Sermon 223B
Sermon 223/B
TREATISE ON THE HOLY NIGHT
On this most solemn vigil, Christians must keep watch and pray.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the fullness of time, about to suffer for our eternal salvation, warned his disciples saying: "Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation." Although a Christian should always take care not to let sleep consume him every night, following the example of the Apostle who said: "In watchings often," yet on this night, that the whole world may keep vigil for Christ, a more solemn and holy vigil is appointed; so that what divine mercy did once, human devotion may celebrate with an annual solemnity, and not allow to be erased by forgetfulness. For Christ died once, the just for the unjust. Rising from the dead, he dies now no more, death has no more dominion over him. For in that he died to sin, he died once; but in that he lives, he lives to God. So let us also consider ourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. This so great a sacrament should always be kept in memory, for the day of the year on which it happened should not pass like other nights; but with the most solemn celebration, it returns to the minds of the devout. Furthermore, the Jews killed Christ to erase his memory from the earth. This is what is rendered to them meantime, except for eternal punishment, that the world does not forget their crime by his glorified memory; for whoever admires the light of this night throughout the whole world simultaneously detests the darkness of the Jews. But let us abhor their deed; yet faithfully hold and solemnly celebrate the great good which the Lord bestowed on us from their evil.
We keep watch while Christ sleeps so that we may live by the death which he suffered.
Because this night, dearest brothers, on which we recall the burial of the Lord, we celebrate vigils, let us keep vigil at the time when He slept for us. For He, long before by the Prophet announcing His passion, said: I have slept and arisen, because the Lord has taken me up. He called the Father Lord. Therefore, on the night on which He slept, we keep watch, that we may live by the death He suffered; we celebrate vigils for His temporal sleep, that by His keeping watch for us, we may remain unfailingly awake in eternal vigil. Moreover, He also rose on this night, to whose resurrection our watchful expectation keeps vigil. He was delivered up for our sins, and He slept: He rose for our justification. Hence, on this very night, in which He slept, we keep our vigil, so that in His vigil we might safely one day be free from that sleep; and we watch for the hour of His awakening, lest in our very justification, for which He rose, by creeping negligence, we sleep not in body but in heart. Therefore, let us keep vigil, dearest ones, and pray, lest we enter into temptation.