Quomodo utraque haec dilectio Dei dilectione servetur
The Twofold Love Enkindled by Divine Love
The two loves by which we work out our salvation and unite with our neighbor must each be enlivened by a share of divine love, according to the Word made flesh.
Now then — because, as we said above, each of these two loves by which we look after our own salvation or by which we are united to our neighbors in pure affection must be enlivened by some share of divine love — it should be understood that God's love moves us forward and advances us in this twofold love, according to the Word made flesh, who lived among us (John 1:14).✦ 1)
Innocence as the Fruit of Charity
Innocence is acquired through the twofold love and consists in harming neither oneself nor another; self-harm comes through vice and disgrace.
Indeed, in this twofold love innocence is acquired — and it is clearly shown to consist in two things. Innocent indeed is the one who harms neither himself nor another. But a person harms himself when he corrupts himself through the vices or the stain of some disgrace.
Beholding the Humility of the Incarnate Lord
Meditation on Christ's tender infancy and his merciful condescension toward sinners and outcasts powerfully repels the corruption of the flesh.
And because it is especially the pleasure and delight of the flesh that drives toward this corruption, anyone easily rejects or avoids it — if, having put on a devout affection toward the flesh of our Savior, he delights to behold with the eyes of the spirit the Lord of majesty, stooped down even to the narrow confines of the manger, to gaze upon the virgin breasts, to be clasped in a mother's embrace, and to be kissed on the blessed lips of the trembling old man — holy Simeon, that is.✦✦ Whoever finds it sweet to picture in his mind's eye how gentle he is in appearance, how kind in speech, how compassionate toward sinners, how condescending to the weak and the wretched — how in wonderful kindness he shunned neither the touch of a prostitute nor the company of tax collectors at table (Luke 7) —✦✦ 7) — how he took up the cause of an adulteress, so that she would not be stoned (Matt. 5)
The Sweet Tears That Quench Desire
At this sweet spectacle of Christ's humility, every carnal delight becomes foul, and holy tears arise to extinguish desire, calm vanity, and temper the flesh.
ix), which is spoken of to another, so that in some way the evangelist is made [to speak] of the adulteress (John viii; John. iv). Who is there for whom, at this sweet spectacle, every delight of stinking flesh does not become foul? From there certain sweet tears easily arise, by which all the heat of desire is extinguished, the flesh grows cold, the greediness of gluttony is tempered, every stirring of vanities is calmed.
The Wondrous Patience of Christ on the Cross
Nothing so powerfully moves us to love our enemies as contemplating Christ's surpassing patience in suffering: his scourging, thorns, cross, nails, and silence before his shearers.
Furthermore, nothing encourages us toward the love of enemies, in which the perfection of brotherly love consists, as much as the welcome contemplation of that wondrous patience by which he, beautiful in form before the sons of men (Ps.✦ xliv), he offered his beautiful face to the impious to be spit upon — he whose eyes, by whose nod all things are ruled, he veiled from the unjust; by which he exposed his own sides to whips; by which he submitted his head, tremendous to principalities and powers, to the sharpness of thorns; by which he devoted himself to reproaches and insults; by which he finally patiently endured the cross, the nails, the lance, the gall, the vinegar — in all things gentle, mild, tranquil.✦ Finally, as a sheep led to slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer he was silent, and he did not open his mouth (Isa.✦ 53).
Aroused to Holy Anger and Tender Forgiveness
Pondering Christ's Passion provokes indignation at his suffering, yet his prayer 'Father, forgive them' immediately transforms that anger into an embrace of enemies with every affection.
I consider, O human pride, O proud impatience — what he endured, who he was, how he endured! I ask that these things be pondered, not merely written down. Who is there whose anger does not immediately boil over at the sight of this wondrous spectacle? Who, hearing that wondrous voice — full of sweetness, full of love, full of unshakeable peace — 'Father, forgive them' (Luke✦ 23), does not immediately embrace his enemies with every affection?✦ 'Father,' he says, 'forgive them.'✦ What gentleness, what love could be added to this prayer?
Christ Excuses Those Who Crucify Him
Not only did Christ pray for his executioners, but he also excused them, saying 'They do not know what they are doing,' for had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Yet he added this: it wasn't enough to pray — he also wanted to excuse them. "Father," he said, "forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing."✦ They are indeed great sinners, but they're poor judges of what they're doing. And so, Father, forgive them. They crucify him — yet the One they crucify, they don't know. For if they had known, they never would have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Cor.✦ 2); and so, Father, forgive them. They think he's a lawbreaker; they think he's a blasphemer against God; they think he's a deceiver of the people. I hid my face from them; they didn't recognize my majesty. And so, Father, forgive them, because they don't know what they're doing.✦✦
The Divine Fire of Love Preserved
To love oneself rightly one must reject carnal pleasure, direct all affection toward the sweetness of Christ's flesh, embrace even enemies in true love, and continually gaze upon the calm patience of the Lord.
Therefore, if a person wants to love himself rightly, let him not corrupt himself with any pleasure of the flesh. So that it doesn't yield to carnal desire, let it direct all its affection toward the sweetness of the Lord's flesh. And so that it may rest more perfectly and more sweetly in the delight of fraternal charity, let it embrace even its enemies in the arms of true love. But lest this divine fire grow lukewarm through the condition of its injuries, let it always fix the eyes of its mind on the calm patience of the beloved Lord and Savior.
Read the original Latin
Verum, quia, ut superius diximus, utrumque hunc amorem, quo vel propriae saluti consulimus, vel quo proximis puro affectu unimur, quadam divini amoris portione necesse est animari : sciendum quia ad hanc geminam dilectionem Dei nos dilectio movet et promovet, secundum id, quod Verbum caro factum est, et habitavit in nobis (Joan. i). Siquidem in hac gemina dilectione acquiritur innocentia, quam in duobus constare manifestum est. Innocens quippe est, qui nec sibi, nec alteri nocet. Sibi autem nocet, qui semetipsum vitiis alicujus aut turpitudinis labe corrumpit. Ad quam corruptionem quia maxime voluptas, ac delectatio carnis impellit, sic eam facile quilibet respuit vel evitat, si erga carnem nostri Salvatoris pium indutus affectum, gaudet spiritalibus oculis intueri Dominum majestatis, usque ad praesepis inclinatum angustias, virgineis inhiare uberibus, maternis amplexibus stringi, tremuli senis, sancti videlicet Simeonis, felicibus labiis osculari. Qui mentis suae obtutibus imaginari dulce habet, quam mitis aspectu, quam dulcis affatu, quam peccatoribus compatiens, quam infirmis et miseris condescendens, quod mira benignitate nec meretricis attactum, nec publicanorum refugit convivium (Luc. vii), quod unius adulterae suscipit causam ne lapidetur (Matth.
ix), quod alteri confabulatur, ut de adultera evangelista quodammodo efficiatur (Joan. viii; Joan. iv). Quis est, cui ad hoc dulce spectaculum, omnis fetentis carnis delectatio non sordescat? Inde suaves quaedam lacrymae facile oriuntur, quibus omnis concupiscentiarum aestus exstinguitur, tepescit caro, gulae voracitas temperatur, omnis vanitatum titillatio sedatur. Porro ad inimicorum dilectionem, in qua fraternae charitatis consistit perfectio, nihil nos ita animat, ut illius mirae patientiae grata consideratio, qua ille speciosus forma prae filiis hominum (Psal. xliv), venustam faciem suam impiis praebuit conspuendam, qui oculos illos, quorum nutu reguntur omnia, velamini subdidit iniquorum ; qua latera illa sua flagellis exposuit ; qua caput, tremendum principatibus et potestatibus, spinarum asperitati submisit; qua semetipsum opprobriis ac contumeliis addixit; qua tandem crucem, clavos, lanceam, fel, acetum patienter sustinuit, in omnibus lenis, mitis, tranquillus. Denique tanquam ovis ad occisionem ductus est, et quasi agnus coram tondente se obmutuit, et non aperuit os suum (Isa.
liii). Considero, o humana superbia, o superba impatientia, quid sustinuit, quis sustinuit, quomodo sustinuit ! Cogitentur, rogo, non scribantur. Quis est, cujus ad hunc mirabilem intuitum non statim ira deferveat? Quis illam audiens mirabilem vocem, plenam dulcedinis, plenam charitatis, plenam immutabilis tranquillitatis : Pater, ignosce illis (Luc. xxiii), non statim omni affectu suos amplectitur inimicos ? Pater, inquit, ignosce illis. Quid lenitatis, quid charitatis huic addi potuit orationi ?
Addidit tamen, Parum fuit orare; voluit et excusare. Pater, inquit, ignosce illis, non enim sciunt quid faciunt. Sunt quidem magni peccatores, sed pusilli aestimatores ; ideo, Pater, ignosce illis. Crucifigunt; quem tamen crucifigant nesciunt, quia si cognovissent, nunquam Dominum gloriae crucifixissent (I Cor. ii) ; ideo, Pater, ignosce illis. Putant legis praevaricatorem; putant divinitatis praesumptorem ; putant populi seductorem. Abscondi ab eis faciem meam, non agnoverunt majestatem meam ; ideo, Pater, ignosce illis, quia nesciunt quid faciunt. Igitur, ut homo se diligat, nulla se carnis delectatione corrumpat.
Ut vero carnali concupiscentiae non succumbat, omnem affectum suum ad suavitatem Dominicae carnis extendat. Porro, ut perfectius ac suavius in fraterna charitatis delectatione quiescat, etiam inimicos brachiis veri amoris astringat. Sed ne divinus hic ignis injuriarum statu tepescat, dilecti Domini ac Salvatoris sui tranquillam patientiam oculis mentis semper aspiciat.
Scripture echoes
- ↩John.1.14 — And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
- ↩Luke.2.7 — And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
- ↩Luke.2.25-Luke.2.35 — And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. Luke.2.26 — And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Luke.2.27 — And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, Luke.2.28 — and he received him into his arms and blessed God and said, Luke.2.29 — Now you are releasing your servant, Master, according to your word, in peace. Luke.2.30 — that my eyes have seen your salvation Luke.2.31 — which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples Luke.2.32 — a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel. Luke.2.33 — And his father and his mother were marveling at the things being spoken concerning him. Luke.2.34 — And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, 'Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed.' Luke.2.35 — and a sword will pierce through your own soul also, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
- ↩Luke.7.37 — And behold, a woman who was in the city, a sinner, having learned that he was reclining in the house of the Pharisee, brought an alabaster flask of ointment
- ↩Luke.15.1-Luke.15.2 — Now all the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to listen to him. Luke.15.2 — And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling, saying, "This one welcomes sinners and eats with them."
- ↩Ps.45.2 — My heart is stirred by a noble theme; I address my work to the king; my tongue is the pen of a ready scribe.
- ↩Isa.52.7;Ps.45.2 — How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the one who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings good news of good, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns!" Ps.45.2 — My heart is stirred by a noble theme; I address my work to the king; my tongue is the pen of a ready scribe.
- ↩Isa.53.7 — He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb led to slaughter, and like a sheep silent before its shearers, so he did not open his mouth.
- ↩Luke.23.34 — Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided his garments by casting lots.
- ↩Luke.23.34 — Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided his garments by casting lots.
- ↩Luke.23.34 — Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided his garments by casting lots.
- ↩Luke.23.34 — Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided his garments by casting lots.
- ↩1Cor.2.8 — None of the rulers of this age understood it; for if they had understood, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
- ↩Isa.59.2;John.15.21 — But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he does not hear. John.15.21 — But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me.
- ↩Luke.23.34 — Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided his garments by casting lots.
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