Lectio 3
Lecture 3
Caritas ad inimicos
Charity toward one’s enemies
12:14 Benedicite persequentibus vos: benedicite, et nolite maledicere. [n. 996]
12:14 Bless those who persecute you: bless, and curse not. [n. 996]
12:15 Gaudere cum gaudentibus, flere cum flentibus: [n. 1003]
12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep: [n. 1003]
12:16 idipsum invicem sentientes: non alta sapientes, sed humilibus consentientes. Nolite esse prudentes apud vosmetipsos: [n. 1005]
12:16 Being of one mind one towards another: not minding high things, but consenting to the humble. Do not be prudent among you yourselves: [n. 1005]
12:17 nulli malum pro malo reddentes: providentes bona non tantum coram Deo, sed etiam coram omnibus hominibus. [n. 1007]
12:17 To no man rendering evil for evil: providing good things, not only in the sight of God but also in the sight of all men. [n. 1007]
12:18 Si fieri potest, quod ex vobis est, cum omnibus hominibus pacem habentes: [n. 1010]
12:18 If it be possible, as much as is in you, have peace with all men: [n. 1010]
12:19 non vosmetipsos defendentes carissimi, sed date locum irae. [n. 1011] Scriptum est enim: mihi vindicta: ego retribuam, dicit Dominus. [n. 1013]
12:19 Revenge not yourselves, my dearly beloved, but give place unto wrath. [n. 1011] For it is written: vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. [n. 1013]
12:20 Sed si esurierit inimicus tuus, ciba illum: si sitit, potum da illi: hoc enim faciens, carbones ignis congeres super caput ejus.
12:20 But if the enemy be hungry, feed him: if he is thirsty, give him drink: for, doing this, you will heap coals of fire upon his head.
12:21 Noli vinci a malo, sed vince in bono malum. [n. 1015]
12:21 Be not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good. [n. 1015]
996. Supra Apostolus ostendit qualiter caritas sit exhibenda indigentibus, nunc ostendit qualiter sit exhibenda etiam inimicis.
996. Above, the Apostle showed that charity should be practiced toward the needy; now he shows how it should be practiced even toward enemies:
Et primo ponit admonitionem;
first, he gives the admonition;
secundo probat quod dixit, ibi scriptum est enim, et cetera.
second, he proves what he said, at for it is written.
Circa primum considerandum est, quod ad caritatem tria pertinent. Primo quidem benevolentia, quae consistit in hoc quod aliquis velit bonum alteri et malum eius nolit; secundo concordia, quae consistit in hoc quod amicorum sit idem nolle et velle; tertio beneficentia, quae consistit in hoc quod aliquis benefaciat ei quem amat et eum non laedat.
With respect to the first it should be noted that three things pertain to charity: first, benevolence, which consists in willing good to another and not willing evil; second, concord, which consists in friends willing the same thing and rejecting the same thing; third, beneficence, which consists in doing good and causing no injury to the one loved.
Primo ergo ponit ea quae pertinent ad benevolentiam;
First, therefore, he touches on matters pertaining to benevolence;
secundo ea quae pertinent ad concordiam, ibi gaudere cum gaudentibus;
second, to concord, at rejoice with those who rejoice;
tertio ea quae pertinent ad beneficentiam, ibi nulli malum, et cetera.
third, to beneficence, at to no man rendering evil for evil.
997. Circa primum duo facit.
997. In regard to the first he does two things.
Primo monet ut benevolentia sit ampla, quae se extendat etiam ad inimicos, cum dicit benedicite persequentibus vos.
First, he urges that benevolence be broad enough to include enemies when he says: bless those who persecute you.
Circa quod notandum est, quod benedicere est bonum dicere. Contingit autem bonum dicere tripliciter. Uno modo enuntiando, puta cum quis bonum alterius laudat. Eccli. c. XXXI, 28: splendidum in panibus benedicent labia multorum et testimonium veritatis illius fidele.
Here it should be noted that to bless is to say something good. This can happen in three ways: first, by asserting a good, as when one person praises another’s good points: the lips of many shall bless him that is liberal of his bread; and the testimony of his truth is faithful (Sir 31:28).
Alio modo imperando, et sic benedicere per auctoritatem, est proprium Dei, cuius imperio bonum ad creaturas derivatur: ministerium autem pertinet ad ministros Dei, qui nomen Domini super populum invocant. Num. VI, 22–26: sic benedicetis filiis Israel, et dicetis eis: benedicat tibi Dominus, et custodiat te. Ostendat Dominus faciem suam tibi, et misereatur tui. Convertat Dominus vultum suum ad te, et det tibi pacem. Et post: invocabunt nomen meum super filios Israel, et ego benedicam eis.
Second, by commanding: to bless in this way belongs to God by whose command something good comes to creatures, or it belongs to his ministers who invoke the Lord’s name upon the people: thus shall you bless the sons of Israel and say to them: the Lord bless you and guard you. The Lord show his face to you and have mercy on you. The Lord turn his countenance toward you and give you peace (Num 6:22–26); they shall invoke my name upon the people of Israel and I will bless them (Num 6:27).
Tertio benedicit aliquis optando. Ps. CXXVIII, 8: et non dixerunt qui praeteribant, benedictio Domini super vos. Et secundum hoc benedicere est bonum alicui velle, et quasi bonum pro aliquo precari. Et hoc modo accipitur hic.
Third, one blesses by desiring: nor did they who passed by say: the blessing of the Lord be upon you (Hos 129:8). To bless in this way is to will someone’s good and, as it were, to pray for his good. This is the way it is taken here.
998. Unde in hoc quod dicitur benedicite persequentibus vos, datur intelligi quod etiam ad inimicos et persecutores debemus esse benevoli, eis bona optando et pro eis orando. Matth. V, 44: diligite inimicos vestros, et orate pro persequentibus et calumniantibus vos.
998. Hence, this directive, to bless those who persecute you, shows that we must have good will even toward enemies and persecutors by desiring their welfare and praying for them: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matt 5:44).
Quod autem hic dicitur, quodam quidem modo est in praecepto, quodam autem modo est in consilio. Quod enim aliquis in generali dilectionis affectum impendat inimicis, non excludendo eos a communi dilectione proximorum et a communi oratione, quam quis pro fidelibus facit, pertinet ad necessitatem praecepti. Similiter etiam quod aliquis in articulo necessitatis inimico dilectionis effectum particulariter impendat, pertinet ad necessitatem praecepti. Unde dicitur Ex. c. XXIII, 4: si occurreris bovi inimici tui, aut asino erranti, reducas eum.
This directive can be interpreted in one way as a precept and in another as a counsel. For we are commanded to love our enemies in such a way as not to exclude them from our general love of neighbor and from the prayer one makes for all believers. We are also obliged to show the effect of this love of one’s enemies in particular cases of critical need. Hence it says in Exodus: if you meet your enemy’s ox or ass going astray, rescue it (Exod 23:4).
Sed quod aliquis in speciali dilectionis affectum et orationis suffragium, aut qualecumque subventionis beneficium exhibeat inimico, interdum etiam extra articulum manifestae necessitatis, pertinet ad perfectionem consiliorum: quia per hoc ostenditur tam perfecta caritas hominis ad Deum quod omne humanum odium superet. Ille autem qui poenitet et misericordiam petit, iam non est inter inimicos aut persecutores computandus. Unde ei absque omni difficultate sunt caritatis indicia ostendenda. Eccli. XXVIII, 2: relinque proximo tuo nocenti te, et tunc deprecanti tibi peccata solventur.
But for anyone to give his enemies the benefit of his help beyond cases of manifest need or to say special prayers and indicate a feeling of love in a special way pertains to the perfection of the counsels, because it shows that a person’s love of God is so advanced that it triumphs over all human hatred. However, one who repents and seeks forgiveness should no longer be reckoned an enemy or persecutor; hence, there should be no difficulty in showing him marks of charity: forgive your neighbor if he has hurt you: and then your sins shall be forgiven when you pray (Sir 28:2).
999. Secundo docet quod benevolentia sive benedictio sit pura, id est absque permixtione contrarii. Unde dicit benedicite, et nolite maledicere, id est ita benedicatis quod nullo modo maledicatis. Quod est contra quosdam qui ore benedicunt et corde maledicunt, secundum illud Ps. XXVII, 3: qui loquuntur pacem cum proximo suo, mala autem in cordibus eorum. Et etiam contra illos qui quandoque benedicunt, quandoque maledicunt, vel quibusdam benedicunt, quibusdam maledicunt. Iac. III, 10: ex ipso ore procedit benedictio et maledictio. Non oportet, fratres mei, haec ita fieri. I Petr. III, 9: non reddentes maledictum pro maledicto.
999. Second, he teaches that good-will should be pure, i.e., not mixed with its opposite. Hence he says: bless, and curse not, i.e., so bless that in no way do you curse. This is against those who bless with their mouth and curse in their heart: they speak words of peace to their neighbor, but have evil in their hearts (Ps 27:3). It is also against those who sometimes bless and sometimes curse, or bless some and curse others: from the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be so (Jas 2:10); do not return reviling for reviling (1 Pet 3:9).
1000. Sed contra hoc videtur esse quod in Sacra Scriptura plures maledictiones inveniuntur. Dicit enim Deut. XXVII, 26: maledictus qui non permanserit in sermonibus legis huius, nec eos opere perficit.
1000. But the fact that many curses are found in Sacred Scripture seems to be against this. For Deuteronomy says: cursed be he that does not abide in the words of this law and does not fulfill them in work (Deut 27:26).
Ad quod dicendum est quod maledicere est malum dicere: quod quidem tripliciter contingit, sicut et benedicere, scilicet enuntiando, imperando et optando; et secundum quodlibet horum modorum potest bene et male fieri.
The answer is that to curse is to say something evil. As with blessing, this can happen in three ways, namely, by asserting, by commanding, and by desiring; and in each of these ways something good can be done and something evil.
Si enim id quod est materialiter malum, dicatur malum quolibet praedictorum modorum, sub ratione boni non est illicitum, quia hoc est magis benedicere, quam maledicere: unumquodque enim magis iudicatur secundum suam formam, quam secundum suam materiam. Si vero aliquis dicat malum sub ratione mali, formaliter maledicit; unde est omnino illicitum.
For something materially evil can be called evil in any of these ways. If it is called evil but has a good aspect, this is blessing rather than cursing and is not illicit. For a thing is judged more according to its form than its matter. But if someone says evil under the aspect of evil, he is speaking evil formally; hence it is altogether illicit.
Utrumque autem horum contingit in hoc, quod aliquis enuntiando malum profert.
Both of these cases occur when someone makes known an evil by asserting it.
Quandoque enim aliquis enuntiat malum alicuius ad notificandum necessariam veritatem et sic dicit malum sub ratione veri necessarii, quod est bonum, unde est licitum. Et hoc modo Iob III, 1 s. dicitur, quod Iob maledixit diei suae, enuntians malitiam praesentis vitae, sicut Apostolus dicit Eph. V, 16: redimentes tempus, quoniam dies mali sunt.
For sometimes a person asserts that something is evil, in order to make known a necessary truth. Hence, he asserts evil under the aspect of a necessary truth, which is something good; hence it is licit. This is the way Job is said to have cursed his day, when he asserted the evil of the present life (Job 3:1), just as the Apostle did in Ephesians: making the most of the time, because the days are evil (Eph 5:17).
Quandoque autem aliquis enuntiat malum alterius sub ratione mali, scilicet intentione detrahendi. Et hoc est illicitum. Dicitur enim I Cor. VI, 10: neque maledici, neque rapaces regnum Dei possidebunt.
But sometimes a person asserts someone’s evil under the aspect of evil, namely, to detract from his good name; and this is illicit. For it is stated in 1 Corinthians: the evil-tongued shall not possess God’s kingdom (1 Cor 6:10).
1001. Similiter etiam in eo quod quis dicit malum imperando; contingit autem quandoque quod aliquis dicit id quod est materialiter malum sub ratione boni, puta cum ex imperio alicuius provenit alicui malum poenae propter iustitiam, quod quidem est licitum. Et hoc modo transgressores legis maledicuntur, id est, poenae secundum iustitiam deputantur.
1001. Similarly, when one says something evil by commanding, it can happen that he says something materially evil but under a good aspect. For example, it is licit for a person in authority to command that someone undergo the evil of punishment, when it is just. In this way violators of the law are cursed, i.e., justly subjected to punishment.
Quandoque vero aliquis imperando dicit malum alterius iniuste, puta propter odium et vindictam. Et talis maledictio est illicita. Ex. XXI, 17: qui maledixerit patri vel matri, morte moriatur.
But when someone commands another’s evil unjustly, for example from hatred and revenge, such a curse is illicit: he that curses his father or mother shall die the death (Exod 21:17).
1002. Et idem est etiam, circa id quod aliquis dicit malum optando. Si enim hoc optet sub ratione boni, puta ut per adversitatem alicuius perveniat ad spiritualem profectum, hoc licitum est. Iob V, 3: vidi stultum firma radice, et maledixi pulchritudini eius statim.
1002. It is the same with regard to saying something evil by desiring. For if the evil is desired under the aspect of good, for example, that through adversity a person may make spiritual progress, it is licit: I have seen a fool with a firm root: and at once I cursed his beauty (Job 5:3).
Si vero hoc homo faciat propter odium vel vindictam, est omnino illicitum. I Reg. XVII, v. 43: maledixit Philisthaeus David in diis suis.
But if this is done from hatred and revenge, it is altogether illicit: the Philistine cursed David by his gods (1 Sam 17:43).