Sermon 111

...whom pride had taken hold of there. But now, he says, knowing God, rather being known by God. Therefore knowing because being known. For how does God now know? He predestined before the foundation of the world. But what does it mean: Now he has known? Now he has made you know.

The crop of the Church was born from Christ, as from a grain of wheat.

Let the Church of Christ say, let the mother Catholic Church say, let the body of that head which ascended into heaven, the holy body, the great body, the body spread throughout the whole world, say, let that crop which the grain that fell to the ground made— for as you know, that grain approaching its passion said: Unless a grain falls to the earth, it remains alone; but when it falls to the earth, it brings forth much fruit; one grain fell to the earth, and it produced a most abundant fruit; this crop is the whole world— say, and not arrogantly say, recognize from whom it receives what it says, what it says. What then does it say? I have known that the Lord is great. I have known. I was a little flock when my head was crucified. In a few, I was scared. When Christ was speaking, Peter presumed; when Christ was captured, Peter denied. Because the rock was seized, the feet wavered, and in Peter the others fled. He alone denied because he alone remained with the one he denied. How much easier it was for those to deny who fled before being asked, nor were they held. The crop did not yet boast, because the grain was being sown. He is held, afflicted with insults, suspended on wood, jeered at by those around him as if by victors. Where are the strengths of the Apostles? Where are the rams, future leaders of the flock? Where is finally that great multitude, preceding and following the beast of the Lord with branches of trees, and saying: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord? Then all many in love tepid, compressed by fear. The Church does not yet say, with Christ hanging: I have known that the Lord is great. Where do we find this? There in those two to whom he joined himself traveling after the resurrection, and as a third wayfarer began to speak with them. They were going along the way, and the way was going with them, yet they did not recognize the way. The way was questioning them in the way: What is it that you are speaking among yourselves? And they: Are you alone a stranger in Jerusalem? Do you not know what things have taken place concerning Jesus the Nazarene, who was a great prophet in words and deeds, and our leaders captured and crucified him? But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. You hoped, but now you do not hope. Where is what you were? But behold, among the crowd of those contradicting, raging, and muting the flock of Christ and waiting to see what would happen, behold, from across someone hangs with Christ and believes in Christ. I say that thief, brothers, the one who recognized the giver of grace and did not scorn a partaker in punishment. He denies who followed, he recognizes who is fixed. The others are silent, all despair, and that one says: Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. He who sees him fixed assumed he would be reigning. Behold there was at least one who would say: I have known that the Lord is great. Great grace. Then he recognized greatness when the Jews thought he was defeated. What greatness, my brothers, what greatness in the hanging, in the crucified? Hanging with the hanging, fixed in the remaining he recognized because it was a mustard grain. The tree itself he did not yet see, but the seed itself he already recognized. But behold, let what follows happen. Let him lay down his life because he has the power to take it again. Let him be taken down from the wood, placed in the sepulcher. Let him sit in heaven, send the Holy Spirit. Let the few gathered be filled, speak in every tongue, signify nations everywhere to believe. Let this be done. Let this be fulfilled. Let it be preached in Jerusalem. Let Stephen be kindled with the fire of charity and the crowds of Jews... Rage, foolish ones, kill the doctor madly because they have already killed his master. Let him forgive the raging, pray for those stoning him, sleep. Let the others come and confess Christ, be killed for Christ. Even Peter, just recently a great denier, become a confessor by love. Let so many thousands of people of Jews believe, place all the prices of their goods at the apostles' feet. Let the Church grow from Jerusalem into all Judea and Samaria, by growing come to us, to briefly summarize. Let martyrs be killed everywhere, sown with the grain from which the fertility of the crop springs forth. Let the nations be converted, the temples of demons be overthrown, idols be broken, the worshippers of idols believe. Let the three measures of leavened flour shout: I have known that the Lord is great. He recognized through leaven. - The three measures are the whole human race; recall the flood from where the rest would be restored; three remained; Noah had three sons, from them the human race was restored; that woman who hid the leaven is wisdom -. Behold the whole world shouts in the Church of God: I have known that the Lord is great.

Many are to be saved among themselves, but few in comparison with others.

Surely few are saved. You recall the question from the Gospel just read to us. The Lord was asked: Are there few who are saved? What did the Lord respond to this? He did not say: Not few, but many are saved. He did not say this. But what did He say when He heard: Are there few who are saved? Strive to enter through the narrow gate. Therefore, when He heard: Are there few who are saved? The Lord confirmed what He heard. Few enter through the narrow gate. In another place, He Himself said: Narrow is the way and constricted that leads to life, and few are those who find it. But wide and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who walk through it. Why do we rejoice in crowds? Listen to me, few. I know that many hear, and few obey. I see the threshing floor, I seek the grains. And grains are scarcely visible when the threshing floor is being threshed, but it will be winnowed. Therefore, few are saved in comparison to the many lost. For indeed, these few will form a great mass. When the winnower comes, carrying his winnowing fork in his hand, he will cleanse his threshing floor; he will gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. Let not the chaff mock the grain. This speaks truth, it deceives no one. Therefore be among many, many, but in comparison to certain many, few. Such a mass will come forth from this threshing floor to fill the barn of heaven. For it is not contradictory to say: Few enter through the narrow gate, many perish through the wide way. It would be contradictory if it had once been said: Many will come from the East and the West? Many will come, certainly few. Both few and many. Therefore, some are few, others many? No, but these few who are many: few in comparison to the lost, many in the company of angels. Listen, beloved, listen to what is written: After this I saw a multitude coming from every language, people, and tribe, clothed in white robes and holding palm branches, a multitude that no one could count. This is the mass of the saints. How loudly the winnowed threshing floor will speak, from the crowd of false Christians who are like shipwrecked people, separated from the chaff destined for eternal fire—those who press but do not touch— for a woman touched the hem of his garment, but the crowd pressed upon Christ. Therefore, with all the damned separated, the purified mass standing on the right, fearing no mixture with the evil ones, fearing no loss among the good, reigning with Christ, with what confidence will it say: I know that the Lord is great.

Here we are all guests; therefore let us extend care to the guests.

So then, my brothers, if I speak with grains, if those predestined to eternal life recognize what I say, let them speak by works, not voices. We are compelled to speak to you what we ought not to have. For we ought to have found in you what we would praise, not to seek what we would admonish. Behold, however, I speak briefly, I do not linger. Recognize hospitality; through this, one has come to God. You receive a guest, whose companion you also are on the way, because we are all strangers. He is a Christian who recognizes that he is a stranger both in his own house and in his own homeland. Our homeland is above, there we will not be guests. For each one of us here and in his own house is a guest. If he is not a guest, he will not pass away from there; if he is going to pass away, he is a guest. Do not deceive yourself, you are a guest. Whether you will or not, you are a guest. But you leave that house to your children, a guest to guests. Wouldn't you, even if you were in a stable, leave when another comes? This you do in your own house. Your father gave up space for you, so you will give up space for your children. You do not remain staying, nor will you leave it to those who will remain. If we all pass, let us do something that cannot pass so that when we have passed and have come to that place from where we do not pass, we may find our good works there. Christ the Lord is the keeper. Why do you fear to lose what you spend? Turned to the Lord, etc.

[And after the sermon]

What your Charity knows, we suggest. The anniversary day of the ordination of the lord senior Aurelius dawns tomorrow. Through my humility, he asks and admonishes your Charity to deign most devoutly to gather at the basilica of Faustus. Thanks be to God.