Sermon 388
SERMO 388
ON GIVING ALMS
Only alms are mentioned in the Last Judgment.
This reading, brothers, which we have just heard from the holy Gospel, exhorts us to give alms: and it exhorts us in such a way that in his judgment the Lord imputes only these deeds to the right hand, and imputes only the hitherto done deeds to the left hand. Not that the other deeds of men, whether good or bad, will not come into judgment; for it is written that all things will come to judgment: and yet our Lord Jesus Christ did not choose, foretelling to us his coming judgment; he chose nothing to admonish us of, except alms alone. Would it not be said to the right hand: Because you have lived chastely, because you have not seized the goods of others, because you have confessed my faith even unto blood? For all these good deeds must necessarily be honored in the judgment of Jesus Christ. Again, do you think it will not be said to the left hand: Because you have been impudent, because you have fornicated, because you have seized the goods of others, because your pride and bad morals have led to my name being blasphemed, and other such things as he mentions? Nevertheless, our Lord, foretelling his judgment to us, was silent on all other righteous deeds of the just, and deigned to mention only alms. He was silent on all the evil deeds of the wicked, and judged that only the sterility of alms should be reproached, in order to admonish us. Why is this? Because all crimes are redeemed by alms. Therefore, he praised this fecundity and blamed and condemned that aridity.
Alms for more serious sins are of no benefit unless habits are changed.
But what you have heard, that all evil deeds are redeemed by alms, do not understand in such a way as some perverse individuals understand it. For alms can benefit you in erasing past sins, if you change your ways. But if you persist in the same evils, you do not corrupt the judge with your alms. I say this because of those crimes and wickednesses, which everyone must now avoid, who receive the body and blood of Christ. Furthermore, I am not unaware that this mortal life, set in corruptible flesh, cannot be without sins; but those daily and slight ones also have their daily washings. This is why we beat our chest, and say in prayer to the Lord our God: Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. For we do not say this for no reason, nor would the heavenly master teach us this prayer, unless he foresaw that we would be sinners. For he saw what we ought to beware of, and he saw what it is difficult to beware of. However, he judged it impossible to beware of everything, and he taught this daily prayer not to any Christians, but to the very rams, the Apostles. But where the Apostles beat their chest, and say: Forgive us our debts, that is, our sins, would any little sheep dare to take pride in its righteousness? See what kind of man the Apostle John was: he reclined on the Lord’s chest, he drank in secret from that high fountain of wisdom. For he drank there what he erupted in the Gospel: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Gospel continually testifies that the Lord particularly loved him. And yet he says: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. However, since these things are said, no murderer should be relaxed, if he should come to say: Forgive us our debts, because of his daily fornications and robberies. For what God has established to be said daily for slight sins, he thinks can help him with those grave sins, from which he does not want to depart, but wishes to remain in them perpetually. Let him also beat his chest for these, let him also do alms for these, but with a changed life: let him depart from those, and come to this. But if he says in his heart: If I commit daily robberies, and if I stain myself with daily adulterous corruptions, and if I seek out sorcerers, sacrifice to idols, consult astrologers, and altogether do not depart from such a life, but by doing daily alms I extinguish all sins: you indeed extinguish, but when you are extinguished. For thus will your evil change be for you, that there will not be lacking someone who will say about you: And yet a little while, and the sinner shall be no more; and you will look for his place, and shall not find it. I saw the wicked exalted like the cedars of Lebanon: and I passed by, and behold, he was no more; and I sought him, but his place was not found. Therefore, your sins perish, but with you. For you are not permitted to sin in hell, nor when the eternal fire begins to torture you, will you think about satiating lusts. Therefore your sins perish, but with you. But if you change your life, they perish, you are found, and it will be said about you: He was dead, and revived; was lost, and was found.