Sermon 296
SERMO 296
On the Birthday of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul
(From the Gospel where he says: Simon, son of John, do you love me?)
Peter, weak, promises more than he can.
The present gospel reading, fitting for today's solemnity, which has just sounded in our ears, if it descends from the ears into our heart and finds there a place of rest - for the word of God indeed rests in us when we accede to the word of God - has admonished all of us, who minister the word and sacrament of the Lord to you, to feed His sheep. Blessed Peter, the first of the Apostles, both a lover and a denier of the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Gospel indicates, followed the Lord who was to suffer; but at that time he could not follow as one who was to suffer. He followed with his feet, not yet fit to follow in deeds. He promised that he would die for Him, but he could not even stand by Him; for he had dared more than his capacity sustained. He had promised more than he could fulfill because it was not yet suitable for him to do what he had promised. "I will lay down my life for you," he said. This the Lord was about to do for His servant, not the servant for his Lord. Therefore, since he had dared too much, there he loved improperly; hence, he was afraid and denied. But later, after the Lord had risen, He taught Peter to love. Loving inordinately, he faltered under the weight of passion; but to him who now loves orderly, He promises suffering.
The weakness of Peter fearing to die for the Lord.
We remember the weakness of Peter who grieved that the Lord was about to die: I recall this. Behold, I recall it: those who remember, say it with me in their hearts; those who had forgotten, let them recollect at my reminder. The Lord Jesus Christ foretold His imminent passion to His disciples. Then Peter, loving Him, but still carnally, fearing the death of the slayer of death: "God forbid it, Lord," he said, "God forbid it, be merciful to You." He would not say: "Be merciful to You," unless he recognized God. Therefore, Peter, if God is acknowledged by you, why do you fear that God may die? You are a man, He is God; and for man, God became man, assuming what He was not, not losing what He was. Therefore, in that nature was the Lord to die, in which He was also to rise again. Peter, thus, feared human death and did not want it to happen to the Lord; not knowing he wanted to close the purse, from which our price was to flow. Then he heard from the Lord: "Get behind me, Satan, for you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns;" to whom He had just said - when he said: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" - "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." Shortly before, blessed; afterwards, Satan. But why blessed? Not from his own doing: "Flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but My Father." And why Satan? From man, and in man: "For you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns." Thus, Peter, loving the Lord and wanting to die for the Lord, followed; and it happened as the doctor had predicted, not as the patient had presumed. Questioned by a maidservant, he denied once, twice, thrice. He is looked upon by the Lord, he weeps bitterly, and wipes the stains of denial with the tears of piety.
Christ entrusts the sheep to Peter already loving.
The Lord rises, He appears to the disciples; Peter now sees the living one, whom he had feared when dying; he does not see the Lord slain, but death slain in the Lord. Thus, confirmed by the example of the Lord's flesh, he learns to love, showing that death is not to be feared to such an extent; now it is necessary to love, seeing the Lord alive after death, now to love, now to love securely; securely, because he is to follow. Therefore the Lord says: Peter, do you love me? And he: I love, Lord. And the Lord: Not because you love me, do I want you to die for me, for this I have already done for you. But what: Do you love me? What will you give me back because you love me? Do you love me? I love. Feed my sheep. And again this, and a third time this, so that love may be confessed thrice, because fear had denied thrice. See, perceive, learn. Nothing else than do you love? is asked; nothing else than I love is answered. To the one responding it is said: feed my sheep. And with the sheep entrusted to Peter, and Peter entrusted to himself with his sheep, He now foretells his suffering and says: When you were younger, you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old, another will dress you and carry you where you do not want. This he said, says the Evangelist, signifying by what death he was to glorify God. You see this pertains to feeding the Lord’s sheep, that death for the Lord's sheep is not to be refused.
The suitable shepherd is the one who is able to lay down his life for the sheep.
Feed my sheep. Does He entrust the sheep to a suitable person, or to an unsuitable one? First, which sheep does He entrust? Not those bought with a price, not with gold, not with silver, but with blood. If a master were to entrust his sheep to his servant, he would undoubtedly consider whether the servant's wealth was sufficient to cover the value of his sheep, and he would say: If he loses them, if he scatters them, if he consumes them, he has the means to repay. Therefore, he would entrust his sheep to a suitable servant, and would look for the servant's assets to match the value of the sheep bought with money. But now, since the Lord Christ entrusts sheep to a servant whom He bought with His blood, He looks for the servant's suitability in the passion of the blood, as if saying: Feed my sheep, I entrust my sheep to you. Which sheep? The ones I bought with my blood. I died for them. Do you love me? Die for them. Indeed, that human servant of a man would repay money for the lost sheep: Peter repaid blood for the sheep that were saved.
The same mandate to other shepherds of the Church as to Peter. The spirit of martyrdom makes the martyr.
Behold, brothers, I wish to say something timely. What was entrusted to Peter, what was commanded to Peter, was not heard by Peter alone: other Apostles also heard, held, and kept it, especially the apostle Paul, companion in suffering and in the apostolic day; they heard these things and transmitted them to us to be heard. We feed you, we are fed with you, may the Lord give us the strength to love you so much that we can even die for you, either in effect or in affection. For even if the apostle John did not suffer, it could not be said that he was unprepared for suffering. He did not suffer, but he could have suffered; God knew his preparation. Just as the three boys were thrown into the furnace, not to survive; would we deny them martyrdom because the flame could not burn them? Ask the flames, they did not suffer; ask their will, they were crowned. They said, God is able to deliver us from your hands: but even if not - there are certain hearts, there is steadfast faith, there is unshaken virtue, there is secure victory - but even if not, know, O king, that we will not worship the statue you have set up. God willed otherwise, they did not burn, but they extinguished the fire of idolatry in the king's soul.
Temporal tribulations must be endured for future glory. The devastation of Rome during Christian times.
You see, therefore, beloved, what is set forth in this time for the servants of God, for the future glory that will be revealed in us; against that glory no temporal affliction, however great, can be balanced. The sufferings of this time are unworthy, says the Apostle, compared to the future glory that will be revealed in us. If this is so, let no one now think carnally, it is not the time; the world is shaken, the old man is shaken off, the flesh is pressed, let the spirit melt. The body of Peter lies in Rome, men say, the body of Paul lies in Rome, the body of Lawrence lies in Rome, and the bodies of other holy martyrs lie in Rome; and Rome is miserable, and Rome is devastated; it is afflicted, crushed, burned; so many slaughters of death happen, through famine, plague, and sword. Where are the Memories of the Apostles? What do you say? Behold, I have said this: Rome suffers so many evils; where are the Memories of the Apostles? They are there, they are there but not in you. Would that they were in you, whoever you are who speak these things, whoever you are who are foolish in these things, whoever after being called in spirit you still think in the flesh, whoever you are of such kind: would that the Memories of the Apostles were in you, would that you yourself thought of the Apostles! You would see whether earthly happiness was promised to them, or eternal.
To what purpose is the memory of the Apostles? The servant is arrogant who says to the commanding Lord: Why?
Hear the Apostle, if his memory lives in you: For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. In Peter himself, flesh was temporal, and you do not wish the stone of Rome to be temporal? The Apostle Peter reigns with the Lord, the body of the Apostle Peter lies in a certain place: memory excites love towards eternal things, not so that you cling to the earth, but so that you think of heaven with the Apostle. Tell me, if you are faithful, recall the Memories of the Apostles, the memory also of your Lord God, surely now sitting in heaven. Listen where the Apostle sends you: If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God; set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. You hear this in a single word: Lift up your heart. Therefore, do you grieve and weep because wood and stones have fallen, and because those who are to die have died? We offer some who are dead yet always living; you grieve because wood and stones have fallen, and because those who are to die have died? If you lift up your heart, where do you have your heart? What is dead there? What has fallen there? If you have your heart lifted up, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Down below is your flesh: and if your flesh trembles, let not your heart be moved. But still, you say, I didn't want this. What did you not want? I did not want so great a suffering for Rome. We forgive you for not wanting; do not be angry with God because he did want it; you are a man, he is God. You say: I do not want, where he says: I want? He does not condemn you for your ‘not wanting,’ and you blaspheme his ‘wanting’? But why did God want this? Why did God want this? Meanwhile, serve the will of your Lord God, having become a friend, knowing the counsel of your Lord God. Who is so proud a servant that, when his Lord has commanded something to be done, he says: Why? The Lord has his counsel; let obedience pay attention if he accomplishes it well, if he has acted well, if having been a servant he has become a friend, as the Lord himself said: I no longer call you servants but friends. Perhaps even the counsel of his Lord he will learn: meanwhile, before he knows the counsel, he should bear the decision willingly.
Bear what God wills and He will give you what you want.
I am still teaching you patience, not yet wisdom: be patient, the Lord wills it. You ask why He wills it? Delay the desire for knowledge, delay zeal, prepare to obey. He wills you to bear what He wills: bear what He wills, and He will give you what you will. And yet, my brothers, I dare to say, you will gladly listen if you already hold the first part of obedience, if gentle and meek patience of bearing the Lord's will dwells in you, not only gentle: for we do not bear what is gentle, but we love it; we tolerate the harsh, we rejoice in the gentle. See your Lord, see your head, see the example of your life: consider your redeemer, your shepherd. Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. How did he show human will, and immediately turn reluctance to obedience? Indeed, not as I will, but as you will, Father. Behold, he also said this to Peter: When you are old, another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish. He also showed in him human will concerning the fear of death. Was it that, dying unwillingly, he was crowned unwillingly? Likewise, you did not wish what? perhaps to lose your wealth, which you were going to leave here? Take care not to remain behind with the leaving. You did not wish your son to die before you, perhaps, you did not wish your wife to die before you. For what? if Rome had not been taken, would not some one of you die first? You did not wish your wife to die before you; your wife did not wish her husband to die before her: would God be obedient to both? Let the order be with Him, who knows how to order what He has created: you obey His will.
What should be answered to those accusing the Christian times.
Now I still see what you say in your heart: Behold, during Christian times Rome is afflicted, or has been afflicted, and has been burned; why during Christian times? Who says this? A Christian. Therefore, answer yourself, if you are a Christian: Because God willed it. But what do I say to the pagan? He taunts me. What does he say to you? From where does he taunt you? Behold, when we used to make sacrifices to our gods, Rome stood firm; now because the sacrifice to your God has prevailed and abounded, and the sacrifices to our gods have been inhibited and prohibited, behold what Rome suffers. Briefly answer for now, so that you may avoid him. Otherwise, have another consideration; for you were not called to embrace the earth, but to seek heaven; you were not called to earthly happiness, but to heavenly; not to temporal successes and fleeting and transient prosperity, but to eternal life with angels. Nevertheless, to this lover of carnal happiness and murmur against the living God, wishing to serve demons and woods and stones, quickly respond. As their history has it, this is the third burning of the city of Rome; as their history has it, as their writings have it, the burning of the city of Rome, which happened now, is the third. Which has now burned once among the sacrifices of Christians, had already burned twice among the sacrifices of pagans. Once it was so burned by the Gauls that only the Capitoline hill remained; the second time by Nero, I do not know whether to say raging or running rampant, Rome burned a second time. Nero, the emperor of Rome itself, a servant of idols, the killer of apostles, ordered it, and Rome was burned. Why, do you think, for what reason? A haughty, proud, and capricious man delighted in the burning of Rome. I want to see, he said, how Troy burned. Therefore, it burned once, twice, and now a third time: what pleasure do you derive from snarling against God for that which usually burns?
In the destruction of Rome, the pagan has something to lament, the Christian has something to ponder.
But in it, they say, so many Christians have suffered such great evils. Did you forget, it is Christian’s part to endure temporal evils and to hope for eternal goods? You, whoever you are a pagan, have reason to weep; because you have lost the temporal and have not yet found the eternal. The Christian has something to consider: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations.” When such things are read to you in the temple: “The gods, guardians of Rome, now did not preserve it, because they are not;” you would say: “They would preserve it when they were.” We show our God to be true; he foretold all these things, you have read, you have heard; but I do not know whether you remember, who are disturbed by such words. Did you not hear the prophets, did you not hear the Apostles, did you not hear the Lord Jesus Christ himself proclaiming future evils? When the age comes upon the world, when the end approaches - you have heard, brothers, together we have heard - there will be wars, there will be tumults, there will be distresses, there will be famines. Why are we contrary to ourselves, so that, when they are read we believe, but when they are fulfilled we murmur?
The guilt of the world is greater if the Gospel is preached and disregarded.
But more, they say, more now the human race is devastated. Meanwhile, considering past history, without questioning, I do not know whether it is more; but behold it is more, I believe because it is more. The Lord himself resolves the question. Now the world is more devastated, more devastated, he says: why is it more devastated now, when the Gospel is preached everywhere? You observe with what great celebration the Gospel is preached, and you do not observe with what great impiety it is scorned. Now, brothers, let us put pagans outside for a little while, let us turn our eyes to ourselves. The Gospel is preached, the whole world is full. Before the Gospel was preached, the will of God was hidden; in the preaching of the Gospel, the will of God was revealed. It has been told to us in the preaching of the Gospel what we ought to love, what to scorn, what to do, what to avoid, what to hope for; we have heard everything; the will of God is not hidden throughout the whole world. Consider the servant world, and observe the Gospel. Hear the voice of the Lord; this world is the servant: The servant not knowing the will of his lord, and not doing what is worthy, shall be beaten with few stripes. Servant, world; servant, because the world was made through him, and the world did not know him. The servant not knowing the will of his lord; behold what the world was before. The servant not knowing the will of his lord, and not doing what is worthy, shall be beaten with few stripes. But the servant knowing the will of his lord. Behold what the world is now: now say to yourselves what follows, rather let us say to ourselves: The servant knowing the will of his lord, and not doing what is worthy, shall be beaten with many stripes. And may he be beaten with many stripes, and not be condemned once. Why do you refuse to be beaten with many stripes, O servant knowing the will of your Lord, and doing what is worthy of stripes? It is said to you (behold one will of your Lord): Store up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust nor corruption destroys, and where thieves do not dig through, nor steal. You on earth, he in heaven, saying to you: Give to me, have treasure there, where I am the guardian, send it before you: why do you keep it? What Christ guards, does the Goth take? You, on the other hand, presumably more prudent and wiser than your Lord, only wish to store up on earth. But you have known the will of your Lord, he wished you to store it up above; therefore, storing it on earth, be prepared to be beaten with many stripes. Behold you know the will of your Lord wishing to keep you in heaven: you keep it on earth, you do what is worthy of stripes; and when you are beaten, you blaspheme, murmur, and say that what your Lord does to you should not happen. What you do, you bad servant, should that not happen?
Therefore, Peter died, so that a stone does not fall from the theater? It is better to be scourged than to be damned.
At least hold that place: do not murmur, do not blaspheme; rather praise your God, because he chastises you; praise him, because he corrects you, so that he may console you. For whom the Lord loves, he chastises, and he scourges every son whom he receives. You, a delicate son of the Lord, want to be accepted but do not want to be scourged; that you may abound and he may lie. Therefore, the memory of the Apostles, by which heaven is prepared for you, should always preserve for you the theaters of madmen on earth? Did Peter die and was buried so that a stone should not fall from the theater? God removes delights from the hands of undisciplined children. Brothers, let us diminish sins and murmurings: let us be enemies of our iniquities and our murmuring; let us be angry with ourselves, not with God. Be angry, indeed be angry, but to what purpose? And do not sin. Be angry for this purpose: so that you do not sin. Indeed, every man who repents is angry at himself: the penitent exercises anger against himself. Do you want God to spare you? Do not spare yourself: for if you spare yourself, he will not spare you; because if he spares you, you perish. You do not know what you wish for, miserable one, you perish. As it is written: He scourges every son whom he receives, so also fear this: The sinner has provoked the Lord. From where do you know, as if it were said, from where do you know that the sinner has provoked the Lord? I saw a happy sinner, I saw someone doing evil daily, and suffering no evil, and blaspheming in the Holy Spirit: I shuddered, I grieved. The sinner has provoked the Lord; this sinner, who did so much evil and suffers no evil, has provoked the Lord, has provoked the Lord: Because of the greatness of His wrath, He does not inquire. It follows: the sinner has provoked the Lord, because of the greatness of His wrath, He does not inquire. That is why He does not inquire, because He is very angry; he who takes away chastisement prepares damnation. He does not inquire: for if He inquired, He would scourge; if He scourged, He would correct. But now He is very angry, He is very angry with the prosperous wicked; do not envy them, do not want to be like them. It is better to be scourged than to be damned.
Then we are shown to love God, when we love the gains of God in our neighbor.
Thus, the Lord has entrusted His sheep to us, because He entrusted them to Peter; if indeed we are in any way worthy to tread the dust of Peter's footsteps, if indeed we are able, the Lord has entrusted His sheep to us. You are His sheep; with you, we are sheep, because we are Christians. I have already said, we are fed and we feed others. Love God, so that God may love you; and you cannot show how much you love God, except as much as you appear to love the gains of God. What do you have to offer to God, thoughtful man? What can you offer to God? What Peter also offered, all of this: Feed my sheep. What do you offer to God? That He may be greater? That He may be better? That He may be richer? That He may be more honored? Whatever you will be, He will be what He was. Therefore, consider beside you, lest perhaps you need to bestow on your neighbor what may reach God. When you have done it to one of the least of these, you have done it to Me. Therefore, if you are commanded to break bread for the hungry, should you close the church to one who knocks?
Grief of Augustine about a certain Donatist repulsed by the church. What do you wish to judge concerning the heart, man?
Why did I say this? We were saddened by what we heard, since we were not present, that certain individuals coming from the Donatists to the Church, confessing the sin of rebaptism, when they were being exhorted to repentance by the bishop, it was protested against by certain brothers, and they were driven away. I say to your Charity, our hearts were tormented by this; we confess to you, we did not approve of such diligence. I know they did it with zeal for God; I know, I do not doubt they did it with zeal for God; but they should also heed the apostle Paul, how he laments those who have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. Behold, he was not admitted today, he will die tomorrow: from whose hands will it be demanded? You will say: But he is pretending. I respond: But he is seeking. I show that he is seeking; you show that he is pretending. Christian, now I want you to teach even me: how do you know he is pretending? Because he fears for his possessions. We know many who feared for their possessions, and therefore became Catholics; when they received freedom, some returned to them, while others remained. As long as they had not entered, they feared for their possessions; and when they entered, by learning they remained. How do you know therefore whether this one who fears for his possessions will be among those found to be pretenders, especially with such great light of truth approaching and such conviction of falsehood? Why do you wish to judge the heart, man? Therefore we have toiled, therefore we have labored, therefore the truth has been demonstrated invincible, so that it may be hostile to those who seek? We have labored so that the truth may be shown, falsehood convicted. The Lord assisted, it was done. Perhaps for whom it was done, he was changed by a certain consideration. Why do you wish to judge the heart? I see one seeking, and you accuse him of pretending? Christian, admit what you see, leave what you do not see to God. Briefly, I say to your Charity, we have heard from the Lord himself to feed the Lord's sheep; and we know what he says about the sheep through Ezekiel: that one sheep should not butt another, that one sheep should not push another, that the strong should not oppress the weak. Pay attention to what the Apostle says: Admonish the idle, comfort the fainthearted, support the weak. Admonish the idle: let this be done. Comfort the fainthearted: let this be done. Support the weak: let this be done. Be patient towards all: let this be done. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil: let this be done. He says so much: we only pay attention to: Admonish the idle. Pay attention: Admonish the idle. Count: Comfort the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient towards all, see that no one repays anyone evil for evil. You pay attention only to: Admonish the idle; be careful that you are not idle, and, what is worse, that you wish to be idle and not want to be admonished. We plead with you through Christ, we beseech you not to lay waste to our labor. Or do you think, that we are to be pleased because we have conquered falsehood? Victory always belongs to the truth. What are we? Falsehood is conquered, long since conquered; but thanks to God, because it is openly conquered and manifest to men. Worship abounded: why is fruitfulness hindered?
"Even those returning from heresy after a relapse are to be received kindly."
For the rest, brothers, let these things not happen: let no one love the Church in such a way that they envy the gains of the Church. Three days ago, or four days ago, this that I speak happened; and it did not lightly resound to everyone, because the Donatists are not admitted when they come to the church. Do you think that no harm was done because this resounded to everyone? I ask you, and therefore this voice resounded today, so that the matter which resounded badly may be overshadowed by that which resounded well. Pay attention; this is what we have said, this is what we preach. Let them come, let them be admitted as usual, who have never yet been Catholics. But those who have already been Catholics, and were found to be slippery, found to be inconstant and weak, found to be treacherous—do I spare them? absolutely treacherous—perhaps those who were treacherous will be faithful; let them also come to be admitted to penance. Nor should they flatter themselves, because returning to the part of Donatus they did penance there. That penance was about a good thing: let it be true about a bad thing. When they did penance in the part of Donatus, they repented for what they had done well; now let them act so that they repent what they did badly. Do you fear, because they were found treacherous, lest they trample on the holy? Behold, even to this your fear is addressed: they are dismissed in penance; they will be in penance, when they wish to be reconciled now with no one compelling, no one frightening. Because a penitent Catholic no longer suffers threats of laws; he started to want to be reconciled while no one was frightening: then at least believe the willingness. Suppose he was forced to be Catholic: he will be penitent. Who compels him to seek the place of reconciliation, except his own will? Therefore let us now admit the weakness, so that later we may test the willingness.