Sermon 239

SERMO 239

ON THE EASTER DAYS

On the Resurrection of Christ According to Mark and Luke

Mark and Luke were chosen by God to write the Gospel.

Today, behold, for the third time we have heard from the Gospel the resurrection of our Lord: as you remember that I have spoken to you: because it is customary that the resurrection of the Lord is recited according to all the Evangelists. It is the Gospel of Mark that we just heard when it was read. However, Mark earned this dispensation, as he was not among the number of the twelve, just as Luke was not. For there are four Evangelists: Matthew, John, Mark, and Luke; two of them are among the twelve Apostles, that is, Matthew and John. But their precedence was not barren, so that their successors would not have companions. Mark and Luke were not equal in rank to the Apostles, but they were equal in merit. For this reason, the Holy Spirit wished to choose even from among those who were not among the twelve to write the Gospel, so that it would not be thought that the grace of evangelizing had reached only the Apostles and that the fountain of grace had dried up in them. For the Lord speaks of his spirit and his word, that whoever perceives and holds it worthily will become a fountain of water springing up to eternal life: a fountain, certainly, shows itself by flowing, not by remaining stagnant: through the Apostles, grace reached others, and they were sent to evangelize. Because He who called the first ones also called the second ones: He even called up to the last time the body of His Only Begotten, that is, the Church spread throughout the whole world.

In the breaking of the bread, the eyes of the disciples are opened.

What then did we hear Mark say? That the Lord appeared on the way to two, as Luke also said, whose Gospel we heard yesterday: He appeared, he said, to two on the way in another form. But Luke said the same thing in other words, yet did not depart from the same meaning. For what did Luke say? Their eyes were held that they might not recognize him. But what did Mark say? He appeared to them in another form. What this one said: Their eyes were held that they might not recognize him; this one said, in another form. For another form was seen, with their eyes restrained, not opened. So what then, brothers, since Luke said, which I believe you remember quite recent from yesterday's reading, that when he broke the blessed bread, their eyes were opened; what do we think, if then their eyes were opened, were they accompanying him on the way with closed eyes, and could they know where to place their steps if they had closed eyes? Their eyes were thus opened to knowledge, not to sight. Therefore, our Lord Jesus Christ speaks with men unknown before the breaking of the bread, is known in the breaking of the bread: because it is there that he is perceived, where eternal life is perceived. He is received in hospitality, who prepares a home in heaven. For according to the evangelist John, he says: In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you. But if I go and prepare, I will come again and take you to myself. The Lord of heaven wanted to be a guest on earth, a traveler in the world, through whom the world was made: he deigned to be a guest, that you might have a blessing in receiving him; not because he was in need when he, as a guest, entered in.

Elijah in need is sustained by a needy widow.

The Lord fed holy Elijah during the time of famine through a raven: and while men persecuted him, birds served him. The raven would bring the servant of God bread in the morning, and meat in the evening. Therefore, he did not lack, whom God fed through the ministry of birds: and yet although Elijah did not lack, he was sent to the widow in Zarephath and it was said to him: Go to that widow, she will feed you. Had God failed, that Elijah should be sent to the widow? But if God always provided bread to His servant without human ministry, how would the widow have her reward? Therefore, he is sent not lacking to one lacking, not hungry to one hungry; and he says to her: Go, and bring me a little bit to eat. She had a little, which she was going to consume and die. She responded, revealed to the prophet how much she had: and the prophet said to her: Go, first bring it to me. She did not doubt, but brought it. She offered refreshment, and merited a blessing. Holy Elijah blessed the jar of flour, and the cruse of oil. That which was stored in the house was to be consumed; and that oil hanging in the jar was to be ended: a blessing came, and those vessels became treasures. The little jug of oil became a source of oil, the small amount of flour surpassed abundant harvests.

God therefore makes people in need so that he may find those who do good works.

If Elijah did not need, did Christ need? Therefore, my brothers, the holy Scripture admonishes us, because often God makes His servants who can be fed, needy, so that He may find those who are working. Let no one be proud because he gives to the poor: Christ was poor. Let no one be proud because he receives a guest: Christ was a guest. The one who is received is better than the one receiving; the one taking is richer than the one giving. He who received, possessed all things: he who gave, had received from the one to whom he gave, what he gave. Therefore, let no one be proud, my brothers, when he gives to the poor: let him not say in his heart, 'I give, he receives; I welcome, he needs a roof.' What you might need could be greater. Perhaps the one you receive is righteous: he needs bread, you need truth; he needs a roof, you need heaven; he needs money, you need justice.

Giving money, let us not seek usury.

Be a lender, distribute what you receive. Do not fear, lest God judge you as a usurer. Absolutely, absolutely be a lender. But God says to you: What do you want? Do you want to lend? What is lending? To give less, and to receive more. Behold, give to me, God says to you: I receive less, and I give more. What? A hundredfold, and eternal life. Whom do you look for to give to, from whom your money might grow, the man whom you look for, when he receives, he rejoices; when he returns it, he weeps: to receive, he begs; not to return, he defames. Indeed, give to a man, and do not turn away from him who seeks a loan . But only take as much as you gave. Do not make the one whom you gave to cry: for you have lost your benefit. And if what was given or what was received is demanded back, perhaps he does not yet have it on hand: you bore the one asking, wait for the one who does not have it: when he has it, he will return it to you. Do not cause distress to him whose distress you relieved. Behold you gave, and you demand: but he does not have from where to return; when he has it, he will return it to you. Do not shout and say: Do I seek interest? I only ask for what I gave: what I gave, this I will receive. You do well, but he does not yet have it. You are not a usurer, and you want the one you lent to, to seek a usurer, to return it to you. If you do not demand interest, lest he endure you as a usurer; why do you want him to endure another usurer because of you? You press, you suffocate: even if you only demand as much as you gave; suffocating and causing distress, you did not give a benefit, but rather brought greater distress. But perhaps you say: He has from where he could return: he has a house, let him sell it; he has property, let him sell it. When he sought from you, he sought so that he would not have to sell: because of you let him not do it, who helped that it should not be done. Let this be done in regard to men, this is what God commands, this is what God desires.

God made His Son poor for us.

But are you greedy? God says to you: Be greedy, be as greedy as you can; but consult me regarding your greed. God says to you: Consult me, I made my rich son poor for your sake. For Christ became poor for us, though He was rich. Do you seek gold? He made it. Do you seek silver? He made it. Do you seek a household? He made it. Do you seek cattle? He made them. Do you seek possessions? He made them. Why do you seek only what He made? Receive Him who made it. Think about how He loved you. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made. All things through Him, and He among all things. He who made all things, was made among all things. He who made man was made man: He was made what He made, lest he who was made perish. He who made all things, was made among all things. Consider the riches: what is richer than He, through whom all things were made? And yet, although He was rich, He took mortal flesh in the womb of a virgin. He was born as an infant, wrapped in infant clothes, laid in a manger; He patiently awaited the ages, He patiently endured the times, through whom the times were made. He nursed, cried, appeared as an infant. But He lay down, and reigned: He was in the manger, and contained the world: He was nourished by His mother, and worshipped by the Gentiles: He was nourished by His mother, and announced by Angels: He was nourished by His mother, and declared by a shining star. Such riches, such poverty: riches, that you might be created; poverty, that you might be restored. Therefore, that He was taken as a poor man in hospitality as if poor, was the dignity of the one receiving, not the misery of the one in need.

Christ is in need in His members.

Perhaps you say to yourself: O blessed are those who were worthy to receive Christ! O if I had been there! O if I had been one of the two whom He found on the way! You be on the way, Christ the guest will not be lacking. Do you think now it is not lawful for you to receive Christ? From where, you ask, is it lawful? Now, rising up, He showed Himself to His disciples, He ascended into heaven, He is there at the right hand of the Father; He will only come at the end of the age to judge the living and the dead: He will come in glory, not in infirmity; He will give the kingdom, not seek lodging. When He gives the kingdom, you will be reminded of what He said: As you did to one of the least of these my brothers, you did to me. That rich man is in need until the end of the age. He is indeed in need, not in the head, but in His members. Where is He in need? In those in whom He was in pain when He said: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? Let us therefore serve Christ. He is with us in His own, He is with us in ourselves: not in vain did He say: Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. By doing these things, we recognize Christ in good works, not bodily, but in heart; not with the eyes of flesh, but with the eyes of faith. Because you have seen, you have believed, He said to a certain unbelieving disciple who had said: I will not believe unless I touch. And the Lord: Come, touch, and do not be unbelieving. He touched and cried out: My Lord and my God! And the Lord: Because you have seen me, you have believed. That is your whole faith, because you believe what you see: I praise those who do not see, and believe; for when they see, they will rejoice.