Sermon 370

SERMO 370

ON THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD

Four types of human birth.

Today's day for holding the hope of eternal life has brought great joy to the human race. For the first man, through whose fall we all fell, whose ruin is our mortality, was not born but made; with no father, no mother, but by God's working. This is the first condition of man. Adam from the earth. The second condition of man, in which the woman is created from the side of man. The third condition of man, in which a man is born from a man and a woman. The fourth condition is of God and man, in which Christ was born without a man from a woman. Among these four conditions only one is familiar to us, the other three are not in the eyes of the flesh, but in the faith of the heart. We do not know a man made from the earth without father, without mother; we do not know the woman made from the side of a man, we have read and heard and believed. The third is familiar to us, itself daily; from the union of man and woman men are born daily. Now then there was one without man and woman, there was another from man without woman, there was a third from man and woman, the fourth remained without man from woman. But this fourth liberated the three. For the first and second fell, the third was born from their fall, in the fourth they found salvation.

Every rank of the faithful testifies that the Savior was born for all men.

Let virgins exult, therefore; a virgin bore Christ. Let them not think anything of what they vowed has been destroyed: she remained a virgin after childbirth. Let widows exult; the widow Anna recognized the infant Christ. Let married women exult; Elizabeth, who was married, prophesied about the Lord Jesus Christ who would be born. No state of life was omitted, from which the salvation of all did not have testimony. For is it that only virgins reach the kingdom of heaven? Widows reach it too. The holy widow Anna was of great merit. For she had lived with her husband from her virginity for seven years; and when he died, she reached old age, and in her holy old age she awaited the infancy of the Savior; so that the aged would see the child, the old woman would recognize the child, the Savior entering the world she would see as she was departing. And in the male sex, the same three states are commended. Christ Himself was born as a child; let children exult, vowing continence at a young age. He indeed consecrated the integrity of chastity, who granted fertility to His mother, but did not take away her virginity. That old man Simeon had lived a long time, his age compared to Anna's; and he had received the response that he would not see death until he had first seen the Christ of the Lord.

The longing for the birth of Christ among the ancient saints. Simeon.

Understand, brothers, how much desire the ancient saints had to see Christ. They knew He was to come, and all who lived piously said: "Oh, if that birth may find me here! Oh, if I may see with my own eyes what I believe in the Scriptures of God!" And to know how great a desire the saints had, who knew from the holy Scriptures that a virgin would give birth, as you have heard when Isaiah was read: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel." The Gospel has revealed to us what Emmanuel means, saying: which translates as: God with us. Therefore, it should not be a wonder to you, whatever unbelieving soul you are, nor should it seem impossible for a virgin to give birth, remaining a virgin giving birth. Understand God born, and you will not marvel at a virgin's childbirth. So that you may know that the ancient saints and just men desired to see what was granted to this old man Simeon; our Lord Jesus Christ, speaking to His disciples, said: "Many righteous men and prophets desired to see what you see, but did not see it; and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it." This old man was late in hearing but ripe in seeing. He did not wait to hear Christ speaking, for he recognized the infant. And this was granted to him in old age, as though he desired and sighed daily in his prayers, saying: "When will He come? When will He be born? When will I see Him? Do you think I will endure? Do you think He will find me here? Do you think these eyes of mine will see, through whom the eyes of my heart will be revealed?" He said these things in his prayers, and for his desire, he received the answer that he would not taste death before seeing the Christ of the Lord. Mary, His mother, was carrying the infant: he saw Him and recognized Him. How did he know whom he recognized? Was He revealed inside, who was born outside? He saw and recognized. Simeon recognized the silent infant; and the Jews killed the young man performing miracles. When he recognized Him, he took Him in his arms, that is, in his arms, he embraced Him. He carried Him who carried him. For He is Christ, the wisdom of God, reaching from end to end mightily, and disposing all things sweetly. How great was He there, and how great, how small He became? Small He became, seeking small ones. What does it mean, seeking small ones? Not the proud, not the haughty; but He collected the humble and meek. He deigned to be placed in a manger, to be the food of devout animals. Thus Simeon took Him in his arms and said: "Now you dismiss your servant, Lord, in peace. You dismiss in peace because I see peace. Why then do you dismiss in peace? Because my eyes have seen your salvation." The salvation of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Announce his salvation day by day.

Boys and old men and the married testify to Christ.

You have therefore, children, the child Jesus; the holy old men, the old man Simeon. If, however, you seek for a married man to bear witness to the Lord, consider Zachariah. Therefore, let no one seek something else, my brothers, faithful Christians, whether virgin or widow or married or child or continent or husband: whatever more anyone wants to be, they will not find how it pertains to Christ. We do not find that adulterers, fornicators, or the impure bore witness to Christ. And so that such as these may bear witness to Him, He Himself provided, He Himself granted. For no one is holy by their own strength. Let us rejoice, therefore, dearest ones. From today, the days increase. Believe in Christ, and the day grows in you. Have you believed? The day has begun. Have you been baptized? Christ is born in your heart. But does Christ remain just as He was born? He grew, He reached youth: but He did not decline into old age. Therefore, let your faith also grow, let it find strength, let it know no old age. Thus you will belong to Christ the Son of God, the Word at the beginning with God, the Word God; but the Word made flesh, to dwell among us. Majesty lay hidden there, where weakness appeared. In his hands, Simeon received the weakness, but he recognized the majesty within. Let no one scorn the born, if they wish to be reborn. It pertained to Him to be born for our sake; it pertains to us to be reborn in Him: who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.