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VRSZ
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Translation
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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
Theophylact of Ohrid
The connection is as follows: love consists in our keeping His commandments, because everyone born of God overcomes the world. Since the apostle pointed to the keeping of the commandments as the full proof of love for God, and some thought that God's commandments were burdensome, he says: and His commandments are not burdensome. For what is burdensome in loving one's brother? What, for example, is burdensome about visiting a prisoner in jail? …
Oecumenius
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not burdensome. "For this is the love of God." In the superlative (ὑπερθατῷ), that what is proposed should be understood in this way: For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments, because whatever is born of God overcomes the world. Furthermore, and his commandments are not burdensome, it has been interpolated. "and His commandments are not burdensome." Not as Christ said, "My yoke is easy (Matt. …
Clement of Alexandria
And if we are called to the kingdom of God, let us walk worthy of the kingdom, loving God and our neighbour. But love is not proved by a kiss, but by kindly feeling. But there are those, that do nothing but make the churches resound with a kiss, not having love itself within. For this very thing, the shameless use of a kiss, which ought to be mystic, occasions foul suspicions and evil reports. The apostle calls the kiss holy. …
Western Saints
Augustine of Hippo
"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments." Already ye have heard, "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." See how He would not have thee divide thyself over a multitude of pages: "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." On what two commandments? "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. And, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
Bede
And His commandments are not burdensome. The Lord Himself says: My yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matt. XI). It should not appear contrary to the words of the Lord or blessed John that the Lord Himself says elsewhere that the gate is narrow, and the way is hard that leads to life (Matt. VII); and the prophet says to Him: For the words of your lips, I have kept hard ways (Psalm XVI); and the apostle: For through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God (Acts XIV). …
Bonaventure
The commandments of God are irreproachable, because they contain nothing impossible: whence in First John: "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome." He premises: "this is the love of God": for to one having charity the commandments of God are easy and sweet, but to one not having charity they seem difficult. …
Translation