I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
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George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Diligently, not passing sentence at random. I also endeavoured to do justice to those who durst not make any complaint. The prince ought to have an eye to all things. (Calmet)
41. For very often men give much to the poor, not because they love those poor, but because if they do not give, they dread the indignation of the Judge Above; which persons, if they were not afraid of God, would have had no mind to give the things they possess. And indeed in good deeds it is the first step of beginners, that he who does not yet know how to love his neighbour as himself, nevertheless should yet henceforth begin to dread the judgments from Above. Thus because it is one thing to do a good deed by command and another to do it from affection as well, that the holy man may teach us the inward spirit of his practice, let him say, I was a father to the poor. For not a patron, or a neighbour, or an helper to the poor, but ‘a father’ he testifies that he had been; in this way, because by the great attentiveness of his charity he converted the purpose of mercy into the affection of nature, that he should look on those as children by love, whom he was the head of as a father b...
39. Which same words if we refer to the utterance of Holy Church by a typical mode of interpretation, the same is ‘eyes to the blind,’ because she gives light by the Word, and the same ‘feet to the lame,’ because she stays them up by support. For by preaching she enlightens the blind, while the lame by helping she supports. For ‘the blind’ is he that as yet seeth not whither he is going, but ‘the lame’ is he who has not the power to go there where he sees. For frequently sin is committed either by ignorance or weakness, so that either the man knows not what he ought to desire, or cannot do every thing that he has the desire to do. Contrarily it is rightly said by the Psalmist, The Lord is my light and my salvation. [Ps. 27, 1] For because the Lord bestows both knowledge and force, at once in opposition to ignorance He is called ‘Light,’ and in opposition to weakness ‘Saving Health.’ It is hence that it is said of the wicked, Let their way he dark and slippery [Ps. 35, 6]; that is...
