Sermon 42

SERMO 42

ON WHAT IS WRITTEN IN ISAIAH:
"Why do I need the multitude of your sacrifices?"
AND FROM THE CHAPTER OF THE GOSPEL WHERE IT SAYS:
"FORGIVE AND YOU WILL BE FORGIVEN, GIVE AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU"

What good we have, let us distribute; what evil, let us remit.

I, Brothers, have little strength, but the word of God has great strength. May it prevail in your hearts. Therefore, what I say slowly, you greatly hear if you obey. The Lord thundered through his prophet Isaiah as through a cloud. If you have understanding, you have shuddered. For he spoke clearly, nor do these things need an expositor but a doer. "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me?" he says. "Who has required this from your hands?" God seeks us, not ours. But the sacrifice of a Christian is almsgiving to the poor. From this, God is made propitious to sins. Unless God becomes propitious to sins, who remains except guilty? From those offenses and sins, without which this life is not led, people are purified through alms. These are of two kinds: giving and forgiving; giving what good you have, forgiving the harm you suffer. These two kinds of alms the Lord, the good master, who shortened the word on earth so that it would be fruitful and not burdensome, briefly encompassed as follows: "Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you." "Forgive, and you will be forgiven" pertains to forgiving; "Give, and it will be given to you" pertains to giving. From that alms whereby you forgive a person, you lose nothing. Behold, he immediately asks for forgiveness, you forgave, and you lost nothing. You returned home more loving. The other kind of alms, where we are commanded to give to the needy, seems heavy because what one gives, he will no longer have.

God gives in heaven, on earth He receives.

Indeed, the Apostle reassures us here as well, who said: "As each one has, not that others may have relief and you distress." Therefore, let each one measure their strength, not aim to store up riches on earth. Give, what you give does not perish. I do not say: This does not perish, but I say: This alone does not perish. But the other things which you do not give and which abound to you, either you lose them while living or you leave them when you die. Then, my brothers, who would this great promise not encourage? "Forgive," he says, "and it will be forgiven you; give, and it will be given to you." When he says, "Give and it will be given to you," consider to whom he speaks, who speaks. God says to man, the immortal says to the mortal, such a great father of the family says to the beggar. For he will not take back what we have given. We have found one to whom we may lend. Let us give to God, not to man. We give to him who abounds, we give to him who gives us what to give. And in place of small things, for trifles, for mortal things, for perishable things, for earthly things, he returns eternal, incorruptible, everlasting things. What more can I say? He promises himself, who promises. If you love him, buy him from him. And to know that you give to him, hear him saying: "I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; naked, and you clothed me; sick, and you visited me; in prison, and you came to me." And they will say to him: "When did we see you in these needs and minister to you?" And he: "When you did to one of the least of my brothers, you did it to me." He gives from heaven, he receives on earth. He himself gives, he himself receives. It is as though you make a remittance across. Here you give, there you receive; here you give perishable things, there you receive things that last forever.

And whenever you say to God: Deliver me, Lord, from the evil man - for this is how we sang - I know indeed with what groan you say: Deliver me, Lord, from the evil man. For who in this age does not suffer some evil man? When, therefore, you say this to God: Deliver me, Lord, from the evil man, just as you say it with all your heart, so also look attentively at yourself first. Deliver me, Lord, from the evil man. Suppose God answered you: "From whom?" You will say from Gaius, from Lucius, from some unknown person whom you suffer. And He responds to you: "You say nothing about yourself to me? If I deliver you from the evil man, you must first be delivered from yourself. You yourself suffer as an evil, do not suffer yourself as evil." Let us see if another evil finds something to do to you. What can an evil person do to you? You do not be evil. Let not your greed rule over you, let not your lust trample you, let not your wrath break you. Who are these inner enemies of yours? You yourself. They can do nothing to you. Let us see what your evil neighbor, evil patron, or evil powerful person does to you. Let us see what he does to you. Let him find you just, let him find you faithful, let him find you Christian: what will he do to you? What did the Jews do to Stephen? By doing evil they sent him to good. Therefore, when you pray that God may deliver you from the evil man, pay attention to yourself. Do not spare yourself. Let Him deliver you from yourself. How does He deliver you from yourself? By forgiving sins, granting merits, giving you the strength to fight against your desires, inspiring virtue, granting your mind heavenly delight by which all earthly delight is surpassed. When God grants these to you, He delivers you from yourself, and you await securely in the evils of this world which will eventually pass, as you anticipate the coming of your Lord with the good things that cannot pass. This should suffice for you all. You certainly see, because somehow I approach weak, and by speaking I become strong. So great is my spirit, so great is my zeal for your progress. For the worker in the field hoping for fruits feels less labor. You know what my fruits are, that I may be with you, and we all may be fruits of God. Amen.