Sermon 299E

Sermon 299/E

Treatise on the Birthday of the Saints of Scillium
In the Basilica of the New.

The strength of both sexes is Christ. The years recede, they do not advance. The day, God.

The fortitude of the martyrs of Christ, both men and women, is Christ. For if only men were strong in suffering, virtue would be ascribed to the stronger sex. Therefore, the weaker sex could also suffer bravely because God could do all things in everyone. So whether it is a man or a woman, in their tribulation they should say: The Lord is my strength; and: I will love you, Lord, my strength. Love itself is a virtue: for whoever knows how to love can endure all things for the sake of what they love. And if illicit love persuaded lovers to endure many hardships bravely for their trifles and sins, and they place no danger before their eyes as they lie in wait for another's modesty, how much stronger should they be in the love of God who love Him, from whom they cannot be separated, whether living or dying? The impudent lover indeed loses what he loves if he is killed for the sake of his beloved; but the strong and just lover of God not only does not lose what he loved by dying, but finds what he loved by dying. Finally, the lover of sin fears to confess, the lover of God fears to deny. Let us, therefore, choose the love, brothers, in which we can live innocently and die safely; for with this love chosen, when it possesses our hearts, for us to live will be Christ, and to die will be gain. By dying, we avoid what we hate; by dying, we reach what we love. Therefore, whoever loves this life, let him do so, if after loving it he cannot make it last. Whether you love it or not, what you love is fleeing; it flees, and you do not hold onto what you love. Years advance, age declines, what remains is shortened; therefore, the years added do not prolong your life but, if you consider what remains, they have receded. For if they had advanced, they would have made your life longer; now, for example, thirty years remain for you; you live so that they diminish. Your many birthdays have added years, which by living longer you have made fewer. Consider the fingers of the counting hand, not to recount the ones that have passed, but those that remain; and you see that they come to the point where they will not be. For if you are at the third hour, you do not recall the first; nor do you make tomorrow out of yesterday's flight; after a while, tomorrow will also be yesterday. What profit is there in not disregarding these things which by loving you cannot hold onto? The beloved day flees from you, the desired God approaches. Love this, by loving which you will reach. He is faithful, He stands at your side: come to Him. And if you were lazy in this: He came to you, was born for you, died for you.

Do not fear the bitter cup of death: the physician drank it first for you. The death of martyrs is hard, but in the sight of men. Whatever Christ did, it is our teaching. The noble response of the martyr Donata.

Therefore, do not fear the bitter cup of death: for death is bitter, but through this bitterness one passes into great sweetness. This bitterness heals the soul's very being; not if you die, but if you die for the truth. This bitterness is medicinal, not lethal: it heals your innermost parts, drink without fear. Because the physician did not hesitate to drink, why does the sick man hesitate to drink? He, who did not have what would heal himself through the bitterness of that cup, drank it for your sake, lest you think poison was given to you. He drank it for your sake, so that you might learn to say: "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." Those confessing Christ suffered diversely: some were struck by the sword, some were burned with fire, some were thrown to wild beasts, some were not allowed to be buried. All harsh, all cruel, all horrible: but in the sight of men. Therefore, when Scripture commended the deaths of martyrs: it says, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints”; in the sight of Him who knows how to judge and cannot err. For the foolish and faithless, seeing present happiness disregarded by the wise and faithful, judged those who died for the name of Christ as wretched; for they did not have the eyes of faith, therefore they could not look forward to the promised things. The promiser and giver came: by exhortation He strengthened, by giving the spirit He perfectly healed. For He says: "Do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do." See foolish people raging, if they hear this, they have no more that they can do. For they do many things with the bodies: they tear, they burn, they scatter, they do not allow burial; and they say as if boasting: "Where is what Christ said, that when one man kills another, he has no more he can do? Behold, I did so many things to the dead body." He is like one in heart who feels not in flesh. Harsh and foolish, what have you done? If he feels, you have done something; if he feels not, you have raged in vain. I show you, He says, whom you should fear: who, when He kills, has power to cast into hell. Which the human attacker and killer does not have, who strikes up to the flesh, but does not follow as the spirit departs, for he does not see it. Who is to be feared? See by whom you are killed, see how you die. He has you in power after death, who had you in power before death; for not even a man could do anything to you unless He permits it. Are you surprised that He permits it? Hear the prince of martyrs, who while being judged by a man, the hidden God, the manifest man, in whom He was despised; thus, while judged by man, the man became inflated. "Do you not answer me?" he says, "Do you not know that I have power to kill you and to release you?" And He who is mild, Lord of all, servant of all, serving the sick not by condition but by love, healed even that inflated and swollen man. Christ seemed to be judged by him, but he was healed by Christ; the swollen one terrified, but the physician cut deep. Where he inflated himself as he wished, he received the answer; not to be told: "You have no power over me," but rather "I have power over you." Which if the Lord said, He would say the truth, but would not provide us an example. He taught even while suffering, just as He taught while being tempted. As He taught you what to answer the tempter when tempted, so He taught you what to answer the persecutor when judged. That voice was ours, the head spoke for the body. So what did He say? "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above." He did not say: "You have not," but: "You would not have, unless you had received it." He taught the martyr to be subject, not to man, but to God; He taught the martyr, when suffering anything from man, not to fear man, but Him who permits man to act, who gives power to man. That mightiest woman taught by such teaching said: "Give honor to Caesar as Caesar; but fear to God." She rendered what was due to each by justly distributing; she answered, neither proud nor weak. She heeded the Apostle saying: "Be subject to every human institution for God's sake." She said: "Give honor to Caesar as Caesar." Though he may rage, let him be honored; let the order of humility be rendered to him, even if he lacks the principality of power. For he holds the highest power in whose hand we are, both ourselves and our words. Therefore, the Lord says, "Fear Him who has the power which, when He kills, He is not limited to this point, cannot do nothing further, but even when He kills, has the power to cast into the hell of fire."

The death of Lazarus and the rich man is common, but their fate is different. Riches are neither blamed in the rich man, nor is poverty praised in the poor man. What was punished in the rich man?

O faithless one, you consider the present, you are terrified by present things: sometimes think of the future. Tomorrow and tomorrow, sometimes the last will be tomorrow, day presses upon day, nor does it take away the one who made the day. For with Him, there is a day without yesterday and tomorrow: for with Him, there is a day without sunrise and sunset: with Him is eternal light, where is the fountain of life, and in whose light we shall see light. Let your heart be there, as long as it is necessary for your flesh to be here, let your heart be there: all will be there if the heart is there. The rich man in purple and fine linen finished his delights; the poor man full of sores finished his miseries. The last day was feared by one, and desired by the other. It came to both, but it did not find both equal; and because it did not find both equal, it did not come equally to both. To die and to die was similar: to end this life and to end this life is a common condition. You have heard of communion: pay attention to separation. For it happened that the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. For perhaps he [the poor man] was not even buried. You know the rest: the rich man was tormented in hell, the poor man was comforted in Abraham's bosom. Those delights and those miseries have passed; both have ended and changed: the rich man from delights to punishment, the poor man from miseries to delights. Indeed, those delights and those miseries were brief; but those punishments and those delights succeeded without end. Surely wealth was not accused in the rich man, nor was poverty praised in the poor man; but impiety was condemned in the rich man, and piety was praised in the poor man. For sometimes men hear these things in the Gospel; and those who have nothing rejoice at these words, the beggar exults. I will be, he says, in Abraham's bosom, not that rich man. Let us answer the poor man: You have fewer sores; add to your merits, and wish for the tongues of dogs. You boast that you are poor, I seek whether you are faithful: for faithless poverty is a torment here, and a damnation there. Let us also speak to the rich man: When you heard the Gospel about the one who was clothed in purple and fine linen and feasted splendidly every day, you were afraid; I do not disapprove of your fear, but fear more what is disapproved there. He despised the poor man silently at his door, the poor man longed for the crumbs falling from his table; no covering, no shelter, no humanity was offered to him. This was punished in the rich man, cruelty, impiety, pride, arrogance, faithlessness: these were punished in the rich man. How do you prove this? someone says, surely riches were punished. If I do not prove it from the very chapter of the Gospel, let no one hear me. When the rich man was in torments in hell, he desired a drop of water on his tongue from the finger of that poor man who had desired the crumbs from his table; and perhaps the poor man more easily reached the crumbs than the rich man reached the drop: for the drop was denied to him. Abraham, in whose bosom was the poor man, answered him: Remember, son, you received your good things in your lifetime. This is what I proposed to show, that impiety and faithlessness were condemned in him, not riches and abundance of present things. You received, he says, your good things in your lifetime. What does it mean: your good things? You thought other things were not good. What does it mean: in your lifetime? You did not believe in another life. Therefore, your good things, not God's; in your life, not Christ's. You received your good things in your lifetime: what you believed is finished, therefore you did not receive the better good things; because when you were in lower things, you did not want to believe in them.

Of the eternal punishments and rewards, the murmuring of unbelievers. Wicked brethren of the rich man, the Jews.

Perhaps we accuse that rich man, and interpret the sense of father Abraham according to our understanding. So that something might be said more plainly, which is hidden may be unfolded, what is closed may be seen, what is locked may be opened to those who knock. When assistance or even slight mercy was denied to him, to fulfill what is written: Judgment without mercy for him who showed no mercy, he asked that Lazarus be sent to his brothers and tell them what happens after this life. It was said to be impossible, but if they did not want to go to the same places of torment, they should listen to Moses and the Prophets. They have, he says, Moses and the Prophets: let them listen to them. And he who knew himself and his brothers - for unfaithful brothers used to mutter such things among themselves, mocking the divine words, when they heard something said in the law or the Prophets, concerning the avoidance of eternal punishments and the desire for eternal rewards, muttering among themselves: Who has risen from there? Who has come back from there? Who could tell us what happens there? Since I buried my father, I have not heard his voice. Knowing this, he was accustomed to talk with an unfaithful heart and mouth with his brothers, he requested that it might be done what they said had not been done, and therefore they despised the divine words. And he said: Let someone go from here and tell them. And father Abraham: They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them. And he, mindful of his conversations: No, father Abraham. As if he were saying: I know what we used to talk about. No, father Abraham: I know what I am saying, I know what I am asking. The despiser of the poor, belatedly merciful, wanted mercy to be shown to his brothers, which he did not show to himself. He said, No, no, father Abraham: they do not believe Moses and the Prophets. I know, I was like that: But if someone goes to them from the dead, they will believe. And father Abraham: if they do not believe Moses and the Prophets - for they were Jews, he would not say, father Abraham, unless he were a Jew. Therefore, father Abraham replied: If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead. It has happened, it has been fulfilled: they did not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they despised the Lord who rose. For just as they were despisers of Moses and the Prophets, so they did not want to listen to the Lord rising from the dead, against whom they bought false witnesses. We give you money, they say - to those guards of the tomb - and say that while we were sleeping, his disciples came and stole him. Sleeping witnesses, bought, corrupted, denying their own lives, imagining the thefts of others! If you were awake, why did you not catch the thieves? If you were sleeping, how did you see what happened?

The bosom of rich Abraham received the poor Lazarus. How Abraham possessed riches is evident from the sacrifice of Isaac. Truly rich are those who are rich within.

We have shown, as I think, that it was not the riches that were accused in the rich man, but his impiety, infidelity, pride, and cruelty. Hear a greater proof that it is not riches that are accused. Where was the rich man plunged? Into the hell of torments. Where was the poor man lifted up? Into Abraham's bosom. See the poor man in Abraham's bosom: Abraham received him, he was received by him. This Abraham, who was the faithful patriarch. Add also what I would say; read in the book of Genesis the riches of Abraham, gold, silver, cattle, household: Abraham abounded. Why do you accuse the rich man? A rich man received the poor man. Therefore let us by no means accuse riches, yet neither do we thus build up avarice. Let not the rich man say, because I have spoken for him; let not the rich man say, because I wished to be his comforter. For he was afraid at the mention of the Gospel: when he heard that the rich man was cast into hell’s punishments, he was afraid. I gave him security. Let him not fear riches, but vices; not abundance, but avarice; not resources, but desires. Let him have as Abraham had, and have with faith; let him have, possess, not be possessed. Someone will say to me: And how did Abraham have? Do you want to know how Abraham had? What was with him? Piety: what? Faith: what? Obedience: what? Inner riches. Do you want to know? Do you want to learn by the reading mentioned? Every man whatever he thinks to reasonably gather, he keeps for his children. Therefore, since all men keep their riches for their children, and those who do not have children suffer hardship, because they do not have anyone to whom they might leave what they have gathered; since, therefore, it is manifest, that all men love their children more than their riches, more to whom they keep than what they keep, do you want to know how Abraham had that inheritance? Read how by God's command he disregarded the heir. Put before your eyes the rich father: there he who keeps, there what he keeps, there for whom he keeps. Weigh both, distribute merits, arrange love. Surely he valued him more for whom he kept than those things which he kept. If the Lord Jesus Christ were to say to him: If you would be perfect, go, sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me, I believe, like the rich man in the Gospel, even Abraham would leave sorrowful. "Give up riches," he would hear sorrowfully, who heard joyfully, "Sacrifice to me the heir?" Sacrifice to me your only one, your beloved son; whom I gave, give to me. He did not doubt, he did not hesitate, sorrow did not cloud his devotion, neither in intending to sacrifice, nor in being to be sacrificed; for neither did the boy himself tremble under his father’s sword. He was led joyfully by the joyful, he was bound, he was laid on the altar, there was no delay; the father's armed right hand was raised, nowhere trembling, nowhere weak, nor lowered before Him who commanded it was raised. Behold how you may have, and have whatever you can; not to nourish desires, but to perfect pieties, and securely await the last day; truly rich, rich within; outwardly as you can, inwardly as you have been commanded. Do you have? The Lord gave. Have you lost? The Lord took away. Rejoice, for He who took away did not withdraw Himself. Does He who made you not suffice you? As it pleased the Lord, so it was done. Say, what do you fear? Since you are evil, and He is good, does it please you to be good and to Him evil? It cannot be. Believe it to be good, that it pleased the good. As it pleased the Lord, so it was done; let the name of the Lord be blessed. We know that all things work together for good to those who love God.