without the least shadow of reason are always seeking quarrels; envious men who cannot bear the sight of their neighbors, simply because they cannot find any fault in them; uncharitable men whose blighting tongues do not spare even the most virtuous; wicked men whose pleasure consists in doing mischief to others, and in putting a bad interpretation on even the holiest works and intentions.
On account of the difference between “mine” and “thine.” Shown by a simile. And besides all this, what often disturbs the harmony of even the best friends, and makes brothers and sisters hate each other, is that wretched “mine and thine;” “that cold-hearted word,”[1] as St. Chrysostom calls it. We are like fowls; sometimes a hen finds a piece of bread, or draws a worm out of the ground; up come the others immediately to take the bit out of her bill. She runs off, and the others after her; she is quite happy, while the others are envious of her good fortune; with all her good luck she has hardly time enough to enjoy her morsel in peace, while the others are just as uneasy and run after her. Now if the bread falls out of her bill, or as often happens, one of the others pulls half the worm away from her, then the tables are turned. She that lost her bit is sad, the other that has taken it is satisfied, but has as much to suffer as the former from the envy and pursuit of the others. The running and fighting go on as before; one wins and the other loses again; all are and remain uneasy, and fight with each other until the morsel is divided into little bits, or is with much difficulty swallowed by one of them; and then most frequently they go in search of something else. How is that? Because the worm or the piece of bread is not enough for all, and hence each one strives to get possession of it.
A source of disunion and misunderstanding. Christians! whence come quarrelings, misunderstandings, and disunion amongst neighbors, friends, and relations? From the fact that the morsels of worldly goods, about which we fight like fowls, are not enough to satisfy our greed. One has a larger morsel than another; the latter therefore is filled with hatred, envy, and grudging; one thinks that this or that belongs to him, or that a greater share of it is due to him; hence come quarrels and lawsuits, abuse and vilification, anger, hatred, ill-humor, inordinate ambition, and a host of other evils. Through want of Christian charity and meekness no one wishes to yield or give way to another, and thus loving intimacy and confidential re-
- ↑ Meum et tuum, frigidum illud verbum.
