In illud Diligentibus deum omnia cooperantur in bonum

On the apostolic saying, "We know that for those who love God all things work together for good," and on patience, and on the profit of afflictions. 1. As one who has come to you after a long time, so I am disposed today. For even if I happened to be confined at home due to bodily infirmity, I was disposed as if I had been removed far away from your love. For he who knows how to love precisely, when it is not possible to be with the beloved, even if he dwells in the same city, he will be disposed no less than those who spend time in a foreign land. And this those know who know how to love. Forgive us, then, I beg; for this separation has not come to us from negligence, but the silence was due to bodily weakness. And I know that you all now rejoice that I have put aside the infirmity; but I rejoice not only that I have put aside the infirmity, but also that I am able to see again your longed-for faces and to delight in your love according to God. And just as most people, after deliverance from infirmity, seek cups and goblets and cold drinks, so for me your company has become sweeter than any joy, and this is for me both a foundation of health and an occasion of delight. Come then, since through the grace of God we have received each other back, let us pay you the debt of love, if indeed this can ever be repaid. For this alone is a debt that knows no end; but the more it is paid, the more the debt increases; and just as in financial matters we praise those who owe nothing, so here we count blessed those who owe much.

For this reason also Paul, the teacher of the whole world, wrote saying: "Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another," wishing us both always to pay this debt and always to owe it, and never to cancel this debt until we cancel our present life. Just as owing money is heavy and burdensome, so not always owing this debt is worthy of reproach. And that you may learn that this is so, listen to the wisdom of this wonderful teacher, how he introduced the exhortation. For after first saying, "Owe nothing to anyone," he then added, "except to love one another," wishing all our debt to be emptied here, and desiring this debt to remain perpetually indissoluble. For this is especially what holds together and binds fast our life. Since, then, we have recognized the profit of this debt, and that it increases the more it is paid, come, let us also, the debt which we owe you—not from idleness nor from any ingratitude, but from the illness that befell us—today, as far as possible, hasten to discharge, conversing a little with your love, making the subject of our discourse this very wonderful teacher of the whole world; and let us recall and bring to mind what he today wrote and discoursed to the Romans, and after a long time set the spiritual feast before your love. What the readings were, it is necessary to say, so that, reminded of what was said, you may receive what we say with greater ease.

We know, he says, that for those who love God, all things cooperate for good. What does this very preface intend? For this blessed soul utters nothing at random or in vain, but always applies spiritual remedies fittingly to the underlying conditions. What then is it that he says? Since from all sides many temptations beset those who were then approaching the faith, and the enemy's machinations were successive, and the plots continuous, and those warring against the proclamation did not rest, casting some into prisons, others into exile, and dragging others into countless other abysses—for this reason, like an excellent general, seeing the adversary breathing with great fury, he goes around and rouses his own from all sides, strengthens, anoints, makes them bolder, renders them more eager to raise their hands against the enemy and not to fear his incursions, but with steadfast resolve to stand opposite and, if possible, to strike down even his very face, and not to be daunted by resistance to him. In the same way, this blessed one, this heaven-reaching soul, wishing to rouse the minds of the faithful and eager to raise up, so to speak, their prostrate reasoning, began to speak thus: "We know that for those who love God, all things cooperate for good." Do you see the apostolic wisdom?

He did not say, "I know," but "We know," drawing even them into agreement with what is said, that for those who love God, all things cooperate for good. Observe the precision of the apostolic words. He did not say, "Those who love God escape terrible things, are freed from trials," but "We know," he says, that is, we are convinced, we are fully assured, we have received the proofs through the very experience of events: "We know that for those who love God, all things cooperate for good." How great a power do you think this brief expression has? "All things," he says, "cooperate for good." Do not speak to me here of pleasant things, nor consider only ease and freedom, but also the opposite—prisons, afflictions, plots, daily assaults—and then you will see the power of the expression with precision. And so that I may not lead your love far afield, if you wish, let us bring forward some small events that happened to this blessed man, and you will see the strength of the expression. For as he went about everywhere, sowing the word of piety, uprooting thorns, and hastening to plant the truth in the soul of each person, when he came to a certain city of Macedonia, as the blessed Luke, who composed the book of Acts, related to us, he encountered a maidservant who had an evil spirit and could not keep silent, but went about and wanted to expose them everywhere through the demon. With great authority, by word and command, as if driving away some scoundrel, he freed that woman from the evil demon.

Those dwelling in that city ought to have looked upon the apostles as benefactors and saviors, and to have repaid them for such great benefaction with every form of service, but they repay them with the opposite. And hear with what they repay them. Seeing, it says, that the hope of their business had gone out, her masters, seizing Paul and Silas, dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers, and brought them before the magistrates, and after inflicting many blows on them, cast them into prison, ordering the jailer to guard them securely. Do you see the excess of wickedness of those dwelling in that city? Do you see the endurance and steadfastness of the apostles? Wait a little, and you will also see the love of God for humanity. For being wise and resourceful, he does not resolve the terrible things at the beginning and in the preliminaries, but when all things from the opponents have increased, and the endurance of his athletes has been shown through deeds, then he also displays his own intervention, so that no one may say that they rush into dangers because of

They are to be confident that they will suffer nothing unpleasant. For this reason, he sometimes abandons some to the terrors, employing a certain ineffable wisdom, and sometimes he snatches others away, so that through all things you may learn his surpassing love for humanity, and that, storing up greater rewards for them, he often allows the terrors to intensify. Thus, then, he also acts here. For after such a great miracle and benefaction, which they displayed by driving away that shameless demon, he allowed them both to be scourged and to be cast into prison. For from this especially the power of God was made manifest. Hence this blessed one also said: "I will therefore gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may encamp upon me." And again: "When I am weak, then I am strong," calling the successive trials "weakness." But perhaps someone might be perplexed here as to why they drove away the demon when it said nothing contrary to them, but rather even made them conspicuous; for over many days it cried out, saying, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us a way of salvation." Do not be surprised, beloved; for this too was a mark of apostolic wisdom and of the grace of the Spirit. For even if it said nothing contrary to them, yet so that the demon, having become credible from this, might not be able to draw away the simpler ones in other matters, for this reason, having silenced it, he drove it away, not allowing it to utter things beyond its worth. And this he did, following his own Master.

both, so that through them the faith of the others might be strengthened. For even when they approached him, they said, "We know who you are, the holy one of God," and yet he drove them away even as they said these things. This happened to the discredit of the shameless Jews, because they, seeing miracles every day and countless extraordinary events, disbelieved, while the demons recognized him and confessed him to be the Son of God. 3. But let us return to the sequence of the discourse. In order that you may learn how for those who love God everything cooperates for good, it is necessary for me to read to you this entire history, so that from this you may know how, after the beatings, after the imprisonment, everything was changed for them for good by the grace of God. But let us see how the blessed Luke demonstrates this, saying: "Having received such an order, the jailer cast them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks." Observe how the terrors are intensified, so that both the endurance of the apostles may become more illustrious and the ineffable power of God may become manifest to all. Listen also to what follows. For he adds: "About midnight Paul and Silas, praying, were singing hymns to God." See a winged soul, see a sober mind; let us not, beloved, simply pass over what has been said.

He did not mark the time for us in vain, saying, "About midnight," but wishing to show that, when for all others sweet sleep comes and closes the eyelids, and especially when those in great pain are likely at that time to be drawn into sleep, then, he says, when the tyranny of sleep prevailed from all sides, then they were praying and hymning God, making this the greatest proof of their love for him. For just as we, when troubled by bodily pains, seek the company of genuine friends, so that through conversation with them we may alleviate the intensity of the pain, so also these saints, burning with desire for the Master and offering up sacred hymns, did not even perceive those pains, but were wholly given over to supplication, and offered up that marvelous hymnody, and so the prison became a church, and the whole place was sanctified through the hymnody of those saints. And

One could see wondrous and paradoxical things: men bound to the wood, and yet in no way hindered from their hymnody. For the one who is sober, wakeful, and burning with desire for God, nothing will ever be able to prevent from communion with the Master. For God says, "I am a God who draws near, and not a God from afar"; and again elsewhere, "While you are still speaking, I will say, 'Behold, I am present.'" For wherever the mind is sober, the reasoning takes wing and, so to speak, is released from the bond of the body, and flies up to the beloved, looks down upon the earth, and, rising above visible things, hastens toward Him. This indeed happened with these saints. For see the immediate effect of the hymns, and how, even when they were in prison and bound to the wood, and mingled with sorcerers and prisoners, they not only suffered no harm, but rather shone forth all the more, and with the light of their own virtue illuminated all who dwelt in the prison. For the voice of those sacred hymns, entering into the soul of each of the prisoners, transformed it, so to speak, and reshaped it. For suddenly, it says, a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and the bonds of all were loosed. Do you see the power of the hymns to God? Not only did those who offered the hymns themselves enjoy consolation, but they also caused the bonds of all to be loosed, so that it might be shown through the very facts how "for those who love God, everything cooperates for good.

For behold, both blows and prison and the stocks and association with the executioners have become a basis for good things and an occasion for renown, not only for them, nor for the prisoners dwelling in the prison, but also for the jailer himself. For the jailer, it is said, having become awake and seeing the doors of the prison opened, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped. Observe here the philanthropy of God, surpassing all description. For why does all this happen at midnight? For no other reason than that the matter might be managed without disturbance and in quiet, and that they might procure the salvation of the jailer. For when the earthquake occurred and the doors were opened, the bonds of all those there were loosened, and none of them was permitted to rush out. Observe here another wisdom of God. For all other things happened—the earthquake, I mean, and the opening of the doors—so that all might learn through the deeds who those then dwelling in the prison were, and that they were not ordinary men; but it was not possible for anyone to go out, lest this become an occasion of danger for the jailer. And that this is true, hear how, when the jailer only suspected that this had happened and thought that some had escaped, he despised even his own life. For drawing his sword, it is said, he was about to kill himself. But the one who is everywhere sober and watchful, the blessed Paul, with his own voice snatched the lamb from the throat of the beast. For he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Do no harm to yourself.

For we are all here. O excess of humility! He did not think highly of what had happened, he did not rise up against the jailer. He did not deign to utter anything arrogant; but he counted himself among the prisoners, among the executioners, among the criminals, saying: We are all here. Do you see him employing great humility, and allotting himself nothing more than the criminals there? Now observe also the jailer, approaching not as one of the others. For having taken courage and asked for lights, he rushed in, and being trembling, he fell at the feet of Paul and Silas, and leading them out, he said: Lords, what must I do to be saved? Do you see how to those who love God all things cooperate for good? Do you see the devil’s contrivance, how it was dissolved? How his machinations have become invalid? For since they drove out the demon, he arranged for them to be thrown into prison, thinking to hinder the course of the preaching by this. But behold, even the prison has become for them an occasion of spiritual commerce.

4. Therefore, even we, if we are sober, not only when at ease, but also in afflictions, can gain, and then more so than when at ease. For ease, for the most part, makes us more careless; but affliction, by making us sober, causes us to be deemed worthy of divine assistance, and especially when, through hope in God, we display endurance and steadfastness in all the afflictions brought upon us. Let us not, then, grieve when we are afflicted, but rather rejoice; for this is the basis of our good repute. For this reason Paul also said, "But we know that to those who love God, all things cooperate for good." But let us see the fervent soul of these saints. When they heard the jailer say, "What must I do to be saved?" Did they put it off? Did they delay? Did they neglect the instruction? Not at all. But what did they say to him? "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, and your whole household." See the apostolic solicitude. They are not content with his salvation, but through him they wish to draw in all his relatives to the word of piety, dealing a mortal blow to the devil. And he and all his were baptized immediately, and the whole household rejoiced, having believed in God. From this we are taught never to put off even the slightest thing in spiritual matters, but always to consider the present moment as the opportune time. For if these saints, though it was night, did not endure to put it off, what excuse will we have, who in another time pass by spiritual gain? Did you see a prison becoming a church?

You saw the lodging of the executioners suddenly become a house of prayer, and the initiation of the mysteries taking place there? Such is the power of being sober, and never passing by spiritual gains, but making every occasion suitable for such commerce. Well, then, did this blessed writer say, "To those who love God, all things cooperate for good." This saying, I exhort, let us also have engraved in our own mind, and never be distressed when we fall into some painful circumstances in this life, or situations, or bodily infirmities, or any other grievous matters; but employing much philosophy, let us hold out against every trial, knowing that if we are sober, we can gain from every side, and more from trials than from times of ease; and let us never be vexed, considering how great is the profit of patience, nor bear ill will toward those who bring trials upon us. For even if they do this fulfilling their own purpose, yet the common Master permits it, wishing us to conduct spiritual commerce also through these means, and to receive the reward of patience. If, then, we are able to bear what is brought upon us with gratitude, we will dissolve no small part of our offenses.

For if the Master endured seeing this treasure and teacher of the whole world falling into dangers every day, not disregarding his own athlete, but preparing longer training grounds for him, so that he might make his crowns more splendid, what would we say, we who are full of countless sins, and because of these often fall into trials, so that by paying the penalty for these here, we might at least be deemed worthy of some mercy on that fearful day, enjoying those unspeakable goods? Considering this among ourselves, let us bear up nobly against all things, so that we may both receive the reward of patience from the compassionate Master, and be able to cut short the multitude of our sins, and attain the eternal goods, by the grace and love for humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.