Forty Homilies on the Gospels
Forty Homilies on the Gospels
continued
Homily 33
Delivered to the people in the basilica of Saint Clement, on Friday of the Ember Days of September.
Reading of the Holy Gospel According to Luke
At that time, a certain Pharisee asked Jesus to eat with him. And entering the house of the Pharisee, he reclined at table. And behold, a woman who was a sinner in the city, when she learned that Jesus was reclining at table in the house of the Pharisee, brought an alabaster jar of ointment, and standing behind at his feet, she began to wet his feet with tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said within himself: This man, if he were a prophet, would surely know who and what kind of woman this is who touches him, for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering, said to him: Simon, I have something to say to you. And he said: Master, speak. A certain creditor had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they had nothing to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore loves him more? Simon answering, said: I suppose the one to whom he forgave more. And he said to him: You have judged rightly. And turning to the woman, he said to Simon: Do you see this woman? I entered your house, you gave me no water for my feet; but she has wet my feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair.
You gave me no kiss, but she from the time she entered has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I say to you: Her many sins are forgiven, because she has loved much. But to whom less is forgiven, he loves less. And he said to her: Your sins are forgiven. And those who were reclining at table with him began to say within themselves: Who is this who even forgives sins? And he said to the woman: Your faith has saved you, go in peace. As I think about Mary's repentance, I would rather weep than say anything. For whose heart, even if made of stone, would those tears of this sinful woman not soften toward the example of repentance? For she considered what she had done, and she refused to restrain what she would do. She entered upon those dining, she came unbidden, amid the feast she offered tears. Learn with what sorrow she burns, who is not ashamed to weep even amid a feast. This woman whom Luke calls a sinful woman, John names Mary, and we believe her to be that Mary from whom Mark testifies seven demons were cast out. And what is signified by seven demons, except all vices? For since all time is comprised in seven days, rightly by the number seven is universality represented. Therefore Mary had seven demons, because she was full of all vices.
But behold, because she perceived the stains of her own shame, she ran to the fountain of mercy to be washed, she was not ashamed before those dining. For because she was gravely ashamed of herself within, she believed there was nothing to be ashamed of outwardly. What then do we marvel at, brothers, Mary coming, or the Lord receiving her? Shall I say receiving, or drawing? I shall say better, drawing and receiving, because surely he himself drew her inwardly through mercy, who received her outwardly through gentleness. But now, running through the text of the holy Gospel, let us see also the very order in which she came to be healed. She brought an alabaster jar of ointment, and standing behind at Jesus's feet, she began to wet his feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with ointment. It is clear, brothers, that this woman, previously devoted to illicit acts, had applied ointment to herself for the fragrance of her flesh. What she had shamefully used for herself, she was now offering to God in a praiseworthy manner. With her eyes she had lusted after earthly things, but now crushing them through penitence, she wept. She had used her hair for adorning her face, but now with her hair she wiped away tears. With her mouth she had spoken proud words, but kissing the Lord's feet, she pressed this same mouth to the footprints of her Redeemer.
Therefore, as many pleasures as she had in herself, so many burnt offerings did she find from herself. She converted the number of her sins into virtues, so that everything which had despised God through her fault might serve God entirely in penitence. But the Pharisee, observing this, despises her, and reproves not only the sinful woman who came but also the Lord who received her, saying within himself: "This man, if he were a prophet, would surely know who and what kind of woman this is who touches him, for she is a sinner. Behold, the Pharisee, truly proud within himself and falsely righteous, reproves the sick woman for her sickness and the physician for his assistance—he who was himself also sick from the wound of pride and did not know it. Between two sick persons the physician was present; but one sick person retained sound judgment in her fever, while the other had lost both the sense of the flesh and of the mind in his fever. For she wept over what she had done; but the Pharisee, puffed up with false righteousness, was aggravating the force of his own illness. In his sickness, therefore, he had also lost his judgment, who did not even know this very thing: that he was far from salvation.
But amid these things, a groaning compels us to look at certain men of our own order who, endowed with the priestly office, if perhaps they have done anything outwardly righteous, even slightly, immediately despise those subject to them, and disdain any sinners placed among the people, and refuse to have compassion on those confessing their fault, and, as if in the manner of the Pharisee, disdain to be touched by a sinful woman. If indeed this woman had come to the feet of the Pharisee, she would certainly have departed, driven back by his kicks. For he would have believed himself defiled by another's sin. But because true righteousness did not fill him, he was sick from another's wound. Hence it is always necessary that when we observe any sinners, we first bewail ourselves in their calamity, because perhaps we have either fallen into similar sins or, if we have not fallen, we can fall. And if the censure of the teacher's office ought always to pursue vices with the force of discipline, it is nevertheless fitting that we carefully distinguish, because we owe severity to vices but compassion to nature. For if the sinner must be struck, the neighbor must be nourished. But when through repentance he himself now strikes what he has done, the sinner is now no longer our neighbor in that sense, because when he directs God's justice against himself, he punishes in himself what divine justice reproves. But let us now hear by what judgment this proud and arrogant man is convicted.
For a parable is set before him concerning two debtors, of whom one owes less and the other more; when the debt of both is forgiven, he is asked which one loves the forgiver of the debt more. To these words he immediately replied: He loves more to whom more is forgiven. In this matter it should be noted that while the Pharisee is convicted by his own judgment, like a madman he carries the rope by which he will be bound. The good deeds of the sinful woman are enumerated to him, the evil deeds of the false righteous man are enumerated, when it is said: I entered your house, you gave no water for my feet; but she has washed my feet with tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss; but she, from the time she entered, has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil; but she has anointed my feet with ointment. After this enumeration, the judgment is added: Therefore I say to you: Her many sins are forgiven, because she loved much. What, my brothers, do we believe love to be, if not fire? And what is sin, if not rust? Hence it is now said: Her many sins are forgiven, because she loved much. As if it were openly said: She has fully burned away the rust of sin, because she burns intensely with the fire of love.
For the rust of sin is consumed all the more, the more the sinner's heart is set ablaze with the great fire of charity. Behold, she who had come sick to the physician has been healed, but others are still sick concerning her salvation. For those reclining at table together complained, saying among themselves: Who is this who even forgives sins? But the heavenly physician does not despise the sick, even those whom he sees becoming worse from the medicine. And he confirms her whom he had healed by the sentence of his mercy, saying: Your faith has saved you, go in peace. For faith indeed saved her, because she did not doubt that she could receive what she sought. But she had already received that very certainty of hope from him from whom she also sought salvation through hope. And she is commanded to go in peace, so that she may no longer be turned aside from the way of truth into the path of scandal. Hence it is also said through Zechariah: To direct our feet into the way of peace. For we direct our steps into the way of peace when we proceed along that path of actions in which we are not at discord with the grace of our Creator. These things, dearest brothers, we have run through in historical exposition; now, if you please, let us discuss what has been said with mystical understanding. For whom does the Pharisee, presuming upon false righteousness, represent except the Jewish people?
And whom does the sinful woman, but coming to the Lord's feet and weeping, designate except the converted Gentile world? She came with an alabaster jar, poured out ointment, stood behind at the Lord's feet, washed his feet with tears, wiped them with her hair, and did not cease to kiss those same feet which she was bathing and wiping. Therefore that woman represented us, us, if we return to the Lord with our whole heart after our sins, if we imitate her mourning of penitence. For what is expressed by the ointment except the fragrance of good reputation? Hence Paul also says: We are the good fragrance of Christ to God in every place. If therefore we do right works by which we spread the fragrance of good reputation upon the Church, what do we pour upon the Lord's body but ointment? But the woman stood beside Jesus' feet. For we stood against the Lord's feet when, placed in sins, we were held back from his ways. But if we turn to true penitence after sins, we now stand behind beside his feet, because we follow the footsteps of him whom we opposed. The woman washes his feet with tears. This we also truly do if we bend down with the feeling of compassion to any of the least members of the Lord, if we suffer with his saints in tribulation, if we consider their sorrow our own. The woman wiped with her hair the feet she had washed. For hair is superfluous to the body.
And what does abundant earthly substance represent except the appearance of hair? Which, when it is superfluous to necessary use, does not even feel it when cut off. Therefore we wipe the Lord's feet with our hair when we show mercy to his saints, with whom we suffer out of charity, even from those things which are superfluous to us, so that the mind may grieve through compassion, and the generous hand may also show the feeling of grief. For one washes the Redeemer's feet with tears but does not wipe them with hair, who somehow suffers with a neighbor's pain but nevertheless does not show mercy to them from what is superfluous to himself. One weeps and does not wipe who indeed offers words of sorrow but does not in the least cut off the force of pain by ministering what is lacking. The woman kisses the feet she wipes. This we also fully do if we lovingly cherish those whom we support with generosity, lest the need of our neighbor be burdensome to us, lest his very poverty which is sustained become onerous to us, and while the hand gives what is necessary, the soul grows cold in love. The feet can also be understood as the mystery of his incarnation, by which his divinity touched the earth, because he took on flesh. For the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Therefore we kiss the Redeemer's feet when we love the mystery of his incarnation with our whole heart.
We anoint the feet with ointment when we proclaim the very power of his humanity with good report of sacred eloquence. But the Pharisee sees this and envies it, because when the Jewish people observe the Gentiles preaching God, they waste away in their own malice. But our Redeemer enumerates the deeds of this woman as if they were the good deeds of the Gentiles, so that the Jewish people might recognize in what evil they lie. For thus the Pharisee is rebuked, so that through him, as we have said, that faithless people might be shown. "I entered your house, you gave no water for my feet, but she has washed my feet with tears. Water indeed is outside us, but the moisture of tears is within us, because that faithless people never gave even those things that were outside themselves for the Lord; but the converted Gentiles poured out not only the substance of their possessions but even their blood for him. "You gave me no kiss; but she, from the time she entered, has not ceased to kiss my feet. A kiss is indeed a sign of love. And that faithless people did not give God a kiss, because they did not wish to love him out of charity, whom they served out of fear. But the Gentiles, once called, do not cease to kiss the footsteps of their Redeemer, because they continually sigh in love for him.
Hence also in the voice of the bride concerning this same Redeemer it is said in the Song of Songs: "Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth. Rightly does she desire the kiss of her Creator, who prepares herself to serve him through love. "You did not anoint my head with oil. If we understand the feet of the Lord as the mystery of his incarnation, fittingly his divinity is designated by his head. Hence also through Paul it is said: "The head of Christ is God. For the Jewish people professed to believe in God, and not in him as if in a man. But it is said to the Pharisee, "You did not anoint my head with oil," because he neglected to proclaim with worthy praise even that very power of his divinity, in which the Jewish people pledged to believe. "But she has anointed my feet with ointment," because when the Gentiles believed the mystery of his incarnation, they proclaimed even his lowliness with the highest praise. But now our Redeemer concludes the good deeds he has enumerated, when he adds through his verdict: "Therefore I say to you: Her many sins are forgiven, because she has loved much. As if he were saying openly: Even if what is being refined is very hard, nevertheless the fire of love abounds, by which even hard things are consumed. It is fitting meanwhile to consider this contemplation of such great mercy.
The deeds of a sinful woman, but one repenting—with what esteem does Truth preserve them in His presence, which He enumerates to her adversary with such detailed distribution. The Lord was reclining at the Pharisee's dinner, but He was delighting in the feasts of the mind at the penitent woman's. At the Pharisee's house, Truth was fed outwardly; at the sinful woman's, yet one who had converted, He was fed inwardly. Hence the holy Church says to Him in the Song of Songs, whom she seeks under the likeness of a young deer: "Show me, O you whom my soul loves, where you feed, where you rest at midday. For the Lord is called a young deer, according to His assumed flesh the son of the ancient fathers. Indeed, a more fervent heat burns at midday, and the young deer seeks a shady place where the fire of heat does not affect it. Therefore, the Lord rests in those hearts which the love of the present age does not inflame, which the desires of the flesh do not burn up, which, set ablaze by their anxieties, do not wither in the lusts of this world. Hence it is also said to Mary: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the young deer seeks shady places at midday for feeding, because the Lord is fed by such minds as are not burned by bodily desires through the regard of tempering grace.
Therefore, the penitent woman fed the Lord more within than the Pharisee fed Him outwardly, because our Redeemer had fled like a young deer from the heat of carnal things to her mind, which the shade of repentance tempered after the fire of vices. Let us consider what great tenderness it was not only to admit the sinful woman to himself, but even to offer her his feet to touch. Let us consider the grace of merciful God, and let us condemn the multitude of our own guilt. Behold, he sees sinners and endures them, tolerates those who resist, and yet daily calls them mercifully through the Gospel. He desires our confession from a pure heart, and has forgiven all that we have done wrong. The mercy of the Redeemer has tempered for us the severity of the law. For in it was written: If anyone does this or that, let him surely die. If anyone does these or those things, let him be overwhelmed with stones. Our Creator and Redeemer appeared in the flesh, promising not punishment but life to the confession of sinners; he receives the woman confessing her wounds, and sends her away healed. He bent the hardness of the law toward mercy, because those whom the law justly condemns, he himself mercifully frees. Hence it is also well written in the law that the hands of Moses were heavy; therefore taking a stone, they placed it underneath, upon which he sat; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands.
Moses indeed sat upon a stone, when the law rested upon the Church. But this same law had heavy hands, because it did not mercifully bear with sinners, but struck them with severe punishment. Aaron means mountain of strength, and Hur means fire. Whom therefore does this mountain of strength signify, if not our Redeemer, of whom it is said through the prophet: In the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared on the top of the mountains? Or who is figured by fire, if not the Holy Spirit, of whom the same Redeemer says: I came to cast fire upon the earth? Therefore Aaron and Hur support the heavy hands of Moses, and by supporting them render them lighter, because the Mediator of God and men, coming with the fire of the Holy Spirit, showed us through spiritual understanding that the heavy commandments of the law, which could not be borne while held carnally, are tolerable for us. For he rendered the hands of Moses light, as it were, because he turned the weight of the law's commandments to the power of confession. He indicated this promise of mercy for us who follow, when he says through the prophet: I do not desire the death of the sinner, but that he be converted and live. Hence again under the figure of Judea it is said to every sinful soul: If a man puts away his wife, and she departs and marries another man, will he return to her again?
Will not that woman be polluted and contaminated? But you have fornicated with many lovers; nevertheless return to me, says the Lord. Behold, he gave the example of a shameful woman. He showed that after such shame she cannot be received back. But he overcomes by mercy this very example that he set forth, when he says that a fornicating woman can by no means be received back, and yet he himself waits to receive the fornicating soul. Consider, brothers, the weight of such great tenderness. He says what cannot be done, and demonstrates that he himself can do this even against custom. Behold, he calls, and those whom he declares to be defiled, he also seeks to embrace, those by whom he complains he has been abandoned. Let no one therefore waste the time of such great mercy, let no one cast away the offered remedies of divine tenderness. Behold, heavenly kindness calls us back when we have turned away, and prepares for us returning the bosom of his clemency. Let each one therefore consider by what debt he is bound, when God waits for him and is not provoked though despised. Let him who was unwilling to remain return, let him who disdained to stand at least rise after his fall. How much love our Creator has as he waits for us, he indicates when he says through the prophet: I attended and listened, no one speaks what is good; there is no one who reflects in his heart and says, What have I done?
Certainly we should never have thought evil things. But because we were unwilling to think right things, behold, he still endures, that we may reflect. See the bosom of such great tenderness, consider the open lap of mercy before you; those whom thinking evil destroyed, thinking well upon it he seeks. To you therefore, dearest brothers, to you bring back the eyes of your mind, and set before you the penitent sinful woman as an example for imitation; whatever sins you remember committing in adolescence, whatever in youth, weep over them; wipe away the stains of your character and works with tears. Let us now love the footsteps of our Redeemer, which we despised by sinning. Behold, as we have said, the bosom of heavenly tenderness is opened to receive us, nor is our stained life despised. Through the fact that we abhor our defilement, we already accord with interior purity. The Lord mercifully embraces us when we return, because the life of sinners can no longer be unworthy to him when it is washed with tears in Christ Jesus our Lord, who lives and reigns as God with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, through all ages of ages. Amen.
Homily 34
Delivered to the people in the basilica of the blessed John and Paul, on the third Sunday after Pentecost.
Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Luke
At that time, tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to Jesus to hear him. And the Pharisees and Scribes were murmuring, saying: "This man receives sinners and eats with them. And he spoke this parable to them, saying: "What man among you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does he not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that was lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing; and coming home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them: 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' I say to you that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner doing penance than over ninety-nine righteous who have no need of penance. Or what woman, having ten drachmas, if she loses one drachma, does she not light a lamp and sweep the house and search diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying: 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma that I had lost.' So I say to you, there will be joy before the angels of God over one sinner doing penance. The summer season, which is very harmful to my body, prevented me from speaking about the exposition of the Gospel for a long intervening period. But did charity cease to burn because the tongue was silent?
For I say what each one of you recognizes in himself. Often charity, hindered by certain occupations, burns undiminished in the heart and yet is not shown in outward action, because the sun too, when covered by a cloud, is not seen on earth, yet still burns in the sky. So it is that charity is often occupied thus, and exerts the force of its ardor within, while outwardly it does not show the flames of its work. But since now the time for speaking has returned, your eagerness kindles me, so that it pleases me to speak all the more, the more desirously your minds await this. You have heard in the Gospel reading, my brothers, that sinners and tax collectors approached our Redeemer; and they were received not only for conversation, but also for dining together. When the Pharisees saw this, they were indignant. From this matter, understand that true justice has compassion, while false justice has disdain, although even the just are accustomed to be rightly indignant at sinners. But it is one thing that is done from the swelling of pride, another from zeal for discipline. For they show disdain, but without being disdainful; they despair, but without being despairing; they stir up persecution, but lovingly, because although outwardly they intensify rebukes through discipline, inwardly they preserve sweetness through charity. They often place before themselves in their minds the very ones whom they correct, and they consider as better even those whom they judge.
By doing this, they guard their subjects through discipline and themselves through humility. But on the contrary, those who are accustomed to taking pride in false justice look down on all others, show no mercy in condescending to the weak; and because they do not believe themselves to be sinners, they become sinners all the more grievously. The Pharisees certainly belonged to this number, who, judging the Lord because he received sinners, with their dry hearts criticized the very fountain of mercy. But because they were sick in such a way that they did not know they were sick, the heavenly physician heals them with gentle remedies so that they might recognize what they were; he presents a kind parable and presses upon the swelling of the wound in their heart. For he says: "Which of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does he not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the one that was lost? Behold, with wonderful dispensation of mercy, the Truth gave a similitude which man might recognize in himself, and yet which pertained especially to the very author of mankind. For since one hundred is a perfect number, he himself had a hundred sheep when he created the substance of angels and men. But one sheep was lost when man, by sinning, abandoned the pastures of life. He left the ninety-nine sheep in the desert because he left those supreme choirs of angels in heaven. But why is heaven called a desert, unless because desert means abandoned?
For man abandoned heaven when he sinned. The ninety-nine sheep remained in the desert while the Lord was seeking one on earth, because the number of rational creatures, namely of angels and men, which had been created to see God, was diminished by the perishing of man, and so that the perfect sum of sheep might be made whole in heaven, lost man was being sought on earth. For what this evangelist calls "in the desert," another says "in the mountains," to signify in the heights, because indeed the sheep that had not perished stood in the lofty places. And when he finds the sheep, he lays it on his shoulders rejoicing. He placed the sheep on his shoulders because by taking on human nature he himself bore our sins. And coming home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them: "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost. Having found the sheep, he returns home because our Shepherd, having restored man, returned to the heavenly kingdom. There he finds friends and neighbors, namely those choirs of angels who are his friends because they continuously guard his will in their steadfastness. They are also his neighbors because they perpetually enjoy the brightness of his vision through their constant presence. And it should be noted that he does not say "Rejoice with the sheep that was found," but "with me," because indeed our life is his joy, and when we are led back to heaven, we fulfill the celebration of his gladness.
I tell you that thus there will be joy in heaven over one sinner doing penance, more than over ninety-nine just who have no need of penance. We must consider, my brothers, why the Lord declares there is more joy in heaven over converted sinners than over the just who stand firm, unless it is what we ourselves know through daily experience of observation: that very often those who know themselves weighed down by no burden of sins do indeed stand in the way of justice, commit no unlawful acts, yet do not anxiously long for the heavenly homeland, and grant themselves as much use of lawful things as they remember having committed no unlawful ones. And very often they remain sluggish in practicing the highest goods, because they are quite secure in themselves that they have committed no graver evils. But on the contrary, sometimes those who remember having done certain unlawful things, pierced with compunction by their very grief, burn ardently with love of God, and exercise themselves in great virtues, seek out all the difficulties of holy struggle, abandon all worldly things, flee honors, rejoice when insults are received, burn with desire, long for the heavenly homeland; and because they consider that they have strayed from God, they compensate for preceding losses with subsequent gains.
Therefore there is greater joy in heaven over a converted sinner than over a just person standing firm, because a commander in battle also loves more that soldier who, returning after flight, vigorously presses the enemy, than the one who never showed his back, and never performed any deed of valor. So too the farmer loves more that land which after thorns brings forth abundant crops, than that which never had thorns and never produces a fertile harvest. But amid these things it must be known that there are many righteous persons in whose life there is such joy that no repentance of sinners can in any way be preferred to them. For many are conscious of no evils in themselves, and yet they exert themselves in such ardent affliction as if they were constrained by all sins. They reject even all lawful things, they gird themselves nobly for contempt of the world, they refuse to allow themselves anything whatsoever, they cut off from themselves even permitted goods, they despise visible things, they are inflamed by invisible things, they rejoice in lamentations, they humble themselves in all things; and just as some bewail sins of deeds, so these bewail sins of thoughts. What then shall I call these, except both righteous and penitent, who humble themselves in repentance for sins of thought, and always persevere upright in deed?
From this therefore it must be gathered how great a joy the righteous person makes for God when he humbly mourns, if the unrighteous person makes joy in heaven when he condemns through repentance what he has done wickedly. There follows: "Or what woman having ten drachmas, if she loses one drachma, does she not light a lamp, and sweep the house, and search diligently until she finds the drachma she had lost? He who is signified by the shepherd is also signified by the woman. For He Himself is God, He Himself is also the wisdom of God. And because an image is imprinted on a drachma, the woman lost a drachma when man, who had been created in the image of God, by sinning departed from the likeness of his Creator. But the woman lit a lamp, because the wisdom of God appeared in humanity. For a lamp is a light in an earthen vessel: and a light in an earthen vessel is divinity in flesh. Concerning which earthen vessel of His body, Wisdom Himself says: "My strength is dried up like a potsherd. For because a potsherd is hardened in fire, His strength dried up like a potsherd, because He strengthened the flesh He had assumed unto the glory of resurrection through the tribulation of His passion. And when the lamp was lit, she swept the house, because as soon as His divinity shone forth through the flesh, our whole conscience was shaken.
For the house is swept when the human conscience is disturbed by consideration of its own guilt. This word "swept" does not disagree with what is read in other manuscripts as "cleansed," because indeed a wicked mind, unless it is first overturned through fear, is not cleansed of its accustomed vices. Therefore, with the house swept, the drachma is found, because when the conscience of man is disturbed, the likeness of the Creator is restored in man. "And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying: Rejoice with me, because I have found the drachma which I had lost. Who are these friends or neighbors except those heavenly powers already mentioned above? They are so close to the supreme Wisdom because they approach Him through the grace of continual vision. But among these things we should by no means carelessly overlook why this woman, through whom the wisdom of God is figured, is said to have had ten drachmas, of which she lost one, which she found when she searched for it. For the Lord created the nature of angels and men to know Him, and when He willed it to endure unto eternity, He without doubt created it in His own likeness. The woman had ten drachmas because there are nine orders of angels.
But so that the number of the elect might be completed, man was created as the tenth, who did not perish from his Creator even after his sin, because eternal Wisdom, flashing with miracles through the flesh, restored him by the light of the earthen vessel. We have said there are nine orders of angels, because we know from the testimony of sacred Scripture that there are angels, archangels, virtues, powers, principalities, dominations, thrones, cherubim, and seraphim. For nearly all pages of sacred Scripture testify that there are angels and archangels. The books of the prophets frequently speak, as is well known, of cherubim and seraphim. The apostle Paul also enumerates the names of four orders to the Ephesians, saying: "Above every principality, and power, and virtue, and domination. Writing again to the Colossians, he says: "Whether thrones, or powers, or principalities, or dominations. He had already described dominations, principalities, and powers when speaking to the Ephesians; but when about to say these things also to the Colossians, he added thrones, about which he had not yet said anything to the Ephesians. Therefore, when thrones are joined to those four which he mentioned to the Ephesians—that is, principalities, powers, virtues, and dominations—there are five orders that are specifically expressed. When angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim are added to these, without doubt nine orders of angels are found to exist. Hence also it is said through the prophet to that angel who was created first: "You are the seal of likeness, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty;
you were in the delights of the paradise of God. Here it should be noted that he is not said to be made in the likeness of God, but the seal of likeness, so that because his nature is more subtle, the image of God is understood to be expressed in him more similarly. In that passage it is soon added: "Every precious stone was your covering: sardius, topaz, and jasper, chrysolite, onyx, and beryl, sapphire, carbuncle, and emerald. Behold, he named nine kinds of stones, because indeed there are nine orders of angels. That first angel stood adorned and covered with these orders because, since he was placed over all the hosts of angels, he was more glorious by comparison with them. But why have we touched upon these choirs of persevering angels by enumeration, if we do not also explain their ministries with some precision? For in the Greek language, angels are called messengers, and archangels are called chief messengers. It should also be known that the word "angel" is a name of office, not of nature. For those holy spirits of the heavenly homeland are indeed always spirits, but they cannot always be called angels, since they are angels only when something is announced through them; hence it is said through the Psalmist: "Who makes His angels spirits. As if he were saying plainly: He who always has them as spirits also makes them angels when He wills. Moreover, those who announce lesser things are called angels, while those who announce the greatest things are called archangels.
This is why not just any angel, but the archangel Gabriel, was sent to the Virgin Mary. For it was fitting that the highest angel should come for this ministry, since he was announcing the highest of all things. They are also designated by their own personal names so that their names might indicate what they are capable of in their work. For in that holy city, which perfect knowledge from the vision of almighty God completes, they are not given their own names because their persons could not be known without names; rather, when they come to minister something to us, they also take their names among us from their ministries. Michael indeed means "Who is like God"; Gabriel, "the strength of God"; and Raphael is called "the medicine of God. And whenever something of wondrous power is accomplished, Michael is said to be sent, so that from the act itself and the name it may be understood that no one can do what God is able to do. Hence that ancient enemy, who through pride desired to be like God, saying:
"I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of heaven, I will sit on the mountain of the covenant, on the sides of the north, I will ascend above the height of the clouds, I will be like the Most High," when at the end of the world he is left to his own power to be destroyed by the final punishment, is said to be about to fight with the archangel Michael, as it is said through John: "There was a battle with the archangel Michael," so that he who proudly raised himself to the likeness of God, slain by Michael, might learn that no one rises to the likeness of God through pride. Gabriel, who is called the strength of God, is also sent to Mary (Luke 1:26). For he came to announce him who deigned to appear humble to conquer the powers of the air. Of whom it is said through the Psalmist: "Lift up your gates, O princes, and be lifted up, eternal gates, and the King of glory shall enter. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. And again: "The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Therefore, he who was the Lord of hosts and mighty in battle, coming to wage war against the powers of the air, was to be announced through the strength of God.
Raphael also, as we said, is interpreted as the medicine of God, because when he touched the eyes of Tobias as if through the office of healing, he wiped away the darkness of his blindness. He therefore who is sent to heal was fittingly called the medicine of God. But since we have briefly touched upon the names of angels by interpretation, it now remains for us to briefly explain the very terms of their offices. For indeed those spirits are called Virtues through whom signs and miracles are performed more frequently. Powers also are called those who have received this more powerfully than others in their order, so that the adverse powers are subject to their authority, by whose power they are restrained lest they prevail to tempt the hearts of men as much as they wish. Principalities also are called those who preside over the good spirits of angels themselves, who, while they arrange what things are to be done by others subject to them, act as rulers over them for carrying out the divine ministries. Dominions, however, are called those who transcend even the powers of the principalities by a lofty dissimilarity. For to rule as a prince is to stand first among the rest, but to dominate is to possess even all those who are subject. Those hosts of angels, therefore, which are preeminent with wondrous power, are called Dominions because the rest are subject to them for obedience.
Thrones also are those hosts which are so called because Almighty God always presides over them for exercising judgment. For since in Latin speech we call thrones "seats," those are called thrones of God who are filled with such great grace of divinity that the Lord sits in them and through them decrees His judgments. Whence it is also said through the Psalmist: "You sit upon the throne, you who judge equity. Cherubim also means fullness of knowledge. And those more sublime hosts are therefore called Cherubim because they are filled with knowledge so much more perfect as they contemplate the brightness of God more closely; so that, according to the measure of the creature, they know all things fully in proportion as they approach the vision of their Creator through the merit of their dignity. Seraphim also are called those hosts of holy spirits which burn with incomparable love from the singular nearness of their Creator. For Seraphim are called burning or kindling. Because they are so joined to God that no other spirits stand between them and God, they burn so much more as they see Him more closely. Their flame indeed is love, because the more subtly they behold the brightness of His divinity, the more powerfully they are inflamed in love of Him. But what does it profit us to touch briefly upon these matters concerning the angelic spirits, if we do not strive to apply them also to our own advancement through suitable reflection?
For since that heavenly city consists of angels and men, to which we believe the human race ascends in such number as equals the elect angels who remained there, as it is written: "He set the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the angels of God," we too ought to draw something from those distinctions of the heavenly citizens for the use of our own way of life, and inflame ourselves with good pursuits toward growth in virtues. For since such a multitude of men is believed to ascend there as equals the multitude of angels that remained, it follows that those men who return to the heavenly homeland should imitate something from those hosts as they return there. For the different ways of life of men correspond distinctly to the orders of individual hosts, and they are assigned to their lot through similarity of life. For there are many who grasp small things, yet do not cease to announce piously these same small things to their brethren. These therefore run to be numbered among the angels. And there are some who, refreshed by the gift of divine generosity, are able both to grasp and to announce the highest secrets of heaven. Where then are these assigned except among the number of archangels? And there are others who do wondrous things and powerfully work signs. Where then do these belong except to the lot and number of the heavenly Virtues?
And there are some who even drive malign spirits from possessed bodies and cast them out by the power of prayer and the force of received authority. Where then do these obtain their reward except among the number of the heavenly Powers? And there are some who through received virtues even transcend the merits of elect men, and since they are better than the good, they also rule over their elect brethren. Where then have these received their lot except among the numbers of Principalities? And there are some who so dominate all vices and all desires within themselves that by the very right of their purity they are called gods among men; whence also it is said to Moses: "Behold, I have made you a god to Pharaoh. Where then do these run except among the numbers of Dominations? And there are some who, while they rule themselves with watchful care, and while they examine themselves with anxious attention, always clinging to divine fear, receive this as a gift of virtue: that they can rightly judge others as well. While divine contemplation is indeed present to their minds, the Lord, presiding in them as on His throne, examines the deeds of others and wonderfully dispenses all things from His seat. What then are these except thrones of their Creator? Or where are they enrolled except among the numbers of the heavenly Seats? While the holy Church is governed through them, often even the elect are judged concerning certain of their weak actions.
And there are some who are so full of love for God and neighbor that they may rightly be called Cherubim. For since, as we said before, Cherubim means fullness of knowledge, and we have learned from Paul's saying that love is the fullness of the law, all who are more fully filled than others with love of God and neighbor have received the lot of their merits among the numbers of the Cherubim. And there are some who, kindled by the flames of heavenly contemplation, pant only for desire of their Creator, desire nothing more in this world, are fed solely on love of eternity, cast aside all earthly things, transcend in mind all temporal things, love and burn, and rest in their very burning; by loving they burn, by speaking they kindle others also, and those whom they touch with their word they immediately cause to burn with love of God. What then should I call these except Seraphim, whose heart, turned into fire, both shines and burns, because they both illuminate the eyes of minds toward heavenly things and, by causing compunction, purge the rust of vices in tears? Those therefore who are thus inflamed with love of their Creator—where have they received the lot of their calling except among the number of the Seraphim? But as I speak these things, dearest brethren, turn yourselves inward to yourselves, examine the merits and thoughts of your secret hearts.
See whether you already do anything good within yourselves, see whether you find the lot of your calling among the number of these hosts that we have briefly touched upon. But woe to the soul that recognizes nothing in itself of these good things we have enumerated, and a yet worse woe threatens it if it both understands itself to be deprived of gifts and does not groan at all. Whoever therefore is such, my brethren, is greatly to be lamented, because he does not lament. Let us therefore consider the received gifts of the elect, and with what virtue we can, let us pant for love of so great a lot. Let him who does not recognize in himself the grace of gifts groan. But let him who recognizes lesser things in himself not envy others their greater things, because those heavenly distinctions of blessed spirits are so established that some are set over others. Indeed, Dionysius the Areopagite, that ancient and venerable Father, is said to declare that from the lesser hosts of angels some are sent forth to fulfill their ministry either visibly or invisibly, namely because angels or archangels come for human consolation. For those higher hosts never withdraw from the inner places, since those who are preeminent have no function of external ministry. This seems to be contradicted by what Isaiah says: "And one of the Seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a coal which he had taken with tongs from the altar, and he touched my mouth.
But in this statement of the prophet, he wants it understood that the spirits who are sent receive the name of those whose office they perform. For the angel who carries a coal from the altar to burn up the sins of speech is called a Seraphim, which means burning. This interpretation is also believed to be supported not unsuitably by what is said through Daniel: "Thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before him. For ministering is one thing, and standing before is another, because those minister to God who also go out to us announcing; but those stand before who so enjoy inward contemplation that they are not at all sent forth to accomplish external works. But because in certain passages of Scripture we have learned that some things are done through the cherubim, and other things through the seraphim, whether they do these things by themselves, or whether they are done through the hosts subject to them, which, as is said, receive the names of the greater ones because they come from the greater ones, we do not wish to affirm what we do not prove by clear testimonies. This, however, we know most certainly, that to carry out service from above, some spirits send others, as the prophet Zechariah testifies, who says: Behold, the angel who was speaking in me went forth; and behold, another angel went forth to meet him, and he said to him: Run, and speak to this young man, saying:
Jerusalem shall be inhabited without walls. For when an angel says to an angel "Run and speak," there is no doubt that one sends another. Those who are sent are lesser, those who send are greater. But this too we hold as certain concerning those very hosts that are sent, that even when they come to us, they so fulfill their ministry externally that they are never absent internally through contemplation. Therefore they are both sent and stand before him, because although the angelic spirit is circumscribed, yet the supreme spirit himself, who is God, is not circumscribed. And so the angels, even when sent, are before him, because wherever they go when sent, they run within him. It should also be known that often the very orders of blessed spirits take on the names of orders neighboring them. For we have said that the Thrones, that is, the seats of God, are a special order of blessed spirits, and yet it is said by the Psalmist: "You who sit upon the cherubim, appear," because, evidently, since in those very distinctions of hosts the cherubim are joined to the thrones, the Lord is said to sit even upon the cherubim by equality with the neighboring host. For thus in that highest city certain things are special to each, yet they are common to all; and what each one has in part within himself, this he possesses fully in another order. But they are not commonly reckoned by one and the same name for this reason:
that order ought to be called by the private name of each thing which has received this more fully as a gift. For we have said that seraphim means burning, and yet all burn equally with love of the Creator. Cherubim indeed means fullness of knowledge, and yet who there is ignorant of anything where all together see God himself, the fountain of knowledge? Those hosts also over which the Creator presides are called thrones, but who can be blessed unless his Creator presides over his mind? Therefore what are possessed in part by all have been given as a private name to those who have received these more fully as a gift. For even if some things there are possessed by some in such a way that they cannot be possessed by others, just as dominations and principalities are called by a special name, all things there belong to each, because through the love of the Spirit what belongs to one is possessed by others. But behold, while we search out the secrets of the heavenly citizens, we have digressed far from the order of our exposition. Let us therefore sigh toward those of whom we speak, but let us return to ourselves. For we ought to remember that we are flesh. Let us be silent meanwhile about the secrets of heaven, but before the eyes of our Creator let us wipe away the stains of our dust with the hand of repentance. Behold, divine mercy itself promises, saying:
There shall be joy in heaven over one sinner doing penance; and yet through the prophet the Lord says: In whatever day the just man shall sin, all his righteousnesses shall be in oblivion before me. Let us consider, if we can, the dispensation of heavenly loving-kindness. To those who stand, if they should fall, he threatens punishment; but to the fallen, that they might desire to rise, he promises mercy. He terrifies those, lest they presume upon their good works; he comforts these, lest they despair in their evils. You are just—fear wrath, lest you fall; you are a sinner—trust in mercy, that you may rise. But behold, we have already fallen, we have been utterly unable to stand, we lie in our wicked desires. But he who struck us down when we were upright still waits, and urges us to rise. He opens the bosom of his loving-kindness, and seeks to receive us back to himself through repentance. But we cannot do penance worthily unless we also know the manner of that same penance. For to do penance is both to bewail the evils committed, and not to commit things that must be bewailed. For he who so deplores some sins while yet committing others, still either pretends to do penance or does not know what it is. For what does it profit if someone weeps for sins of lust, and yet still pants with the burning heat of avarice?
Or what does it profit if he now mourns the faults of anger, and yet still wastes away with the torches of envy? But what we say is far too little, that he who deplores sins should by no means commit things to be deplored, and that he who bewails vices should fear to perpetrate vices. 16. For one must consider most carefully that he who remembers having committed unlawful things should strive to abstain even from certain lawful things, so that through this he may make satisfaction to his Creator, that he who has committed forbidden things ought to cut off from himself even permitted things, and should reproach himself in the least matters who remembers having sinned in the greatest. What I say is excessive, unless I confirm these things from testimonies of sacred Scripture. The Law of the Old Testament certainly forbids coveting another's wife, but it does not punish a king for commanding brave deeds of soldiers, or for desiring water. And we all know that David, pierced by the sword of concupiscence, both coveted and took away another man's wife. Fitting scourges followed his fault, and he corrected the evil he had perpetrated through the lamentations of penance. When long afterward he sat against the battle lines of enemies, he wished from desire to drink water from the cistern of Bethlehem. His chosen soldiers, breaking through the midst of the opposing forces, brought back unharmed the water the king had desired.
But the man instructed by scourges immediately reproached himself for having desired water at the peril of his soldiers, and pouring it out, he offered it to the Lord, as it is written there: He poured it out to the Lord. For the water poured out was turned into a sacrifice to the Lord, because he slew the fault of concupiscence through the penance of his self-reproach. He therefore who once did not at all fear to covet another's wife, afterward was even afraid because he had coveted water. For since he remembered having perpetrated unlawful things, now stern against himself, he abstained even from lawful things. Thus, thus do we do penance, if we perfectly bewail what we have committed. Let us consider the heavenly riches of our Creator. He saw us sin, and bore with us. He who forbade us to sin before our fault does not cease even after our fault to wait for us to seek pardon. Behold, He whom we despised calls us. We have turned away from Him, and yet He does not turn away. Whence it is well said through Isaiah: And your eyes shall see your teacher, and your ears shall hear the voice of one warning from behind your back. Man was warned as if to his face when, created for righteousness, he received the precepts of rectitude. But when he despised these same precepts, he turned, as it were, the back of his mind to his Creator's face.
But behold, He still follows behind and warns, because even though He has been despised by us, yet He does not cease to call us. We have turned our back to His face, as it were, whose words we despise, whose precepts we trample underfoot; but standing behind our back He calls us back though we are turned away, He who both sees that He is despised and yet cries out through His precepts, waits through His patience. Consider therefore, dearest brothers, if any servant of yours were suddenly to become proud while you were speaking to him, and were to turn his back to your face, would not his master, being despised, strike his pride and inflict wounds of severe punishment? Behold, by sinning we have turned our backs to the face of our Creator, and yet we are endured. He graciously calls back those who have proudly turned away, and He who could strike us as we turn away instead promises rewards if we return. Therefore let such great mercy of our Creator soften the hardness of our guilt, and let man, who could have experienced the evil he did by being struck, at least blush with shame at being waited for. I briefly relate a matter, brothers, which I learned from the account of the venerable man Maximian, then the father and priest of my monastery, but now bishop of Syracuse. If you listen to this attentively, I believe it will greatly benefit your charity.
In our own times there was a certain Victorinus, who was also called by another name, Aemilianus, not lacking in substance according to a moderate way of life; but because the sin of the flesh often reigns amid abundance of possessions, he fell into a certain crime, which he ought greatly to have feared, and to have thought about the enormity of his own death. Therefore, struck with compunction by consideration of his guilt, he rose up against himself, abandoned all things of this world, and sought a monastery. In that monastery, indeed, he showed himself of such great humility and such great strictness toward himself, that all the brothers who had grown there in the love of God were compelled to despise their own lives when they saw his penance. For he strove with the whole effort of his mind to crucify his flesh, to break his own will, to seek secret prayers, to wash himself daily with tears, to desire contempt of himself, and to fear veneration offered by the brothers. He had been accustomed to anticipate the nightly vigils of the brothers; and because the mountain on which the monastery was situated jutted out on one side in a more secluded area, he had made it his custom to go out there before the vigils, so that he might slay himself daily in the weeping of penance, the more secretly, the more freely.
For he contemplated the severity of his coming Judge, and, already in harmony with that same Judge, he punished in tears the guilt of his crime. One night, however, the abbot of the monastery, being awake, observed him secretly going out and followed him outside with slow step. When he saw him prostrate in prayer on the secluded side of the mountain, he wished to wait until he arose, so that he might also observe the very perseverance of his prayer, when suddenly a light sent from heaven was poured out over him who lay prostrate in prayer; and such great brightness spread in that place that the whole part of that region grew white from the same light. When the abbot saw this, he trembled and fled. And when after a long space of time that same brother had returned to the monastery, his abbot, in order to learn whether he had recognized the outpouring of so great a light upon himself, endeavored to question him, saying: "Where were you, brother? But he, believing he could remain hidden, answered that he had been in the monastery. When he denied it, the abbot was compelled to say what he had seen. But he, seeing that he had been discovered, also revealed what had been hidden from the abbot, adding: "When you saw the light descending upon me from heaven, a voice also came at the same time, saying: 'Your sin is forgiven.'" And indeed Almighty God could have pardoned his sin in silence;
but by speaking through a voice, by shining through light, He wished to strike our hearts to penance by the example of His mercy. We marvel, dearest brothers, that the Lord struck down His persecutor Saul from heaven, spoke to him from heaven. Behold, in our times also a sinner doing penance heard a voice from the heavens. To him it was said: "Why do you persecute me? But this man merited to hear: "Your sin is forgiven. Far inferior in merits is this penitent sinner compared to Paul. But because we are still speaking here of Saul breathing the cruelty of slaughter, let it be permitted to say boldly that Saul on account of pride heard a voice of rebuke, but this man on account of humility heard a voice of consolation. Because humility had cast him down, divine mercy raised him up; because pride had exalted the other, divine severity humbled him. Therefore have confidence, my brothers, in the mercy of our Creator; consider what you do, reconsider what you have done. Look upon the generosity of heavenly mercy, and come with tears to the merciful Judge while He still waits. For considering that He is just, do not neglect your sins; but considering that He is merciful, do not despair. God made man gives man confidence before God. There is great hope for us who do penance, because our advocate has become our judge. Who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
Homily 35
Delivered to the people in the basilica of Saint Mennas the martyr, on the day of his birth.
Reading of the Holy Gospel According to Luke
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: When you shall hear of wars and seditions, be not terrified; these things must first come to pass, but the end is not yet at hand. Then he said to them: Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be great earthquakes in various places, and pestilences and famines, and terrors from heaven, and there shall be great signs. But before all these things, they shall lay their hands upon you and persecute you, delivering you up to synagogues and prisons, dragging you before kings and governors for my name's sake. And these things shall happen to you for a testimony. Lay it up therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand how you shall respond. For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist and contradict. And you shall be betrayed by parents and brethren and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they shall put to death. And you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake, yet not a hair of your head shall perish. In your patience you shall possess your souls. Because we have journeyed rather far from the city, lest a later hour hinder us from returning, it is necessary that a shorter discourse pass through the exposition of the holy Gospel.
Our Lord and Redeemer announces beforehand the evils that precede the perishing world, so that the things to come may disturb us less because they have been foreknown. For missiles that are foreseen strike less forcefully; and we endure the evils of the world more tolerably if we are fortified against them by the shield of foreknowledge. For behold he says: "When you hear of wars and seditions, do not be terrified; for these things must happen first, but the end is not yet at once. The words of our Redeemer must be weighed carefully, through which he announces that we will suffer one thing internally, another externally. For wars indeed pertain to enemies, seditions to citizens. Therefore, to indicate that we are troubled both internally and externally, he declares that we suffer one thing from enemies, another from brothers. But since the end does not immediately follow when these evils come first, he adds: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be great earthquakes in various places, and pestilences and famines, and terrors from heaven; and there will be great signs. Or as is found in certain manuscripts: "Terrors from heaven and storms. And afterward it is added: "And there will be great signs. The final tribulation is preceded by many tribulations, and through the frequent evils that come before, the perpetual evils that will follow are indicated.
And therefore after wars and seditions the end does not come immediately, because many evils must run before, so that they may be able to announce evil without end. But since so many signs of disturbance have been mentioned, we ought to touch briefly upon the consideration of each one, because it is necessary that we suffer some things from heaven, some from earth, some from the elements, some from men. For he says: "Nation will rise against nation"—behold the disturbance of men; "there will be great earthquakes in various places"—behold the look of wrath from above; "there will be pestilences"—behold the disorder of bodies; "there will be famine"—behold the barrenness of the earth; "terrors from heaven and storms"—behold the disorder of the air. Because therefore all things are to be brought to an end, before the end all things are disturbed; and we who have sinned in all things are struck in all things, so that what is said may be fulfilled: "And the world will fight on his behalf against the senseless. For all things that we received for the use of life we have turned to the use of sin, but all things that we bent to the use of wickedness are turned against us for the use of vengeance. Indeed we turned the tranquility of human peace to the use of vain security; we loved the pilgrimage of earth as if it were our homeland's dwelling; we reduced the health of bodies to the use of vices;
we twisted the abundance of plenty not to the necessity of the flesh but to the perversity of pleasure; we forced even the serene enticements of the air to serve our love of earthly delight. Rightly therefore it remains that all things strike us together, which all together served our vices in evil subjection, so that as many joys as we previously had unharmed in the world, so many torments from it we are afterward compelled to feel. But it should be noted what is said: "Terrors from heaven and storms. Since winter storms usually come according to the order of the seasons, why are storms predicted here as a sign of destruction, unless because the Lord announces that storms will come that in no way keep the order of the seasons? For those that come in an orderly fashion are not a sign; but storms are a sign that confound even the appointed times of the seasons themselves. This we too have recently experienced, because we saw the entire summer season turned into winter rains. But because all these things come not from the injustice of the one striking but from the merit of the world that suffers, the deeds of wicked men are set forth first when it is said: "But before all these things they will lay their hands upon you and persecute you, and deliver you to synagogues, leading you before kings and governors for my name's sake. As if he were saying openly:
First the hearts of men are disturbed, and afterward the elements, so that when the order of things is thrown into confusion, it may be shown from what retribution this comes. For although the end of the world depends on its own order, it is made known that it finds certain more perverse people who may worthily be crushed by its ruins, when it is added: "Leading you before kings and governors for my name's sake. But these things will happen to you for a testimony. For a testimony, clearly, of whom, unless of those who either inflict death by persecuting or who see and do not imitate? For the death of the just is a help to the good and a testimony against the wicked, so that the perverse may perish without excuse from the very thing whence the elect take an example that they may live. But upon hearing so many terrors, the hearts of the weak could be disturbed, and therefore consolation is added when it is immediately subjoined: "Settle it therefore in your hearts not to premeditate how you will answer. For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries will not be able to resist or contradict. As if He openly says to His weakening members: Do not be terrified, do not be afraid; you approach the contest, but I fight; you utter the words, but I am the one who speaks. It follows:
"But you will be betrayed by parents and brothers, and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. Evils inflicted by strangers cause lesser pain. But those torments rage more fiercely within us which we suffer from those in whose minds we had confidence, because along with bodily harm, the evils of lost love torment us. Hence it is that the Lord says through the Psalmist concerning Judas His betrayer: "Indeed if my enemy had cursed me, I would have borne it; and if he who hated me had spoken great things against me, I would certainly have hidden myself from him. But you, a man of one mind with me, my guide and my acquaintance, who took sweet food together with me, we walked in the house of God with agreement. And again: "The man of my peace in whom I trusted, and who ate my bread, has greatly plotted treachery against me. As if He says in plain words about His betrayer: I bore his transgression all the more gravely because I perceived it from one who seemed to be mine. All the elect, therefore, because they are members of the supreme Head, also follow their Head in sufferings, so that they feel those very people as adversaries in their death from whose life they had confidence, and their reward of labor increases all the more as the gain of their virtue profits from another's loss of love.
But because the things foretold concerning the affliction of death are harsh, consolation is immediately added concerning the joy of the resurrection, when it is said: "Not a hair of your head shall perish. We know, brothers, that flesh when cut feels pain, but hair when cut does not feel pain. Therefore He says to His martyrs: "Not a hair of your head shall perish," clearly saying: Why do you fear that what feels pain when cut may perish, when even that which does not feel pain when cut cannot perish in you? There follows: "In your patience you shall possess your souls. The possession of the soul is placed in the virtue of patience because patience is the root and guardian of all virtues. Through patience we truly possess our souls, because while we learn to master ourselves, we begin to possess that very thing which we are. Patience, however, is to endure the evils of others with equanimity, and to feel no sting of resentment even against the one who inflicts the evils. For whoever bears the evils of a neighbor in such a way that he nevertheless grieves silently and seeks an opportunity for fitting retribution does not display patience but merely shows it outwardly. For it is written: "Love is patient, love is kind. It is patient so as to bear the evils of others, and kind so as to love even those whom it bears. Hence Truth says through Himself:
"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who persecute and slander you. It is therefore a virtue before men to tolerate adversaries, but the virtue before God is to love them, because God accepts only that sacrifice which the flame of charity kindles before His eyes on the altar of good works. 5. But it should be known that very often we seem to be patient only because we cannot repay evils. But whoever does not repay evil because he is unable to, without doubt, as we said, is not patient, because patience is sought not in outward show but in the heart. Through the vice of impatience, doctrine itself, the nurse of virtues, is scattered. For it is written: "A man's learning is known through patience. Therefore, the less patient anyone is shown to be, the less learned he is shown to be. For one cannot truly impart good things by teaching if he does not know how to tolerate the evils of others with equanimity in his way of living. For Solomon again indicates how great is the height at which the virtue of patience excels, saying: "The patient man is better than the strong man, and he who rules his spirit than he who captures cities. It is therefore a lesser victory to capture cities, because what is conquered is external. But what is conquered through patience is greater, because the mind is overcome by itself, and it subjects itself to itself, when patience prostrates it in the humility of forbearance.
But it should be known that it very often happens to patient people that at the very time when they suffer adversities or hear insults, they are struck by no grief, and they display patience in such a way that they take care also to guard the innocence of their heart. But when after a little while they recall to memory those very things they endured, they are inflamed by the fire of most vehement grief, they seek occasions for revenge, and they lose in their reconsideration, judging themselves, the meekness they had while enduring. The cunning adversary wages war against two people: inflaming one to be the first to hurl insults, while provoking the other to return insults when injured. But since the one whom he stirred to utter insults has already emerged as his victor, he grieves more bitterly against the one whom he could not move to return injuries. Thus it happens that he rises up with all his strength against the one whom he observes to have bravely endured insults. Since he could not move him during the very hurling of injuries, he withdraws for a time from open battle, seeks an opportunity for deception in secret thought, and he who lost in public warfare burns to lay hidden ambushes. For now in a time of quiet he returns to the victor's mind and brings back to memory either losses of possessions or the darts of injuries.
Greatly exaggerating everything that was inflicted upon him, he shows it to have been intolerable, and disturbs the mind of the one at rest with such fury that often a patient man, now a captive after his victory, is ashamed that he bore those things with equanimity. He grieves that he did not return insults and seeks to repay worse if the opportunity should arise. To whom, then, are such people similar, if not to those who are victorious on the battlefield through courage, but are afterwards captured within the city walls through negligence? To whom are they similar, if not to those whom a severe illness striking suddenly does not take from life, but whom a recurring fever coming lightly kills? Therefore, he truly preserves patience who both tolerates the evils of others without distress for the time being, and reflecting on these same things, rejoices that he endured such things—lest the good of patience perish in time of quiet which was guarded during disturbances. But because we celebrate today the birthday of a martyr, my brothers, we ought by no means to consider ourselves strangers to the virtue of his patience. For if, with the Lord helping us, we strive to preserve the virtue of patience, we both live in the peace of the Church and yet hold the palm of martyrdom. For there are two kinds of martyrdom: one in the mind, another in the mind together with action. And so we can be martyrs even if we are not slain by any sword of persecutors.
For to die at the hands of a persecutor is martyrdom in open deed; but to bear insults, to love one who hates us, is martyrdom in hidden thought. For that there are two kinds of martyrdom, one in hidden deed, another in public, the Truth testifies, who asks the sons of Zebedee, saying: "Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink? When they immediately answered Him: "We can," the Lord at once replied, saying: "You shall indeed drink my cup. For what do we understand by the cup except the suffering of the Passion? Of which He says elsewhere: "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. And the sons of Zebedee, that is, James and John, did not both die through martyrdom, and yet both heard that they would drink the cup. For John did not end his life through martyrdom, yet he was a martyr, because the suffering that he did not undergo in body he preserved in mind. Therefore, by this example, we too can be martyrs without the sword, if we truly guard patience in our soul. I do not think it beside the point, dearest brothers, if I speak to you one example of preserving patience for your edification. There was in our days a certain man named Stephen, father of a monastery situated near the walls of the city of Rieti, a man of great holiness, singular in the virtue of patience. And many still survive who knew him and relate both his life and his death.
His speech was unpolished, but his life was learned. He had despised all things for love of the heavenly fatherland; he fled from possessing anything in this world; he avoided the tumults of men and was intent upon frequent and prolonged prayers. Yet the virtue of patience had grown exceedingly strong in him, so that he considered anyone who had caused him some trouble to be his friend; he returned thanks for insults; if any loss had been inflicted upon him in his very poverty, he counted this the greatest gain; he regarded all his adversaries as nothing other than helpers. When the day of death pressed him to depart from the body, many gathered together to commend their souls to so holy a soul as it departed from this world. And while all those who had gathered stood around his bed, some saw with their bodily eyes angels entering, but they were utterly unable to say anything; others saw nothing at all; but all who were present were struck with such violent fear that no one was able to stand there while that holy soul was departing. And so both those who had seen and those who had seen nothing at all, all struck and terrified by the same fear, fled, and no one was able to stand by him as he died. Consider therefore, brothers, how the almighty God terrifies when he comes as a strict judge, if he so terrified those standing by when he came gracious and rewarding;
or how he can be feared when he can be seen, if he so prostrated the minds of those present even when he could not be seen. Behold, dearest brothers, that patience preserved in ecclesiastical peace raised him to what a height of recompense. What did his Creator give him inwardly, concerning whom such great glory was made known to us outwardly on the day of his departure? With whom should we believe him to be joined except the holy martyrs, whom, with bodily eyes also bearing witness, we know to have been received by blessed spirits? He did not fall struck down by any sword, and yet in his departure he received the crown of patience which he had held in his mind. We prove daily that what was said before us is true: that holy Church, full of the flowers of the elect, has lilies in peace, roses in war. It should also be known that the virtue of patience is usually exercised in three ways. For there are some things we endure from God, others from the ancient adversary, and others from our neighbor. From our neighbor we endure persecutions, losses, and insults; from the ancient adversary, temptations; and from God, we bear chastisements.
But in all these three ways, the mind must watch itself with a vigilant eye, lest against the evils of a neighbor it be drawn to return evil, lest against the temptations of the adversary it be seduced into delight or consent to sin, lest against the chastisements of its Maker it rush into excessive murmuring. For the adversary is perfectly conquered when our mind is not drawn to delight or consent amid his temptations, when it is guarded from hatred amid the insults of a neighbor, and when it is restrained from murmuring amid the chastisements of God. Nor, in doing these things, should we seek present goods to be given to us in return; for in exchange for the labor of patience, the goods of the life to come are to be hoped for, so that the reward of our labor may begin when all labor has completely ceased. Hence it is also said through the Psalmist: "The poor shall not be forgotten forever; the patience of the poor shall not perish forever. For the patience of the poor seems to have perished when nothing is repaid to the humble for it in this life. But the patience of the poor shall not perish forever, because its glory is received when all toilsome things are ended together. Therefore, brothers, preserve patience in your mind, and when circumstances demand it, exercise it in action. Let no insulting words move any of you to hatred of your neighbor; let no losses of perishable things disturb you.
For if with a steadfast mind you fear lasting losses, you do not consider the losses of passing things to be serious; if you behold the glory of eternal recompense, you do not grieve over temporal injury. Therefore tolerate your adversaries, but love as brothers those whom you tolerate. Seek eternal rewards in exchange for temporal losses. And let no one among you trust that he can accomplish this by his own strength, but obtain through prayers that he who commands this may himself grant it. And we know that he gladly hears those who ask, when what is asked to be given is what he commands. When he is continually implored in prayer, he swiftly aids in temptation, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns as God with him in the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.