Sermon 78
SERMO 78
ON THE WORDS OF THE GOSPEL MT 17, 1-8
"After six days Jesus took Peter, and James, and"
"John his brother" and so on
What the kingdom of Christ is.
We must examine and contemplate, dearest ones, this vision which the Lord showed on the mountain. For it is about this that He said: Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. This is where the lesson that was read begins. After He said this, six days later He took three disciples, Peter, John, and James, and went up the mountain. These three were some of those about whom He had said: There are some here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. This is no small matter. For that mountain was not the extent of the kingdom. What is a mountain to Him who owns the heavens? This is not only what we read, but also what we see in some way with the eyes of our heart. He calls His kingdom that which He elsewhere calls the kingdom of the heavens. The kingdom of the heavens, however, is the kingdom of the saints. For the heavens declare the glory of God. Of which heavens it is immediately said in the Psalm: There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their sound has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. Of whom, if not of the heavens? Therefore, of the apostles, and all faithful preachers of the word of God. The heavens shall reign with Him who made the heavens. To show this, see what happened.
Allegory of the Lord's Transfiguration.
The Lord Jesus himself shone like the sun; his garments became white as snow: and Moses and Elijah spoke with him. Jesus himself indeed shone like the sun, signifying that he is the light that illuminates every man coming into this world. What the sun is to the eyes of the body, he is to the eyes of the heart: and what the sun is to the flesh, he is to the hearts. But his garments, his Church. For garments, if they were not held by the wearer, would fall. Of these garments, Paul was a kind of the very last fringe. For he says: For I am the least of the Apostles: and in another place: I am the last of the Apostles. But in the garment, the fringe is the last and the least. Therefore, just as the woman who suffered from a flow of blood, when she touched the fringe of the Lord, was made well: so the Church, which comes from the Gentiles, was saved by Paul's preaching. Is it any wonder if the Church is signified by the white garments, when you hear the prophet Isaiah saying: And if your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow? What do Moses and Elijah, that is, the Law and the Prophets, avail unless they speak with the Lord? Unless they give testimony to the Lord, who will read the Law? who will read the Prophets? See how briefly the Apostle says this: For by the law comes knowledge of sin: but now apart from the law, the righteousness of God is manifested; behold the sun: having witness from the Law and the Prophets; behold the splendor.
Peter's vow.
Peter sees this, and understanding like a human, he says: Lord, it is good for us to be here. He was suffering from the crowd's weariness, he had found the solitude of the mountain; there he had Christ the bread of the mind. Why should he leave there for labors and pains, having in God holy loves, and therefore good manners? He wished well for himself, hence he added: If you wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. To these things the Lord did not respond: but yet a response was given to Peter. For while he was speaking, a bright cloud came and overshadowed them. He was seeking three tabernacles: the heavenly response showed us that there is one, which the human sense was trying to divide. The Word of God is Christ, the Word of God in the Law, the Word in the Prophets. Why, Peter, do you seek to divide? It is more proper for you to join. You seek three: understand also that it is one.
A voice from the cloud. The disciples' prostration.
All were thus overshadowed by a cloud, and as one tent was made for them, a voice sounded from the cloud, saying: This is My beloved Son. Moses was there, Elijah was there: it was not said, These are My beloved sons. For an Only One is one thing, adopted ones are another. He was commended, whence the Law and the Prophets were glorified. He is, it says: My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear Him. For you have also heard Him in the Prophets, and you have heard Him in the Law. And where have you not heard Him? Upon hearing this, they fell to the ground. Now the kingdom of God is demonstrated to us in the Church. Here is the Lord, here is the Law and the Prophets: but the Lord as Lord; the Law in Moses, Prophecy in Elijah; but they as servants, as ministers. They as vessels; He as the fountain. Moses and the Prophets spoke and wrote: but they were filled with Him when they poured forth.
The raising up of the disciples.
The Lord, however, extended His hand and raised up those lying down. Then they saw no one, except Jesus alone. What does this mean? You have heard, when the Apostle was read, that we see now through a glass darkly, but then face to face. And tongues shall cease, when that which we now hope and believe has come. Therefore, what they signified by falling to the ground, is that we die: because it was said to the flesh, "You are dust, and to dust you shall return." But when the Lord raised them up, He signified the resurrection. After the resurrection, why do you need the Law? why do you need the Prophecy? Hence, Elias does not appear, Moses does not appear. What remains for you: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. It remains for you that God will be all in all. There will be Moses, but now no longer the Law. We will see Elias there, but now no longer a prophet. For the Law and the Prophets bore witness to Christ, that it was necessary for Him to suffer, and on the third day rise from the dead, and enter into His glory. Where that will be fulfilled which He promised to His beloved: He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him. And as if it were said: Because you will love him, what will you give him? And I will show myself to him. A great gift, a great promise. God does not reserve for you any other reward but Himself. O greedy one, why is it not enough for you what Christ promises? You seem rich to yourself; but if you do not have God, what do you have? Another is poor; and if he has God, what does he lack?
The salvation of others is to be cared for out of charity.
Come down, Peter: you wished to rest on the mountain, come down, preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with complete patience and instruction. Work, sweat, endure some torments: so that what is understood in the Lord’s white garments, you may possess through the brightness and beauty of righteous conduct in charity. For in the praise of charity, when the Apostle was being read, we heard: It does not seek its own. It does not seek its own, because it gives what it possesses. In another place, more dangerously stated if you do not understand it. For indeed, instructing the faithful members of Christ according to the same charity, the Apostle says: Let no one seek his own, but that of the other. For avarice, having heard this, prepares frauds, so that in business, pretending to seek the other's good, it might deceive someone and seek not its own, but the other's. Let avarice be restrained, let justice proceed: let us hear and understand. To charity it was said: Let no one seek his own, but that of the other. But you, avaricious one, if you resist, and rather interpret this precept to desire someone else’s; lose your own. But as I know you, you want to have both your own and the other’s. You commit fraud to have what is another’s: suffer theft, so you lose your own. You do not want to seek your own, but you take the other’s. If you do this, you are not doing well. Hear, oh avaricious one, listen: the Apostle explains more clearly in another place what he said: Let no one seek his own, but that of the other. He says of himself: But I do not seek what is to my benefit, but what is for the benefit of many, so that they may be saved. This Peter did not yet understand, when he desired to live with Christ on the mountain. He reserved this understanding for you, Peter, after death. But now he himself says: Descend to labor on earth, to serve on earth, to be despised, to be crucified on earth. Life descended to be killed; bread descended to hunger; the way descended to be wearied on the journey; the fountain descended to thirst: and you refuse to labor? Do not seek your own. Have charity, preach the truth: then you will reach eternity, where you will find security.