10-14-2026, 09:18 AM
Chapter XXVII. Of Charity, and How That We Should Fear Our Love Is Not of the True Kind and Doth Not Fulfil the Conditions Needful
Charity and the love of God is the greatest of all virtues; without it prayer is of no account, neither pleasing unto God, and all the other virtues are without profit whatsoever. That ye may believe this is true, hearken unto the Book of the Life of Jesus Christ, which saith, "If thou bring thy gift to the altar and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way and first be reconciled to thy brother." For the gift of prayer is nothing worth if it be not offered in the bonds of charity. Moreover, when in the Lord's prayer we are taught to ask for the remission of our sins, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us," it meaneth that our debts will be forgiven us in prayer according as we have forgiven our brothers the injuries and offences they committed against us, and if we forgive them we shall attain unto the state of charity in unity.
Know ye, my children, that like as love containeth all worth and goodness, so hate containeth all unworthiness, sin, and evil. Wherefore, my dear children, there is nothing in this world, neither man nor devil nor any other thing, which I do fear as greatly as I fear love. For love penetrateth the soul more than any other thing, neither is there anything which doth so fill the mind and the whole heart as doth love; so that if the soul hath not the arms wherewith to protect itself, it may easily fall into evil and suffer great ruin. I am not speaking here of wrongful love, the which must be eschewed by all and shunned as a thing perilous and diabolical, but I am speaking of good and spiritual love, such as existeth betwixt God and the soul, or betwixt one neighbour and another.
That this is true is plainly proved. For if the love which the soul beareth unto God be not armed with great wisdom and discretion, but moveth with undue fervour, then doth it either presently cease, or it is deceived, or it tendeth unto some unseemly end. For things wherein is no order are neither good nor healthful; and for this reason are there many persons who believe they are filled with the love of God, whereas they are filled with hatred of Him and do love instead the world, the flesh, and the devil.
When, therefore, any man loveth God because He can save him from bodily infirmities and tribulations and from temporal perils, he loveth himself and God in a manner unbefitting, placing himself before God, who should be loved before all other things. One man loveth everything for himself and thus maketh a god of himself and his own heart, not loving God save for his own sake. Another loveth all worldly things for himself and for the profit of himself and his body; he loveth his kindred for his own profit and for the honour which they do him. He loveth men, and saintly and spiritual persons in order that he may cover himself with the mantle of their holiness, albeit He loveth them not for their goodness. Verily, such love is not pure, because the fruit thereof is the delighting of the flesh and the body, with all manner of vice and concupiscence. Others are there who love bodily attainments and talents, and would know how to read and sing for the pleasure of others. They delight, moreover, in great and profound learning, in order that in argument they may overcome learnedly and with much reasoning; yet not out of charity, but that they may with pride correct others and be exalted in their eyes. There are also some who believe they love God, and who do love Him, but with a feeble and imperfect love. These love God in order that He may forgive them their trespasses and liberate them from hell and give them the glory of Paradise, and not because of His goodness. Others love God for the sake of having divine consolation and sweetness, spiritual thoughts, and delights. Others love Him in order that He may love them. Some love their kindred and friends from a desire that they should be spiritual and good, that they may not be ashamed because of them, but may derive profit and honour. Some love God in order that He may give them understanding, knowledge, and intelligence of books, and that they may be able to speak spiritually, yet not for the honour and profit of others, but that they themselves may be more loved and honoured. They love to be spiritual that they may be esteemed spiritual and be beloved of the spiritually minded, but it is for their own spiritual honour and profit that they do this. They love to be poor, patient, obedient, and outwardly humble and virtuous, in order that they may appear more virtuous than other persons, desiring that none may seem better than themselves, or even approach unto their perfection. And inasmuch as they desire to have none equal unto them, they are in this matter like unto Lucifer, who desired that no creature should be equal unto him.
Others there are who desire that their fame should be noised abroad in order that they may be commended as saints alike by good and evil persons. They do praise both those who are spiritual and those who are not, in order that they may not be accused of judging boldly.
Some do love the devout persons who come unto them with a spiritual and perfect love, wholly loving them in God. Nevertheless, this love doth sometimes increase too greatly, and if it be not armed with the weapons of discretion it turneth unto evil. Sometimes it becometh carnal love and unprofitable; then is it very hurtful for them to converse together and they do uselessly lose their time, inasmuch as their hearts are united in an unseemly bond. This love increaseth and ever desireth the presence of the beloved, and falleth sick if it hath it not. And if the beloved is there, the love groweth too great and the lover becometh one with the beloved, so that what pleaseth one pleaseth likewise the other, and what displeaseth one displeaseth the other. Therefore, if the soul be not so fortified that it can control the ardour of this love, which ever increaseth and hath not perfect order or discretion, it must needs fall at last into disorder.
And if when this disorder cometh about, the beloved hath not the aforesaid weapons for protection, and is likewise wounded by the sword of love, then is it very much more dangerous, because they do then begin to disclose their secrets one unto the other. Amongst other things, they disclose how greatly they love each other, saying one unto the other, "There is no person in all the world whom I so greatly love, nor whom I do bear so entirely in mine heart." These and many other things do they say, because they must needs speak of that which they feel.
Thus they still desire to love each other for devotion's sake and for the spiritual profit which they believe they do obtain from such love, but they are in peril of being tempted unto unlawful things which might be occasioned by their love. At first, reason doth dissuade them therefrom, for as yet it hath not been entirely overcome by love; but love groweth and reason beginneth to be obscured and the spirit is weakened and commenceth to believe that it is no sin and in no wise hurtful unto the soul to touch the thing beloved. Wherefore doth it permit this, and so doth it begin to do wrong and to fall from the state of perfection little by little, as reason is obscured by love. And according as it sinketh it beginneth to esteem as naught those things which are dangerous, and to say, "This may we do, for we mean no evil and it is not a great sin." So gradually these things come to be considered lawful, and, the love increasing more and more, one submitteth entirely unto the will of the other, each doing what the other desireth and not opposing any reason to the contrary. Hence it followeth that the lover obtaineth all his desire, and because of the aforesaid disorder he cannot refuse if he be invited unto evil-doing; and if he be not invited then doth he invite, knowing that it is pleasing unto the beloved.
Then do they refrain from prayer, from abstinence, from solitude, and from all the other virtues which they did formerly practice, imitating divine love in this most miserable worldly love. And sometimes this love increaseth to such a degree that neither the words nor the presence of the beloved do give the satisfaction they did at first. But loving more ardently, each desireth to know if the beloved be wounded by the sword of love as deeply as is the lover, and then it is that they fall into peril. Then are they confident and sure one of the other, and because they are satisfied neither with words nor with presence, both lover and beloved are inclined unto all evil.
For this reason do I say that I fear love more than all things, for herein are all evils committed. Wherefore take ye heed thereof, as of a serpent.
Because of evil love, therefore, do I fear good love betwixt one person and another, for good love oft turneth into evil in the aforesaid manner.
Charity and the love of God is the greatest of all virtues; without it prayer is of no account, neither pleasing unto God, and all the other virtues are without profit whatsoever. That ye may believe this is true, hearken unto the Book of the Life of Jesus Christ, which saith, "If thou bring thy gift to the altar and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way and first be reconciled to thy brother." For the gift of prayer is nothing worth if it be not offered in the bonds of charity. Moreover, when in the Lord's prayer we are taught to ask for the remission of our sins, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us," it meaneth that our debts will be forgiven us in prayer according as we have forgiven our brothers the injuries and offences they committed against us, and if we forgive them we shall attain unto the state of charity in unity.
Know ye, my children, that like as love containeth all worth and goodness, so hate containeth all unworthiness, sin, and evil. Wherefore, my dear children, there is nothing in this world, neither man nor devil nor any other thing, which I do fear as greatly as I fear love. For love penetrateth the soul more than any other thing, neither is there anything which doth so fill the mind and the whole heart as doth love; so that if the soul hath not the arms wherewith to protect itself, it may easily fall into evil and suffer great ruin. I am not speaking here of wrongful love, the which must be eschewed by all and shunned as a thing perilous and diabolical, but I am speaking of good and spiritual love, such as existeth betwixt God and the soul, or betwixt one neighbour and another.
That this is true is plainly proved. For if the love which the soul beareth unto God be not armed with great wisdom and discretion, but moveth with undue fervour, then doth it either presently cease, or it is deceived, or it tendeth unto some unseemly end. For things wherein is no order are neither good nor healthful; and for this reason are there many persons who believe they are filled with the love of God, whereas they are filled with hatred of Him and do love instead the world, the flesh, and the devil.
When, therefore, any man loveth God because He can save him from bodily infirmities and tribulations and from temporal perils, he loveth himself and God in a manner unbefitting, placing himself before God, who should be loved before all other things. One man loveth everything for himself and thus maketh a god of himself and his own heart, not loving God save for his own sake. Another loveth all worldly things for himself and for the profit of himself and his body; he loveth his kindred for his own profit and for the honour which they do him. He loveth men, and saintly and spiritual persons in order that he may cover himself with the mantle of their holiness, albeit He loveth them not for their goodness. Verily, such love is not pure, because the fruit thereof is the delighting of the flesh and the body, with all manner of vice and concupiscence. Others are there who love bodily attainments and talents, and would know how to read and sing for the pleasure of others. They delight, moreover, in great and profound learning, in order that in argument they may overcome learnedly and with much reasoning; yet not out of charity, but that they may with pride correct others and be exalted in their eyes. There are also some who believe they love God, and who do love Him, but with a feeble and imperfect love. These love God in order that He may forgive them their trespasses and liberate them from hell and give them the glory of Paradise, and not because of His goodness. Others love God for the sake of having divine consolation and sweetness, spiritual thoughts, and delights. Others love Him in order that He may love them. Some love their kindred and friends from a desire that they should be spiritual and good, that they may not be ashamed because of them, but may derive profit and honour. Some love God in order that He may give them understanding, knowledge, and intelligence of books, and that they may be able to speak spiritually, yet not for the honour and profit of others, but that they themselves may be more loved and honoured. They love to be spiritual that they may be esteemed spiritual and be beloved of the spiritually minded, but it is for their own spiritual honour and profit that they do this. They love to be poor, patient, obedient, and outwardly humble and virtuous, in order that they may appear more virtuous than other persons, desiring that none may seem better than themselves, or even approach unto their perfection. And inasmuch as they desire to have none equal unto them, they are in this matter like unto Lucifer, who desired that no creature should be equal unto him.
Others there are who desire that their fame should be noised abroad in order that they may be commended as saints alike by good and evil persons. They do praise both those who are spiritual and those who are not, in order that they may not be accused of judging boldly.
Some do love the devout persons who come unto them with a spiritual and perfect love, wholly loving them in God. Nevertheless, this love doth sometimes increase too greatly, and if it be not armed with the weapons of discretion it turneth unto evil. Sometimes it becometh carnal love and unprofitable; then is it very hurtful for them to converse together and they do uselessly lose their time, inasmuch as their hearts are united in an unseemly bond. This love increaseth and ever desireth the presence of the beloved, and falleth sick if it hath it not. And if the beloved is there, the love groweth too great and the lover becometh one with the beloved, so that what pleaseth one pleaseth likewise the other, and what displeaseth one displeaseth the other. Therefore, if the soul be not so fortified that it can control the ardour of this love, which ever increaseth and hath not perfect order or discretion, it must needs fall at last into disorder.
And if when this disorder cometh about, the beloved hath not the aforesaid weapons for protection, and is likewise wounded by the sword of love, then is it very much more dangerous, because they do then begin to disclose their secrets one unto the other. Amongst other things, they disclose how greatly they love each other, saying one unto the other, "There is no person in all the world whom I so greatly love, nor whom I do bear so entirely in mine heart." These and many other things do they say, because they must needs speak of that which they feel.
Thus they still desire to love each other for devotion's sake and for the spiritual profit which they believe they do obtain from such love, but they are in peril of being tempted unto unlawful things which might be occasioned by their love. At first, reason doth dissuade them therefrom, for as yet it hath not been entirely overcome by love; but love groweth and reason beginneth to be obscured and the spirit is weakened and commenceth to believe that it is no sin and in no wise hurtful unto the soul to touch the thing beloved. Wherefore doth it permit this, and so doth it begin to do wrong and to fall from the state of perfection little by little, as reason is obscured by love. And according as it sinketh it beginneth to esteem as naught those things which are dangerous, and to say, "This may we do, for we mean no evil and it is not a great sin." So gradually these things come to be considered lawful, and, the love increasing more and more, one submitteth entirely unto the will of the other, each doing what the other desireth and not opposing any reason to the contrary. Hence it followeth that the lover obtaineth all his desire, and because of the aforesaid disorder he cannot refuse if he be invited unto evil-doing; and if he be not invited then doth he invite, knowing that it is pleasing unto the beloved.
Then do they refrain from prayer, from abstinence, from solitude, and from all the other virtues which they did formerly practice, imitating divine love in this most miserable worldly love. And sometimes this love increaseth to such a degree that neither the words nor the presence of the beloved do give the satisfaction they did at first. But loving more ardently, each desireth to know if the beloved be wounded by the sword of love as deeply as is the lover, and then it is that they fall into peril. Then are they confident and sure one of the other, and because they are satisfied neither with words nor with presence, both lover and beloved are inclined unto all evil.
For this reason do I say that I fear love more than all things, for herein are all evils committed. Wherefore take ye heed thereof, as of a serpent.
Because of evil love, therefore, do I fear good love betwixt one person and another, for good love oft turneth into evil in the aforesaid manner.
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre