Sermon 223I

SERMON 223/I

In the Vigils of Easter

Carnal enemies seemed to have prevailed over Christ, but the spiritual enemy was overcome in them.

This great and holy solemnity, beloved, admonishes us to exhort you to watch and pray. For our faith battles against the night of this age, lest the inner eyes of our hearts fall asleep into the night. To avoid falling into this evil, let us pray with the voice we read, and say to our Lord God: "Enlighten my eyes lest I ever sleep in death, lest my enemy say: 'I have prevailed against him.'" This is that enemy who stirred up the insane Jews against our Lord Jesus Christ as if they were his own vessels and weapons; but he did not prevail against him. Carnal enemies indeed seemed to have prevailed; but the spiritual enemy was conquered in them. For the impure spirit was defeated by the victim of pure flesh; and in that very fact that he inflamed men to openly do what they willed, he secretly suffered what he did not will. For by killing Christ he shed blood, by which those he killed were revived. But he does not possess that one among the dead. For he grieved at those linked to the resurrected one, whom he wished to link to the dying one. We celebrate the death of this one in this life, whose life after this death we hope for. Therefore, with our humility let us recall the humility of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us humbly watch, humbly pray, with the purest faith, the firmest hope, the most fervent charity, thinking what kind of day our brightness will have if our humility turns the night into day. Therefore, God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," may shine in our hearts so that we make something similar inside, like we did in this place of prayer with the lamps lit. Let us adorn the true dwelling of God, our conscience, with the lights of righteousness. Not ourselves, but the grace of God with us, whose promise we have, the prophet saying: "He will bring forth your righteousness as the light." And so, watching, we will not fear the terror of the night nor the business that walks around in the dark; and when the beasts of the forest have passed, seeking food for themselves from God, he will not hand over to troublesome food anyone who handed over his only one for us. Turned to the Lord.