Lectio 1 Lecture 1 Praecepta morales Moral precepts 13:1 Caritas fraternitatis maneat in vobis, [n. 726] 13:1 Let the charity of the brotherhood abide in you. [n. 726] 13:2 et hospitalitatem nolite oblivisci: per hanc enim latuerunt quidam, angelis hospitio receptis. 13:2 And hospitality do not forget: for by this some, being not aware of it, have entertained angels. 13:3 Mementote vinctorum, tamquam simul vincti: et laborantium, tamquam et ipsi in corpore morantes. [n. 729] 13:3 Remember those who are in bands, as if you were bound with them: and those who labor, as being yourselves also in the body. [n. 729] 13:4 Honorabile connubium in omnibus, et thorus immaculatus. Fornicatores enim, et adulteros judicabit Deus. [n. 731] 13:4 Marriage honourable in all, and the bed undefiled. For fornicators and adulterers God will judge. [n. 731] 13:5 Sint mores sine avaritia, contenti praesentibus: ipse enim dixit: non te deseram, neque derelinquam: [n. 734] 13:5 Let your manners be without covetousness, contented with such things as you have. For he has said: I will not leave you: neither will I forsake you. [n. 734] 13:6 ita ut confidenter dicamus: Dominus mihi adjutor: non timebo quid faciat mihi homo. 13:6 So that we may confidently say: the Lord is my helper: I will not fear what man shall do to me. 13:7 Mementote praepositorum vestrorum, qui vobis locuti sunt verbum Dei: quorum intuentes exitum conversationis, imitamini fidem. [n. 737] 13:7 Remember your prelates who have spoken the word of God to you: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation, [n. 737] 13:8 Jesus Christus heri, et hodie: ipse et in saecula. 13:8 Jesus Christ, yesterday, and today: and the same for ever. 726. Postquam supra monuit eos Apostolus, qualiter se debent habere ad perferenda mala, hic monet quomodo se debeant habere ad operandum bona. Unde secundum Glossam ab isto loco incipit moralis instructio post commendationem et exhortationem ad imitandum ipsum. 726. Having instructed them how to bear with evil, the Apostle now tells them how to act in doing good. Hence, according to a Gloss he is beginning his moral instruction after commending and urging them to imitate him. Et circa hoc duo facit; In regard to this he does two things: primo enim hortatur ipsos ad bona; first, he urges them to good; secundo orat pro eis, ibi Deus autem pacis. second, he prays for them, at and may the God of peace (Heb 13:20). Circa primum tria facit: In regard to the first, he does three things: primo enim ostendit, quomodo debent bonum operari, quantum ad proximos; first, he shows them how to do good to their neighbor; secundo quantum ad seipsos, ibi honorabile connubium; second, to themselves, at marriage honorable in all; tertio quantum ad praelatos, ibi mementote praepositorum. third, to prelates, at remember your prelates. 727. Dicit ergo quantum ad primum sic: dictum est, quod promissum est nobis regnum immobile, ad quod si volumus pervenire, necesse est nos caritatem habere. Ergo caritas fraternitatis maneat in vobis. I Io. c. IV, 20: qui non diligit fratrem suum, quem videt, Deum quem non videt, quomodo potest diligere? Item I Petr. II, 17: omnes invicem honorate, fraternitatem diligite. 727. He says, therefore: thus, we have said that an immovable kingdom has been promised to us. If we would enter it, we must have charity: let the charity of the brotherhood abide in you: he that does not love his brother whom he sees, how can he love God whom he does not see? (1 John 4:20); honor one another; love the brotherhood (1 Pet 2:17). Quia vero caritas non est otiosa, ut dicit Gregorius, ideo hortatur ad opera caritatis. I Io. III, 18: non diligamus verbo neque lingua, sed opere et veritate. Ideo dicit, quod debemus ostendere caritatem peregrinis per hospitalitatem, vinctis per compassionem, pauperibus per subventionem. Et primum ponit, ibi et hospitalitatem nolite oblivisci; secundum, ibi mementote vinctorum; tertium, ibi et laborantium. But because charity is not idle, as Gregory says, he urges them to acts of charity: let us love not in tongue but in deed and in truth (1 John 3:18). Hence, he says that we should show charity to travelers by hospitality, to those in bands by compassion, to the poor by coming to their aid. In regard to the first, he says, and hospitality do not forget; in regard to the second, he says, remember those who are in bands; in regard to the third, and those who labor. 728. Dicit ergo quantum ad primum nolite oblivisci hospitalitatem. Et dicit oblivisci quia isti aliquando in prosperitate sua multum fuerant hospitales, sed modo depauperati erant, et ideo non ita bene poterant; tamen animat eos ad continuandum secundum possibilitatem suam. Rom. XII, 13: hospitalitatem sectantes. Et specialiter facit mentionem de hospitalitate, quia qui peregrinos recipit, tria opera misericordiae simul implet, quia et recipit, et cibat, et potat. I Petr. IV, 9: hospitales invicem sine murmuratione. 728. He says, and hospitality do not forget, because formerly, when they were prosperous, they were very hospitable; but now that they were poor and could not do so much, he exhorts them to continue to do as much as possible: pursue hospitality (Rom 12:13). He makes special mention of hospitality because a person who receives travelers does three acts of charity at once, because he receives and feeds and gives them drink: using hospitality one towards another without murmuring (1 Pet 4:9). Et subdit rationem, quia per hanc multi placuerunt, angelis hospitio receptis, sicut patet de Abraham et Lot, Gen. XIX, 2 ss. He gives the reason when he says, for by this some, being not aware of it, have entertained angels, as in the case of Abraham and Lot (Gen 18–19). Alia littera habet: per hanc quasi nescientes, receperunt angelos; quia non credebant eos esse angelos, quod verum est in principio; unde quod Abraham adoravit eos, putavit quod essent viri sancti a Deo missi, et adoravit eos adoratione duliae, quae exhibetur sanctis, et quasi hominibus cibos obtulit. Sed postmodum intellexit eos angelos, in quibus Deus loquebatur, et locutus est eis sicut Deo, dicens: non est hoc tuum, qui iudicas omnem terram, et similiter Lot. Another version reads: by this, as unawares, they entertained angels, because they did not believe that they were angels. This was also true in the beginning; hence, Abraham adored them, thinking that they were holy men sent from God. But he adored them with the adoration called dulia, which is shown to saints; and he offered them food, as though they were men. But after he understood that they were angels in whom God was speaking, he spoke to them as to God, saying: this is not beseeming you who judge all the earth (Gen 18:25); and Lot in like manner. 729. Quantum ad secundum dicit mementote vinctorum illorum, scilicet qui propter Deum missi sunt in carcerem; mementote visitando et redimendo, tamquam essetis simul corporaliter cum eis vincti. 729. In regard to the second he says, remember those who are in bands, i.e., those who for the love of God were sent to prison. Remember them by visiting and redeeming, as though in prison with them. Hoc enim est aliud opus misericordiae. Matth. XXV, 36: in carcere eram, et venistis ad me. Contra quod Is. XIV, 17, dicitur: vinctis eius non aperuit carcerem. Hoc ipsi aliquando fecerunt, sicut patet supra X, 34. Specialiter autem hoc pertinet ad opus misericordiae, alienam miseriam suam reputare. For this is another work of mercy, I was in prison and you visited me (Matt 25:36). Against this Isaiah says: I opened not the prison to his prisoners (Isa 14:27). But they did remember those in prison sometimes, as is clear from above (Heb 10:34). But it particularly pertains to a work of mercy to regard another’s suffering as one’s own. 730. Quantum ad tertium dicit et laborantium, sive labore corporali. Ps. CXXVII, v. 2: labores manuum tuarum, quia manducabis. Sive sollicitudine spirituali. II Tim. II, v. 6: laborantem agricolam oportet primum de fructibus percipere. Sive in malis sustinendis. Eccle. I, 17: et cognovi, quod in his quoque esset labor et afflictio spiritus. Breviter, tota praesens vita labor quidam est. Iob V, 7: homo ad laborem nascitur, et avis ad volatum. 730. In regard to the third, he says, and those who labor, either with bodily labor: you shall eat the labors of your hands (Ps 128:2), or with spiritual solicitude: the farmer that labors must first partake of the fruits (2 Tim 2:6); or in enduring evils: I have perceived that in these also there was labor, and vexation of spirit (Eccl 1:17). In short, our whole life is a labor: man is born to labor as a bird to fly (Job 5:7). Supple: mementote, tamquam et ipsi in corpore morantes. Per quod experti estis, quid necesse sit laborantibus. Eccli. XXXI, 18: intellige quae sunt proximi tui ex teipso. Matth. VII, 12: omnia quaecumque vultis, ut faciant vobis homines, eadem et vos facite illis. Remember, as being yourselves also in the body, by which you have experienced what those who labor need: judge of the disposition of your neighbor by yourself (Sir 31:18); all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do also to them (Matt 7:12). 731. Deinde cum dicit honorabile connubium, monet bona facere quantum ad seipsum. 731. Then when he says marriage honorable in all, he urges them to do good to themselves. Et circa hoc duo facit. In regard to this he does two things. Primo enim ponit monitionem contra concupiscentias carnalium delectationum; First, he gives an admonition against the concupiscences of carnal pleasures; secundo contra cupiditatem rerum exteriorum ibi sint mores sine avaritia. second, against coveting external things, at let your manners be without covetousness. 732. Primo ergo ponit monitionem, dicens honorabile, et cetera. Circa quod sciendum est, quod circa venerea contingit dupliciter peccatum. Uno modo per illicitam coniunctionem soluti cum soluta, et quantum ad hoc dicit honorabile connubium, supple: sit in omnibus, qui continere nolunt, non coniunctio fornicatoria. Et dicitur honorabile, quando fit secundum debitas circumstantias matrimonii. Ex quo patet quod actus matrimonialis potest esse sine peccato, quod est contra haereticos. I Cor. VII, 28: si nupserit virgo, non peccavit. Unde Dominus ad ostendendum bonum esse actum matrimonii, primum signum fecit in nuptiis et matrimonium nobilitavit praesentia sua corporali et nasci voluit de coniugata. 732. First, therefore, he gives the admonition, saying, marriage honourable. It should be noted that sin in regard to sex occurs in two ways: in one way by the illicit union of one person with another; as to this he says, marriage honourable in all, that is, that it would be in all who would not be continent, not the union of fornication. It is called honourable, when it takes place with all the circumstances owed to marriage. This shows that the marriage act can exist without sin, which is against certain heretics: if a virgin marry, she does not sin (1 Cor 7:28). Hence, to show that the marriage act is good, the Lord performed his first sign during a marriage and ennobled marriage by his bodily presence and willed to be born of a married woman. Alio modo per violentiam thori maritalis, quando scilicet vir accedit ad alterius uxorem, vel mulier ad alterius virum. Et quantum ad hoc dicit et thorus immaculatus. Et Sap. XIV, 24: neque vitam, neque nuptias mundas iam custodiunt, sed alius alium per iniustitiam occidit, aut adulterans contristat. Item c. III, 13: felix sterilis et incoinquinata, quae nescivit thorum in delicto, habebit fructum in respectione animarum sanctarum. In another way, by violating the marriage bed, as when a husband approaches another man’s wife, or a woman another’s husband. In regard to this he says, and the marriage bed undefiled: so that now they neither keep life, nor marriage undefiled, but one kills another through envy, or grieves him by adultery (Wis 14:24); happy is the barren, and the undefiled that has not known bed in sin; she shall have fruit in the visitation of holy souls (Wis 3:13). 733. Subdit autem Apostolus rationem, dicens fornicatores enim et adulteros iudicabit Deus. In quo elidit errorem aliquorum dicentium, quod Deus peccata carnalia non punit, nec curat. Eph. V, 6: nemo vos seducat inanibus verbis, propter haec enim, scilicet propter peccata carnalia, quae praemiserat, venit ira Dei in filios diffidentiae. Ideo dicit hic fornicatores, propter hoc quod dixit honorabile connubium, et adulteros, propter hoc quod dixit thorus immaculatus, Deus iudicabit, id est, condemnabit. Eph. V, v. 5: omnis fornicator aut immundus, aut avarus, quod est idolorum servitus, non habet partem in regno Dei et Christi. 733. Then the Apostle adds the reason when he says: for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. In this he escapes the error of those who say that God neither punishes nor is concerned about carnal sins: let no man deceive you with vain words. For because of these things, namely, because of carnal sins, the anger of God comes upon the children of unbelief (Eph 5:6). Therefore, he says, fornicators, on account of which he said, marriage honourable; and, adulterers, on account of which he said, and the bed undefiled; God will judge, i.e., condemn: no fornicator or unclean or covetous person (which is a serving of idols) has inheritance in the kingdom of God and of Christ (Eph 5:5). 734. Deinde cum dicit sint mores, prohibet cupiditatem bonorum exteriorum: circa quae contingit peccare duobus modis. Uno enim modo per tenacitatem; alio modo per cupiditatem. Liberalitas enim est virtus, quae ponit medium circa pecunias, quantum ad dationem et quantum ad acceptionem. 734. Then when he says let your manners, he forbids them to covet external goods, in regard to which one might sin in two ways: in one way by being niggardly; in another way by being covetous. For liberality is a virtue which inclines one to the mean between giving and retaining money. Quantum ad primum, scilicet contra tenacitatem, dicit sint mores sine avaritia. Avarus enim dicitur nimis tenax, quasi avidus aeris. Unde Eccli. X, 9: avaro nihil est scelestius. Quantum ad secundum dicit contenti praesentibus. Illi qui super his quae habent, volunt alia cumulare, non sunt contenti praesentibus. I Tim. VI, 8: habentes alimenta et quibus tegamur, his contenti simus. As to the first, i.e., niggardliness, he says: let your manners be without covetousness. For a covetous person is tenacious: nothing is more wicked than the covetous man (Sir 10:9). As to the second, he says, contented with such things as you have. Those who desire to have more than they have, wish to heap up other things, not being content with what they have: having food and clothing, with these we are content (1 Tim 6:8).