Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/107



The Apostle S. John asserts three propositions in these words. Firstly, he exhorts us to love—“We love Him.” Secondly, he assigns the cause of our love—“ Because He first loved us.” Thirdly, he exhorts us to the love of our neighbour—“ If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother,” &c.

I. On the first head it is to be noted that we ought to love God in three ways. Firstly, that our whole heart may be filled with His love—Deut. vi. 5, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.” Secondly, that we should love nothing except for His sake —S. August., “ He loves Thee less, who with Thee loves anything else, which he loves not for Thy sake.” Thirdly, that no enemy should turn us away from His love—Rom. viii. 35, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution,” &c.

II. On the second head is to be noted that there are three reasons why we ought chiefly to love God. (1) On account of His goodness—S. Bern., “ Good is the cause of our loving