Fathers

James 1

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James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed. For that man shouldn’t think that he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. But let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position; and the rich, in that he is made humble, because like the flower in the grass, he will pass away. For the sun arises with the scorching wind and withers the grass, and the flower in it falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes. So the rich man will also fade away in his pursuits. Blessed is a person who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed. Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin. The sin, when it is full grown, produces death. Don’t be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow. Of his own will he gave birth to us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God. Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror; for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does. If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless. Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

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What the Fathers say

James 1:2

Eastern Fathers

Theophylact of Ohrid

The apostle considers trials and sorrow for God's sake praiseworthy and worthy of joy, because they are the strongest bonds and the nurturing of love and contrition, which is why it is said: "My son! if you draw near to serve the Lord God, prepare your soul for temptation" (Sir. 2:1), and Christ said: "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good courage" (John 16:33), for without struggles one cannot receive crowns either in the world or from God. He calls them not children, but brethren — out of humility. …

Commentary on James ↗

Desert Fathers

[Syncletica] also said, 'When the devil does not use the goad of poverty to tempt us, he uses wealth for the same purpose. When he cannot win by scorn and mockery, he tries praise and flattery. If he cannot win by giving health, he tries illness. If he cannot win by comfort, he tries to ruin the soul by vexations that lead us to act against our monastic vows. He inflicts severe sicknesses on people whom he wants to tempt and so makes them weak, and thereby shakes the love they feel towards God. …

The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks ↗

Western Saints

Augustine of Hippo

And think not that, because we are bishops, it is impossible for unjust passionate resentment to gain secretly upon us; let us rather remember that, because we are men, your life in the midst of temptation's snares is beset with the greatest possible dangers.

Letters 250 ↗

Bede

Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials. The word begins with the more perfect, so that it may reach those in order whom he saw being corrected and raised to the height of perfection. And it is to be noted that he does not simply say, "Rejoice" or "Consider it joy," but "Consider it all joy," when you encounter various trials; deem yourselves worthy of all joy if it happens that you endure trials for the sake of faith in Christ. …

Commentary on the Catholic Epistles ↗

Bonaventure

Hence, if charity is patient, long-suffering and good, then it "shall suck as milk the abundance of the sea." In this way did Lawrence rejoice over the glowing embers as if they had been flowers. These fruits are in the spirit, not in the flesh. Hence in James: "Esteem it all joy, my brethren, when you fall into various trials."

Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 18 ↗