De affectu officiali
Defining the Official Affection
The author defines an official affection as one that arises for the sake of duties or services.
Furthermore, we call an official affection one that is brought forth for the sake of duties or services.
Moses and the Daughters of Jethro
Moses, while fleeing Pharaoh, earned the affection of Jethro's household by steadfastly protecting his daughters from hostile shepherds.
Holy Moses, when he was avoiding the snares of Pharaoh, through the memorable service of the priest of Midian acquired for himself an affection whose daughters, maidens, he most steadfastly protected from the wickedness of the shepherds, although he was a foreigner, having admired the goodwill of the young man; and the man asked him not only as a friend but also as a son-in-law for himself (Exod. ii).
Barzillai's Devotion to David
Barzillai the Gileadite showed dutiful devotion to the fleeing David, and his steadfast loyalty was later commended to Solomon for recompense.
Barzillai the Gileadite also, who had received David's king, fleeing from the face of Absalom, with most dutiful devotion, nevertheless stirred up his ready affection with gifts (II Reg. xvii) : whose most steadfast man in spirit clung so perseveringly that among the hereditary precepts he immediately commanded his son Solomon, the king about to die, the recompense of such great munificence (III Reg. ii).
Read the original Latin
Porro officialem eum dicimus affectum, qui munerum vel obsequiorum gratia parturitur. Moyses sanctus cum Pharaonis declinaret insidias, sacerdotis Madian officio memorabili sibi comparavit affectum : cujus dum filias virgines a pastorum improbitate constantissime, licet alienigena, protexisset, admiratus adolescentis benevolentiam homo, non solum amicum eum sibi, sed et generum postulavit (Exod. ii). Berzellai quoque Galaadites, regis David, quem fugientem a facie Absalon officiosissima devotione susceperat, muneribus nihilominus paratum excitavit affectum (II Reg. xvii) : qui viri constantissimi animo tam perseveranter inhaesit, ut inter haereditaria praecepta tantae munificentiae recompensationem filio Salomoni rex statim moriturus indixerit (III Reg. ii).
Speculum caritatis (The Mirror of Charity) companion
Reorder one love at a time, daily
Use the study map with the free Chosen Portion app's daily readings to work through Aelred at a sustainable pace.
Aelred wrote the Mirror as a rule for daily interior discipline in community, and Chosen Portion carries that discipline forward as a short ordered reading each day.
- All 3 books and 102 chapters mapped into 4 weekly themes with page-level pointers
- Aelred's choice-motion-fruit test, turned into a one-page self-examination worksheet
- 16 discussion questions ready for personal journaling or a 4-session small group