Sermon 16A

SERMON 16/A

Sermon Delivered in the Major Basilica
Sunday, the fourteenth day before the Kalends of July.
On the Response of Psalm 38:
"Hear my prayer and my supplication, Lord."
AND OF THE WOMAN TAKEN IN ADULTERY

Introduction. The psalmist asks for help from God, because he proposes a difficult matter for himself.

It is for Christians to progress in God daily and always to rejoice about God or His gifts. For the time of our pilgrimage is very short, and our homeland is timeless. Indeed, there is a great difference between eternity and time. Here piety is acquired, there one rests. Therefore, let us know as good merchants what we have gained each day. For we must not only be diligent in hearing but vigilant in doing. This school, in which God alone is the teacher, seeks good disciples, not fugitives but diligent ones. The Apostle says: Not lacking in diligence, fervent in spirit, rejoicing in hope. Therefore, Brothers, we learn daily in this school. We learn something in precepts, something in examples, something in sacraments. These are the medicines for our wounds and the supports for our studies. Just now we responded: Hear my prayer and my plea, O Lord; to listen, that is, to receive my tears with your ears. What do you think he is about to ask, who first desires God to be propitious to him? What will he ask from Him? Let us see, let us learn. Perhaps he is about to ask for wealth? Perhaps for some happiness in this life? Let him tell us then what he is about to ask, who first asks God for favor. For he saw that he could not have from himself, but could have from God. For he had heard: Ask, and you shall receive. Therefore, he knew what he was to ask, who first prayed to God; therefore hear, O God, my prayer. And as if asked: "What do you want, what do you seek, what do you cry out for, what do you plead for? I will hear what you want." "What do I want? Hear my will and fulfill your work. What is my will? I said, I will guard my ways, so that I do not sin with my tongue." He plans a difficult thing, but he does not doubt, because he first prayed to the Lord. For he knew the teaching of Paul: Not I, but the grace of God with me.

The resolve not to sin in language, of which, however, there is great necessity for us.

Therefore I said, “I will guard my ways.” Which ways? Earthly ways? Do we walk on earth by means of the tongue? Either we walk on the earth with our own feet, or with the feet of others. Either we are carried by animals, or we go with our own feet. What then? What way does he seek, lest he sin with his tongue? It is a great teaching. See, brothers. For can we, in the manner that we can receive food and depart refreshed in one hour, also speak and remain silent in one moment? For as we have eyes for seeing, ears for hearing, and other senses for perceiving, so do we also have a tongue for speaking. The necessity of the tongue for us is great. Either you are going to hear something so that you may respond, or you are going to say something so that you may teach. Are you going to speak with your eyes and not with your tongue? And if you are going to listen with your ears, you will respond with your tongue. What do we do with such a useful member? From it we pray to God, we confess our sins, we give praise, we sing to God with one voice in harmony, and in our daily lives, we either show mercy when we converse with others, or we give counsel. What are we to do now? Our very tongue offers you service. What are we to do so that we do not sin with our tongue? Especially since it has been said: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue,” and again it has been said: “I have seen many fall by the edge of the sword, but not as many as by the tongue.” Again it has been said: “The tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. Consider how a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” Again the same Lord said: “They have taught their tongue to speak lies.” Oh, they have taught it! For habit causes it to speak lies; even if you do not wish to, it speaks lies. Just as if you turn a wheel once, having pushed it with your hand, it runs because of its shape and roundness and by its own unstable and almost natural course, so too does our tongue; it does not need to be taught to speak lies. For already, once started, it runs by itself to what it can more easily move toward. Sometimes you have something in your heart, and it speaks something else out of habit. What are you to do? What a balance of the heart is needed, as you see, brothers, for the tongue to utter something! For it is not moved spontaneously; there is someone within who moves it.

The tongue is moved from within: if you are not troubled within, the tongue causes no harm.

There is indeed a certain force that moves itself and its other ministries. It is necessary that the one who rules is good, and, assisted by grace, overcomes any bad custom. Let the minister be good, and the ministry rests. The soldier has weapons, but if he does nothing, the weapons do nothing. Likewise, the tongue in our members is the weapon of our soul. Of it, it has been said: A restless evil. Oh, restless! Who made this evil, if not the restless? You do not be restless, and this evil does not exist; you do not stir, and there is nothing that stirs itself. For it is not a mind that it should be moved. It is indeed a body, it lies. Do not move it, and it is not moved. See, however, how you move. It is that, about which many pursuing fraud and serving avarice, when they begin to deal in business, drive out the member made to praise God, and there blaspheme God and say: "By Christ! I buy this much, I sell this much." Why? I asked you. Swear to me, how much do you sell? I asked you: How much do you sell? "For ten coins I sell, for twenty coins." By Christ, you swear. Swear by your eyes, swear by your children, and at that very moment, your conscience trembles. Oh, impiety of the tongue! You scorned the Creator, you guarded the creature. Oh, restless evil, full of deadly poison! With it, we bless God and the Father: but God because of nature, Father because of grace; And with it, we curse man who is made in the image of God. Attend, Brothers, to what you carry. Behold, I say what we carry, for I am a man with you. But let us turn back.

The deceitful tongue of the Jews who brought the adulterous woman.

Hear, O Lord, my prayer. From there are those Jews whom we just read about in the Gospel. Certainly, their tongue led them to death. For just now in the Gospel we heard. The Jews brought a certain woman, even though she was a prostitute, to the Lord, tempting Him and saying: "Master, this woman has just now been caught in adultery. In the law of Moses it is written, that whoever is caught in adultery should be stoned: what do You say?" This their tongue was saying, but they did not recognize the Creator. They did not wish to pray, to say: "Deliver my soul from a deceitful tongue." For deceitfully they approached; this they intended to do. For the Lord had come, not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it, and to forgive sins. Therefore, the Jews said among themselves: "If He says: Let her be stoned, we will say to Him: Where is it that You forgive sins? Are You not the one who says: Your sins are forgiven you? If He says: Let her go, we will say: Where is it that You have come to fulfill the law, not to abolish it?" See the deceitful tongue against God. He who had come as the Redeemer, not the condemner (for He had come to redeem what was lost) turned away from them, as if not wishing to look at them. This turning away from them is no trivial thing. Something is implied in this turning away. As if He would say: "You bring a sinner to Me, you sinners. If you think I should condemn sins, I begin with you." And He, who had come to forgive sins, said: "Whoever among you knows himself to be without sin, let him first cast a stone at her." O response, or proposal! If they wished to cast a stone at the sinner, at that moment it would again be said: "In whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged." You condemn, you will be condemned. However, although they did not recognize the Creator, they knew their own conscience. Putting their faces one after another, so that they would not see each other out of shame, from the oldest - as the Evangelist said - to the youngest, they all went out. For the Holy Spirit had said: "All have turned away, together they have become worthless; there is none who does good, not even one."

The tongue of the woman, sincere in confession, finds mercy.

And they all went out. He remained alone with her; the Creator and the creature remained; misery and mercy remained; she who acknowledged her guilt remained, and He who forgave sin. For it is written that He turned and wrote on the ground. He wrote on the ground. For when man sinned, it was said to him: You are dust. Therefore, when He granted forgiveness to the sinner, He wrote on the ground. He granted forgiveness; and while granting forgiveness, He raised His face to her and said: Has no one condemned you? And she did not say: "Why? What have I done, Lord? Am I not guilty?" She did not say this, but said: No one, Lord. She accused herself. They could not prove it and withdrew themselves. But she confessed, and the Lord, who did not ignore her guilt but sought her faith and confession, asked: Has no one condemned you? And she said: No one, Lord. And because of the confession of sins, and the Lord because of the grace of forgiveness. No one, Lord. I acknowledge both. I know who You are, I know who I am. For I confess to You. For I heard: Confess to the Lord, for He is good. I know my confession and I know Your mercy. She said: I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue. They sinned by acting deceitfully; she rather absolved herself by confessing. Has no one condemned you? And she said: No one, and was silent. He wrote again. He wrote twice, which we have heard, He wrote twice: once granting forgiveness, and again renewing the commandments. Both are done when we receive forgiveness. The Emperor signed. When the form proceeds again, as if new commandments are given. They are the same, through which we first heard that charity commanded by the Apostle. For we first heard that reading. From there the Lord Himself said: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength; and: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

Always and everywhere give thanks to God; where not thanks.

That none of us might struggle, two things have been said: God and neighbor; He who made you, and with whom He made you. No one said to you: "Love the sun, love the moon, love the earth and whatever has been made." In these, God is to be praised, the Creator is to be blessed. How magnificent are your works! We say, you have made all things in wisdom. They are yours, you made all things. Thanks to you! But you made us above all things. Thanks to you! For we are your image and likeness. Thanks to you! We have sinned, we have been sought. Thanks to you! We have neglected, we have not been neglected. Thanks to you! While we despised you, we were not despised; lest we forget your divinity and lose you, you even assumed our humanity. Thanks to you! Where not to be thankful? I said therefore, "I will guard my ways, so that I may not sin with my tongue." For that woman, when accused of adultery, received forgiveness and was freed. Is it burdensome to us, because through baptism, through confession, through grace, all receive forgiveness of all their sins? But now let no one say: "She received forgiveness. I am still a catechumen. I will commit adultery, for I will receive forgiveness. Just place me as one like that woman. She confessed, and she was liberated. Our God is good. And if I sin, I confess to Him, and He will forgive me." You consider His goodness, but consider also His justice. As goodness is to forgiveness, so justice is to punishment. I said therefore, "I will guard my ways, so that I may not sin with my tongue." I would like to know, if at this time while we are speaking to your Charity, no one sins with their tongue. At this time, while we are here, perhaps none of us has spoken any evil, but perhaps has thought some evil. Pay attention. I said, "I will guard my ways, so that I may not sin with my tongue." Say truly: "I have set a guard to my mouth while the sinner stands against me."

If your frenzied brother reviles you, become deaf and remain silent.

Be attentive: I have set a guard on my mouth while the sinner stands against me. Someone wicked stands against you, reviles you, and says things you do not know. You set a guard on your mouth. I said, I will keep my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue. Let him speak. You listen and remain silent. There are two possibilities: either he speaks the truth, or he lies. If he speaks the truth, you have done what he is saying. And perhaps this is mercy. When you do not wish to hear what you have done, God, who takes care of you, through someone tells you what you have done, so that by the shame, you may sometimes seek healing. Therefore, do not repay evil for evil. For you do not know who is speaking to you through him. Therefore, if he says something you did, recognize that you have obtained mercy, either thinking you forgot, or judging that it was said for your confusion. If you have not done it, your conscience is clear. Why do you seek? Why do you get angry about what you did not do? For what does he call you? "Thief"? "Drunkard"? Quickly return within to the secrets of conscience. Look within yourself. Be a judge, be an examiner of yourself. Ask there: "Where do you think I put my sins that I did?" Or if they are not there, say: "I did not do it." If your conscience says, "I did not do it," say: This is our glory: the testimony of our conscience. Did your conscience tell you this? Be silent, grieve for the one who speaks to you. Also say to God: "Father, forgive him, for he does not know what he says." Pray for him to God. I said, I will keep my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue. I have set a guard on my mouth while the sinner stands against me. For do not think you appear holy only when no one tempts you. You are holy when you are not moved by any reviling, when you grieve for the one who speaks, when you do not care about what you suffer, but yet grieve for the one through whom you suffer. All mercy is in this. You grieve because he is also your brother, a member of your body. He acts insane against you, he is frenetic, he is sick. Grieve for him, do not rejoice. Only rejoice in the security of your conscience. Grieve over that. For you are human. See lest you also be tempted. For it is said: Carry each other's burdens, and thus you will fulfill the law of Christ. Now, when he says, "Be silent," after he has calmed down, say to him: "Brother, for your own sake why did you tell me what I did not do? You have sinned against me; I pray to God for you. Indeed, I forgive you, and I pray to my God for you, whom you have wronged when you sinned against me. Do not do it anymore, do not be prideful." I do not say: Repay him, God, who said to me what I did not do. I do not want to say this. I have set a guard on my mouth while the sinner stands against me.

Afterward, when he has been made sincere, speak; then he will understand.

I have become deaf and humbled - this follows - and I have remained silent about good things. I became deaf: I did not listen to him speaking. How much has that soul progressed, which rejoices internally in the error of a brother and the security of its own conscience, that it does not know what is barked outside! What kind of soul is that, how secure, how joyful! This is the one which says to God: I walked in the innocence of my heart, in the midst of your house. Burglar doors were pounding, but the house was adequate. I became deaf and humbled, I did not become arrogant against him. And humbled, I was silent about good things. For it was not the time to say something good. For it is the time to be silent now. After he has purified, speak, then he will understand. Frequently sick sons struck their fathers. Yet because of the weakness of the sons, they were both beaten and wept. What affection men apply to their sons, so that they do not die, hoping for the health of their sons! "But he is not my son", you say. But he is the work of God, the image of God, the son of God. If you scorn because he is not your son, do not scorn because he is the son of God, he is your brother. "Therefore I have become deaf and humbled. I did not become arrogant, but I was silent about good things, and my sorrow was renewed, not about me, but about him, because I did not do what he said. I had sorrow, but because he said so. I had sorrow; for bearing care for my brother, sorrow was renewed within me." This is the way. For this the Lord our Father himself did, who also is called the Bridegroom. The children of the bridegroom will not fast, he says, as long as the bridegroom is with them. He was beaten by frenzied sons, the frenzied sons killed him. He prayed for them. Afterwards, they were purified, knew and believed, and those who did not want to be healed by the doctor, were healed by the disciple of the doctor, for they were healed by Peter. For when Peter rebuked them, they said: What shall we do? Then Peter said: Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now they were furious, now they believed. You see what sickness and health do. When they were sick, they were tolerated; when they became well, they were redeemed. Hence also we, Brothers, whenever we suffer such things, let us be silent. Let us hold to those two things: either he speaks truth, or speaks falsehood. "And if he did not speak, and I acted, what then? Because he does not speak, and I acted, I wish that he would speak, so that I be ashamed, because I acted: this is the mercy of God. But if he says what I did not do, let me rejoice because of my security, let me grieve about the brother's infirmity. My heart was warmed within me. My heart was warmed within me from the love I have for my brother. But there is a time to speak, a time to be silent. I could not do it now. Hence Paul himself says: I could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal. However, he did speak. How did he speak? Therefore my heart was warmed within me, and in my meditation a fire was kindled. There is a fire of charity within me. I have none to whom I may speak because he is sick. Therefore I should humble myself. Perhaps there will be a time when I can speak something. However, forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. I will forgive him, what I do not have in conscience. It is not enough that I have nothing in conscience, but I should beg him for the sake of conscience."

Christ became our citizen to lead us back to the homeland.

Now he had already traversed, I said, I will guard my ways. I will place a guard on my mouth. I have been humbled, and in my meditation, a fire ignites. I do not know what suddenly brings forth something greater here, and after so many struggles and great labors, hear what he says: I have spoken with my tongue. For the tongue is the movement of the will itself of the soul. Just as the tongue is a movement in the body, so the will is a movement in the soul. There is the first tongue; it is from there, it speaks to God from there. This tongue provides service to men placed outside: but that tongue, which is in the movement of the will, provides service to Him remaining within His temple. It is the true tongue. Hence the Lord said, those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth. It is the true tongue. I said with my tongue: Make known to me, Lord, my end, and the number of my days what it is, so that I may know what is lacking to me. If Your Holiness considers, first understand the sentence, and thus the Lord with His mercy, as He always is accustomed, will give us with your prayers, that we might be able to discuss this because it is quite difficult. I have spoken with my tongue: make known to me, Lord, my end, and the number of my days what it is, so that I may know what is lacking to me. See what he prays: Make known to me, Lord, my end. The end is, Brothers, where we are heading, where we will remain. From the fact that we left our homes, the end for us was to come to the church. Therefore our journey is ended here. Hence again each one has an end to return to his home. There it ends, where it was aiming. Now thus established in this pilgrimage, we have an end where we aim. Where therefore do we aim? To our homeland. What is our homeland? Jerusalem, the mother of the devout, the mother of the living. There we aim. The end itself is. And because we did not know the way, the very citizen of that city made himself the way. We did not know by what way to go. Some intricate winding paths, thorny, stony, extremely heavy, were on the way. The chief one himself descended here; he descended seeking the citizens of that city. For we wandered, and though we are citizens of Jerusalem, we have become citizens of Babylon, we have become children of confusion: for Babylon is confusion. He descended here seeking his citizens, and he became our citizen. We did not know this city, this province we did not know. But because we did not come to it, he descended here to his citizens, and he became himself a citizen, not by consenting, but by taking. He descended here. How did he descend? In the form of a servant. God walked here among us as a man. For if he had been only a man, he would not have led to God. If he had been only God, he would not have been joined to men. He took upon himself the equality of condition with us, having divinity with the Father. He took upon himself temporality with us, having eternity with the Father. Here equal with us, there equal with the Father. Our citizen descended here, and said: "What are you doing here, citizens of Jerusalem? The image and likeness of God is not created except in Jerusalem. Statues of God are not placed in this life. Let us labor, let us return. By what way do we return? See, I lay myself down for you, I become the way for you, I will be the end for you. Imitate me." Make known to me, Lord, my end. We believe in Him himself, who is our end.

Christ is for us the way and example.

Father God now speaks: "I say to you, O soul that I made, O man whom I made, I say to you, you had ended. What had you ended? You had perished. I sent to you someone who sought you, I sent to you someone who walked with you, I sent to you someone who pardoned you. Hence he walked with feet, pardoned with hands. Hence, when after the resurrection he ascended, he showed hands, side, and feet: hands, by which he gave forgiveness of sins; feet, by which he announced peace to the forsaken; side, from which flowed the price of the redeemed." Christ, therefore, is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes. Make known to me, Lord, my end. Now your night’s end has come to be known to you. How has your end been made known to you? Your end was poor, your end was humble, your end was struck with blows, your end was covered with spit, against your end false testimony was given. I set a guard upon my mouth while the sinner stood against me. He himself has become your way. Whoever says they abide in Christ ought to walk as he walked. There is the way. Now let us walk, let us not fear, let us not stray. Let us not walk outside the way. For it has been said: They laid scandals for me around the path, and they laid a snare for me around the path. And behold that mercy. So that you might not fall into the snare, you have that very mercy as the way. Make known to me, Lord, my end. Behold you have the end. Imitate Christ the redeemer: Be imitators of me, just as I am of Christ. How did Paul imitate Christ? Note what he said: In hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness, and all the way to: Who is scandalized, and I do not burn? I have become all things to all men, so that I might save some. I set a guard upon my mouth while the sinner stood against me. What are the words of Paul, Brothers? Who shall separate me from the love of Christ? Consider the end. Who shall separate me from the love of Christ? Tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or nakedness, or peril? O loving, O fervent, O running, O arriving man! What did this soul endure? How fervently he taught, how fervently did he teach? Who shall separate me from the love of Christ? Distress? and so on, or sword? What did he endure? And lest anyone thought he was boasting, he said: Brothers, I consider I have not yet attained.

Never say: it is enough, but daily seek what you lack.

What does this mean: Make known to me, Lord, my end and the number of my days, what it is? How much do I have to live here? Why do you wish to know the day? So that I may know what is lacking for me. What is lacking, but unto eternity. Now consider Paul. After such labors, he still says, I do not consider myself to have apprehended. Hear him saying: What is lacking for me. Therefore let no one say: "I have already fasted much, labored much, given much. I have already done all of God's commandments. I did this yesterday, I did this today." And today will still be, if ever you were. Yesterday always has today; if you come to tomorrow, it will have today; and even if you come to ten years from now, it will be today. Always you say today: What is lacking for me. For if Paul, in such great labors a heavenly soldier, if after such great discipline and after such revelations, taken up to the third heaven, and heard ineffable words, and yet, so that he would not be exalted by revelations, received a thorn in the flesh to humble him, who is there who can say: "It is sufficient"? From that therefore make known to me, Lord, my end. And behold, you have Christ before you as the end. You no longer need to seek. As soon as you have believed, you have already known. But the matter is not in faith alone, but in faith and work. Both are necessary. For even the demons believe (you have heard the Apostle), and tremble, but it does not benefit them because they believe. Faith alone is not enough, unless it is also accompanied by works: Faith that works through love, says the Apostle. Make known to me, Lord, my end and the number of my days, what it is. This is not said because if each of us knew when we would die, he might decide for himself, for example, to live well. Hence the master himself, wishing us to become vigilant, is asked about the day and hour, and says: About that day and hour no one knows. For he did not wish that they should know. Hence he said: not even the Son; that is, it is not expedient for you to know. For you will be negligent, not vigilant. The more you will live well, the more you are vigilant. It is not because I do not know the day, for all that the Father has is mine. Make known to me, Lord, my end and the number of my days, what it is. Make this known to me, so that I may always be vigilant, because I do not know when the thief will come so that I may know what is lacking for me.

In temptation and tribulation, let us know what is lacking for us.

Therefore, Brothers, let us be careful there, so that we may know what we lack. The temptation of Christians is the trial of Christians. For he who is tempted, it is shown to him what he lacks. There are two things: either it is shown to him what he has, or it is shown to him what he lacks. Abraham was tempted not so that it might be shown to him what he lacked, but so that it might be shown to us what we should imitate. He was tempted in his son. What was that temptation? He longed for a son in his advanced age, already for whom there was desperation. However, when he heard the promise of God, he did not hesitate at all. He believed, he received, he merited, he accepted. He was born, he was nurtured, he was brought to maturity, he was weaned. And it was said to him: "In your seed all nations will be blessed." He knew in which seed, for we have testimony in the Gospel: "Abraham desired to see my day," he said, "and he saw it, and was glad." He knew therefore. After all those things he had believed, he heard from God: "Abraham, offer your son to me as a sacrifice." He was tempted. Why? Did God not know his faith? But He deigned to show these things for our sake. For to us it is said: "Offer me the sacrifice of your purse," and we doubt. What sacrifice? "Give alms and behold all things are clean for you"; and again: "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." "Give something from your purse," it is said to you, and you hesitate. What if you were commanded concerning your son? Behold, you hesitate about your purse; what would you have done about your son? So that I may know what I lack. I will speak not without pain and shame. Many women perhaps wish to serve God, and, if they are bold, they say to their parents: "Let me go, I want to be a virgin of God," or: "I want to be a servant of God," and they hear: "Neither be saved, nor have salvation. Truly you will not do what you want. You will do what I want." What if you were told: "Kill"? You live, eternal life is promised to you, it is before you. And you resist, and doubt, and fight? Indeed, a Christian you are. "Why, Lord, because I am a Christian do I not have to have grandchildren?" Do you have to have grandchildren? Do you know how much you lack, because you fasted yesterday? Sing what he said: "Make known to me, Lord, my end, and the number of my days, so that I may know what I lack." For may God, and His mercy, grant that daily we may be stirred, either tempted, or tested, or exercised, or made progress. "Tribulation produces patience, patience produces proof, proof produces hope. And hope does not disappoint."

Let us therefore endeavor daily to make progress in God.

Therefore, my brothers, let us desire daily to know who we are, lest, when we are secure, the day comes and nothing is found of what we thought, and it is said to us: Who will confess to you in hell? Therefore, my brothers, let us strive daily to advance in God, not sparing passing things, which we are to leave behind here. Let us heed the faith of Abraham, because he too was our father. Let us imitate his devotion, let us imitate his faith. If we are tested in our children, let us not fear; if in our purse, let us not be terrified; if anything is inflicted upon the infirmities of our body, let us place our hope in God. We are Christians, we are pilgrims. Let no one be frightened, our homeland is not here. He who wants to have his homeland here will lose it, and he will not come to that one. Let us strive as good children towards our homeland, so that our course may be approved and brought through. Turned towards the Lord.