Love suffers long, and is kind; love envies not; love vaunts not itself, is not puffed up,
All Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 13:4 Go To 1 Corinthians 13
Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
Charity suffereth long and is kind. Ambrose reads: "Charity is high-souled" (so also S. Cyprian and Tertullian, de Patientiâi, c12 , read), "and is pleasing." Note, charity is long-suffering, not formally, but in the way of cause, because it produces patience and kindness; because patience, as well as kindness, is an act not elicited but ordered by charity. Tertullian (de Patientiâ, c2) beautifully teaches that no virtue is perfect which has not patience as its companion, and so in all the beatitudes which Christ (in S. Matthew 5) enumerates, patience also must be understood. He teaches also (c12) that the treasures of charity are held in by the discipline of patience, and that charity herself is taught by patience as her mistress; for, expounding, these words of the Apostle, "charity suffereth long," he says: Love, the great mystery of the faith, by whose training is she taught save by that of patience? Love," Hebrews , says, "is high-souled, so she adopts patience; she does good, so patience works no evil; envieth not—that also is the property of patience; savours nothing of wantonness—she has drawn her modesty from patience; is not puffed up, behaves not unseemly—for that belongs not to patience. But what would he have left to impatience? Therefore he says, "Love beareth all things, endureth all things," that Isaiah , because she is patient."
Hence S. Augustine (de Moribus Eccl. c15) then defines fortitude: "Fortitude is love bearing easily all things for God"s sake." In like manner he defines by love the three other cardinal virtues, that they are different forms of love. "We may say," he says, "that temperance is love preserving itself pure and uncorrupt for God; that justice is love, serving God only, and for the same cause duly ordering other things which have been placed under man; that prudence is love, rightly discerning between those things by which God is served, and by which His service is hindered." Again (c. xxii.) he says: "That love which we must have towards God, inflamed with all holiness, is called temperate in things that ought not to be sought for, and brave in things which can be lost." And shortly afterwards: "There is nothing so hard, so steely, which cannot be overcome by the fire of love. By love, when the soul hastens towards God, rising above the defilement of the flesh, it will fly, freely and wonderfully, on most beautiful and most chaste wings, by which pure love strives for the embrace of God." Every virtue therefore is love and charity, viz, an act of charity not elicited but ordered, because it is ordered, directed, formed, and perfected by charity. Add to this that virtue by itself is love of good. Such was the charity of Christ on the Cross towards His crucifiers, about which S. Bernard (Sermon de Passione Domini) says: "He was smitten with scourges, crowned wish thorns, pierced with nails, fastened to the Cross, laden with reproaches; yet, heedless of all pains, He cried, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do." How ready art Thou to forgive, 0 Lord! How great is the multitude of Thy sweet mercies! How far are Thy thoughts from our thoughts! How is Thy mercy established on the wicked! A wondrous thing! He cries, "For give;" the Jews, "Crucify;" His words were softer than butter, and they are as darts. Oh, suffering charity, but also long suffering. "Charity suffereth long"—it is enough; "charity is kind"—it is the crowning point. Because charity is kind, she loves also those whom she tolerates, and loves them so ardently." And a little lower: "O Jews, ye are stones, but ye strike a softer stone, from which is given back the sound of piety, from which pours forth the oil of charity. How, 0 Lord, wilt Thou give drink to those who thirst for Thee of the torrent of Thy joy, who so overwhelmest those who crucify Thee with the oil of Thy mercy!"
Envieth not. For, as S. Gregory says (Hom. v. in Evang.), "the good will which charity begets is one that fears others" misfortunes as its own, which rejoices in the prosperity of its neighbour as in its own, believes others" losses as its own, and reckons others" gains as its own." The reason Isaiah , because charity does not regard my things and thine, but those which are God"s. For, as S. Gregory says (ibid.), "whatever we desire in this world, we envy to our neighbour," for we seem to lose what another gains. For this cause charity is cold where lust is bold. On the contrary, when brotherly love reigns, then lust lives an exile; for, as S. Augustine says (de Doctr. Christ. lib. iii. c10), "the more the kingdom of lust is destroyed, the more charity is increased."
Does nothing wrongly. Perversely, wantonly, maliciously. Some interpret the Greek, "does not chatter idly," Vatablus, "does not flatter;" Clement (Pædag. c. ii.), "does not paint her face or adorn her head overmuch." "For worship," says Clement, "is said to act unseemly which openly shows superfluity and usefulness; for excessive striving after adornment is opposed to God, to reason, and to charity." Cajetan interprets the word: "is not inconstant;" Theophylact, "is not head-strong, fickle, rash, stubborn;" Ephrem, "is not riotous." Theophylact again, "doth not exalt itself." So also S. Basil seems to interpret it. "What," he asks, "does this word (πεÏπεÏεÏεται) mean?" which the Latin translator of Basil renders: "What do we mean by being boastful and arrogant without cause?" He replies. "That which is assumed, not from necessity but for the sake of superfluous adornment, incurs the charge o unseemliness." But from these words it is evident that the translator has not followed the mind of S. Basil, and that Basil did not mean boasting and foolish arrogance, but painting, and excessive adornment, as did Clement of Alexandria in the place just cited. Best of all, Chrysostom understands it: "Charity is not forward or wanton, as is the carnal1ove of lascivious men, wanton women, and harlots." Whence Tertullian (de Patientiâ, c. xii.) says, "Charity makes not wanton."
