Sermon 225
SERMO 225
ON THE DAY OF EASTER
To the infants.
What was Christ before the incarnation.
The Son of God, born timelessly from the Father, commends to us the depth of divine grace regarding us. For what was He before He existed in man? Imagine you have asked and said. We believe, brethren, that before Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, He was, was He not? Imagine we are asking about what is not permitted to doubt. To these thoughts, the Lord Himself responded when He was told: "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" For He answered and said: "Amen, amen I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." Therefore He was, but He was not yet man. Lest someone perhaps say, He was an angel; the Holy Gospel tells you that He was Christ. And you are wondering what He was? In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. Behold, what He was: In the beginning was the Word. The Word was not made at the beginning, but the Word was. But hear what Scripture says about this world: In the beginning God made heaven and earth. You ask through what He made them? In the beginning was the Word, through which heaven and earth were made. It was not made, but the Word was. Now it remains to ask what kind of Word: because our words are also called words. Our words indeed are conceived in thought, born in voice; and yet conceived and uttered, they pass away. But what about that Word? And the Word was with God. Say where it was, say what it was. I have already said. The Holy Gospel said to you: In the beginning was the Word. Say where it was, say what it was. And the Word was with God. But I asked what kind of Word it was. Do you want to hear what it was? And the Word was God. O Word! What kind of Word? Who can explain: And the Word was God. But perhaps it was made by God? Far from it. Hear what the Holy Gospel says: All things were made through Him. What is: All? Whatever was made by God was made through Him. And how was He made who made all things? Could He have made Himself? Ultimately, if He made Himself, He existed to make Himself. If therefore He was to make Himself, He was never not existing.
The incarnation of Christ is the work of the Holy Spirit. The purpose of virginity in Mary.
How is such a Word in a virgin? All things were made through him. What is: All things? Whatever was made by God, was made through him. Do not, brother, separate the Holy Spirit from such a great work. From which great work? Not a small work, the Angels are a great work: the Angels adore the flesh of Christ sitting at the right hand of the Father. Therefore, such a work was chiefly performed by the Holy Spirit. In this work, he was designated by name when the future son was announced to the holy Virgin by an angel. Because she had resolved to remain in virginity, and her husband was not a despoiler, but a protector of her chastity: indeed, not a protector, because God was protecting; but her husband was a witness of her virginal chastity, lest she be thought pregnant by adultery: when the angel announced to her, she said: How will this be, since I do not know a man? If she had intended to know, she would not have been astonished. That astonishment is a testimony of her resolution: How will this be, since I do not know a man? How will it be? And the angel to her: The Holy Spirit will come upon you. Behold how what you ask will be: And the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born of you will be called the Son of God. And he well said: Will overshadow you: lest your virginity feel the heat of lust. And when she was pregnant, it was said of her: Mary was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Holy Spirit worked the flesh of Christ. The only-begotten Son of God also worked his own flesh. From where do we prove this? Because Scripture says: Wisdom has built for herself a house.
Although in the Virgin's womb, the Word did not leave heaven.
Therefore, take notice. Such a great God, God with God, the Word of God through whom all things were made, how is He enclosed in a womb? First, to be in the womb, did the Word leave heaven? To be in the Virgin's womb, did the Word leave heaven? And from where would the Angels live if the Word left heaven? But so that man might eat the bread of Angels, the Lord of Angels became man. Let the human mind still wander through its mists, falter, seek, speak, to find out how the Word of God in the Virgin's womb, through whom all things were made, did not abandon the Angels, did not abandon the Father. How could He be enclosed in that womb? He could be there, but not be enclosed. How, he says, could so great a being be in such a small place? Therefore, the womb held what the world does not hold. Nor was He diminished to be in the womb. He was in the womb, and He was so great. How great was He? Say how great He was, say what He was.
The analogy between the word of man and the Word of God which was with God.
And the Word was with God. Say what it was. And the Word was God. And I know, I say, with whom I speak; nor do I comprehend: but thought makes us extend, extension expands us, expansion makes us capable. Nor will we, having become capable, be able to comprehend everything: but I speak to you with my word. Behold what I say, what I will say, listen to this, comprehend this my word, this is a human word. But if you cannot comprehend this either, see how far you are from it. Surely we marvel how Christ took flesh, was born of a virgin, and did not depart from the Father: behold, I who speak to you, before I came to you, I thought beforehand what I would say to you. When I thought what I would say to you, already the word was in my heart. For I would not say it to you, unless I had thought before. I found you a Latin, a Latin word must be conveyed to you. But if you were Greek, I should have to speak to you in Greek and convey a Greek word to you. That word in the heart is neither Latin nor Greek: it completely precedes those tongues which is in my heart. I seek for it a sound, I seek as it were a vehicle; I seek whence it may come to you, while it does not leave me. Behold, you have heard what is in my heart, now it is also in yours. It is in mine and in yours: and you have begun to possess it, and I have not lost it. Just as my word took on a sound, by which it might be heard: so the Word of God took on flesh, by which it might be seen. As much as I could, I have said. And what have I said? Who have I said? I, a man, wanted to speak of God. He is so great, so transcendent, that we can neither speak about Him adequately, nor should we remain silent about Him.
Do not get drunk on wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Thank you, Lord, because what I say, or wanted to say, you know: yet from the crumbs of your table I have fed my fellow servants; feed and nourish inwardly those you have regenerated. Behold, what was this multitude? Darkness: but now light in the Lord. For the Apostle says to such as these: You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. O you who have been baptized, you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. If light, certainly day: for God called the light day. You were darkness, He made you light, He made you day: concerning you we have sung: This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Flee from darkness. Drunkenness pertains to darkness. Do not depart sober and return drunk: and after noon we will see you. The Holy Spirit has begun to dwell, let Him not migrate: do not exclude Him from your hearts. A good guest, He finds you empty, He fills you: He finds you hungry, He feeds you: finally, He finds you thirsty, He intoxicates you. Let Him intoxicate you: for the Apostle says: Do not get drunk on wine, in which is all debauchery. And as if wishing to teach us from what we should be intoxicated: But be filled, he says: with the Holy Spirit; singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to one another, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord. He who rejoices in the Lord and sings praises to the Lord with great exultation, is he not similar to a drunkard? I commend this drunkenness: For with you, God, is the fountain of life, and in your pleasure stream you shall give them drink. From where? For with you, God, is the fountain of life, and in your light we shall see light. The Spirit of God is both drink and light. If you were to find a fountain in the darkness, you would light a lamp to reach it. Do not light a lamp to the fountain of light: it shines for you, and leads you to it. When you come to drink, approach and be illuminated. Approach Him, and be enlightened: do not depart, lest you be darkened. Lord God, call, and let there be an approach to you: confirm it, so that there is no departure. Make your children new, from infants to elders, but not from elders to the dead. For in this wisdom it is permitted to grow old, it is not permitted to die.