Bonaventure, on Sir 24:18

“I was exalted like a palm tree in Cades, and as a rose plant in Jericho:”

“Whence in Ecclesiasticus uncreated Wisdom says: "I am the mother of fair love and of fear and of knowledge and of holy hope: in me is all grace of the way and of truth: in me is all hope of life and of virtue: come over to me, all you who desire me, and be filled from my fruits." Do you wish to be full of grace and virtue? Come over to me, that is, to Christ. And how? We cannot do this unless we are raised above ourselves: but certain things hinder us from being raised above ourselves: therefore it is necessary that we rise up against those things which hinder us. No one is established in this fullness of grace unless he rises up against himself and is raised above himself and loves God above all things and his enemy as himself; because by the name of neighbor every person is understood. Full justice, therefore, is to love God above all things, and this means to love every person, therefore both friend and enemy. But what will bring it about that a person is lifted up against himself and above himself? Surely grace; I say, the grace of the way and of truth. It is difficult for anyone to love his enemy except through grace. A stone cannot give heat of itself: but if it is placed next to a burning furnace, it can afterward give heat.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.