From where is it approached? Since you, Lord, have made me dwell in hope uniquely. This which was said: Hope in the Lord, after iniquity has already been committed and a sacrifice of righteousness has already been offered, it was said. Hope in the Lord, but you have made me dwell in hope uniquely. What does uniquely mean? Not like many who say: "Who will show us good things?", desiring many things and scattered by various pleasures - one seeks this, another that, they do not seek one thing. From the evil of that person, this one desires good. That one cannot enrich himself unless this one falls into poverty. That greater fish cannot be satisfied unless the lesser fish has been devoured. Those who seek these good things do not seek good things, because they seek non-good things. Therefore, uniquely take this, which the impious do not take. O you unique person - the whole body of Christ - O you unique person - the body whose head is Christ - dwell in hope uniquely, do not seek the good things of the nations. For all these things the nations seek. Seek first the kingdom and the righteousness of God - this is the sign of the face of God. In you seek this and, if it is necessary, all these things will be added to you. Will He feed the thief and abandon you? The earth is the Lord's and its fullness.
Love God freely.
Do not withdraw from your God, love your God. To whom you say: "Give me this and that," sometimes say to him: "Give me Yourself." If you love, love freely, do not be an impure soul. Your wife would not please you, if she loved your gold, if she loved you because you gave gold, because you gave a fine tunic, because you gave the best villa, because you gave a chosen slave, because a handsome eunuch, because if she loved these things in you, she would not love you. Do not rejoice in such love: an adulterer can often give more. You wish your wife to love you freely, and you want to sell your faith to God? "Because I believe in you," you say to your God, "give me gold." Are you not ashamed? "Because I believe," you say, "give me gold." You have pledged your faith: look at its price. It is not worth that much, it is not worth gold or silver, your faith is not worth that much; it has a great price: God Himself is its price. Love Him and love Him freely. For if you love Him for something else, you do not love Him. You ought not to desire Him for something else, but whatever else you desire should be for Him, so that all things are referred to the love of Him, and He is not referred to other loves, but He is preferred above all other loves. Love Him, love Him freely. For this reason, that great athlete was provoked by a great adversary saying: "Does Job fear God for nothing?"
Let us seek and love the good of goods.
Therefore, if you wish for good, when you say: "Who will show us good things?", it is God Himself who made you good and who makes you better. He Himself is good by no other good but by His own good. For to you, that you may be good, another good thing happens; to Him that He may be good, no good thing happens. For He is good to Himself by Himself. Commending this great good, the Lord said: "Why do you ask me about what is good? No one is good but God alone." Are there not other goods? Is it not written: "God made all things very good"? But all these things are good through God. However, God is not good through these, nor is He good through other things that possess goodness, but He is the Good of goods. Behold what kind of good it is: seek it. Why do you love vanity and seek after lies? Behold what is good: seek the Good of goods. You seek riches: it is not singular. Look: "Singularly, you have made me dwell in hope." Why is it not singular? Both good and bad possess it. You seek bodily health: both good and bad possess it, and men and beasts; it is not singular. You seek honors: the wicked also attain them; it is not singular. What is singular is what only the good will possess. Here God gives goods to both the good and the bad, He Himself gives good things and bad things to both the good and the bad: to some as torment, to others as exercise. Evils are common to both good and bad. Singular evil is the eternal fire; singular good is the good eternal God. For whatever other things are of creation, God gives even to His enemies: earth and heaven; His enemies use the lights of heaven, the fruits of the earth, bodily health, worldly honors. The creature is what He created and gave to them. He reserves Himself, who created, for you, but if you love freely. For the time will come when He gives Himself to you and it will be said to the impious: "Let the impious be taken away, lest he see the glory of God." Therefore, brothers, let us love God freely, do good, tolerate evil, hope in Him, so that sometime, with Him given back, we may be satisfied with Him alone, who lives and reigns through immortal ages. Amen.