Vigils Reading

THE SWEET YOKE OF CHARITY

From “The Nature and Dignity of Love” by William of St Thierry5 ◊◊◊

What shall we say about charity? We have heard of it, but we have not known it, we have not seen it. The Apostle knew it. He outdid himself in praising, extolling it as the more excellent way, saying: ‘…If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and do not have charity, I become like sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And if I should have prophecy and should recognize all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith so complete that I could remove mountains, and do not have charity, I am nothing. And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned and do not have charity, it profits me nothing…’

This is the Lord’s sweet yoke and light burden. This burden bears and lightens the bearer. This light burden of the Gospel is sweet to those to whom the Lord himself says: ‘I will call you no longer servants but my friends.’ The person who had not formerly been able to bear the precepts of the law afterwards finds the precepts of the Gospel light by reason of cooperating grace. The person who could not at first fulfill: ‘You shall not kill,’ afterwards finds it easy to lay down his life for the brothers. And so on for the rest. If, when a heavy burden is placed on a mule and it refuses it as unbearable, a four-wheeled wagon is brought up — which is the Gospel traversing the entire world — the burden that the mule first balked at as too heavy it now carries doubled without effort. So, too, a little bird cannot lift itself up without feathers and wings; but add the weight of feathers and wings, and it soars without effort. So, too, hard, dry bread cannot go down by itself, but soaked in milk or another liquid, it becomes capable of being swallowed.

Consequently, love at first involves effort… For the hand of charity works more easily as the enlightened eye helps it. For we work with our hands first, then we rub our eye with our hand. For this reason it is said: ‘By your commandments I have understood.’ First one begins to understand his own works and to discern his own affections. Then one is so affected by virtues that, just as for God to be is to be good, so now for the righteous and holy soul to be is not to be other than holy and righteous and dutiful. Holy in herself, righteous towards everyone, and dutiful towards God… So it is the Apostle says: ‘Charity never fails.