Sermon 378
SERMO 378
ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST
The gift of the Holy Spirit is the pledge of eternal life, as we journey towards our homeland.
The feast is pleasing to God, where piety thrives, and charity fervorizes. For it is the effect of the presence of the Holy Spirit: as the Apostle teaches, saying: "The love of God is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Therefore, the arrival of the Holy Spirit filled one hundred and twenty people established in one place. When the Acts of the Apostles were read, we heard: "There were gathered together in one place one hundred and twenty, holding the promise of Christ." For He had said that they should be in the city until they were clothed with power from on high. For He said, “I will send my promise upon you.” A faithful promiser, a kind giver. What He promised on earth, He ascended to heaven and sent. We have the pledge of future eternal life and the kingdom of heaven. He did not deceive us with a recent promise, and will He deceive us with future expectation? When men contract any business with each other, and the pledge of monetary business is loosened, they often receive or give earnest money: and the given earnest money secures faith, indicating that the very thing for which the earnest money was given will follow. Christ gave us the Holy Spirit as an earnest: and He who cannot deceive us made us secure when He gave the earnest, which even if He had not given, He would doubtlessly exhibit what He had promised. What did He promise? Eternal life, whose earnest He gave as the Holy Spirit. Eternal life is the possession of those who dwell in it: the earnest is the consolation of those who are journeying. For it is better said to be an earnest than a pledge. These two seem to be similar among themselves: but yet they have some not negligible difference. A pledge is given, and earnest money is given, for the reason that what is promised may be fulfilled: but when a pledge is given, a man returns what he has received, with the matter completed for which he received the pledge; however, when earnest money is given, it is not taken back, but is added to so that it may be fulfilled. Therefore, we have the earnest: let us thirst for the very source whence the earnest is. We have the earnest, a certain sprinkling in our hearts of the Holy Spirit: if anyone feels this dew, let him desire the source. For why do we have the earnest, except so that we do not fail from hunger and thirst during this journey? For we do hunger and thirst, if we nevertheless recognize ourselves as journeying. He who is journeying, and knows he is journeying, desires his homeland; while he desires it, the journey is troublesome. If he loves the journey, he forgets his homeland, and does not wish to return. Our homeland is not such that we should prefer anything to it. Sometimes men, while journeying, become rich. Those who were in need in their homeland become wealthy through their journey, and do not wish to return. We have all been born as pilgrims from our Lord, from whom the breath of life first inspired man. Our homeland is in heaven, citizens are angels. Letters have been sent to us from our homeland, to encourage us to return, which are read daily among the people. Let the world be vile, let the one who made the world be loved.