Sermon 146
SERMO 146
On the Words of the Gospel of John (21, 15-17):
"Simon, son of John, do you love me?", etc.
The duty of the shepherd and the sheep. Our inheritance, God himself.
In today's reading, your Charity has noticed that it was said to Peter by the Lord through questioning: Do you love me? To which he responded: You know, Lord, that I love you. This for the second time, this for the third time; and to every single word of the respondent, the Lord said: Feed my lambs. Christ entrusted to Peter his lambs to be fed, who also fed Peter. For what could Peter provide to the Lord, especially now bearing an immortal body and about to ascend into heaven? As if he said to him: Do you love me? Show in this way that you love me: Feed my sheep. Therefore, brothers, listen with obedience that you are the sheep of Christ; because we also listen with fear: Feed my sheep. If we feed with fear and are afraid for the sheep; how much more should the sheep themselves be afraid for themselves? Therefore, let the care pertain to us, obedience to you; pastoral vigilance to us, humility of the flock to you. Although we, who seem to speak to you from a higher place, are with fear beneath your feet; because we know how dangerous is the reckoning to be rendered from this supposedly exalted seat. Therefore, dearest ones, Catholic buds, members of Christ, think about what kind of head you have. Children of God, think about what kind of Father you have found. Christians, think about what inheritance is promised to you. Not one such as which can be possessed on earth by children only when their parents have died. For no one on earth possesses the inheritance of the father unless he dies. We will possess what is given by our living Father; for our Father cannot die. I add more, I say more, and I speak the truth; the Father himself will be our inheritance.
He commands the newly baptized to beware of evil Christians and schismatics.
Live in harmony, especially you who are candidates of Christ, newly baptized, just regenerated, as I have previously admonished you, and I now say, and I declare my concern; for the present evangelical reading has instilled greater fear in me; watch over yourselves, do not imitate bad Christians. Do not say: I will do this, because many faithful do this. This is not to prepare a defense for the soul, but to seek companions to hell. Grow in this field of the Lord; in this, you will find good ones, who will also please you if you are good yourselves. Are you indeed our own property? Heretics and schismatics have stolen dominical property for themselves, and have desired to feed not Christ's flocks, but their own against Christ. Clearly, in their very depredations, they have placed their own title, so that their loot might seem defended by the title of the powerful. What does Christ do when such people convert, who have received His baptismal title outside the Church? He casts out the predator, does not remove the title, and possesses the house; because He finds His title there. What need is there to change His name? Do they not heed what the Lord said to Peter: Feed my lambs, feed my sheep? Did He say: Feed your lambs, or: Feed your sheep? And to those excluded, what did He say in the Song of Songs to the Church? Speaking as the bridegroom to the bride, He said: If you do not know yourself, O fairest among women, go forth. As if saying: I do not cast you out, go forth yourself, if you do not know yourself, O fairest among women, if you do not know yourself in the mirror of Divine Scripture; if you, O beautiful woman, do not attend to the mirror which does not deceive you with a false luster; if you do not know because it was said of you: Your glory is over all the earth; because it was said of you: I will give you the nations as your inheritance, and the ends of the earth as your possession; and countless other testimonies that commend the Catholic Church. Therefore, if you do not know yourself, you have no part, you cannot be made an heir. So, go forth in the footsteps of the flocks, not in the company of the flock: and feed your kids, not as said to Peter: my sheep. To Peter it is said: my sheep; to the schismatics it is said: your kids. Here sheep, there kids; here mine, there yours. Recall the right and the left of our judge; recall where the kids will stand, and where the sheep; and it will be apparent to you where the right hand is and where the left, white and black, luminous and dark, beautiful and deformed, those to receive the kingdom and those to find eternal punishment.