Sermon 223H

Sermon 223/H

ON THE VIGILS OF EASTER

The mountains of God are the holy Apostles who consecrated for us this most holy night.

We celebrate the solemnities of the Lord's humility, who humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore, on this holy night, we also humble our souls by fasting, keeping vigil, and praying; nor does this zeal differ from that humility. For what is the mustard seed other than the zeal of humility? By this seed, mountains were transported into the heart of the sea, that is, great preachers of the Gospel, the holy Apostles, were transferred from Judea to the nations, and they held the heart of the world itself, that is, the thoughts of the age, those mountains of which it was said: "Your righteousness is like the mountains of God"; those mountains of which it was said: "You wonderfully illuminate from the everlasting mountains." Indeed, those mountains illuminated, fervent in their summits, the light that enlightens every man, like the mountain of mountains, the King of kings, and the holy of holies, they transferred both themselves and the Lord into the heart of the sea, that is, into the faith of the nations; so that what the Prophet had predicted was fulfilled in them: "In the last times, the mountain of the Lord will be made manifest, prepared on the top of the mountains"; and what He Himself had said: "If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain to move from here to the sea, and it will be done." These mountains consecrated for us this night, in which the buried Lord rose again, so that the mustard seed, by humbling itself, would not appear, and by germinating and growing, spreading its branches everywhere, it would overcome all things, and invite those who are lofty in heart to flee and rest, as birds. Let this mountain dwell also in your heart; for it will not suffer confinement, where charity makes a very broad place for it. Turned towards the Lord.