Chapter 3 — Perfection is both the love of God and the love of our neighbor

The perfection of the spiritual life may be understood as signifying principally perfection, as it regards charity. Now there are two precepts of charity, one pertaining to the love of God; the other referring to the love of our neighbor. These two precepts bear a certain order to each other, proportioned to the order of charity. That which is chiefly to be loved, by charity, is the supreme good, which makes us happy, that is to say, God. In the next place, we are, by charity, to love our neighbor, who is, by certain social bonds, united to us, either by the anticipation of beatitude, or in the enjoyment of it. Hence, we are bound in charity to love our neighbor, in order that, together with him, we may arrive at beatitude.

Our Lord establishes this order of charity in the Gospel of St. Matthew, where he says, love the Lord your God with your whole heart and your whole soul and your whole mind. This is the first and greatest commandment; and the second is like to this: love your neighbor as yourself (Matt 22:37–39). Thus, the perfection of the spiritual life consists, primarily and principally, in the love of God. Hence the Lord, speaking to Abraham, says, I am the almighty God; walk before me and be perfect (Gen 17:1). We walk before God, not with bodily footsteps, but with the affections of the mind. (Cf. Peter Lombard, Commentaries on the Psalms and St. Paul, at Phil 3:12 (Patrologia Latina [Migne], 192:247A). Hereafter, all subsequent Patrologia Latina citations will be designated with PL.)

The perfection of the spiritual life consists, secondarily, in the love of our neighbor. Therefore when our Lord had said, love your enemies (Matt 5:44), and had added several other precepts regarding charity to our neighbor, he concluded by saying, be therefore perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matt 5:48).

The perfection of divine love