Sermon 302
SERMO 302
On the Birth of Saint Lawrence
Temporal benefits are bestowed by God through the prayers of the martyrs.
Today is the solemn day of the blessed martyr Lawrence. For this solemnity, appropriate holy readings have resounded. We have heard and sung, and have received the gospel reading with great attention. Therefore, let us follow in the footsteps of the martyrs by imitation, so that we do not celebrate their solemnities in vain. But who is ignorant of the merit of the mentioned martyr? Who has prayed there and not obtained? How many sick people have his merits even granted temporal benefits, which he himself despised. These are granted not so that the sickness of the supplicants remains, but that from the earthly granted, love may be made to desire better things. For sometimes a father grants small and trivial things to his little children, which they cry for if they do not receive. With benign and paternal indulgence, he bestows these, gives these, which he does not wish to remain in his children when they are grown, now progressing. Therefore, he gives nuts to the children, while preserving the inheritance. Paternal affection yields to those playing and amusing themselves with some trifles, lest the weakness of age fails. This is an indulgence of affection, not of edification. What the martyrs have built, what they could grasp, what they seized with a great heart, for which they shed their blood, you have heard in the Gospel: Your reward is great in heaven.
Two lives. The present life is so full of hardship, and yet greatly loved. Eternal life should be loved as much as this temporal one.
However, beloved, since there are two lives, one before death, the other after death; both of these lives have had and have their lovers. What is the need to describe how brief this life is? We have experienced how full of troubles, how full of complaints; surrounded by temptations, full of fears; burning with desires, subjected to accidents; suffering in adversities, swelling in prosperity; rejoicing in gains, tormented by losses. And in these very proceeds, it trembles with rejoicing, lest what it has acquired, it loses; lest on account of this it is sought, who was not sought before it was had. True unhappiness, mendacious happiness. The lowly desire to rise, the elevated fear to fall. He who does not have envies the one who has; he who has despises the one who does not have. And who can explain in words such great and so conspicuous foulness of this life? And yet this foulness has its lovers such that we wish to find very few, who love eternal life, which cannot be ended, as much as this life is loved, which both ends quickly, and if extended, is daily feared lest it be ended every single hour. What shall we do? What shall we undertake? What shall we say? What threats of warning, what fires of exhortation shall we apply to hard and sluggish hearts, and to those frozen by the ice of earthly stupor, that they may shake off the sluggishness of the world and burn for the eternal? What, I say, shall we do? What shall we say? It is at hand for me, and it presently comes to mind, because daily things admonish us and suggest what we should say. From the love of this temporal life, come, if it can be done, to love the eternal life, which the martyrs loved, who despised these temporal things. I ask, I beseech, I exhort, not only you, but with you also us, let us love the eternal life. I do not wish any longer, since it is greater, that we love it as the temporal is loved by its lovers, not as the temporal life was loved by the holy martyrs. For they either did not love it at all, or loved it minimally, and easily preferred the eternal to it. Therefore, I did not mean martyrs when I said: Let us love the eternal as the temporal is loved, but as the temporal is loved by its lovers, so let us love the eternal, the love for which the Christian professes.
We are Christians, not for temporal life, but for eternal life. What the cross of Christ on the forehead reminds us.
For indeed, we became Christians not for this temporal life. For how many immature Christians are taken away, and sacrilegious men persist in this life up to decrepit old age? But again, among them many die immature. Many losses of Christians and gains of the impious: and again many losses of the impious and gains of Christians. And many honors of the impious and renunciations of Christians: and again many honors of Christians and renunciations of the impious. Since, therefore, these good and bad things are common to both, brothers, did we become Christians to avoid these bad things or to obtain these good things, did we give our name to Christ, and subject our foreheads to such a great sign? You are a Christian; you bear the cross of Christ on your forehead. Your character teaches what you profess. When he hung on the cross - which cross you bear on your forehead; it is not the sign of the wood that delights you, but the sign of the one hanging - therefore, when he was hanging on the cross, he looked upon those raging, endured those insulting, prayed for his enemies. Even as the doctor was being killed, he healed the sick with his own blood. For he said: Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. Nor was that voice empty or in vain. And from them, later, thousands believed in him whom they had killed, to learn to suffer for him, who suffered for them and by them. Hence, therefore, it is understood, brothers, from this sign, from this character which the Christian takes on even when he becomes a catechumen, hence it is understood why we are Christians, because not for temporal and transient things, either good or bad, but to avoid evils that will not pass, and to obtain goods that will have no end.
Temporal life is greatly cherished, not so eternal life.
Nevertheless, as I began to say, brothers, what I had advised, what I had proposed, I beseech you, let us pay attention to how this temporal life is loved by its lovers. In how great a fear are men, lest they die, though they are destined to die! You see a man trembling, fleeing, seeking hiding places, pursuing defenses, begging, prostrating himself; if it can be done, he gives whatever he has for the gift of life, to live one more day, to extend always an uncertain age a little longer. Humans do so much: who does anything similar for eternal life? Let us address the lover of present life: What are you doing, what are you hastening, what are you trembling, what are you fleeing, what hiding places are you seeking? To live, he says. Surely to live? To live always destined to live? No. Therefore you are not striving to remove death, but to delay it. You who act so much that you may die a little later, do something so that you may never die.
Man gives what is necessary, so that he may live longer or miserably here; he does not give what is superfluous, so that he may reign forever with Christ.
How many do we find who say: Let the treasury take my possessions, so that I may die later; how rarely do we find someone who says: Let Christ take my possessions, so that I may never die. And yet, O lover of temporal life, if the treasury takes them, it strips you in this age; if Christ takes them, he keeps them for you in heaven. Because of this life, men wish to have the means to live, and for this reason, they wish to give up the means by which they live. What you keep for yourself to live on, you give so that you may live, perhaps about to perish from hunger. And yet, you say: Let it be taken, what is it to me? I want to beg. You give up the means by which you live, ready to beg so that you may live. You are prepared to beg in this world, even giving up necessities; and are you not prepared to reign with Christ, giving up superfluities? I ask, weigh it. If any scale of fairness is found in the chest of your heart, bring it out, and place these two things on it, and weigh: begging in this world, and reigning with Christ. There is nothing to weigh. For in comparison to that thing, this has no weight at all. If I were to say: reigning in this world, and reigning with Christ; there would be nothing to weigh. I regret having said: Weigh; there is absolutely nothing to weigh. What does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, but suffers the loss of his soul? But whoever does not suffer the loss of his soul, he himself reigns with Christ. Who then reigns securely in this world? Assume someone reigns securely: does he reign eternally?
It is undeserved to love this life so much.
Notice what I was proposing, what kind of lovers the present life has, the temporal life, the brief life, the vile life, what kind of lovers it has. Often a man becomes naked, a beggar, because of this life. You ask him why? He responds thus: so that I might live. What did you love, and what do you love? Where did you arrive? What will you say, badly enamored, perversely enamored? What will you say to this one you have loved? Speak, address, flatter, if you can. What will you say? To this nakedness your beauty has led me. It cries to you: I am vile, and you love? It cries: I am harsh, and you embrace? It cries: I am fleeting, and you try to follow? Behold, your beloved answers you: I will not stay with you; and if I am with you for a while, I will not remain with you; I could make you naked, I could not make you blessed.
Eternal life is God; present life, a vapor.
Therefore, because we are Christians, with the Lord our God invoked for assistance against the enticements of poorly loved things, let us love the beauty of that life which neither eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man. For indeed, God has prepared this for those who love Him; and this life itself is God. You have exclaimed, sighed. Let us love this strongly. May the Lord grant that we love. Let us pour forth tears for this, not only to attain it, but even to love it. What are we to counsel, what are we to demonstrate? Shall we recite books, to show how uncertain these things are, how fleeting, how almost nothing, how true is what is written: "What is indeed your life? It is a vapor appearing for a little time, then will vanish away." It was alive yesterday, today it is not; a little while ago it was seen, now there is no one who sees it. A man is led to the grave: the mourners return, soon forgetting. It is said: "How nothing is man," and man himself says this; and man does not correct himself, so that man may not be nothing, but something. Therefore lovers of this were martyrs, and acquirers of this life are martyrs. They have what they loved, they will have it more abundantly in the resurrection of the dead. Therefore, they paved this way for us with their great sufferings.
Laurentius presents to the persecutor seeking the wealth of the Church what kind they are.
Saint Lawrence was an archdeacon. The wealth of the Church was sought from him by the persecutor, as it is told; hence he suffered so much that it horrifies to hear. Placed on a gridiron, he was burned on all his limbs, tortured by the cruelest pains of the flames; yet conquering all the pains of the body with great strength of charity, aided by Him who had made him so. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. But in order to inflame the persecutor in anger, he did this not wanting him to be angry, but desiring to commend his faith to future generations, and to show how securely he died: "Let the vehicles go with me," he said, "in which I may bring the wealth of the church." The vehicles were sent, he loaded them with the poor, and ordered them to return, saying: "These are the wealth of the church." And it is true, brothers, that the needs of the poor are great wealth for Christians, if we understand where we ought to store what we have. The needy are before us; if we store there, we shall not lose. We do not fear that anyone may take it away: for He who gave it keeps it, nor can we find a better guardian, nor a more faithful promiser.
Martyrs to be imitated.
Therefore, considering this, let us energetically imitate the martyrs if we wish the solemnities we celebrate to benefit us. We have always reminded you of this, brothers, we have never ceased, we have never been silent. Eternal life must be loved, the present life must be despised. One must live well, one must hope for good. He who is bad must be changed; he who is changed must be instructed; he who is instructed must persevere. For he who perseveres to the end will be saved.
It is not permitted to rage against the wicked.
But they say: Many evil people, many evils. And what do you want? Good things from the evil ones? Do not seek grapes among thorns: you are forbidden. From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. If you are able, if you are no longer evil yourself, pray that the evil one may become good. Why do you rage against the evil ones? Because they are evil, you say. You join them by raging against them. I give you advice: does the evil one displease you? Do not let there be two. You reprimand, and you are joined to them: you increase the number of those you condemn. Do you wish to conquer evil with evil? To overcome malice with malice? There will be two malices, both to be conquered. Do you not hear the advice of your Lord through the Apostle: Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good? Perhaps he is worse: when you are also evil, there are still two evils. I would that even one were good. Finally, you rage up to death. What about after death, where the punishment no longer reaches that evil one, and only the malice of another evil is exercised? This is madness, not vengeance.
Each person ought to prohibit their subjects from harming the wicked.
What shall I say to you, my brothers, what shall I say to you? Such people should not please you. Shall I indeed think this about you, that such people please you? Far be it from us, that we should think this about you. But it is little that such people do not please you, it is little; there is something more that is required of you. Let no one say: And God knows that I did not do it, God knows that I did not do it, and God knows that I did not want it to be done. Behold, you have said two things: that you did not do it, and that you did not want it to be done. That is still little. It is indeed little if you did not want it, if you did not also prevent it. The wicked have their judges, they have their authorities, of whom the Apostle says: For he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is a revenger to execute wrath upon him that does evil. A revenger to execute wrath upon him that does evil. But if you do evil, he says, be afraid. For he does not bear the sword in vain. Do you not wish to be afraid of the power? Do good, and you will have praise from it.
He who does good, in what way does he deserve praise from authority.
What then, someone says, had Saint Lawrence done wrong that he should be killed by the authorities? How was it fulfilled in him: Do good, and you will have praise from it, when by doing good he deserved such torments from it? Saint Lawrence the martyr, if he did not have praise from it, he would not be honored today, he would not be proclaimed by us, he would not be praised with such great commendation. Therefore, he has praise from it, even if it does not wish so. For the Apostle does not say: Do good, and the authority itself will praise you. For all the Apostles and martyrs did good; and the authorities did not praise them, rather they killed them. Therefore, if he had said: Do good, and it will praise you, he would deceive you. But now he has tempered his words, considered, weighed, moderated, and trimmed them. Examine what you heard: Do good, and you will have praise from it. For if the authority is just, you will have praise from it, even with it praising you. But if it is unjust, having died for faith, for justice, for truth, you will have praise from it, even if it rages. Thus you will have praise from it, not by it praising you, but by it providing the occasion for your praise. Therefore, do good, and you will have, and you will be secure.
It is not permitted for anyone to kill the wicked.
But that wicked man did so much, oppressed so many, led so many to begging and destitution. He has his judges, he has his authorities. The republic is ordered. For those which are, are ordered by God. Why do you rage? What power have you received, except because these are not public punishments, but open brigandage? Consider in the very ranks of the authorities, the one destined for punishment and condemned, on whom the sword hangs, may not be struck, except by him who serves for this purpose. The executioner interrogator serves: the condemned is struck by him. If the attendant strikes the condemned, already destined for punishment, does he not also kill the condemned? And he is condemned as a murderer. Surely the one he killed was already condemned, already destined for punishment; but to strike disorderly is murder. If it is murder to strike the condemned disorderly; tell me, what is it to want to strike the unheard, to want to strike the unjudged, to want to strike a bad man without any received power? For we do not defend the wicked, or say that the wicked are not evil. Those who judge will give an account of it. Why do you want to give a difficult account for another's death, you who do not bear the burden of authority? God has freed you, so that you are not a judge: why do you usurp another's role? Give an account of yourself.
The judgment of the Lord upon merciless men.
O Lord, how you pierced the hearts of the raging ones; when you said: "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to cast a stone at her." Struck to the heart by this serious and sharp word, they recognized their own consciences, and were ashamed before present justice; and one by one, they departed, leaving behind the wretched woman alone. But she was not alone in her guilt: for with her was the judge, who was not yet judging, but granting mercy. For as the raging ones departed, both the wretched woman and mercy remained. And the Lord said to her: "Has no one condemned you?" She replied: "No one, Lord." He said: "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."
Soldiers, not by military service but by malice, are prevented from being good. What is commanded to tax collectors, what to everyone.
But this soldier has done so much for me. I would like to know if you, being in the military, would not do similar things. Neither do we want such things to be done by soldiers to afflict the poor; we do not want this. We want them to hear the Gospel too. For it does not prohibit doing good from the military, but from malice. When soldiers came to John's baptism, they said: And what shall we do? John said to them: Do not extort anyone, do not accuse anyone falsely; be content with your wages. And truly, brothers, if soldiers were like this, the republic itself would be happy, but if not only the soldier was like this, but also the tax collector was like the one described there. For the publicans, that is, tax collectors, said to him: And what shall we do? The answer was: Do not collect more than what is prescribed for you. The soldier was corrected, the tax collector was corrected: let the provincial be corrected too. You have direct correction for all. What shall we all do? He who has two tunics, let him share with the one who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise. We want soldiers to hear what Christ commanded: let us also hear. For Christ is not theirs alone, and not ours: nor is God theirs alone, and not ours. Let us all hear and live in peace harmoniously.
A negotiator liable to fraud and perjury. The wicked do not act cruelly except against the wicked.
It weighed on me when I was a merchant. Did you conduct the business well yourself? Did you not commit fraud in that very business? Did you not swear falsely in that very business? Did you not say? By him who crossed me, the very sea, because I paid so much, which you did not pay. Brothers, I tell you more explicitly, and as much as the Lord grants, freely: The wicked do not rage against the wicked, unless they are wicked. There is another necessity of power. For a judge is often compelled to unsheath the sword and strike, though he would be unwilling. For as far as it concerns him, he wished to preserve the bloodless sentence: but he did not wish, perhaps, to let public discipline perish. It belonged to his profession, to his power, to his necessity. What does it pertain to you, except to pray to God: Deliver us from evil? Oh, who said: Deliver us from evil, may God deliver you from yourself.
The pious bishop is compelled to deal with secular authorities.
In summary, brothers, why do we hold back for so long? We are all Christians: we also bear a greater burden of danger. Often it is said about us: Why does he go to that authority? and what does the bishop seek with that authority? And yet you all know that your needs compel us to go where we do not want: to watch, to stand before the door, to await the worthy and the unworthy as they enter, to be announced, to be admitted only with difficulty, to endure humiliations, to ask, sometimes to obtain, sometimes to leave sorrowful. Who would want to suffer these things unless we were compelled? Let us be dismissed, let us not suffer those things, let no one compel us: behold, let it be granted to us, give us a break from this matter. We ask you, we beseech you, let no one compel us; we do not want to have dealings with the authorities; He knows, because we are compelled. And we hold those authorities as we ought to hold Christians, if we find Christians in that authority; and pagans, just as we ought to hold pagans; wishing well to all. But you say, let the authorities be advised to do good. Are we to advise them in your presence? Do you know if we have advised? You do not know whether we have done so or not. This I know, that you do not know, and you judge rashly. Nevertheless, my brothers, I beseech you, concerning the authorities it may be said to me: He should advise him and he would do good. And I reply: I advised him, but he did not listen to me; and I advised him where you did not hear. Who advises the people in part? Or could we advise one man in part, and say: Do this, or do that, where no other would be present. Who leads the people aside and advises them without anyone knowing?
The wicked man dead, twice lamented.
This necessity compels us to speak such things to you, lest we give a bad account to God about you; lest He would say to us: You should have warned, you should have given, I would demand it. Therefore, turn away from these bloody deeds, turn away entirely. Let it not concern you, when you see and hear such things, except to pity. But an evil man has died! He is doubly to be mourned, because he is doubly dead: both temporally and eternally. For if a good man had died, we would grieve with human affection, because he has left us, because we wanted him to live with us. Even worse are those who should be mourned, because they are received by eternal punishments after this life. Therefore, it is for you to grieve, my brothers, it is for you to grieve, not to rage.
Everyone ought to prevent civil disturbances to the best of their abilities.
But it is not enough, as I said, it is not enough that you do not commit, it is not enough that you grieve, unless you also, to the best of your ability, prevent those things which do not pertain to the power of the people. I do not say, brothers, that any of you can go out and forbid the people: even we cannot do that; but each one in his own household, his son, his servant, his friend, his neighbor, his client, his subordinate, deal with them, so that they do not do these things. Persuade those whom you can; and apply severity to others, over whom you have authority. I know one thing, which all know with me, that in this city many houses are found in which there is not even one pagan; not a single house is found where there are no Christians. And if it is carefully examined, no house is found where there are not more Christians than pagans. It is true, you agree. You see then that evils would not happen if Christians were unwilling. There is no response to be made. Hidden evils can happen, public ones cannot, if Christians forbid and are unwilling; for each would control his servant, each would control his son: the harshness of a father, the harshness of an uncle, the harshness of a teacher, the harshness of a good neighbor, the harshness of the correction of a superior, and of the body itself would tame the youth. If these things were thus handled, evils would not greatly sadden us.
The wrath of God from the sins of the people.
My brothers, I fear the wrath of God: God does not fear the crowds. How quickly it is said: What the people did, they did: who is it that will punish the people? Indeed, who is it? Is it not God? For did God fear the whole world, when He made the flood? Did He fear the many cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, when He destroyed them with heavenly fire? I do not wish to now speak of the present evils, how great and where they have been done, and what followed I do not wish to recall, lest I seem to mock. Did God in His wrath separate those who did from those who did not? But He joined those who did with those who did not prevent.
Let the people not take upon themselves what pertains to the authorities, nor rage disorderly against the wicked.
Let us then explain the discourse at some point. My brethren, we urge you, we beseech you by the Lord and His gentleness, to live gently, to live peacefully; allow the authorities to do what pertains to them, for which they will render an account to God and their superiors, peacefully; whenever you need to ask for something, ask honorably and peacefully; do not mingle with those who do evil and violently and disorderly rage; do not desire to be involved in or watch such deeds; but as far as you can, each one in his own house and in his neighborhood, with whom he has some bond of necessity and charity, admonish, persuade, teach, correct; also restrain from such great evils by any threats: so that someday God may have mercy and put an end to human evils, and not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities, but as far as the East is from the West, so far remove our sins from us; and for the sake of the honor of His name, may He deliver us, and be merciful to our sins, lest perhaps the nations say: Where is their God?
After the treatise
The laws of the emperors for fortifying the Church. This is the common refuge of all.
Brethren, for the sake of those who seek refuge in the stronghold of Mother Church, for the common refuge of all, do not be lazy and sluggish in attending to your mother and do not depart from the Church; for she is concerned that the undisciplined multitude may not dare anything. Furthermore, as far as those powers are concerned, since there are laws promulgated in the name of God by Christian Emperors which sufficiently and abundantly fortify the Church, and they themselves seem to not dare act against their mother, lest they be blamed among men and have judgment from God, may this be far from them; nor do we believe it of them, nor do we see it so. But lest the undisciplined multitude dare anything, you ought to frequent your mother, because, as I said, this is not a cause of merely one or two men but a common refuge. And whoever has no cause, let him fear lest he have one. I say to your Charity: Even the wicked flee to the Church from the face of those living justly, and the just flee from the face of the wicked, and sometimes the wicked flee from the face of the wicked. There are three types of those who flee. The good do not flee from the good, only the just do not flee from the just; but either the unjust flee from the just, or the just flee from the unjust, or the unjust from the unjust. But if we wish to discern and remove from the Church those who do evil, there will be no place for those who do good to hide; if we wish to permit that the guilty be removed from here, there will be no refuge for the innocent. Therefore it is better that even the guilty be fortified in the Church than the innocent be snatched away from the Church. Keep this in mind: so that, as I said, your presence, not cruelty, may be feared.