Sermon 45

SERMO 45

ABOUT WHAT IS WRITTEN IN ISAIAH:
"But those who are devoted to me will inherit the land."
"And they shall inhabit my holy mountain"
And from the Apostle:
"Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves"
Perfecting from all defilement of flesh and spirit
"Sanctification in the fear of God"

The flesh and spirit must be purified.

In all the readings we have heard recited, if your Charity noticed the first reading from the prophet Isaiah—because we cannot either remember or mention all that was read—I think the most recent part may have lingered in your hearts, where the reader concluded: But those who are dedicated to me shall possess the land and live on my holy mountain. Then the apostolic reading began and started from there: Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. By the divine mercy, that governs us and that prepares food for us who hunger—not only for the replenishing of our bodies, for which it makes the sun rise over the good and evil and rains upon the just and unjust—but also for the hunger of our hearts that we suffer in this wilderness and we die unless manna rains down, the Lord preparing his table for us, with no human industry providing, what he knows, it happened that the readings followed each other in such a way, that in Isaiah something was promised to us, and in the Apostle it was said: Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, as if it were one reading of the Prophet and the Apostle. For what does the Apostle say? Therefore, having these promises, beloved, and it is not said there what promises, not because they are not there, but because the reader did not start from there, and as the listener's mind was asking about what promises does the Apostle say: Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit. For a great task is laid upon us, and not a small effort, to cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit. And no one undertakes this effort, unless they hear the reward of the promise. Since then, the effort of the cleansing of flesh and spirit no one undertakes, unless invited by the reward, somehow it happened that the reader began with the order of the work and not with the promise of the reward, but God, who did not want to defraud the attentive listener. If perhaps he was hesitating to undertake the effort of the cleansing of flesh and spirit because he had not heard the reward, let him turn to the beginning of the apostolic reading. And if he seeks the promises, let him pay attention to the end of the prophetic reading. For where the prophetic reading ended, there is the promise; from where the reading of the Apostle began, there is the command of the work.

Most people seek their own interests.

Let us therefore rise, and cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, having these promises. What promises? "Those who are dedicated to me," says the Lord through Isaiah, "will possess the land and inhabit my holy mountain." Therefore, having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit. Someone might say: "And for this reason I will cleanse myself from defilement of flesh and spirit, that I may possess the land and inhabit the mountain?" Undoubtedly, it must be asked what is meant by the possession of the land and dwelling on the mountain, lest people mistakenly hope to receive vast possessions and not end their desire but postpone it, or even increase it, and despise little things thinking they will receive greater ones of the same kind. For who would not despise a single centuria if he is promised that he will possess a hundred? Or who would not despise the delights of one meal, perhaps poorer and more frugal, if it is said to him: "Unless you restrain yourself, you will not come to that very lavish and sumptuous feast?" Those who thus restrain from certain present things do not end their desires. But because their desires are greater, fearing lest they lose what they desire more, they despise the lesser things. Yet, it is still greed. Is he not avaricious who despises a hundred coins to obtain a thousand? Do not think that he has ended his greed because you find him despising a hundred coins. He is thinking of a thousand, which is why he despised the hundred. There are people who often serve elderly people without children, and they despise many things in them but hope for greater things from them. Do we think these are merciful or greedy? Therefore, the children of the poor are more commendable when they serve their poor parents because piety leads them, not reward. But when the children of the rich serve their parents, their piety is not tested, and if it exists, it is hidden because even if it is seen by God, it cannot be seen by humans. Thus, even these parents often think badly of their children, believing that their children serve them for money, and when it might be convenient for their children to emancipate from their parents, perhaps demanding some benefit before getting married or achieving some honor, they say: "I will not give, for then he will no longer serve me." What kind of judgment has he made of his son, thinking he serves money and not considering fatherly love! If you fear that once the money is received, your son will no longer serve you, piety is not loving but for sale. How much better is the son of the poor, sometimes the son of an ailing and needy old man, who, expecting nothing from his father because he has nothing to bequeath, feeds his father with his labor and sweat! Sometimes even the children of the rich, in fear of God, not because they expect something from their parents, but because they are parents, gave birth to, and raised them, and God commanded, saying: "Honor your father and your mother," therefore, they serve. But their affection is hidden when a reward is proposed. But these are more acceptable to God, because humans cannot see their mind, and God alone sees, and they cannot be praised by humans, just as Job who worshipped God. For the demons thought that he worshipped God for a reward. When was it proven that he worshipped freely? Because having lost everything, he said: "The Lord gave, the Lord took away; as it pleased the Lord, it has been done; blessed be the name of the Lord."

The divine page sometimes speaks obscurely.

Why did I say these things, Brothers? Because every day the Scripture does not cease to admonish us to love the eternal by despising the temporal. Every divine page does not cease to speak to us, sometimes openly, sometimes hidden in mystery. But no one should think they are being cheated when the divine page speaks obscurely. Where the will of God emerges to you, that is where it is clear, there love it. There love it, where it openly admonishes. And as it is in the open, so it is in the obscure; as it is in the sun, so it is in the shadow. You will follow it as such, if you read it as such. For it is obscure, as I said: “He will possess the land and inhabit my holy mountain." For if we take it carnally, we will not cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, and God has procured for us the end of the prophetic reading joined with the beginning of the apostolic reading in vain, if for the sake of possessing a terrestrial mountain we prepare ourselves for greed, not for piety. But what ought we to understand as the mountain? It is obscure what he meant by "the mountain." But if God had abandoned us, He would never say clearly what the mountain is. However, where He says it clearly, there love the mountain. Where He clearly commends the mountain to you, and the Scripture itself reveals what it says about the mountain, there love it. Even where you hear such a mountain promised, follow it. Understand in the obscure what you loved in the open. Where do we consider the mountain to be mentioned, so that we can cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit? Which mountain is promised to us?

The land of the living is promised to us.

First, let us understand the nature of the earth that is promised to us, which the prophet David longs for in a certain place and says: "You are my hope, my portion in the land of the living." Without a doubt, therefore, there is a certain land of the living, for this land is the land of the dying. If any person were born on this land except to die, he would not call that land the land of the living, unless by comparing this land and finding that one to be the land of the dying. Therefore, there is a land of the living. For though it is eternal and heavenly, it is called land because it is possessed, not because it is plowed. For it has a possessor without labor, because even this land exercises its possessor with labor and tires him with fear. What is said to you? "Rise, plow the land so that you may have means to live." And whether you like it or not, groaning and sighing, you rise and work, because the sentence of condemned Adam follows you: "In the sweat of your face you shall eat your bread." But when all labor and groaning has passed away, we shall be in the land of the living. Nothing is born or grows there. Whatever exists there, exists in the same manner, always remaining thus. There, winter and summer, night and day do not alternate. Here it is sown so that it may be reaped there, if indeed it is sown. For who is it that sows here so that he may reap there? He who gives to the poor. Giving to the poor is sowing in the land. You sow here, and there you will find the harvest. In summer it is not cut down to pass away, but it is eaten and remains with joy. For there you shall be nourished by righteousness. That land has its bread. Who is this bread? The one who came down to us from there. "I am the living bread that came down from heaven." What kind of bread is that? "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."

Christ, the mountain of God...

We have heard of the bread from that land, let us also hear of the mountain. "They will dwell," he says, "in my holy mountain." For I think we find in another holy Scripture that the mountain itself is also Christ. He who is the bread is also the mountain. But he is the bread because he nourishes the Church, and the mountain because his body is the Church. The Church itself is the mountain. And what is the Church itself? The body of Christ. Attach the head to it, and it becomes one man. The head and the body, one man. Who is the head? He who was born of the Virgin Mary, who took on mortal flesh without sin, who was slain by the Jews, scourged, despised, crucified, who was delivered up for our offenses, and rose again for our justification. He is the head of the Church, he the bread from that land. But what is his body? His spouse, that is, the Church. For the two shall be one flesh. This is a great sacrament; but I speak concerning Christ and the Church. Thus also the Lord in the Gospel, when speaking of the man and the woman: "Therefore they are no longer two, but one flesh." Therefore he wished Christ and the Church to be one man. There the head, and here the members. He did not wish to rise with the members, but before the members, that the members might have hope. But he wished the head to die, in order to rise first; the head to ascend into heaven first, that the other members might have hope in their head, and expect to be fulfilled in themselves what was promised in the head. For what need was there for Christ to die, the Word of God, through whom all things were made, of whom it is said: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made through him"? And he is crucified, mocked, pierced with a lance, and buried. And all things were made through him. But because he deigned to be the head of the Church, the Church would despair of itself resurrecting, if it did not see that the head rose. Therefore the head rose, and the head was seen to rise. First it was seen by the women, and announced to the men. The first to see the risen Lord were women, and the Gospel was announced by women to the future Evangelists, the Apostles, and through the women Christ was announced to them. For "Gospel" in Latin means "good news." Those who know Greek understand what Gospel means. Therefore Gospel means "good news." What better news can we say than that our Savior has risen? Or what greater thing were they to preach than what the women announced to them? But why did a woman announce the Gospel? Because death was corrected through a woman. Therefore, the woman announcing life consoled the woman who had announced death, because death was brought by a woman. Adam was seduced by a woman to fall into death; through a woman Christ was announced, now risen, never to die again. So we too will rise, and we will be the holy mountain of God. In this mountain dwells he who is dedicated to God. And those who are dedicated to me will possess the land and dwell on my holy mountain: that is, they will not depart from the Church. Now let us labor in the Church, later we will inherit the Church. For where our eternal joy will be, there we will be only possessors, not laborers.

... and likewise the mountain of God, the Church.

But let us clearly find this mountain elsewhere, for it seems rather obscure. Someone may say: "Where is the mountain Church? And when is the mountain Christ? And when is the mountain the body of Christ?" Daniel speaks very clearly; no one doubts this. Daniel saw the vision; does it need an interpreter now? Let your Charity see. Some words there may perhaps need an explanation, which will be opened to you in the name of Christ. See if it can be said to refer to anything other than Christ. Daniel said, "I saw, and behold, a stone cut out of the mountain without hands." He did not say: the stone was without hands, but the stone was cut out of the mountain without human work. Human hands did not approach to cut the stone out of the mountain. Your Charity knows that stones are not cut out of the mountain unless human hands approach. But it was cut out of the mountain without hands, and it came and crushed all the kingdoms of the earth. I do not know if it appears before your eyes anything other than Christ, of whom it is said: "All the kings of the earth will worship him." He crushed all the kingdoms of the earth. A proud king does not want to have any king before him. Now all kings have Christ as their king. Therefore, He crushed all the kingdoms of the earth, so that He may reign. And what does it say? This stone grew and became a great mountain, so that it filled the whole face of the earth. I think you now recognize Christ. You have heard about the earth: "Those who have been handed over to me will possess the earth." And you have heard about the mountain: "And they will inhabit my holy mountain." Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit. But perhaps you wish to know what it means to be cut without hands. For this is placed there somewhat obscurely. Indeed, it occurs to some already, before I say it. But let them endure some delays for the sake of others, who cannot think of it unless they hear something from us. What does "without hands" mean? Without human work. And let your Charity, Brothers, consider the stone cut from the mountain, and that it became a mountain. Cut from the mountain, and it became a mountain by growing. But what kind of mountain did it become? Not like the one from which it was cut. For of that mountain, from which it was cut, it was not said: "It grew and filled the whole earth." Therefore, there are two mountains. The first mountain is the Synagogue; the second is the Church. The first is the Jewish people; the second mountain is the Christian people. But to make the Christian people a great mountain and to fill the whole earth, the stone was cut from that mountain, because Christ came from the Jews. Why, then, without hands? Without human work. For Christ was born of a Virgin, conceived without marital union.

They are not on the mountain who are in the part.

Therefore, it is evident that we have this mountain. Let us not propose for ourselves mountains, whether it is the type of Giddaua, or whatever type is named to us. For sometimes people, taking things carnally, read: "He will hear him from his holy heaven." Sometimes indeed from the mountain, and He speaks of Christ. And people rush to the mountain to pray, as if God hears there. Carnally wise, because they often see clouds clinging to the sides of mountains, climb the mountains to be close to God. Do you want to reach God with your prayer? Humble yourself. Again, because we said: "Do you want to reach God? Humble yourself," do not take it carnally, descending into the hypogeas, to pray to God there. Neither search for hypogeas, nor a mountain. Have humility in your heart, and God will give you height. He will come to you, and be with you in your room. Therefore, what kind of mountain do we have in Christ, we have the Church, let us love the Church. This mountain has grown and filled the entire world. It is evident, for those who are not on this mountain are in part, and do not hold the whole world with us. Remember, Brothers, because every writing arms and fills us against the tongues of men, which we endure daily. If he had said: "That mountain grew, and filled the whole of Africa," would they say anything other than that the part of Donatus is in this? It has silenced their tongues by growing. It has grown so much as to shut the mouths of the verbose. For how has it grown? Throughout the whole earth. For that mountain from which it was cut did not grow to fill the entire earth. For even if the Jews filled the entire earth, because they were conquered and lost their land, they were scattered over the earth as a punishment of their deserts, not by the magnitude of their growth. But the Lord Christ, the cornerstone, subdued the kingdoms of men, broke the kingdoms of demons, and humbled all kings so that He might grow, and He grew and filled the whole face of the earth. I dare to say: He is still growing, there are still places that He fills.

From all defilement of flesh and spirit...

Therefore, you should love the mountain itself and prepare yourself to inhabit the mountain forever; and cleanse yourself from all defilement of flesh and spirit, having these promises. What promises? If you wish to possess the land and inhabit the holy mountain, cleanse yourself from all defilement of flesh and spirit. What are the defilements of the flesh? Let your charity attend, and this we must say. What are the defilements of the flesh? It is not when a man passes by chance and touches something with his foot or even with his face, or if it happens that a man slips with his foot and thus falls, so that he comes into mud or dirt, his face is defiled. This defilement is easy, as the saying goes: "He washes and walks away, it's nothing." But the defilement of the flesh that must be avoided does not stem from this, unless it comes from the defilement of the spirit, and so it defiles the flesh. What is the defilement of the spirit? Lust. Defilement of the flesh? Committing adultery. You have two. Lust arises, the spirit is already defiled. Adultery has not yet been committed, the flesh is not yet defiled. But what is the use if the flesh is clean, and the inhabitant of the flesh is unclean? He who perhaps is clean in the flesh, if God sees an adulterer in his heart, is not yet a husband, as the Lord says: Truly I say to you, whoever looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. This is the defilement of the spirit. But when does perfect sanctification happen? When both flesh and spirit are sanctified. For there are men who refrain from deeds but do not refrain from evil thoughts. They cleanse the flesh, but they do not cleanse the spirit. Such persons do not do so out of fear of men. Lust burns, fear recalls. What do you fear? Being found out and condemned, being found out and put to shame. Therefore the flesh appears undefiled, but it is not perfect sanctification, because what does the Apostle say? Let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, so that just as you refrain from evil deeds, you may also refrain from evil will and evil thoughts. Refrain from the evil deed, and you cleanse yourself from the defilement of the flesh; abstain from evil will, and you cleanse yourself from the defilement of the spirit.

And it follows: Perfecting holiness in the fear of God. He magnificently added: In the fear of God. Behold, a man does not perfect holiness except in the fear of God. What is perfect holiness? Both of body and spirit. If it is of the body and not of the spirit, it is imperfect. For it cannot be the holiness of the spirit without also being of the body. It can be of the body and not of the spirit. It cannot be of the spirit and not of the body. For he who is pure in spirit cannot commit flagrant acts. Where does this come from? For from the heart, says the Lord, proceed adulteries, murders. For a man cannot commit with his members what he has not decided in his heart. The word is conceived in the heart, and is accounted as a deed. Thus, in a certain place the Lord says: Cleanse what is inside, and the outside will be clean. He did not say: Cleanse what is outside. If he were to begin with the body, it would remain necessary to advise us to cleanse also the soul; but if from the soul, there is no need to cleanse the body, because the purity of the soul brings about the purity of the body. Therefore, the apostle Paul, having begun with the flesh, it was necessary for him to also speak of the spirit: Perfecting holiness. Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit, because the flesh can be undefiled, not committing adultery, fornications, and such; but yet there can be lusts, thoughts, and evil desires in the soul. And he added: Perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Who then achieves the sanctification of the body and not of the soul? He who fears men, and not God. For he who is in the fear of God perfects holiness. Certainly, you refused to commit adultery, lest a man should know. Through the fear of men, you kept the flesh from committed evils; therefore you refused to commit where man sees. But if you fear God, do not do so even where God sees, and you have perfected holiness. Consider: "Oh, if I could reach that woman!" says someone. "But I cannot, she is diligently guarded, has a vigilant husband, I have no accomplice. If I dare, I will be caught." He pretends to cleanse the body; but internally, because he wills it, he does not cleanse the spirit. Thus he feared to do it in the body lest man see, and does not fear to do it internally where God sees. He avoids the eyes of man, and does not fear God's eyes. Who then perfects holiness? He who is in the fear of God. Perfecting holiness in the fear of God. The fear of men might possibly temper the body from impurity; but the soul, only the fear of God can. Has he sanctified the soul? He is secure about the body. Let the one who is clothed be pure, and the clothing itself will be clean. Let the inhabitant be good and healthy, and he will not fear the ruin of his house.

God makes an angel out of a man.

What, then, is this flesh? We ought not to despise it. What is it - this? Grass, but it will be gold. Do not despise the grass. And it is changed into gold. For He who was able to change water into wine is able to change grass into gold, and to make an angel out of flesh. If He made man out of filth, will He not make an angel out of man? For let your Love attend to how man was made, and see if we even want to think about it. He made man out of this filth, and set him over the other animals. Will He not make an angel out of man? He absolutely will. He made men His friends, will He not make them angels? I no longer call you servants, but friends. To those still bearing flesh, still dying, still dwelling in this poverty and frailty of life, He said, I no longer call you servants, but friends. And what will He give to His friends? What He showed in Himself when He rose again. They will be crowned and converted into heavenly glory and will be equal to the angels of God. There will be no corruption, no temptation. There we will not be told: Cleanse yourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit. We will not labor, nor will we be promised a reward, because we will have already received it. Nor will we be told to groan, because we will already be praising. Thus, mortal flesh will be converted into the body of an angel. Thus, will groans be converted into praises. Here, penance, distress, and groans; there, praises, joy, and gladness. Afterward, therefore, now there is no joy. But where? In hope. You do not yet hold it, but you rejoice in hope, because He who promised cannot deceive, because He who promised has and gives.