St. Augustine of Hippo
161 of 177
Section 161
1. “Behold, now, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord”, “who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God”. Why has he added, “in the courts”? Courts mean the wider spaces of a house. He who stands in the courts is not straitened, is not confined, in some fashion is enlarged. Remain in this enlargement, and thou canst love thy enemy, because thou lovest not things in which an enemy could straiten thee. How canst thou be understood to stand in the courts? Stand in charity, and thou standest in the courts. Breadth lies in charity, straitness in hatred.
2. “Lift up your hands by night in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord”. It is easy to bless by day. What is “by day”? In prosperity. For night is a sad thing, day a cheerful. When it is well with thee, thou dost bless the Lord. Thy son was sick, and he is made whole, thou dost bless the Lord. Thy son was sick, perchance thou hast sought an astrologer, a soothsayer, perchance a curse against the Lord has come, not from thy tongue, but from thy deeds, from thy deeds and thy life. Boast not, because thou blessest with thy tongue, if thou cursest with thy life. Wherefore bless ye the Lord. When? By night. When did Job bless? When it was a sad night. All was taken away which he possessed; the children for whom his goods were stored were taken away. How sad was his night! Let us however see whether he blesseth not in the night. “The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away; it is as the Lord willed; blessed be the name of the Lord.” And black was the night.…
3. “The Lord out of Zion bless thee, who made heaven and earth”. He exhorts many to bless, and Himself blesseth one, because He maketh one out of many, since “it is good and pleasant for brethren to dwell together in one.” It is a plural number, brethren, and yet singular, to dwell together in one. Let none of you say, It cometh not to me. Knowest thou of whom he speaks, “the Lord bless thee out of Zion.” He blessed one. Be one, and the blessing cometh to thee.