Sermon 313H

Sermon 313

ON THE DAY OF SAINT EULALIA

Christ made from captives the redeemed, from the redeemed servants, from the servants brothers, from the brothers members.

During the solemnities of the martyrs, appropriate holy readings are recited, which commend to us that their victories were foretold beforehand and completed through the aid of Him who promised these things. "If the world hates you," says the Lord, "know that it hated me before you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own." The Lord Christ never was of this world, because he was not a sinner. However, his disciples were of the world; but, so that they would not be of the world, he chose them out of the world, he who never was of the world. For he openly said this to them in another place: "I chose you out of the world." I chose what I made, not what I found. For what did he find but evil merits when he came? But those whom he found wicked, he made good. He made from captives redeemed ones, from the redeemed servants, from the servants brothers, from the brothers members.

Whatever is left of the world hates us.

Because therefore they had become his members, what would they suffer other than what he himself suffered? By his example, he showed what they ought to do. Do we think it was said only to the disciples, "the world hates you," or to all Christians? But now all Christians are the world itself, that is, the whole world. What therefore remains of the world that would hate us? Nevertheless, whatever remains, hates us. Whoever are pagans, without a doubt, hate Christians. We do not hate them, but seek them. Whoever are reprobate Jews, like the chaff of that threshing floor that was blown away by the cross, they also hate us. Whatever heretics exist in the human race, who have gone out from the Church, all of them hate us. And however many they are, if the remnants are counted against us, they hate likewise. How rages the whole world! Behold, those who suffered as martyrs suffered throughout the whole world. Who could endure the roaring lion, except Christ helped? Wherever they went, wherever they passed, they were cursed, apprehended, stoned, beaten, burned by fires, thrown to beasts, struck by the sword. Behold, those against whom the rage was directed were crowned; where are those who raged?

Eulalia, Crispina, Cyprian, martyrs Eight, Twenty.

But when the Lord says: “The hour will come when whoever kills you will think they are offering a service to God,” it does not pertain to those martyrs, whose solemnity we celebrate. For this holy Eulalia, from the province of Spain, a holy and strong woman, who overcame her gender through her zeal, like saint Crispina, like blessed Cyprian, like many other holy martyrs, like the Eight, like the Twenty, and all their companions, believed from among the multitude of nations, and were killed by pagans. How then can it be said that what the Lord said was fulfilled in them: “The hour will come when whoever kills you will think they are offering a service to God”? They are not those of whom it was spoken, because those who killed them did not think they were offering a service to God, but to idols. Therefore, they are killed, so they do not perish; they are humbled, so they may be exalted; they die, so they may live. Thus it has been done. Therefore, after the fragrance of the ointments, others followed: the Twenty, the Eight, some this way, some that way: Cyprian, Crispina, Eulalia. And who can enumerate them all? A few grains were sown, and they have produced such a harvest, and they have filled the granaries of Christ.