9 Now in this place He says, “Your reward is great in heaven.” But Luke reports Him to have spoken this, both earnestly, and with more entire consolation; for He not only, as you know, pronounces them blessed, who are evil spoken of for God's sake, but declares them likewise wretched, who are well spoken of by all men. For, “Woe unto you,” says He, “when all men shall speak well of you.” And yet the apostles were well spoken of, but not by all men. Wherefore He said not, “Woe unto you, when men shall speak well of you,” but, “when all men” shall do so: for it is not even possible that those who live in the practice of virtue should be well spoken of by all men.
And again He says, “When they shall cast out your name as evil, rejoice ye, and leap for joy.” For not only of the dangers they underwent, but of the calumny also, He appoints the recompence to be great. Wherefore He said not, “When they shall persecute, and kill you,” but, “When they shall revile you, and say all manner of evil.” For most assuredly, men's evil reports have a sharper bite than their very deeds. For whereas, in our dangers, there are many things that lighten the toil, as to be cheered by all, to have many to applaud, to crown, to proclaim our praise; here in our reproach even this consolation is destroyed. Because we seem not to have achieved anything great; and this galls the combatant more than all his dangers: at least many have gone on even to hang themselves, not bearing evil report. And why do you marvel at the others? Since that traitor, that shameless and accursed one, he who had ceased to blush for anything whatever, was wrought upon by this chiefly to hurry to the halter. And Job again, all adamant as he was, and firmer than a rock; when he had been robbed of all his possessions, and was suffering those incurable ills, and had become on a sudden childless, and when he saw his body pouring out worms like a fountain, and his wife attacking him, he repelled it all with ease; but when he saw his friends reproaching and trampling upon him, and entertaining an evil opinion of him, and saying that he suffered those things for some sins, and was paying the penalty of wickedness: then was there trouble, then commotion, even in that great and noble-hearted man.
And David also, letting pass all that he had suffered, sought of God a retribution for the calumny alone. For, “Let him curse,” says he, “for the Lord has bidden him: that the Lord may see my humiliation, and requite me for this cursing of his on this day.”
And Paul too proclaims the triumph not of those only who incur danger, or are deprived of their goods, but of these also, thus saying, “Call to remembrance the former days, in which after you were illuminated ye endured a great fight of afflictions; partly while you were made a gazing stock by reproaches, and afflictions.” On this account then Christ has appointed the reward also to be great.
After this, lest any one should say, “Here you give no redress, nor stoppest men's mouths; and do you assign a reward there?” He has put before us the prophets, to show that neither in their case did God give redress. And if, where the rewards were at hand, He cheered them with things to come; much more now, when this hope has become clearer, and self-denial is increased.
And observe too, after how many commandments He has put this, for surely He did it not without reason, but to show that it is not possible for one unprovided, and unarmed with all those other virtues, to go forth unto these conflicts. Therefore, you see, in each instance, by the former precept making way for the following one, He has woven a sort of golden chain for us. Thus, first, he that is “humble,” will surely also “mourn” for his own sins: he that so “mourns,” will be both “meek,” and “righteous,” and “merciful;” he that is “merciful,” and “righteous,” and “contrite” will of course be also “pure in heart:” and such a one will be “a peacemaker” too: and he that has attained unto all these, will be moreover arrayed against dangers, and will not be troubled when evil is spoken of him, and he is enduring grievous trials innumerable.
Source: Homilies on the Gospel of St. Matthew (New Advent)