THE RULE OF LIFE
• Introduction • Chapter I • Chapter II • Chapter III • Chapter IV • Chapter V •
• Chapter VI • Chapter VII • Chapter VIII • Chapter IX •
Chapter II
Love
1. [St. Paul] the Teacher of the Gentiles has best compared a servant of God who is not glowing with true love to a tinkling bell and a clanging cymbal (1 Cor 13:1). For attainment of eternal life - and the value of meritorious works - is rooted in love. Therefore, more than any other good, any of you should try to gain for himself [this love], this pearl of great price, this treasure hidden in the field (Mt 13:44-46). Although love is a gift of God, it is obtained and preserved however, by constancy of prayer and mortification. Therefore, let everything you do, be done in love (1 Cor 16:14).
2. The commandments of God, and the Gospel counsels, the laws of the Roman Catholic Church, its prescriptions, decrees, rites, usages, dogmas; also this present Rule, (and if at some time further prescriptions are given) let all of these be observed out of the love, of God. This is what [Jesus Christ] the heavenly Lawgiver said: "Anyone who loves me, will be true to my word." (*Jn 14:23) And this is to be understood not only of his teaching and of Scripture, but equally of his Church, which he himself forms and governs by his Holy Spirit, and its orders and documents, and the dispositions of the superiors which flow from her or are confirmed by her.
3. Out of the love of God, you will perform every good, and escape every evil; you will exercise every virtue possible, and detest every vice and sin. Out of the love of God, you will bear with willingness and fortitude mortifications, afflictions, reproofs, injuries, calumnies, labors, pains, destitution, austerity, and other situations like these. Out of the love of God you will carry out in a most perfect way your exercises, duties, jobs entrusted to you, and whatever concerns your state and vocation. You will consecrate to divine Love all of your entire life, daily actions and sufferings, and each and every moment, particulars, circumstances, changes. Each and every action and suffering by due submission, confidence, and piety [will be consecrated] for all eternity on the altar of love, by a pure heart joined to the merits of Christ the Lord, his Immaculate Mother, all of the Saints, and the universal Church.
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength" (Dt 6:5; Mt 22:37) This, which Divine Wisdom wanted to be most recommended in both [Old and New] Testaments, (Mk 12:30, Lk 10:27) should be your common rule and the safest way to heaven.
4. Concerning mutual love: let it be known that the one who excels in mutual love is more dear to the Divine Majesty. Each of you should keep in mind that the soul of his Institute is love, and to the extent that he withdraws from love, he withdraws from life. Therefore, even as he will promote the good, reputation, integrity and holiness of the whole Congregation, so he will render to the individual members of this same Congregation all those things, which he would wish for himself. And so he will avoid this contagious disease very opposed to love: envy, hatred, rancor, rivalry, suspicion, calumny, exclusive attachment, antipathy, jealousy, secret accusation, jeering, whispering, verbal abuse, annoyance, ambition, contempt for others, disturbances, agitations, quarrels, contentions. As he will watch over the tranquility of his own spirit, so the zealous guardian of love will also give great care to guarding the tranquility of others and of the whole house. He will suitably drive away any evil both from the whole Congregation and from each of its members. Call to mind the love of the early Church, about which the writer of the Acts of the Apostles says, "The community of believers were of one heart and one mind" (Acts 4:32).
5. You should always be mindful- of the works of mercy[6] which, done to his members, are done to Christ the Head. On all (Mt 25:31-46) occasions you will not neglect to show outsiders every possible love. You will surround with devoted love not only those you find benevolent to you, but adversaries as well, and enemies (whom our Lord rightly commanded us to love). These works alone will triumph at the final Judgement.[7] (cf. Mt 5:44; Lk 6:27-35)
[6] Cf. Mystical Temple of God, ch. 21.
[7] For the sake of clarity the sentence order was rearranged in this paragraph.