As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
All Commentaries on Galatians 6:10 Go To Galatians 6
Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
Let us do good unto all men. While the time of sowing lasts, let us do good to all—not only to catechists, but to all—even to the heathen, though specially to our fellow-Christians, who are members of the same household of God. S. Jerome relates a beautiful example of this in the Apostle S. John: "When he was living at Ephesus in his extreme old age, and was with difficulty carried into the Church in the arms of his disciples, nor could find breath for many words, he would say nothing time after time but, "Little children, love one another." At length, his hearers being tired of hearing nothing else, asked him, "Master, why do you always repeat the same exhortation?" He replied in a sentence worthy of him: "Because it is the Lord"s command; and if this be done all is done." " To this Jerome adds: "Brief is the course of this world. Titus , the son of Vespasian, was wont to say at evening, if he could recollect no good action during the day, "I have lost a day." We do not reflect that we lose an hour, a day, a moment, time, eternity, whenever we speak an idle word, for which we shall have one day to give an account."
Posidippus, and, following him, Blessed Thomas More and Giraldus (Syntag1), happily describe this opportunity (καιÏός): ""Who art thou?—"I am time, who destroys all things."—"Why do you hasten by so quickly?"—"I am always in motion."—"Why with wings on your feet?"—"I travel as does the light breeze."—"Why carry razors in your hand?"—"To show that nothing is keener than I."—"Why does a lock hang over your forehead?"—"That you may lay hold of me as I approach."—"Why bald behind?"—"To show that when I have once flown by no one can bring me back, however much he may wish it." "
Would that we would reflect how short is the time of our trial, how time flies never to return, how on each moment hangs eternity! How zealous should we then be in all good works. What we now neglect, we shall never regain; for in a short time all opportunity for living, acting, meriting, will vanish away. Cf. Rev. x6. When time shall be no more, eternity will be with us. "Short is the time given us in this present life. Unless we employ it on needful things, what shall we do when we pass into the next world?" (S. Chrysostom, Hom17 in Joan.). The pagan Seneca (Ep. i.) can say the same: "It is a disgrace to lose time through mere carelessness; and if you will notice it, you will see that a great part of life glides by with those who do evil, the greatest part with those who do nothing, and the whole with those who do anything else."
S. Gregory Nazianzen says, in his Iambics, that life is a market in which we can procure all wealth, i.e, all virtues; but when it is closed, there remains no more chance of buying. The time for buying is short, nay, it is a single day, when compared with eternity.
