Love is a lovely word, but deeds are lovelier. We cant always be talking about loveweve got other things to do, and different actions draw us in different directions, so that our tongues dont have the leisure always to be talking about love, as much as it is true that our tongues could have nothing better to do. But although we may not always talk about love, we may always keep it. That Alleluia we are singing now: can we always do it? We dont sing Alleluia for a whole hour or even for a small portion of an hour, and then we give ourselves to something else. As you know, Alleluia means Praise God. One cannot always be praising God with ones tongue, but one can always be praising God by ones behavior. Works of mercy, charitable affection, holy piety, uncorrupted chastity, sober modestyall these are to be practiced whether were in public or at home, whether were with others or in our room, whether were speaking or silent, whether doing something or at leisuretheyre always to be practiced. All the virtues I've mentioned are within. Who could name them all? They are like the army of a commander, the one who resides within, in your mind. As a commander does what he pleases by means of his army, so the Lord Jesus Christ, when he begins to dwell in our inner self, that is, in our mind by faith (Eph 3:17), uses those virtues like his ministers. These virtues cannot be seen by the eyes, but are praised as soon as they are mentioned, and they wouldnt be praised if they were not loved and wouldnt be loved unless they were seen, but theyre seen only with another eye. Our members are visibly moved by these invisible virtues. We have feet for walking, but where? Wherever a good will, the emperors soldier, moves them. We have hands for working; but what? What that charity commands that is inspired within by the Holy Spirit. The members are seen when they are moved, but the one within, who commands, is not seen. And who it is within who commands is known almost alone by the one who commands within and by the one commanded within. (Augustine on I John, Hom 8, 1; PL 35, 2036)