Quod amator Dei mundum, tedium et ocium respuit et de ipocritis et auaris

Quod amator Dei mundum, tedium et ocium respuit et de ipocritis et auaris

It is said in the songs that love is as strong as death, fierce as the grave. Death indeed kills the living, but hell spares not even the dead. Indeed, the love of God completely seizes a person, not only killing them off from the love of this world, but also igniting in them a desire to endure present tribulations and miseries for God, even after being dead to the world and united with heaven. So, whoever you are who thinks you love Christ, pay attention to this: if you still look at earthly things with delight, and find your mind unprepared to endure even death and the sufferings that come with it, you clearly show that you are not a true lover of God. A true lover does not direct his gaze toward the world, nor does he fear to suffer anything for God that seems sad or harsh; rather, he is not hindered in his thoughts about his beloved, no matter what may happen to him. You, too, who are a lover of God, whether you are or wish to be with your whole mind, always strive as much as you can, through the grace of Christ, not to be affected by boredom and not to fall into idleness. And if sometimes a sweet ease in prayer or meditation isn't present for you, as if your mind were lifted up in the joyful contemplation of the sacred, and you can't sing as you used to, don't stop reading or praying or doing something else useful, either inwardly or outwardly, so that you don't slip into idleness or apathy. Many have been drawn to idleness by boredom, and idleness leads to negligence and wrongdoing. Therefore, be fervent always, as much as you can, and do not let your heart be inclined toward anything that can be desired or possessed in this world. No one can be perfectly united with God while they are bound by worldly affection for any creature. There are some who appear outwardly joined to God, but inwardly they are devoted to demons. These are the pretenders and the crafty who provoke the wrath of God. They are pretenders who, while speaking of the world, are known to love it excessively through their actions. Those who speak of God want to appear righteous, yet they are so consumed by love for money that they even argue over expenses; they open their mouths to God but are completely lacking in true devotion, having no fervor of faith or love, yet they still show themselves to be the most holy in their demeanor, habits, and speech. These people often boast about their strength in facing minor adversities, but when they reach a point where they should resist, they quickly break and fall, and then it becomes clear what was previously hidden. When they abound in riches and indulge in pleasures, they still claim to eat very little, and they say they have such thoughts that the whole world is nothing but vanity, yet they can barely hold on due to their weakness. They are clever because they possess worldly wisdom and are skilled in it, so that they may not be caught by foreign traps, as they take care to avoid the downfall of temporal things, while under the appearance of spiritual peace they conceal their greed, showing contempt for eternal matters. But such things, even if they remain hidden for a time, will undoubtedly appear long before the end, or at least at the end, as they were. Those who give alms or do any other work in the sight of others do so so that everything may be seen by people. And rightly do such provoke the wrath of God, because they desire to appear perfect while lacking true humility within, where God sees, and they cry out for their own glory, not for divine glory. It's very difficult to have wealth and not love it, and it's no less difficult to have a profitable trade or profession and not be greedy. That's why priests are often slandered among the nations; if they are wealthy, they are found to be greedy, but if they are generous, they become indulgent. And it often happens that when someone takes on the priestly order, they fall deeper into sin, the more unworthily they have accepted a higher position. Some, truly anxious and inflamed by desire, claim to gather good things under the appearance of a venture of weakness or poverty, so that they might escape impending misery. But they are deceived by demons, because they lose earthly goods and incur the calamity they fear, since they do not see God, who frees His servants, in His presence; and what is worst of all, while they are filled inside with earthly desire, they pretend to shine with the sign of holiness on the outside. But the one who is a servant of the Lord trusts in the Lord and shares what he has beyond what is necessary with those in need. But a servant of the world strives to keep all that he possesses for his insatiable desire, so that he may be so grasping that he doesn't dare to eat unless it's cheap and meager, in order to hoard a lot of money; and these are the ones whom the psalmist condemns, saying: "His enemies will lick the dust."^✦