And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.
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Ambrose of Milan
AD 397
To humanity it was said, “Love the Lord your God,” yet the love of God is not instilled in the hearts of all. Deafer are the hearts of people than the hardest rock. The earth, in compliance with its Author, furnishes us with fruit which is not owed to us. We deny the debt when we do not give homage to the Author. .
Now one who loves undoubtedly believes, and by believing each one begins to love. Finally, “Abraham believed,” and thus he began to love. He did not believe in part but believed all things. Otherwise he could not possess full charity, since Scripture says, “Charity believes all things.” ()..
It is a noble thing to do one’s kindnesses and duties toward the whole of the human race. But it is ever more seemly that you should give to God the most precious thing you have, that is, your mind, for you have nothing better than that. When you have paid your debt to your Creator, then you may labor for humanity, to show them kindness and to give help. Then you may assist the needy with money, or by some duty or some service that lies in the way of your ministry; by money to support him; by paying a debt, so as to free him that is bound; by undertaking a duty, so as to take charge of a trust, which he fears to lose, who has put it by in trust. .
Therefore the supreme and true wisdom is in that first commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul.” From this it follows that wisdom is love of God, which is “poured forth in our hearts,” not otherwise than “by the Holy Spirit who is given to us.” But “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” and “there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.”
The number three has an intrinsic relation to the mind. This may be understood from the text in which we are commanded to love God in a threefold manner, with the whole heart, with the whole soul, with the whole mind.
For while there remains any remnant of the lust of the flesh, to be kept in check by the rein of continence, God is by no means loved with all one’s soul. For the flesh does not lust without the soul, although it is the flesh which is said to lust, because the soul lusts carnally. In that perfect state the just man shall live absolutely without any sin, since there will be in his members no law warring against the law of his mind. But wholly will he love God, with all his heart, with all his soul and with all his mind, which is the first and chief commandment.
As the law teaches, “You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart and your whole soul.” But the person who puts his entire hope in the Lord also praises with his whole heart. He does not put his trust in the transient consolations of the world, once he has trained himself on the Lord with total purity of mind.
Whole heart.soul.and strength. God admits of no partner, nor will he suffer any rivulet to be drawn from the fountain of love, which is not ultimately referred to himself. Our neighbour we must love only for his sake, and by the observance of this two-fold precept, we shall fulfil the whole law and the prophets, Matthew xxii. 40. (Haydock) See St. Augustine, de Doct. i. 22.
We must love God disinterestedly for his own sake: we must sacrifice our soul and life for his honour, with all our strength, beginning every good work with fervour, and persevering in our undertakings. All our faculties and senses must be consecrated to the divine service, as well as all our goods; in which sense the Chaldean, understand the word strength. Hebrew literally, ex toto valde tuo. By this singular expression, Moses seems to insinuate, that he cannot find words to specify how much we ought to love the Sovereign Good. (Calmet)
"The measure of loving God, is to love without measure. "(St. Bernard) (Haydo...
If one does not love God with all his heart and with all his soul, how can he care wholesomely and guilelessly for the love of his brothers, since he is not fulfilling the love of the One on whose account he has a care for the love of his brothers? The person in this condition, who has not given his whole soul to God and has not participated in his love, the craftsman of evil finds disarmed and easily overpowers. .
