητα· οὐ τοῖς ἀπαλλοτριουμένοις ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ γενησομένοις καὶ συγκεκραμένοις ἐπαναπαύεται. Πλείους μὲν ὄντες εἰς μίαν οἱ πάντες νενευκότες συμφωνίαν, κάλλιστόν τι καὶ τερπνὸν ἐφ' ἑαυτοῖς ἁρμονίαν ἐκφαίνουσιν. Οὕτω τὰ διὰ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος πολλὰ καὶ διάφορα ἐνεργήματα, πρὸς μίαν καὶ ἀγαθὴν ὁμοφροσύνην συναγόμενα, θεοειδέστατον καὶ θεοπρεπέστατον κάλλος ἐκφαίνει, τιμιώτατον Θεῷ καὶ τῆς ἁγίας εὐφροσύνης ἄξιον τῆς παρὰ τῷ ∆ημιουργῷ.

∆ιὰ τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν πρὸς ἀνθρώπους καταβέβηκεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ μετὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων συνανεστράφη, οὐκ ἐν ἀποκρύφῳ καὶ ἀφωρισμένῳ, καθάπερ πρότερον, ἁγιάσματι προσκυνούμενος, ἀλλ' ὁμόσκηνος ἀνθρώποις εἰς ὁμοιότητα καὶ συνδιατριβὴν ἡμετέραν κατελθὼν, ἵνα εἰς τὴν ἑνὸς Πνεύματος οἰκειότητα πάντας προσαγόμενος, ὥσπερ ἓν σῶμα καὶ ἓν πνεῦμα κατασκευάσῃ. Ὑπηρέτις οὖσα τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος ὑπουργὸς ἡ θεία ἀγάπη, τὰ διεστῶτα συνάγει, τὰ ἀπηλλοτριωμένα οἰκειοῖ. Ὢ Χριστοῦ θαυμάσιον ἔργον, ἡ ἀγάπη! ὢ κόσμου σωτηρίας μυστήριον! ∆ι' ἀγάπην ἀποστέλλει ὁ Πατὴρ καὶ Θεὸς εἰς τὸν κόσμον τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ· Ὁ Χριστὸς γὰρ, φησὶν, ἠγάπησε τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ ἑαυτὸν παρέδωκεν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς· ἀγάπη τοὺς ὑπὲρ τοῦ πλησίον πόνους ἡδέως φέρει, δι' ἀγάπην δοῦλοι ἀλλήλων εἶναι κελευόμεθα· ∆ιὰ γὰρ τῆς ἀγάπης δουλεύετε ἀλλήλοις· ἀγάπη τὰς ἰδίας ἑνὸς ἑκάστου κτήσεις κοινὰς ἁπάντων ἐργάζεται· ἀγάπη δεικνύει σοι τὸν πλησίον, ὡς ἑαυτὸν, καὶ φέρει ἁμαρτήματα, ὡς καὶ τὰ ἑαυτοῦ. Ὀλίγα μὲν ὀργισθήσῃ, πλεῖστα δὲ μακροθυμήσεις. ∆ι' ἀγάπην αὐξάνεται ἡ ποίμνη τοῦ Χριστοῦ· ἀγάπη φονικοὺς πραΰνει θυμοὺς, ὅπλα πολεμίων ἀμβλύνει, καὶ λήθην πολεμίων ἐντίθησιν ἁπάντων, καὶ τὴν εἰρηνικὴν πολιτείαν Χριστοῦ τῷ κόσμῳ εἰσάγει. Οὐ λήψεται γὰρ ἔθνος ἐπὶ ἔθνος μάχαιραν, καὶ οὐ μὴ μάθωσιν ἔτι πολεμεῖν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, Ἀνατελεῖ, φησὶν, ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ δικαιοσύνη 61.682 καὶ πλῆθος εἰρήνης, ἕως οὗ ἀνταναιρεθῇ ἡ σελήνη· Λαμπρὸς δὲ καὶ ὁ τύπος τῆς εἰρηνικῆς πολιτείας. Ὢ τῆς μακαρίας εἰρήνης ἀρχηγὸς ἀγάπη! ἡ τὸν ἐχθρὸν καὶ πολέμιον ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἀπελαύνουσα δαίμονα, δι' ἧς στένει μὲν ὁ διάβολος ἐπ' ἀνθρώποις εἰρηνικοῖς, συνήδονται δὲ ἄγγελοι τῆς ἑαυτῶν εἰρήνης εἰκόνα ἐν ἀνθρώποις ὁρῶντες, φαιδροὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν, καὶ πάσης εὐθυμίας μεῖζον ἀδελφὸς ὀφθεὶς ἀδελφῷ.

Παρακαλεῖσθαι γοῦν ἐπὶ ταῖς θλίψεσι φησὶν ὁ Παῦλος ἐπὶ τῇ παρουσίᾳ Τίτου· ὅτε δὲ οὐ πάρεστιν, οὐκ ἔχει ἄνεσιν τῷ πνεύματι. Ἀγάπη Θεοῦ, καὶ ἀδελφῶν ἀγάπη, δύο ἀχώριστα. Καὶ ταύτην, φησὶν ὁ Ἰωάννης, ἐντολὴν ἔχομεν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὸν Θεὸν, ἀγαπᾷ καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ. Τοῦτο γὰρ εἶπε καὶ τῷ Πέτρῳ· Εἰ ἀγαπᾷς με, βόσκε τὰ πρόβατά μου. Τουτέστι, ∆εῖξον τὴν πρὸς τὸν ποιμένα ἀγάπην,