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Translation
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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
Theophylact of Ohrid
So also the one who serves God must not be exalted if he fulfills the commandments, for he has done nothing great. On the contrary, if he had not fulfilled them, woe would be to him, as the apostle said: "Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!" (1 Cor. 9:16). Likewise, if he has received gifts, he must not boast of them, for the gifts were given to him by the grace of God, and not because the Master supposedly owed him. For it is the particular duty of a servant, in relation to his master, to carry out all his orders. …
Ignatius of Antioch
May I enjoy you in all respects, if indeed I be worthy! For though I am bound, I am not worthy to be compared to one of you that are at liberty. I know that ye are not puffed up, for ye have Jesus in yourselves. And all the more when I commend you, I know that ye cherish modesty of spirit; as it is written, "The righteous man is his own accuser;" and again, "Declare thou first thine iniquities, that thou mayest be justified;" and again, "When ye shall have done all things that are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants;" …
Cyprian
But some who are of the lapsed have lately written to me, and are humble and meek and trembling and fearing God, and who have always laboured in the Church gloriously and liberally, and who have never made a boast of their labour to the Lord, knowing that He has said, "When ye shall have done all these things, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do." Thinking of which things, and although they had received certificates from the martyrs, nevertheless, that their satisfaction might be admitted by …
Western Saints
Bede
What we ought to have done, we have done. Indeed we ought to have, because he who did not come to be served, but to serve (Matt. 20), made us debtors to himself, so that, evidently not trusting in our own works, but always fearing his judgment, we may say with the prophet: What shall we render to the Lord for all that he has rendered to us? (Psalm 115). In order to show that he had faith like a mustard seed, humble and fervent, he prefaced, saying: I believed, therefore I have spoken, but I was greatly humbled (Psalm 116). …
Bonaventure
Third, as regards the humility of spiritual servitude, which he concludes, he adds: So you also, when you have done all the things that are commanded you, through the completion of obedience: for this is true obedience, in which all commandments are fulfilled. …
Translation