Sermon 185
SERMO 185
On the Nativity of the Lord
Truth has sprung from the earth.
It is called the Nativity of the Lord, when the Wisdom of God revealed itself as an infant, and the Word of God, without words, emitted the voice of flesh. Nevertheless, that hidden divinity was revealed to the Magi, testified by the heavens, and announced to the shepherds by an angelic voice. Therefore, we celebrate this day with an annual solemnity, in which the prophecy saying, "Truth has sprung from the earth, and righteousness has looked down from heaven" was fulfilled. The Truth that is in the bosom of the Father sprang from the earth to be also in the bosom of the mother. The Truth by which the world is sustained sprang from the earth to be carried by a woman's hands. The Truth by which the blessedness of angels is incorruptibly fed sprang from the earth to be suckled on carnal breasts. The Truth to which the heavens are not sufficient sprang from the earth to be laid in a manger. To whose benefit did such greatness come in such humility? Certainly to none of its own, but, if we believe, to ours. Awake, O man: for you, God became man. Arise, you who sleep, and rise from the dead, and Christ will enlighten you. For you, I say, God became man. You would be dead forever, unless He had been born in time. You would never be freed from the flesh of sin, unless He had assumed the likeness of sinful flesh. Perpetual misery would hold you, unless this mercy had occurred. You would not have revived, unless your death had been fitting. You would have failed, unless He had come to help. You would have perished, unless He had come.
Justice has looked down from heaven.
Let us joyfully celebrate the coming of our salvation and redemption. Let us celebrate the festal day on which the great and eternal day came from the great and eternal day into this our very short temporal day. He has been made for us righteousness, sanctification, and redemption: so that, as it is written, He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord. For reason like the pride of the Jews, who, being ignorant of the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own, have not submitted to the righteousness of God: hence after he said: Truth has sprung out of the earth; he immediately added, and righteousness has looked down from heaven: lest mortal weakness should arrogate it to itself, lest by saying it was his own, and a man believing that he is justified by himself, that is, made just by himself, he should refuse the righteousness of God. Therefore truth has sprung out of the earth: Christ who said: I am the truth, was born of a virgin. And righteousness has looked down from heaven: for by believing in Him who was born, a man is justified not by himself, but by God. Truth has sprung out of the earth: because the Word was made flesh. And righteousness has looked down from heaven: because every good gift and every perfect gift is from above. Truth has sprung out of the earth, flesh from Mary. And righteousness has looked down from heaven: because a man cannot receive anything, unless it be given to him from heaven.
You will find nothing but grace.
Having been justified by faith, let us have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; through whom we also have access into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Brothers, I am pleased to mix with these few apostolic words some brief words of this psalm, and to find harmony. Having been justified by faith, let us have peace with God: because righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Through our Lord Jesus Christ: because Truth has sprung out of the earth. Through whom we also have access into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. He does not say: "of our glory"; but, of the glory of God: because righteousness did not proceed from us, but looked down from heaven. Therefore, let him who boasts, boast not in himself, but in the Lord. Hence, even at the birth of the Lord from the Virgin, whose birthday we celebrate today, the proclamation of the angelic voice was made: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will. For peace on earth comes from where, except because Truth has sprung out of the earth, that is, Christ was born from the flesh? And he himself is our peace, who has made both one: that we might be men of good will, sweetly bound by the bonds of unity. Therefore, let us rejoice in this grace, that our glory may be the testimony of our conscience: in which we may glory not in ourselves, but in the Lord. Hence it was said: My glory, and the lifter up of my head. For what greater grace of God could shine upon us, than that he, having an only-begotten Son, made him the son of man, and thus in turn made the son of man the Son of God? Seek the merit, seek the cause, seek the justice; and see whether you find anything except grace.