Sermon 191
SERMO 191
On the Birth of the Lord
The Word became incarnate to bear unworthy things for the unworthy.
The Word of the Father, through whom times were made, was made flesh, and made His Nativity in time for us: and in human birth, He willed to have one day, without whose divine commandment no day is turned. He with the Father precedes all spans of ages: He on this day penetrated the courses of years from the mother. Made man, the maker of man: so that He might suck breasts, governing the stars; that He might hunger, the bread; that He might thirst, the fountain; that He might sleep, the light; that the way might be wearied by the journey; that truth might be accused by false witnesses; the judge of the living and the dead might be judged by a mortal judge; that justice might be condemned by the unjust; that discipline might be beaten by scourges; that the cluster might be crowned with thorns; that the foundation might be hung upon the wood; that strength might be weakened; that salvation might be wounded; that life might die. To endure these and similar indignities for us, to free the unworthy; when he, who endured so many evils for us, did no evil, and we, who received so many goods through Him, deserved no good: therefore, for these reasons, He who was the Son of God before all ages, without beginning of days, deigned to be the Son of man in the last days; and He who was born of the Father, not made by the Father, was made in the mother whom He made; so that He might be born here sometime from her, who could never and nowhere have been except through Him.
Christ proceeded from the virginal womb.
Thus was fulfilled what the Psalm had foretold: Truth has sprung up from the earth. Mary, a virgin before conception, a virgin after birth. For it was not fitting that in that earth, that is, in that flesh from which truth arose, integrity should perish. Certainly, after His resurrection, when He was thought to be a spirit and not a body, He said: "Touch and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." And yet the solidity of that youthful body presented itself to the disciples, even though the doors were closed. Why then, if He could enter as a grown man through closed doors, could He not also exit as a little one through uncorrupted members? But neither this nor that do the incredulous wish to believe. Therefore, faith rather believes both, because unbelief believes neither. It is indeed unbelief, to which nothing divine appears in Christ. Truly, if faith believes that God was born in the flesh, it does not doubt that either is possible for God; that both the body of a grown age might be presented inside without the door being opened, and that the infant bridegroom might proceed from His chamber, that is, the virginal womb, with His mother's virginity unsullied.
The Church is both virgin and mother.
There, indeed, the only-begotten Son of God deigned to unite human nature to Himself, so that He might join to Himself, the immaculate head, the immaculate Church: which the Apostle Paul calls a virgin, not considering only virgins in body within it, but desiring the incorrupt minds of all. For I betrothed you, he says, to one man, to present a chaste virgin to Christ. Therefore the Church, imitating the mother of its Lord, since she could not do so in body, is nevertheless both mother and virgin in mind. In no way, therefore, did Christ take away virginity from His mother by being born, who, by redeeming His Church from the fornication of demons, made it a virgin. From whose incorrupt virginity the holy virgins are born, who, despising earthly marriages, have chosen to be virgins even in the flesh: rejoice, celebrate solemnly today the birth of the Virgin. For He is indeed born of a woman, who was not begotten of a man in a woman. He brought to you what you might love, He did not take from His mother what you love. He who heals in you what you derived from Eve, far be it that He corrupts what you treasured in Mary.
Follow in the footsteps of Mary.
Therefore, she whose footsteps you follow did not remain with a man to conceive; and when she gave birth, she remained a virgin. Imitate her as much as you can; not in fruitfulness, because you cannot do this, preserving virginity. She alone could do both, which you wished to have one; because you lose this if you wish to have both. She alone could do both, who bore the Almighty, through whom she could. For it was necessary for the only Son of God to be made man in this singular way. Yet Christ is not less for you, because he is the offspring of one virgin. Indeed, you have found him in your heart as a bridegroom, whom you could not produce as a son in the flesh: and such a bridegroom, whom your happiness holds as a redeemer, so that your virginity does not fear him as a destroyer. For he who took away neither the virginity of his mother by corporal birth, preserves it much more in you by spiritual embrace. And do not consider yourselves barren because you remain virgins. For even this pious integrity of the flesh pertains to the fertility of the mind. Do what the Apostle says: because you do not think about the things of the world, how you may please husbands; think about the things of God, how you may please him in all things; so that you may have a mind fertile with virtues, not a womb with offspring. Finally, I address all, I speak to all; I call with this voice the universal chaste virgin betrothed by the Apostle to Christ. What you marvel at in the flesh of Mary, act in the secrets of your soul. He who believes in his heart for righteousness, conceives Christ: he who confesses with his mouth for salvation, bears Christ. Thus in your minds, let both fertility flourish and virginity persevere.