Sermon 342

SERMO 342

On the Evening Sacrifice
In which the beginning of the Gospel of John is explained

Sign of the cross. Sacrifice of the cross.

A discourse on the evening sacrifice must be given. For we prayed by singing, and prayed by singing: "Let my prayer be directed as incense before you; the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice." In prayer, we envisage the person, in the extension of the hands we recognize the cross. Therefore, this is the sign we bear on our forehead, the sign by which we are saved. A sign mocked, so it may be honored; despised, so it may be glorified. God appears, so that man may pray; and God hides, so that man may die. For if they had known, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory. Therefore this sacrifice, where the priest is a victim, redeemed us by the shedding of the Creator’s blood. However, He did not create us with blood, but redeemed us with blood. For He created us in the beginning, which was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. By this we were created. The text follows: "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made." This is what we were created by. But listen to how we were redeemed: "What was made was in Him life, and the life was the light of men; and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." Still, He is God: still, it is said that which remains unchangeable forever; still, it is said that for seeing which hearts must be cleansed; but by what they are cleansed, it is not yet said. “The light,” it is said, “shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” But so that they may not be darkness, and may be able to comprehend it; for sinners are darkness, the faithless are darkness; so that they may not be darkness, and may be able to comprehend: "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." Behold the Word, behold the Word made flesh, the Word before the flesh. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; all things were made through Him." Where is the blood here? Behold now your creator, but not yet your ransom. Therefore, from where you are redeemed? Because "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us."

John was sent before Christ as a lamp before the light.

Look a little higher. The light, he says, shines in darkness, and the darkness has not comprehended it. Because the darkness did not comprehend the light, there was need for human testimony for men. They could not see the day, but perhaps they could tolerate a lamp. Therefore, because they were less adept at seeing the day, they could somehow tolerate the lamp: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came to bear witness to the light. Who, about whom did he come, to bear witness to the light? How was he not the light, if he was at least a lamp? First, see that he was a lamp. Do you want to hear about the lamp from the day, and the day from the lamp? You, he says, sent to John, and you wanted to exult for a time in his light; he was a burning and shining lamp. So, what did John see, who despised the lamp? He was not the light, but he came to bear witness to the light. To which light? It was the true light, which illuminates every man coming into this world. If every man, then also John. He who did not yet want to show himself as the day, had lit for himself his own witness, the lamp. But such was the lamp, which could be lit from the day. Hear John himself confessing: We, he says, have all received from his fullness. He was thought to be the Christ, he admitted he was a man. He was thought to be the Lord, he confessed himself to be a servant. You recognize well, lamp, your humility, lest the wind of pride extinguish you. For it was the true light, which illuminates every man coming into this world; that is, every creature that is capable of illumination, that is, every man having mind and reason, by which he can be a participant of the Word.

The world is understood in two ways.

That which was the true light, which enlightens every man having a mind coming into this world, where was it? It was in this world. But the earth was also in this world, and the sun and the moon were in this world. Hear about your day, O eye of the human mind! It was in this world, and through him the world was made. He was here in such a way that even before the world existed, he was not as if he had no place to be. For God contains by dwelling, he is not contained. Therefore, in a wondrous and ineffable way, he was in this world. And the world was made through him, and the world did not recognize him. Which world was made through him? In the beginning, God made heaven and earth, because all things were made through him. Which world did not recognize him? World and world, as house and house: house in the structure, house in the inhabitants. In the structure of the house; just as: He made a great house, he constructed a very beautiful house. House in the inhabitants; as: A good house, may the Lord bless it; a bad house, may God spare it. Therefore the world was made through him, both the dwelling and the inhabitants; and the world did not recognize him, the inhabitants.

Jews and Gentiles.

He came to his own, and his own did not receive him. So why did he come, as if not knowing beforehand that his own would not receive him? Hear why he came: But to all who did receive him. His own did not receive, and his own did receive; the world did not believe, and the whole world believed. Just as we say: The whole tree is full of leaves; is the place for fruits taken away? Both can be said, both can be understood, both the tree full of leaves and the tree full of fruits; one tree in both, but spreading leaves, gathering fruits. Therefore, his faithful, his servants, his lovers, whose glory it is, whose hope it is, whose reality it is; when you hear: His own did not receive him, do not grieve; because by believing you are his. His own did not receive him. Who are these? Perhaps the Jews once called from Egypt, delivered with a mighty hand, passed through the Red Sea, escaping through dry land, without pursuing enemies, fed with manna, rescued from slavery, led to the kingdom, bought with so many benefits. Behold his own, who did not receive; but by not receiving they became strangers. They were in the olive tree, by pride they were broken. The wild olive, contemptible, despised for the bitterness of its berries, was through the whole world; the whole world shuddered at the wild olive, but nevertheless through humility it deserved to be grafted, from which the olive was cut off by pride. Hear the proud olive, and worthy to be broken: We are not born of slavery, we have Abraham as our father. It is answered: If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. Contrary to what was said: We are not born of slavery: If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. You boast of being free? Everyone who sins is a slave to sin. So how much safer would it be to be a slave of a man than of a perverse desire? They, however, in their pride did not receive the humble one. See a worthy wild olive to be grafted, that centurion, not of the Israelites, but of the Gentiles: Lord, I am not worthy for you to come under my roof. And the Lord: Truly, I tell you, I have not found such faith in Israel. In the olive tree I did not find what I found in the wild olive. Therefore, the proud olive shall be cut off, and the humble wild olive grafted in. See the one who grafts, see the one who cuts off: Therefore I say to you, many will come from the east and west; many wild olives will come to be grafted into the olive tree; and will recline with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. You have heard how the humble wild olive is grafted; hear how the proud olive is cut off: But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Why? Because his own did not receive him. And why is the wild olive grafted? Because to all who did receive him, he gave the power to become children of God.

The power given that we may be made children of God.

Lift up your heart, human race, breathe in the aura of life and most secure freedom. What do you hear? What is promised to you? He gave them power. What power? Perhaps the kind that inflates men, judging human heads, passing sentences on the innocent and guilty? He said, "He gave them power to become children of God." For they were not children, and they were becoming children; because He, through whom people become children of God, was already the Son of God, and became the Son of Man. Therefore they were already children of men, and became children of God. He who was something else descended to what he was not. He raised you to what you were not, for you were something else. Therefore, lift up your hope. Great is what has been promised to you, but it is promised by a great one. It seems much and incredible, and as if it cannot be estimated that the children of men become children of God. But greater was done for them, that the Son of God became the Son of Man. Therefore, lift up your hope, O man, banish unbelief from your heart. Something more incredible has already been done for you, than what has been promised to you. Are you amazed that man should have eternal life? Are you amazed that man should reach eternal life? Rather be amazed that God reached death for you. Why do you doubt the promise, having received such a pledge? See then how He confirms you, how He strengthens the promise of God: "As many as received Him, to them He gave power to become children of God." By what generation? Not that usual, not old, not transient or carnal. "Not of the flesh," He said, "not of blood, nor of the will of man, but born of God." Are you amazed, do you not believe? "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." Behold whence the evening sacrifice was made. Let us cling to Him: let Him be offered with us, who was offered for us. For thus in the evening sacrifice the old life is killed, and at dawn the new one arises.