THE PREACHER’S ENCYCLOPEDIA Other Volumes LENT AND EASTERTIDE SUNDAY AFTER ASCENSION TO ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST ADVENT TO QUINQUAGESIMA Λ THE PREACHER’ ENCYCLOPEDIA Compiled and Edited under the Supervision of His Eminence ANGEL CARDINAL HERRERA Bishop of Malaga English Version Translated and Edited by MGR DAVID GREENSTOCK, S.T.D. Rector of the English College, Valladolid TWELFTH TO LAST SUNDAYS AFTER PENTECOST THE NEWMAN PRESS WESTMINSTER · MARYLAND This is a translation and adaptation ofÏA Palabra de Cristo (Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos, MadridIQSS) NIHIL OBSTATI CAROLUS DAVIS, S.T.L κι NSOR DEPUTATUS IMPRIMATURI ψ GEORGIUS L. CRAVEN EPISCOPUS SEBASTOPOLIS VIC. CAP. WESTMONASTERIII DIE 0A JUN1I 1963 The Nihil obstat aiU Imprimatur are a declaratum that a book or pamphlet ù considered to be free from doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil obstat and Imprimatur agree with the cordents, opinions or statements expressed. e ς*w Λ I © Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos, 1955 English translation © Burns and Oates Ltd, 1965 MADE AND PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN AT THE UNIVERSITY TRESS, ABERDEEN. CONTENTS Page i2th Sunday after Pentecost : THE GOOD SAMARITAN I. SCRIPTURE TEXTS: Concerning charity towards one’s neighbour I IL GENERAL COMMENTS I. Liturgical 11. Exegetic and Moral Notes A : The Epistle B: The Gospel 2 3 5 III. THE FATHERS I. St John Chrysostom : Love of neighbour and love of God II. St Augustine : The command of love III. St Bernard : Motives for the love of God 7 9 13 IV. THEOLOGIANS I. St Thomas Aquinas : Original sin and its effects IL Billot: On the parable of the Good Samaritan 14 17 V. SPIRITUAL WRITERS I. St Teresa of Avila : The love of our neighbour IL Bossuet: The love of God and of the neighbour III. Eugene Boylan, O.C.R.: Union with Christ in our neighbour VI. PAPAL TEXTS: Practical love for the Church 18 21 23 25 VII. SERMON SCHEMES I. Liturgical A : Our meeting with the Good Samaritan B : The Communion of Saints II. The Epistle A: Confidence in Christ (1) B: Confidence in Christ (2) III. The Gospel A : Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see . . . B : The parable C: Those who passed by D : A reply to the Jewish people E: Christ, our Good Samaritan F : The conduct of the Good Samaritan G : Christians and reparation H : A message of mercy I : The oil of consolation for the sick J : Grace, the medicine for sin K: The Good Samaritan—an individual application 13th Sunday after Pentecost : THE TEN LEPERS I· SCRIPTURE TEXTS : Concerning thanksgiving to God, and also ingratitude 27 28 30 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 46 48 50 51 53 CONTENTS vi Page IL GENERAL COMMENTS I. Liturgigu.: Thanksgiving to God me and Moral Notes II. A : The Epistle B : The Gospel 56 III. THE FATHERS I. St John Chrysostom : The respect due to priests II. St Augustine: We need to thank God constantly 59 61 IV. A THEOLOGIAN St Thomas Aquinas: Gratitude and ingratitude V. SPIRITUAL WRITERS I. St Teresa of A\tla : The effects of sin II. Martin Harrison, O.P. : Thanksgiving III. Bourdaloux: Confession IV. St Alphonsus Liguori : God’s mercy for sinners 67 69 70 72 VI. LITERARY COMMENTS The Ten Lepers and Sin 74 VII. SERMON SCHEMES I. Liturgical: Give us an increase in faith, hope and charity II. The Epistle: The prophecies and Christ III. The Gospel A: Giving thanks B: The favours of the Holy Trinity C : Before and after the favour D: And where are the nine ? E : Gratitude as a prayer F : The greatest gift G: The gratitude of Mary H: The gratitude of Christ and our ingratitude I : Reparation to the Sacred Heart J : Without distinction of race K: Sin—the universal stain L: Confession M: Spiritual direction N : Director and directed O : .Mar off 75 76 78 80 81 82 91 93 95 96 97 99 100 14th Sunday after Pentecost: SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD I. SCRIPTURE TEXTS: Concerning Providence 103 II. GENERAL COMMENTS I. Liturgical II. Exegetic and Moral Notes A : The Epistle B : The Gospel 104 105 107 CONTENTS vu Page III. THE FATHERS I. St John Chrysostom: Money and God; Divine providence no II. St Augustine: Providence and human needs 113 III. St Gregory the Great: The giving up of creatures, and abandon­ ment to God’s providence 115 IV. Λ THEOLOGIAN St Thomas Aquinas: The Fruits of the Spirit 116 V. SPIRITUAL WRITERS I. St Teresa of Avila : The way to heaven, and the kingdom of God II. StJohn of the Cross: The evil done by inordinate desires in the soul III. St Francis de Sales: We must manage our affairs with care, but without anxiety IV. Bossuet: The two great evils of ambition 118 120 121 123 VI. SERMON SCHEMES I. Liturgical : The main anxiety of the Christian II. The Epistle: Chastity III. The Gospel A: Confidence in divine providence B : We should have confidence in divine providence C: Do not fret D : Anxiety about temporal things E: Seeking the kingdom of God F: Providence: The teachings of Scripture G: Providence: A false notion of God H: Creatures I : Good and bad use of wealth J: Simplicity K: Consequences of the Fatherhood of God L: Tepidity M: Tepidity of the apparently pious 125 126 128 129 131 133 135 137 139 141 143 144 146 147 150 15th Sunday after Pentecost : RAISING TO LIFE OF THE WIDOW’S SON I. SCRIPTURE TEXTS 152 II. GENERAL COMMENTS I. Liturgical II. Exegetic and Moral Notes A : The Epistle B: The Gospel 152 153 155 III. THE FATHERS I. St Cyprian: Some extracts from De Mortalitate II. St Ambrose : On resurrection III. St Augustine: Life, death and resurrection 158 162 163 IV. A THEOLOGIAN St Thomas Aquinas: Vainglory and fraternal correction 166 •·■ Vili CONTENTS Page SPIRITUAL WRITERS I. II. III. IV. Fray Luis of Granada: On finding Jesus in our death Mgr Ronald Knox: On death David Greenstock : The glorious adventure Bossuet: The shortness of life 168 170 172 173 VI. SERMON SCHEMES I. Liturgical: A ‘memento’ II. The Epistle A: Vanity B: Works done through vanity C: Teaching the ignorant III. The Gospel A: Christianity : a religion of life B: Why death? C: Consolation in death D: Moral death of youth E : Rising again to the life of grace F : Death—the end of a journey Illi G : The miracle of the resurrection of a soul H : The characters in this miracle I: Youth 174 I76 178 180 182 184 186 188 189 191 193 194 16th Sunday after Pentecost : THE CURE OF THE MAN WITH DROPSY SCRIPTURE TEXTS : Concerning the worship of God 199 II. GENERAL COMMENTS I. Liturgical II. Exegetic and Moral Notes A : The Epistle B: The Gospel 200 201 203 III. THE FATHERS St Gregory Nazianzen : Counsels on various subjects St Augustine A: Christ, our physician, yesterday and today B : The three kinds of pardon III. St Bernard : On the grades of humility 207 209 212 IV. A THEOLOGIAN St Thomas Aquinas: Magnanimity, presumption and ambition 213 V. SPIRITUAL WRITERS: ΓΛ '4* I. II. III. IV. St Teresa of Avila: Love for honours St Francis de Sales: Simplicity Bossuet : On worldly honours J.-B. Massillon : External and interior religion 216 218 219 220 VI. LITERARY COMMENTS A: The Sabbath in the life of the Jewish people B : Banquets in the East 222 223 CONTENTS ix Page VII. SERMON SCHEMES I. Liturgical: The Day of the Lord Epistle A : Our Father B: Christian fortitude C: Strength of the inward man, through the Spirit 224 11. Ti IE III. The Gospel A : The Day of the Lord B: The Lord’s Day and Man’s Day C: Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath ? D : The supreme reason E: The spirit of the Sabbath in St Augustine F: The sabbath in St Thomas G : Fraternal correction H: Observing Christ I : Observing Christ, our model J : Man and animals K: Ambition L : Pride, an anti-social vice 225 228 230 232 234 236 238 240 241 243 246 247 248 249 iyth Sunday after Pentecost : THE GREATEST AND THE FIRST COMMANDMENT I. SCRIPTURE TEXTS: Texts related to today’s Gospel II. GENERAL COMMENTS I. Liturgical : The Ember Days II. Exegetic and Moral Notes A: The Epistle B : The Gospel 254 255 257 III. THE FATHERS I. St Germanus: Our Lady II. St Augustine : The two precepts 259 260 IV. A THEOLOGIAN St Thomas Aquinas : Patience and perseverance V. SPIRITUAL WRITERS I. Dom Columba Marmion : Love one another II. Gerard Gilleman, S.J. : The primacy of charity 266 269 III. David Greenstock: Charity as the bond of perfection VI. SERMON SCHEMES I. Liturgical: The Triumph of Christ II. The Epistle A : Our vocation as Christians B : Patience C: It is by endurance that you will secure possession of your souls D : Unity in the Spirit 273 276 278 280 283 CONTENTS 111. The Gospel A : Jesus, the Master and Teacher B : Christ, the Victor C: The First Commandment D : Our neighbour as ourselves E : Love of the neighbour F : Motives for the love of God G: To love God above all things H: Qualities and effects of the love of God I : The Ministry of reconciliation 18th Sunday after Pentecost: THE PARA LYTIC AT CAPHARNAUM I. SCRIPTURE TEXTS : Concerning the forgiveness of sin · w- II. GENERAL COMMENTS I. Liturgical IL Exegetic and Moral Notes A : The Epistle B: The Gospel III. THE FATHERS I. St John Chrysostom : Sickness II. St Ambrose: Seeking for the Lord III. St Augustine: Christ, the sick man and the Pharisees IV. A THEOLOGIAN St Thomas Aquinas: Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit V. SPIRITUAL WRITERS —J: ’J Fray Luis of Granada : Charity Π. St Francis de Sales : Rash judgements III. St John Eudes: The bad confessor; charity in the confessional Tilmann Pesch, S.J.: Conscience and confession V. Alfred Wilson, C.P.: Pardon and peace VI. SERMON SCHEMES I. Liturgical: Meeting with Christ II. The Gospel A: The city of Jesus B: The miracle and the persons concerned C: Praise of God D : The crowds and Christ E : Confession and pardon of sins F : Frequent confession G : Dispositions necessary for frequent confession H: Arise and walk I : Tepidity J : Venial sin K.: Have confidence (t) L : Have confidence (2) M: Courage CONTENTS Page xi Page 285 286 288 289 291 292 294 296 297 19th Sunday after Pentecost: THE PARABLE OF THE MARRIAGE FEAST I. SCRIPTURE TEXTS: Concerning grace 35 r II. GENERAL COMMENTS I. Liturgical II. Exegetic and Moral Notes A: The Epistle B: The Gospel 3-3 356 III. THE FATHERS 299 I. St John Chrysostom: On today’s parable II. St Augustine: The man who was cast out; grace III. St Gregory the Great : Homily on today’s Gospel 358 360 362 IV. A THEOLOGIAN St Thomas Aquinas: Grace; The Eucharist 365 301 V. SPIRITUAL WRITERS 302 303 306 307 309 313 315 317 318 320 321 323 326 327 329 331 333 334 336 338 340 342 345 346 348 I. Dom Columba Marmion: Divine adoption II. Bede Jarrett, O.P.: Grace III. David Greenstock: Indwelling of the Blessed Trinity through grace IV. Bossuet : The dangers of worldly pleasures and glory V. Royo Marin, O.P. : On hell 368 370 371 374 376 VI. SERMON SCHEMES I. The Epistle A : Be renewed B: Justice and truth C: Sanctity and truth D: Work and alms E: The excellence of grace F : A share in God’s life G: Sons of God H: God’s friends I : The life of grace J : Grace and merit K: Grace and sacraments L: Actual grace II. The Gospel A: Rejecting grace B: God, the inevitable C: The just God D : The key to life E: From the thought of hell to that of love F : The exterior darkness G : Hell and the preachers of love 379 380 382 384 385 386 388 389 391 392 394 395 397 398 399 400 402 402 405 20th Sunday after Pentecost: THE HEALING OF THE RULER’S SON I. SCRIPTURE TEXTS : Concerning the education of chil­ dren 408 i CONTENTS Page IL GENERAL COMMENTS 410 I. LnvKGiCAL II. Exegetic and Moral Notes A: The Epistle B: The Gospel 414 III. THE FATHERS I. St John Chrysostom: Obligations of priests and fathers of families II. St Augustos: Faith III. St Bernard: The weakness of our faith 416 41g 422 IV. A THEOLOGIAN St Thomas Aquinas: Duties of a father; faith 425 V. SPIRITUAL WRITERS I. Dom Columba Marmion: Faith II. J. B. Scarameuj, S.J.: Methods for protecting and increasing faith III. David Greenstock : Parental obligations 427 431 434 VI. SERMON SCHEMES I. The Epistle. A: Caution >«>> B : Use of time C: Drunkenness D: The effects of lust on the intellect E: Impurity and the will F : An increase in faith ? II. The Gospel A : The faith of the ruler B: Nicodemus C: The Samaritan woman D : And his whole household E : Moral illness of youth F : Prayer, children and example of a good life 436 438 439 441 442 443 444 445 447 449 450 452 21st Sunday after Pentecost : PARDONING INJURIES I. SCRIPTURE TEXTS: Concerning charity 454 II. GENERAL COMMENTS I. Liturgical II. Exegetic and Moral Notes A: The Epistle B: The Gospel 456 457 459 III. THE FATHERS I. St John Chrysostom : Charity and fraternal correction II. St Augustine: Forgive, so that you may be forgiven III. St Isidore: On today’s Gospel 461 466 469 IV. THEOLOGIANS I. St Thomas Aquinas: Concerning sin II. Paul Galtier, S.J. : Repentance 471 472 CONTENTS «·4 XI 11 Page N. SPIRITUAL WRITERS I. St Teresa of Avila: Sin and pardon II. P. E. Nicrcmberg: Grades of God’s mercy III. Bourdaloue: Pardon of injuries VI. LITERARY NOTE : Mercy, the virtue of princes 475 479 480 483 VIE SERMON SCHEMES I. Liturgical A : Three lessons from today’s liturgy B: The leaders of the world of darkness C: God’s weapons. Truth II. The Gospel A : The evil of sin : against God B: Effects of sin in the one who commits it C: The gravity of sin judged by its punishment D : Our own sins ' E: Sins of omission F : Pardon of our enemies G: Forgive and forget H: The need for penance I: Dogma and history of indulgences J : The use of indulgences K: Pardon and the mystical Body of Christ 483 485 487 488 490 492 494 496 498 499 500 501 503 504 22nd Sunday after Pentecost : THE TRIBUTE TO CAESAR I. SCRIPTURE TEXTS: Texts which have reference to today’s Gospel 506 II. GENERAL COMMENTS I. Liturgical II. Exegetic and Moral Notes A: The Epistle B: The Gospel 508 509 511 III. A FATHER OF THE CHURCH St John Chrysostom: Render to Caesar 513 IV. A THEOLOGIAN St Thomas Aquinas: Craftiness; Respect of Persons; Hypocrisy Note : The question of investiture and Gallicanism 517 519 V. A SPIRITUAL WRITER St Thomas of Villanova: The image of God in Man 521 VI. LITERARY AND HISTORICAL NOTES A: St Ambrose and Valentinian II B : Thomas à Becket 524 524 VII. SERMON SCHEMES I. Liturgical A: To God the things that are God’s B : Piety and the Liturgy 525 528 CONTENTS xiv IL The Epistle: The day of Christ HL The G ?£L A: Hyprocisy B: Cunning C: Submission to authority D: The Pendulum E: Thesis and hypothesis F: The payment of tribute G: Moderation in taxation H : State and the Press I : The right to educate 529 SSI 533 536 539 540 542 544 545 547 23rd Sunday after Pentecost: THE RAISING OF THE DAUGHTER OF JAIRUS I. SCRIPTURE TEXTS: Concerning death 549 II. GENERAL COMMENTS I. Liturgical II. Exegetic and Moral Notes A: The Epistle B: The Gospel 551 552 553 ΠΙ. THE FATHERS I. IL III. IV. Hermas: Confidence in prayer St John Chrysostom: On the Gospel St Augustine: Sadness at the death of those we love St Ax ·: .■? Touching Christ by faith 556 557 560 561 IV. THEOLOGIANS I. St Thomas Aquinas: Confidence and Temperance II. St Bonaventure: Necessity of confidence for salvation 562 563 V. SPIRITUAL WRITERS I. St Teresa of Avila: Confidence, Death Π. St Ignatius of Loyola: Rules of Penance III. Fray Luis of Granada: A warning The Fathers and Theologians on conversion and penance 564 566 567 568 VI. LITERARY AND HISTORICAL NOTES x : The death of St Monica 2 : St Isidore 3: Fear of Death 572 572 572 VII. SERMON SCHEMES I. Liturgical A:Confidence B : Recommendation of the soul C: Temperance II. The Gospel A: Christian and pagan idea of death B: Fear of and desire for death C: The death of a sinner 572 574 570 & 581 CONTENTS I): The death of the just E : The lessons of death F : Anointing of the Sick G: Christ, the life of the soul H: Confidence I: Enemies of confidence J : Christ, foundation of our hope K: This theme of confidence inthe Book of Psalms L: The Psalms—collective confidence M : Prudent optimism Page 583 585 587 588 589 591 592 593 595 596 Last Sunday in October : CHRIST, THE KING I. SCRIPTURE TEXTS: Texts which can be referred to the kingly dignity of Christ 598 II. GENERAL COMMENTS I. Liturgical II. Exegetic and Moral Notes A : The Epistle B: The Gospel 600 601 604 III. THE FATHERS I. St John Chrysostom: Christ, the First-born II. St Augustine: The regal dignity of Christ 606 608 IV. THEOLOGIANS I. St Thomas Aquinas: The regal dignity of Christ II. St Bonaventure : The Graces necessary to enter the kingdom 611 614 V. SPIRITUAL WRITERS I. Pius XI : Quas Primas IL Bossuet: Kingdom of mercy and of love III. Dom Columba Marmion: Christ, King of creation 615 617 619 VI. SERMON SCHEMES I. Liturgical A : The feast of Christ the King B: Two phases of the kingdom II. The Epistle A : The titles of Christ the King B : Threefold power of Christ the King III. The Gospel A : My kingdom is not of this world B : Kingdom of truth C: A kingdom of life D : Kingdom of holiness and grace E: Kingdom of justice, love and peace F : King of kings G : Christ conquers I I : Christ, king of the family I: How Christ reigns in our homes J : Christ the King K : The standard of the King L : The soldiers of the King 620 622 624 625 626 628 630 631 633 637 638 640 643 CONTENTS xvi Page 24th and last Sunday after Pentecost : THE LAST COMING OF CHRIST I. SCRIPTURE TEXTS 646 II. GENERAL COMMENTS I. Liturgical II. Exegetic and Moral Notes A : The Epistle B: The Gospel 646 648 650 III. THE FATHERS St Irenaeus: Faith in Christ, the Judge 653 St Cyprian: On martyrdom and the second coming of Christ 654 St Cyril of Jerusalem: The last coming of Christ 655 St Augustine: The apparent triumph of the wicked and the jus­ tice of God 657 V. St Ephraem : A prayer and a plea 660 I. II. III. IV. IV. A THEOLOGIAN St Thomas Aquinas: Christ, our Judge 662 V. SPIRITUAL WRITERS I. St Teresa of Avila: The Last Judgement and Purgatory IL Bossuet : The last end and the abomination of desolation III. Fernand Prat, S.J.: The kingdom of Christ and his coming 666 668 670 VI. LITERARY .AND HISTORICAL NOTES A : The signs which preceded the fall of Jerusalem B: Methodius and King Borgias C: St Vincent Ferrer and Purgatory 671 672 672 VII. SERMON SCHEMES I. Liturgical: The last coming of Christ 673 II. The Epistle: That you walk worthy of God .. . 675 III. The Gospel A: Heir to all things 677 B: The abomination of desolation standing in the holy places 679 C: Judgement and truth 681 D: The terror of the Last Judgement 682 Ε : Particular and general judgement 684 F : The particular judgement 686 G: Judgement without mercy for the sinner 688 I I : Works of mercy 689 I : The triumph of the Cross 691 J: Purgatory 692 K: St Catherine and Purgatory 693 J : Eternal rest 696 M : Song of triumph 697 ,;νΛ!5 ·- . Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost THE GOOD SAMARITAN SECTION I. SCRIPTURE TEXTS Gospel: Luke io. 23-37 Epistle: 2 Corinthians 3. 4-9 Texts concerning charity towards one’s neighbour Fraternal charity: If thou hast an enemy, and findest his ox or his ass going astray, take it back to him. Here is one who hates thee, and his ass has fallen under its burden; do not pass by, help him to lift it up. Exod. 23. 4-5. If an alien comes to dwell in your land, and settles down among you, do not treat him disdainfully; welcome him as if he were native bom, and do him kindness as if he were one of yourselves, remembering that you were aliens once, in the land of Egypt; the Lord your God remembers. Lev. 19. 33-34. Gracious the sight, and full of comfort, when brethren dwell united. Ps. 132. 1. 1. 2. Love for one's neighbour: Shame on the man who holds his neighbour in contempt; mercy to the poor brings a blessing. Prov. 14. 21. Wouldst thou rather be thy neighbour’s enemy than friend? Wouldst thou earn, by ill-nature, an ill name, and be despised for such faults as these, envy and hypocrisy? Ecclus. 6. 1. Man’s mercy extends only to his neighbour; God has pity on all living things. Ecclus. 18. 12. Hast thou heard a tale to thy neighbour’s disadvantage ? Take it to the grave with thee. Courage, man! It will not burst thee. Ecclus. 19. 10. Forgive thy neighbour his fault, and for thy own sins thy prayer shall win pardon; should man bear man a grudge, and yet look to the Lord for healing? Ecclus. 28. 2-3. Kindness bids thee go bail for thy neighbour; he has lost all shame, if he plays thee false. Ecclus. 29. 19. 3. Charity in the Gospels: How is it that thou canst see the speck of dust which is in thy brother’s eye, and art not aware of the beam which is in thy own? Matt. 7. 3. I I • A ' 11 ‘ i-S t' 1 TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Honour thy father and thy mother, and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Matt. 19. 19. And the second, its like, is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Mark 12. 31. Do not let anybody have a claim upon you, except the claim which binds us to love one another. Rom. 13. 8. The man who loves his neighbour has done all that the law demands. Ibid, verse to. Each of us ought to give way to his neighbour where it sen es a good purpose by building up his faith. Rom. 15. 2. True, you do well to observe, in their regard, the royal law' you find in the words of Scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. James 2. 8. If a man boasts of loving God, while he hates his own brother, he is a liar. He has seen his brother, and has no love for him ; what love can he have for the God he has never seen ? 1 John 4. 20. No, this is the divine command that has been given us ; the man who loves God must be one who loves his brother as well. Ibid. verse 21. SECTION IL GENERAL COMMENTS L LITURGICAL The Mass: One of the richest in variety and profound thought. Each formula appears independent one from the others. In each there is a distinct doctrine taught, of great value in the spiritual life. Thus the Collect has a clear reference to actual grace. The Epistle teaches us the authority of the preachers of the Gospel, the Communion recalls the harvest and applies it to the Eucharist, while the Postcommunion is a veritable treatise on the effects of Communion. 1. 2. Three images: Liturgists usually try to relate the different parts of the Mass; thus Parsch joins the ideas of the Epistle, the Gospel and the Offertory’—but, although useful from the spiritual point of view, this connection does not cease to be an arbitrary one. J (a) First image: The Gospel shows us the Good Samaritan, by which parable Christ strove to teach us the doctrine of fraternal charity, w hile the Church uses it today to show us the work of redemption. The man fallen among robbers is human nature, deprived of supernatural gifts and wounded in his natural faculties. The Old Law passes him by; it cannot provide a cure. Then comes Christ, the Good Samari­ tan, dressed in the tunic of humility, pouring in oil and wine—the work of the redemption and that of the Mass. GENERAL COMMENTS 3 (b) Second image: The face of Moses was shining after his conversation with God. What should be the effect of the Mass on a son of God who has been present at it? The Eucharist illuminates us. We should go from Mass to our daily tasks with our face shining and with brilliance of soul. (c) Third image: Moses the figure of Christ, who makes eternal intercession for us and reconciles us to the Father (the Offertory). Each Mass is the representation of the sacrifice of the Cross. 3. The Epistle and Offertory: Schuster also relates the Epistle and the Offertory. He says: In the extract from the second Episde to the Corinthians (3. 4-9)— which is in close connection with the Offertory for today, containing the sublime prayer of Moses—St Paul, in order to uphold his authority against those who were questioning it, speaks to his disciples at Corinth of the glory which was formerly reflected on the face of the great Lawgiver of Israel, so that he was obliged to cover its brightness with a veil. If God desired to surround with so much brilliance the Old Testament, which was destined to be made void, how much greater should not be the glory and the authority of the apostles and ministers of the New Covenant ? 4. The Offertory: Schuster says: From a musical point of view it is one of the most beautiful pieces in the Gregorian collection. In it we have the prayer of Moses on that occasion when Jehovah was about to destroy utterly the Israelites after their sin of idolatry in connection with the golden calf. The great leader calls upon the Lord to remember the merits of the ancient Patriarchs and the glorious promises made to them. By these words God was appeased ; from which it is clearly seen that the Catholic doctrine concerning the invocation of the Saints is both legitimate and beneficial, and that it is founded on Holy Scripture. This Offertory merits a full development, so that the faithful may learn the beauty of this doctrine and apply it. Π. EXEGETIC AND MORAL NOTES A: The Epistle: 2 Cor. 3. 4-9 i. Texts: (a) Such, through Christ, is the confidence ... This confidence which Paul has is related to the verses which go before, in which he points out that he has no need of letters of 4 TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST recommendation, because his hearers and their faith are the best recommendation for an apostle. However, he does not wish to glory in his own merits, for everything he has comes to him from above. (b) since it is he who has enabled us to promulgate his new law... Having said this St Paul indulges in one of his famous digressions —so common in his writings. He speaks of the greatness of this new Law in comparison with the Old Law. The old law is an institution which inflicts death, a law of the letter, not of the spirit. The law of Christ is venw ’ different from this, (c) if there is a splendour in the proclamation of our guilt... He seems to be talking to those who tried to introduce Jewish practices, those perhaps, who said that they were of the faction of Peter. He insists, to them, on the glory of the New Law. It should be pointed out that the Law of Moses, even though one of death, of the letter and of condemnation, was still glorious, both because of its origin, its precepts, the truth of its doctrine, etc. All that it had of death was extrinsic to it, due to sin and human weakness, which it could not cure of itself. But it cannot stand comparison with the New Law of love. 2. Applications: The best theme for preaching seems to be contained in verse 5 : the need for grace, humility and confidence in God, which should come from the spirit of the New Law. The doctrine of the Pharisees w'as essentially one of the letter of the law as against its spirit, from which arose an external, ritualistic concept of religion and holiness. They had forgotten the frequent calls of the Prophets, who demanded an interior purity of heart. Therefore they did not understand the preaching of Christ, which insisted on the same thing. The interior cleanliness of the cup is to be preferred to the exterior. Whited sepulchres are all too common ! It is better to love God and our neighbour than to pay dues, etc. We should take this into consideration when we think of almsdeeds, etc. When St Paul insists that we are free, he is thinking, not merely of the bonds of the flesh, but also of this dictatorship of external precepts, beyond which we should seek the great open horizons of the truth. These principles should be directives for life, both in the practice of external observances and also in the judging of the neighbour—not burdening him too much while we leave ourselves delightfully free. Love of God and love of the neighbour—those are the two important things. GENERAL COMMENTS B: The Gospel: Luke 10. 23-37 Occasion and argument: The Gospel of today presents us with three different parts, without any real connection. The first is contained in verses 25-28, the question proposed by the Doctor of the Law; the others contain the celebrated parable of the Samaritan. The first section is not even in chronological order, since it merely repeats certain phrases which our Lord used on the occasion of the return of his disciples from their first mission, while the parable of the Good Samaritan was probably taught in some synagogue. 1. 2. Blessed are the eyes that see what you see ... Jesus sees, in this mission of the disciples, the beginning of Satan’s defeat. Therefore he gives thanks to his Father, who has hidden these mysteries from the wise and prudent of this world, and has revealed them to these little ones wrhom Christ has chosen. The whole of the history of Israel has been but a preparation for this moment, if they did but know it. The same is true of us. Our shout of triumph is due, not to a momentary thing, but to the inauguration of a period of history—a perpetual triumph of Christ over his enemies. 3. The parable: (a) The first question: It is quite possible that this happened in a synagogue and possibly in Jericho itself. (b) A doctor of the law: Probably a Pharisee, trying to tempt our Lord. His intention was not quite as evil as that of some of his companions, because the problem is not so deep or difficult. It is an attempt to see how far our Lord’s knowledge of these things goes, and to begin a discussion with him which will allow the Pharisee to show' off his knowledge of the law. Once he has obtained the answer to the first part of his question he tries to take the discussion into typical pharisaical territory. (c) What must I do . . . ? The Lord begins his answer with the usual ironical tone which he will use always with these people. What is it that is written in the law? This should be an easy question for you, a doctor of the law, to answer! How’ do you, who are an expert, explain it? Once the reply has been given—a simple one for any good Israelite—the Lord continues: Do this, and thou shalt find life. 6 TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (d) Second part—the reply of the Pharisee: And who is my neighbour ? We must admit that the question was not so easy then as it is now. For a proud Roman it would have been difficult to see his neighbour in the Gaul or the Jew. Race, colour, nationality divided humanity into watertight compartments. This was even more true of the Jews, who despised all who were not of their race, calling them by the name of goim—people 1 They were the chosen people of God, the rest... ? (e) The Lord’s reply : We can only admire the way he teaches, simply yet graphically. Anyone can understand his reply. (f) The parable: Christ was so accustomed to the region and history of Palestine that his narrative is full of local interest. Jerusalem was very near Jericho—only 27 kilometres away; but it was a difficult road, winding and climbing all the time, with many caves and rocks at the sides of the path, which gave excellent cover for robbers of all kinds. There is even an inn there which is today known as El Ahmar. The man—certainly a Jew—fell among robbers of this kind. A priest and a Levite passed by, on the way to their service of God in the Temple. We know that many of these lived in Jericho. Their office, the state of the wounded man, all demand a different kind of reaction to that which we find in them. The Samaritan alone comes to his help. Oil and wine, together with rough bread, were the usual things carried on a journey, and both oil and wine were frequently used to cure wounds and ulcers, one as an astringent and disinfectant, the other for its soothing properties. Once the first remedies have been applied the Samaritan carries the man to the inn and pays for his stay there, promising that he will also pay if anything further is necessary. (g) The lesson: So simple that even the Pharisee can draw it for himself. Our Lord says: Go thy way, and do thou likewise. (h) Literal applications: The whole of the law is summed up in the love of God and the neighbour. Without the first there is no religion, without the second there is no love of God. The man who imagines that he loves God but who does not love his brethren really disobeys the law of God, despises his brothers, has no love for God’s image in others, forgets the price of his blood, shed for all men, and the laws of humanity which unite us all. THE FATHERS 7 The love of God can be measured, then, by rhe love we have for our neighbour, and the latter, if it wishes to be more than mere philanthropy, must take its measure from the love of God. This love must be universal, as is its foundation, without any other distinction except that demanded by our greater proximity to God and our neighbour’s extreme need. It must be both affective and effective, as was that of the Samaritan. There is, however, another point which our Lord almost certainly intended to teach us through the parable. The priest and Levite— pious people certainly, who were on their way to worship God, and yet they pass by the one in need. How many times we do the same with our servants, without realizing their need and without any real interest in them! The same is true of our dealings with the working classes. The parable has also been applied to human nature in general. Others have spoken of the wine of fraternal correction and the oil of gentleness. SECTION III. THE FATHERS I. ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM (Extracts from his Commentary on Romans, Hom. 23, n. 3 ad 5; PG. 32, 346 fl'.) 1. Love for the neighbour: Do not let anybody have a claim upon you, except the claim which binds us to love one another (Rom. 13. 8). He returns again to the mother of all good, to the one wrho taught him all that he has already said and to the cause of all virtue, and he calls it a ‘claim’, not in the sense of a tax or tribute, but as a debt which always has to be paid. It is a debt which never ceases; what is more, it should be paid always without ever being satisfied in full. It is one which is always in the process of being paid and is always owed. Having explained how we should love, he goes on to tell us the gain we can expect from that love, saying : The man who loves his neighbour has done all that the law demands. And do not imagine that to be a favour, because it is also something -which is owing. You should love your brother because of his spiritual relationship to you ; and not merely for that reason, but because we are all members, one of another. If love is lost, all is lost. Love your brother, there­ fore. If you gain so much by it that through it you fulfil all the law, then you should love as one who has received such a great reward. 2. A strong love: He does not merely exact love from us, but a strong love. He does not merely say, Love your neighbour, but also, As yourself. For that 8 TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST reason Christ says that the Law and the Prophets depend on this love.... We are an infinite distance from him, and yet he places our mutual love next to that by which we love him; he says they are alike. Therefore, measuring them both by the same standard, he says that thev must both be with the whole heart, the whole mind, the whole soul. St Paul assures us that without this love for the neighbour the former love for God is of little use. Just as w e, if we love someone, say: If you love me, you will also love him, so he says the same to us: If you love me, feed my sheep (John 21. 17). Love of our neighbour refrains from doing harm of any kind; that is why it fulfils the demands of the law (Rom. 13. 10). Do you not see how love has both virtues, that of abstaining from evil and doing good, since it is the fulfilment of the law ? It is not only careful to see to it that we know what we should do, it also helps us to accomplish it, not part, but all of it ? 3. How God loves us: We must love one another as we love God, who has first loved us. Among men, if you love one who is already loved, the first lover is annoyed; but God deigns to have for you a common and universal love. Human love is full of envy and jealousy; the divine love is free from all such passions. That is why it seeks those who will share in the same kind of love. Love with me, it says, and then I shall love you even more. Do you hear these words of ardent love ? If you love those whom I love, then I shall know that you love me sincerely. He desires our health in a way which he declared long ago, when he said : Let us make man to our own image and likeness.... And when he rebukes him for his sin, see how meekly he does it. He could have said: Miserable criminal, who, full of all benefits, have believed the devil and left your benefactor! You have joined yourself to Satan! Instead of that he says: Who told thee of thy nakedness? Or hast thou eaten of the tree, whose fruit I forbade thee to eat ? (Gen. 3. 11). Just as a father, who has forbidden his son to touch a sword, should say to him, on seeing his wounds, How did you hurt yourself? Almost certainly, because you did not heed my commands. Do you not see how he speaks more as a friend than as the Lord, as a friend who has been despised, I say, but who does not cease from speaking for all that ? 4. How we must love him: Let us love him, then, as he desires to be loved. If we separate ourselves from him, he continues to love us; if we do not want to turn to him, he punishes us because he loves us, not from malice. See what he says through the mouth of Ezechiel to the city which he loved and from which he received nothing but offences. They shall be summoned to the attack, all those old lovers thou art THE FATHERS 9 wearied of, beleaguer thee round about. . . ministers of my jealous anger (Ez. 23. 22 if.). What more could an ardent lover say, des­ pised by his love yet in love with her still ? God leaves no stone unturned to secure our love; for which reason he did not even pardon his own Son. We, however, are not meek, but cruel. At length let us be meek; let us love God as he should be loved, so that we may rejoice in virtue. Just as he who possesses a woman he loves does not notice the sadness of everyday life, think of what the pleasure will be of one who possesses this divine love. . . . Let us obey then, and rejoice in his love; and thus even here below we shall enjoy the delights of heaven, we shall live an angelic life and, even though we still dwell on earth, we shall not have less than those who live in heaven. After we have left this earth, in brilliance before the throne of God, we shall enjoy ineffable glory. Π. ST AUGUSTINE (Extracts and summary of doctrine contained in the De Disciplina Christiana, PL. 40, 669-678). The command of love: We learn to live well so that we may live for ever. But there are many precepts of the law. Therefore God, so that there would be no excuse for any of us, sums them up in a simple and a clear formula. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and thy whole soul and thy whole mind. . . . Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself (Matt. 22. 37-40). This is what you are taught in this house of learning (the Church) ; to love God and your neighbour. God, as God, and your neighbour as yourself. There is nobody found equal to God, so that you can be told, Love God as you love that man. But on the other hand, so far as your neighbour is con­ cerned, a rule has been found which is of use to you, because one has been found equal to your neighbour—namely, yourself. Do you want to know how you should love your neighbour ? Then look to yourself, and as you love yourself, love him. There is no room for error here. 1. 2. The neighbour: We usually call by this name our parents, relations, etc. ; but in truth there is no one so close to a man as another man. If we would say that only those are neighbours wrho have the same parents, then think of Adam and Eve, and you will see that we are all brothers; and if that is true so far as we are men, how much more so as Christians. As men we have had one common father, Adam, and a common mother, Eve. As Christians, we have a common Father— God ; and a common mother, the Church. I* 10 TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 3. True love for ourselves: If you should be asked whether you love yourself you would undoubtedly say that you do. Who would be so foolish as to hate himself? You ask who hates himself? Then you must hate evil if you love yourself, because he who loves iniquity—and it is not I who say it, but the psalm—hates his own life (Ps. 10. 6). If then you love iniquity, listen to what Truth says to you, and in no obscure fashion. You hate yourself. And the more you say that you love yourself, so much the more do you hate yourself, because he who loves iniquity hates his own life. 0 man, how can you lose your life so? If you love yourself so much that you run the risk of damnation, vou will almost certainly bring to that damnation those whom you love. 4. Love your neighbour, properly : You will say to me: But I love my neighbour as myself. I hear you, indeed I do. You want to be drunk in that love for him, because you say that you love him as you love yourself. You say: Let us have a good time, eat and drink what we may. . .. You are human, indeed I should say a beast, because you love as they love. God made the beasts with their faces turned to the ground, seeking their pastures there; you he placed on two feet. He wished to see your face lifted to the heavens. Let not your face and heart look in different direc­ tions. What is more, hear the truth and do it; in the Church you hear it said : Lift up your hearts. Do not act a lie, then, in this house of learning. When you hear that, reply; and let your reply be the truth. Love yourself and love your neighbour as yourself. What else is it to have your heart lifted up on high if not that which I have already told you : Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, with thy whole soul and with thy whole mind. There are two of these precepts, but would it not be enough to have just one ? Yes, it would, if you understand it aright. Because on another occasion the Scriptures speak to us through the apostle : The man who loves his neighbour has done all that the law demands (Rom. 13. 10). . . . You see how everything has been simplified, brought down to one precept; yet we are still lazy. There were two commandments and they have been reduced to one only. Love your neighbour as you love yourself and it is enough. But love him as you love yourself, not as you hate yourself. 5. Man’s true happiness: Just as man could not make himself, neither can he make himself happy. Something which was not man made man, and something which is not man must make him happy. Therefore man, seeing that he cannot make himself happy, errs, and loves other things which will give him that happiness. And what do you think he loves and THE FATHERS II thinks will give him this happiness? Gold, silver, possessions—in a word, money; because all that men possess and of which they are masters in this world is reduced to money. . . . Therefore what you love, O man, is money and it is money which you think will make you happy, that is why you love it so much. Is that so ? Then if you love your neighbour as yourself, divide your wealth with him. You were talking about what you are; well, now you know. You are not prepared to divide your wealth with your neighbour. (He then goes on to talk about the three pretexts by which misers try to avoid charity to others.) I do not speak to envious people, I speak to those who desire the good of others, their friends, and who wish them to have as much as they have themselves. They desire good things for those in need, as much as they themselves have, but they do not want to give them anything of that which is theirs. Do you boast, O Christian, of desiring good for others in this way ? In a better state than you are these beggars, who have nothing when they receive alms, and wish you well. Do you want those to wish you wrell who receive nothing from you? Well, then, give them something. I will go further; give to him who desires good things for you, Christ. He asks you for some of that which he gave you. Be ashamed. He who was rich desired to become poor, so that you should have poor to whom to give. Give something to your brother, to your neighbour, to your companion. You are rich; he is poor; but this life is a journey and you are on that journey together. 6. True piety: Perhaps you will say to me : If he is poor and I rich, then what can I do about it ? Are you on the same journey together or not ? I am rich and he is poor; and what does that mean except that I am laden down and he goes light-footed ? What you are doing is remembering those saddle-bags which burden you and praise the weight which is upon you. What is more, you clutch those bags to you in such a way that they prevent you from extending your hand. O burdened and tied hand and foot! What are you boasting about and what do you praise ? Untie your bonds, lessen the weight of those saddle­ bags, give to your companion, and thus you lighten yourself and help him. In the midst of your praises of those heavy bags can be heard the voice of Christ, asking alms, and receiving none. . . . 7. The Christian's one treasure: Love your God. Money will not make you happy; it is you who honour it, and not it which will make you happy. Now that you love money so much and follow the path traced out by your desire for it, at least walk also along the road of chanty. Look at the distance between money and your God. The very sun is more beautiful than your riches, and yet the sun is not your God. If the light is 12 TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST more beautiful than money, how much more so the God who made them both! . . . Yet it is seen that you love money so much that when he commands you, you are prepared to undertake any kind of effort, sutler all yokes gladly, dare the seas and the w inds of heaven. I have objects for you to love, but I cannot add anything which will increase that love. You love; then love me, says God. You love money; then at least love me as much. Certainly I am incomparably better than money, but I do not ask you for a greater love; love me at least as much as you love it.... 8. The perfection of Christian charity: What disputations, what book of philosophy or law of any society could be compared to these two precepts on which Christ proclaims the whole law to depend ? Love of God above all things, and our neighbour as ourselves. He is the whole of physics, since the causes of all natures are enclosed in God, the Creator. Here is ethics, because a good and honest life consists in loving those things w hich should be loved and in the way in which they should be loved, that is, God and the neighbour. Here is the w’hole of logic, because the truth and light of the rational soul is nothing else but God. Here is the health of the State which is worthy of praise, because the society is founded on and preserved only through the sure founda­ tion and bond of faith and concord. This is brought about when the common good is loved, w'hich is the one true God, and when men love one another in him. . . . 9- Relation between the two loves: If charity, in order to be perfect, must fulfil the two precepts of the love of God and that of the neighbour, why is it that the apostle, in both Epistles (Galatians and Romans), only speaks of the latter ? Surely it is because men can lie when they talk of their love for God, since the proofs of it are rare; on the other hand it is easier to see that they do not love men when they act with malice towards them. It is a natural consequence that one who loves God with his whole heart, mind and soul will also love his neighbour as himself, since the one he loves with his whole heart, soul and mind, commands it. On the other hand, who is capable of loving his neighbour, all men, as himself unless he first loves God through whose command and grace he can love his neighbour ? Since it is an indispensable condition of the two precepts that one cannot exist without the other, it is enough to quote either one of them when our sanctification is understood; but it is better to refer to that one by w hich we are more easily convinced. That is why John says: If a man boasts of loving God, while he hates his own brother, he is a liar. He has seen his brother, and has no love for him ; w'hat love can he have for the God he has never seen ? (i John 4. 20). THE FATHERS 13 ΠΙ. ST BERNARD (Summary of the doctrine contained in his Treatise on the Love of God.) Motives for the love of God: (a) Because God has a right to be loved by us, for many reasons : He gave us himself, by first loving us. There must be a return for such love. We should always remember who it is who loves us—it is God himself, the Lord of all creation; also who is loved—creatures who were in misery, his enemies, in fact, whom he first had to reconcile to himself. How much he loves us, when he gives his only Son a redemption for all men (Rom. 8. 32). Greater love than this no man has . . . (John 15. 13). ■» (b) the benefits we receive through the divine love: i. in the body. Food, light, the very air we breathe—all things which we possess and enjoy here on earth and which are necessary or even useful for our bodily life. ii. in the soul. Man’s greatness is in his use of free will, by which he is not merely above the rest of material creation but is also able to subject them to his will. By the light of his intelligence he is able to know his own dignity, even though he admits that it does not come to him from himself, but is a gift of God. (c) we are all bound to love God : Both pagans and Christians, but the latter much more, because of the greater benefits they have received. Christians know how much they need Christ, and him crucified, and considering his wonderful love and charity towards them, they would be poor things indeed if they did not offer him in return all they are and possess. It should be easier to love him the more they recognize how much they owe him and how much they are loved by him. Christians know how much Christ suffered for them; they see the Only-begotten Son of God with the cross on his shoulders, his majesty bruised and spit upon; they see the very Author of life nailed to a cross, pierced by the lance, covered with wounds and reproaches, giving up for his friends that beloved soul and life. He who sees all this must feel the sword of love pierce his heart. They also know the fruits of that death, of that victory. Death is swallowed up in victory, slain by the Author of life and forming part of his triumph. From hell he rises to earth, and from earth to heaven, taking captivity captive with him, all those who were death’s captives; so that now at the name of Jesus every knee should bow .■ a 1?. : >7 & 14 TWELFTH SUNDAY AF TER PENTECOST on the earth, in hell and in heaven (Phil. 2. 10). See, too, how the earth, which before brought forth nothing but thorns and brambles, now grows green and flourishes under the new blessing of Christ. SECTION IV. THEOLOGIANS I. ST THOMAS AQUINAS Original sin and its effects I. The nature of original sin: (a) It is an inordinate disposition arising from the destruction of the harmony which was essential to original justice, even as bodily sickness is an inordinate disposition of the body, by reason of the destruction of that equilibrium which is essential to health (I-II. Q. 82. a. I. c). (b) Habit is two-fold. The first is a habit whereby power is inclined to an act; thus science and virtue are called habits. In this way original sin is not a habit. The second kind of habit is the disposition of the complex nature by which that nature is well or ill disposed to something, chiefly when such a disposition has become like a second nature, as in the case of sickness or health. In this sense original sin is a habit (ibid.). (c) Original sin denotes the privation of original justice, and besides this, the inordinate disposition of the parts of the soul. Consequently, it is not a pure privation, but a corruptive habit (ibid, ad luni). (d) The whole order of original justice consists in man’s will being subject to God: which subjection, first and chiefly, was in the will, whose function it is to love all the other parts to their end ... so that the will being turned away from God, all the other powers of the soul became inordinate. Accordingly, the privation of original justice, whereby the will was made subject to God, is the formal element in original sin; while every other disorder of the soul’s powers is a kind of material element in respect of original sin. Now, the inordinateness of the other powers of the soul consists chiefly in their turning inordinately to mutable good; which inordinateness may be called by the general name of concupiscence. Hence original sin is concupiscence materially, but privation of original justice formally (ibid. a. 3. c). 2. Imputability of it: Therefore we must explain the matter otherwise by saying that all men born of Adam may be considered as one man, inasmuch as they have one common nature, which they receive from their first parents ; even as in civil matters, all who are members of one com­ munity are reputed as one body, and the whole community as one THEOLOGIANS 15 man. . . . Accordingly, the multitude of men horn of Adam are as so many members of one body. Now the action of one member of the body, the hand, for example, is voluntary, not by the will of that hand, but by the will of the soul, the first mover of the members. Wherefore a murder which the hand commits would not be im­ puted as a sin to the hand, considered by itself as apart from the body, but is imputed to it as something belonging to man and moved by man’s first moving principle. In this way, then, the disorder which is in this man born of Adam, is voluntary, not by his will, but by the will of his first parent, who, by the movement of genera­ tion, moves all who originate from him, even as the soul’s will moves all the members to their actions. Hence the sin which is thus trans­ mitted by the first parent to his descendants is called original, just as the sin which flows from the soul into the bodily members is called actual {ibid. a. 1. c). 3. Transmitted: The corruption of original sin is nowise caused by God, but by the sin alone of our first parent through carnal generation. And so, since creation implies a relation in the soul to God alone, it cannot be said that the soul is tainted through being created. On the other hand, infusion implies relation both to God infusing and to the flesh into which the soul is infused. And so, with regard to God infusing, it cannot be said that the soul is stained through being infused; but only with regard to the body into which it is infused (Q. 83. a. 1. ad. filin'). 4. Effects: (a) All actual sins virtually pre-exist in original sin, as in a principle, so that it is virtually many; or by the fact of there being many deformities in the sin of our first parents, viz. pride, disobedience, gluttony, and so forth ; or by several parts of the soul being infected by original sin {ibid. Q. 82. a. 2. ad luni). (b) Two things must be considered in the infection of original sin. First, its inherence in the subject; and in this respect it regards first the essence of the soul. ... In the second place, we must consider its inclination to act; and in this way it regards the powers of the soul. It must therefore regard that power first in which is seated the first inclination to commit sin, and this is the will (Q^ 83. a. 3. c). (c) The good of human nature is three-fold. First there are the principles of which nature is constituted, and the properties which flow from them, such as the powers of the soul, and so forth. Secondly, since man has from nature an inclination to virtue . . . this inclination to virtue is a good of nature. Thirdly, the gift of original justice, conferred on the whole human nature in the person of the first man, may be called a good of nature. 16 TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Accordingly, the first-mentioned good of nature destroyed nor diminished by sin. The third good of entirely destroyed by the sin of our first parent. But good of nature, viz. the natural inclination to virtue, is by sin (Q_. 85. a. 1. c). is neither nature was the second diminished (d) Weakness, ignorance, malice and concupiscence as effects of original sin : As a result of original justice, the reason had perfect hold over the lower parts of the soul, while reason itself was perfected by God and was subject to him. Now this same original justice is forfeited through the sin of our first parent, as already stated . . . so that all the powers of the soul are left, as it were, destitute of their proper order, whereby they are naturally directed to virtue; which destitu­ tion is called a wounding of nature. Again, there are four powers of the soul that can be the subject of virtue ; viz. the reason, where prudence resides ; the will, where justice is; the irascible, the subject of fortitude; and the concupiscible, the subject of temperance. Therefore, in so far as the reason is deprived of its order to the truth, there is the wound of ignorance; in so far as the will is deprived of its order to the good, there is the wound of malice; in so far as the irascible is deprived of its order to the arduous, there is the wound of weakness; and in so far as the concupiscible is deprived of its order to the delectable, moderated by reason, there is the wound of concupiscence. Accordingly, these are the four wounds inflicted on the whole of human nature as a result of our first parent’s sin. But since the inclination to the good of virtue is diminished in each individual on account of actual sin . . . these four wounds are also the result of other sins, in so far as, through sin, the reason is obscured, especially in practical matters, the will hardened to evil, good actions become more difficult, and concupiscence more impetuous (Q. 85. a. 3. c). (e) Death as effect of original sin: One thing causes another in two ways; first by reason of itself; secondly, accidentally. By reason of itself one thing is the cause of another if it produces its effect by reason of the power of its nature or form, the result being that the effect is directly intended by the cause. Consequently, as death and such like defects are beside the intention of the sinner, it is evident that sin is not, of itself, the cause of these defects. Accidentally one thing is the cause of another if it causes it by removing an obstacle; thus it is stated that by displacing a pillar a man moves accidentally the stone resting thereon. In this way the sin of our first parent is the cause of death and all such defects in human nature, in so far as by the sin of our first parent original justice was taken away, whereby not only were the lower powers of THEOLOGIANS ι7 the soul held together under the control of reason, without any disorder whatever, but also the whole body was held together in subjection to the soul, without any defect. . . . Wherefore, original justice being forfeited through the sin of our first parent, just as human nature was stricken in the soul by the disorder among the powers, as stated above, so also it became subject to corruption, by reason of disorder in the body. Now, the withdrawal of original justice has the character of punishment, even as the withdrawal of grace has. Consequently, death and all consequent bodily defects are punishments of original sin. And although the defects are not intended by the sinner, nevertheless, they arc ordered according to the justice of God who inflicts them as punishments (Q_. 85. a. 6. c). Π. BILLOT (Summary of the doctrine contained in his De Sacramentis, Preface, concerning this parable.) The parable: This parable gives us the image of original sin. The man was Adam, father and head of the human race, in whom all sinned. The city is the state of original justice, from which we fall, to sub­ merge ourselves in this mortal state, given the name of Jericho. The robbers are the devil and his angels, into whose hands the first man fell, and his descendants. The robbery and the wounds represent the loss of original justice. We shall be more aware of this if we remember the great benefits which that justice brought to us. It raised man to an end which is above his natural powers, and also it subjected the inferior powers of man to the higher, thus preventing concupiscence from having full sway. 1. 2. The robbery: Privation of original justice is a robbery, because it removes from man his direction towards the supernatural end; but it is also a wound in so far as, by taking away from him original innocence, it also removes that which perfected our human nature. Hence weakness in the fulfilment of the precepts of the natural law (Rom. 7. 4). Therefore theologians say that man has been deprived by original sin of the free gifts of God and wounded in his natural gifts. 3. The priest arid Levite: These represent the Old Testament, whose ceremonies and precepts were enough to show us the defects but not enough to give us a cure for them. ... To give us the remedy it was necessary that someone should return to us a spiritual anointing and a vital power; 18 TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST and that one was Christ, our Lord. He united our mortality to his life; and he who was life itself died for us, giving us through the sacraments, his very own life. 4. Redemption: The mercy of our Redeemer is shown in the image of this Samari­ tan who not merely has pit)· on the wounded man, but also applies the cure for his wounds. This is an image of the sacraments, instituted bv our Saviour to heal the wounds of sin. The inn is the Church, founded by him to restore energy to those who have been wounded by sin, and who are on their way to their heavenly home. 5. The Church: As the Samaritan could not remain with the wounded man, so Christ had to return to heaven; but he did not forget his own. He left them the Church. The innkeeper is the hierarchy of that Church. 6. The sacraments: The two coins represent the doctrine of the Gospels and the sacraments of the New Law. The latter give us the medicine we need to cure us, until, at the end of the world, our Good Samaritan shall come again. SECTION V. SPIRITUAL WRITERS I. ST TERESA OF AVILA The love of our neighbour (The Way of Perfection, chap. 4, 5, 6) The need for true love: Do not suppose, my friends and sisters, that I am going to charge you to do a great many things . . . there are only three things which I will explain at some length and which are taken from our Con­ stitution itself. It is essential that we should understand how import­ ant they are to us in helping us to preserve that peace, both inward and outward, which the Lord so earnestly recommended to us. One of these is love for each other; the second, detachment from all created things; the third, true humility, which, although I put it last, is the most important of the three and embraces all the rest. With regard to the first—namely, love for each other—this is of very great importance; for there is nothing, however annoying, that cannot easily be borne by those who love each other, and anything which causes annoyance must be quite exceptional. If this com­ mandment were kept in the world as it should be, I believe it would - SPIRITUAL WRITERS 19 take us a long way towards the keeping of the rest; but, what with having too much love for each other or too little, we never manage to keep it perfectly. It may seem that for us to have too much love for each other cannot be wrong, but I do not think anyone who had not been an eyewitness of it, would believe how much evil and how many imperfections can result from this. The devil sets many snares here which the consciences of those who aim only in a rough-andready way at pleasing God seldom observe. Indeed they think that they are acting virtuously; but those who are aiming at perfection understand what they arc very well; little by little they deprive the will of the strength which it needs if it is to employ itself wholly in the love of God. This is even more applicable to women than it is to men, and the harm which it does to community life is very serious. One result of it is that all the nuns do not love each other equally: some injury done to a friend is resented; a nun desires to have something to give to her friend or tries to make time for talking to her, and often her object in doing this is to tell her how fond she is of her, and other irrelevant things, rather than how much she loves God. These intimate friendships are seldom calculated to make for the love of God : I am more inclined to believe that the devil initiates them so as to create factions within religious Orders. When a friendship has for its object the service of His Majesty, it at once becomes clear that the will is devoid of passion and indeed is helping to conquer other passions. . . . All must be friends with each other, love each other, be fond of each other, help each other. For the love of God, refrain from making individual friendships, however holy, for even among brothers and sisters such things are apt to be poisonous, and I can see no advantage in them; when they are between other relatives, they are much more dangerous and become a pest. Believe me, sisters, though I may seem to you extreme in this, great perfection and great peace come from doing what I say and many occasions of sin may be avoided by those who are not strong. If our will becomes more inclined to one person than to another (this cannot be helped, because it is natural— it often leads us to love the person who has the most faults if she is the most richly endowed by nature), we must exercise a firm restraint on ourselves, and not allow ourselves to be conquered by our affections. Let us love the virtues and inward goodness, and let us always apply ourselves and take care to avoid attaching importance to externals. Let us not allow our will to be the slave of any, sisters, save of him who bought it with his blood. Otherwise, before we know where we are, we shall find ourselves trapped, and unable to move. God help me! The puerilities which result from this are innumerable. And, because they are so trivial that only those who see Ιιολν bad 20 TWELFTH SUNDAY AF TER PENTECOST they are will realize and believe it, there is no point in speaking of them here, except to say that they are wrong in anyone, and in a prioress, pestilential.... Returning to the question of our love for one another, it seems quite unnecessary to commend this to you, for where are there people so brutish as not to love one another when they live together, and continually in one another's company, indulge in no conversation, association or recreation with any outside their house, and believe that God loves us and that they themselves love God since they are leaving everything for His Majesty ?... There are two kinds of love of which I am speaking. The one is purely spiritual and apparently has nothing to do with sensuality or the tenderness of our nature, either of which might stain its purity. The other is also spiritual, but mingled with it are our sensuality and weakness; yet it is a worthy love, which, as between relatives and friends, seems lawful. Of this I have already said sufficient. It is of the first kind of spiritual love that I would speak now. It is untainted by any son of passion, for such a thing would com­ pletely spoil its harmony. If it leads us to treat virtuous people, especially confessors, with moderation and discretion, it is profitable ; but, if the confessor is seen to be tending in any way towards vanity, he should be regarded with grave suspicion, and, in such a case, conversation with him, however edifying, should be avoided, and the sister should make her confession briefly and say nothing more. It would be best for her, indeed, to tell the superior that she does not get on with him, and go elsewhere; this is the safest way, providing it can be done without injuring his reputation. . . . Now it seems to me that when God has brought someone to a clear knowledge of the world, and of its nature, and of the fact that another world (or, let us say, another kingdom) exists, and that there is a great difference between the one and the other, the one being eternal and the other a dream only; and of what it is to love the Creator and what to love the creature (this must be discovered by experience, for it is a very different matter from merely thinking about it and believing it); when one understands by sight and experience what can be gained by the one practice and lost by the other, and what the Creator is and what the creature, and many other things which the Lord teaches to those who are willing to devote themselves to be taught by him in prayer, or whom His Majesty wishes to teach it—then one loves very differently from those of us who have not advanced thus far. It may be, sisters, that you think it irrelevant for me to treat of this, and you may say that you already know' everything that I have said. God grant that this may be so, and that you may indeed know it in the only w’ay which has any meaning, and that it may be graven upon your inmost being and that you may never for a moment SPIRITUAL WRITERS 21 depart from it; for, if you know it, you will see that I am telling nothing but the truth when I say that he whom the Lord brings thus far possesses this love. Those whom God brings to this state are, I think, generous and royal souls; they are not content with loving anything so miserable as these bodies, however beautiful they be and however numerous the graces they possess. If the sight of the body gives them pleasure they praise the creator, but as for dwelling upon it for more than just a moment—no! . .. Do you ask again by what they are attracted if they do not love things they see ? They do love what they see and they are greatly attracted by what they hear; but the things which they see are ever­ lasting. If they love anyone they immediately look right beyond the body ... fix their eyes on the soul and see what there is to be loved in that. If there is nothing, but they see any suggestion or inclination which shows them that, if they dig deep, they will find gold within this mine, they think nothing of the labour of digging, since they have love. There is nothing that suggests itself to them which they will not willingly do for the good of that soul, since they desire their love for it to be lasting, and they know quite well that is impossible unless the loved one has certain good qualities and love for God. I really mean that it is impossible, however great their obligations and even if that soul were to die for love of them and do them all the kind actions in its power; even if it had all the natural graces joined in one, their wills would not have strength enough to love it nor would they remain fixed on it. Π. BOSSUET The love of God and of the neighbour Christ demands unity in his name: Augustine says, and with reason, that there is nothing so peaceful and so ferocious as man, nothing so sociable by nature and so apt to discord through his vices than he. Made for peace, he breathes the very air of war. A spirit of dissension and hostility has become mixed up with humanity and has destroyed the peace of the world. Neither laws, nor reason, nor authority are capable of preventing confidence from feeling perpetual fear and friendship from being uncertain; suspicions are rife, envy, cruelty, malice in the guise of adulation, enmities are implacable. Christ, in his Gospel, is radically opposed to such things and imposes harmony between men by the’three’essential’precepts which comprehend the most radical obligations of our social life with others. First he demands that we be one, in his name . . . his second command refers to fraternal correction and the third to the forgiving of injuries (Matt. 18. 20 if.). I. 22 TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 2. Human love needs a solid foundation—God: In spite of this spirit of division, there is always within us a tendency to friendship, from which comes the pleasure of conversa­ tion and the company of other men. From this wc can understand that the power which has been divided up by human nature between various individual men does not separate us in such a way that there is not at the same time a secret spirit of unity which attracts us. Therefore we have always something common between us all, and we can prove this if we remember that it is not merely sorrow which makes us seek comfort and support from others, but also joy— which one would imagine sufficient of itself—seeks the bosom of a friend to confide in him and without this it is insipid and imperfect. Nothing is pleasing to a man without a friend with whom to share it, says Augustine. Since this natural desire for company is not widespread, since it is normally confined to those who please us; since also it is not sufficiently cordial, being built up on some advantage to ourselves ; and since it is not sufficiently strong, because our affection is a waver­ ing thing, God desires to give us something higher and more solid. He has ordained that charity and love should depend on him as on their First Principle and that from him they should spread to all those who are of a similar nature to our own. Even when we have particular friends, the bonds which unite us must come from this same Principle, without whom there can be no true, solid friendship. 3. Love, the compendium ofjustice: To fulfil the two laws of charity we must understand two things; under w'hose rule we must live and with whom. We live under the supreme rule of God, and we must live under that rule in sanctity. To do this we must be at peace with others, for which reason we must love them for God’s sake, for which reason our love for one another must be mutual. 4. God, the sole foundation of the love of the neighbour: (a) the love of God : In accordance with this doctrine it is easy to see that the first commandment of the love of God is the only foundation for that of the love of the neighbour. Who does not see that, to love him as we love ourselves, it is necessary to desire and procure for him the same good which we desire for ourselves ? And to rise to that pure disposition of soul it is first of all necessary to free our hearts from particular good in order to fix them on the common good of all. To achieve this we have to fix our eyes on God alone, the only thing which can satisfy all mankind with his abundance, and whom we possess more when we share him with others, especially when we try to make others share in him as we do. On the contrary, he who SPIRITUAL WRITERS 23 does not love God, no matter what he may say or how much he may promise, will only succeed in loving himself, nor will any love he has for others be more than egoism, it will not be pure, disinterested or sufficiently warm for us to have much faith in it. (b) the love for ourselves: If this is exaggerated it forms a barrier between us and others— including God. Our self-love is the great obstacle to the real love of others (2 Tim. 3. 2-3). The law demands that we love others as ourselves, but our self-love prevents this, since we do not consider others as our equals, but as our inferiors; in other words, it causes us to love our neighbour for ourselves, not as ourselves. Man will never be capable of loving others as he loves himself until he has won the victory over self-love, by loving God more than he loves himself. The true love for our neighbour always keeps pace with our love for God, in which it has its principle and from which it takes its being . . . and since God is so little loved it is only logical that the prophet should say that it is impossible to trust anyone. We live, he says, in the midst of deceits and frauds, all lack confidence and try to deceive one another; there is no longer any honest man (Cf. Jerem. 9. 4-5; Mich. 7. 2-5). Yet from this exalted source from which charity takes its origin comes the fact that it should also extend with generosity to all our neighbours, with a universal desire to do them good, using to that end all the powers which God has given us. From this same principle should spring our particular friendships, which will never be in­ violable or sacred unless God is in the midst of them. Jonathan and David called their friendship God’s alliance, and thus neither the throne nor their ambitions were able to separate them. Happy the man who finds a similar treasure ; well may he despise the riches of this world, because a friendship which bears God’s seal and is sworn between his hands has no need to fear deceit or treachery. All goes on under the eyes of him who sees the secrets of hearts and his eternal truth is the guarantee of the faith which is pledged in the midst of those changes with which time and human interests threaten other friendships. Such a friend as this, faithful both to God and men, is a treasure beyond esteem and should be more dear to us than our very eyes, because often we see better through his than through our own. He is able to make us see things clearly when our own interests tend to blind us to the truth. ΠΙ. EUGENE BOYLAN, O.C.R. (Some extracts from “ Union with Christ in Our Neighbour,” from his book This Tremendous Lover.) There can, therefore, be no true union with God unless we love also our neighbour. First of all, our neighbour is a member of the TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST body of Christ and we do not truly love Christ if we do not also love the members of Christ. Secondly, Christ delivered himself for each of his members, and we, ourselves, cannot be united to Christ unless we share in his love for them. That is why he lays upon us the tremendous obligation to love one another as he has loved us. We call it tremendous because he loved us to the extent of laying down his life for us. At first sight this seems to be an intolerable burden and an im­ possible obligation. But the sen ice of God is a reasonable service, and he himself has assured us that his yoke is easy and his burden light. If we examine this precept of love we shall find that the obliga­ tion, while extensive, is by no means insupportable. . . . Further, we should not think that though we are bound to love all, we are not bound to like anyone. It is true that our likes and dislikes can be offences against charity, in so far as they are wilful and inordinate; but there are many natural causes which produce a sympathy or antipathy for which we are not responsible. What we are responsible for is to see that these natural likes and dislikes do not interfere with the discharge of the obligations that justice and charity impose upon us in regard to our neighbour.... λλ’ε are bound to love all men. To love, in this context, means to wish well to all men. Therefore our charity must be sincere and interior, and we must will all men good equally, in so far as we must will them all salvation. In practice this means that we must not exclude anyone, friend or enemy, from our prayers, and that in a case of necessity we should be ready to give them any help that is essential for them and which may be in our power.... This love of charity must be supernatural. We do not satisfy our Lord’s new commandment by a natural love. It must be super­ natural in its principle and in its nature. We must love our neighbour for God and according to God. As the Imitation ofChrist says: That seems often to be charity which is rather natural affection; because our own natural inclination, self-will, hope of reward, desire of our own interest, will seldom be wanting.. .. The faults of the tongue are innumerable, and it is noteworthy that even in people who are otherwise quite virtuous one often finds an uncharitable tongue. There is a wide field here for the practice of virtue and the quest for holiness. So much so that the Holy Ghost tells us by the pen of St James: If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man. Let us remember that every word we utter or every insinuation we make to the detriment of our neighbour is an injury done to Christ. . . . The Christian man does his best to hide the faults of others, and will not listen to detraction. If detraction is wrong, calumny is still worse. And even quite good people do not seem to realize the responsibility they have for every single word they say about anyone else.... Our neighbour’s honour PAPAL TEXTS 25 and good name, his professional reputation and personal character, should be as safe in our mouth as in our Lord’s. And it must be remembered that this is true even though we know that his private behaviour docs not justify his public reputation. . . . But all tale­ bearing and mischief-making, all imprudent revelations of another’s secret, all sowing of discord or exciting of suspicion are quite wrong, and are altogether incompatible with a true life in Christ. Not only do we separate ourselves from him in the doing of these injuries, but we widen the breach inasmuch as those injuries are done to him. We make public the very sins of which he has taken the shame upon himself. The really spiritual man is known by the kindness of his speech and still more by the kindness of his silence. He is always ready to find pity and sympathy for everyone. To understand all is to forgive all, and no man who knows his own weakness and his own complete dependence upon God’s grace in the avoiding of sin, can ever be harsh with the faults of his neighbour.... One often forgets that our principal duty to our neighbour is a supernatural one, and that the principal way of satisfying that duty is also a supernatural one. The most destitute man in the world is the man in a state of mortal sin. He cannot rise out of his sin without the help of grace, which he cannot merit strictly for himself. The greatest work then of fraternal charity is that by which grace is obtained from God for those who are in mortal sin. And grace is only obtained by a spiritual life. The greatest service we can render our neighbour is to sanctify ourselves. In doing so, we become, if not a power house, at least a transformer station in the network of the distribution of grace. . . . This principle of Christian charity, according to which Christ is replaced by his members, will be of extensive service in sanctifying the daily routine for those who wish to live a better and a higher life. Our Lord can always be found in our neighbour and loved and served in him. . . . Every single thing we do during the day, which is according to the will of God, can be used to bring down grace on men. The more anything runs contrary to our own will, the more closely does it resemble the Cross by which Christ redeemed men. By willingly accepting such a share of the Cross when he sends it to us, we lighten his load, and bring down his grace on men. SECTION VI. PAPAL TEXTS Practical love for the Church I. We .. . will follow our King of peace, who taught us to love not only those of another people or race not our own, but even our very 26 TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST enemies. We, our hearts inspired with the tender sentiment of the Apostle of the Nations, will join him in extolling the length and breadth and height and depth of the charity of Christ, a charity which no difference of race or custom can divide, no tracts of ocean diminish, no war, just or unjust, destroy. In this grave hour, when pain is racking so many bodies and sorrow rending so many hearts, the world must be enkindled to this super­ natural charity, so that all good men (we have in our thoughts especially charitable institutions of every kind) may pool their resources to meet these gigantic spiritual and material needs, in an admirable competition of pity and love. So will the whole world be witness of the active generosin’ and the inexhaustible fecundity of the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ. 2. . . . We would have all who acknowledge the Church as their Mother carefully consider that not only the sacred ministers, not only those who have dedicated themselves to God in the religious life, but also in their measure the other members of the Mystical Body of Christ, are under an obligation to work zealously and energetically for the building and increase of that body. We wish this to be especially realized—as in fact, to their honour it is realized —by those militant members of Catholic Action who are co­ operating with Bishops and priests in the work of the apostolate, and by the members of auxiliary pious associations which work to the same end. It is evident that under present conditions this untiring activity of theirs is of the first and highest impor­ tance. .. . 3. . . . Imitating this example of Christ, let us daily pray our Lord of the harvest that he may send forth labourers into his harvest; and let our common pleading rise daily to heaven for all the members of the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ. First, for the Bishops entrusted each with the care of his own diocese; and then for priests and religious who, called to the service of God, are engaged, whether in their own country or in foreign lands among the heathen, in pro­ tecting, increasing and promoting the kingdom of the Divine Redeemer. But let no member of this venerable Body be forgotten in the common prayer; and especially let remembrance be made of those who are either oppressed with the pains and sufferings of this earthly life, or after death are being purified in expiatory flames. Nor should our petition omit those who are being instructed in Christian doctrine, that they may as soon as possible be cleansed in the waters of baptism (Pius XII, Mystici Corporis). FI·* SERMON S SECTION VII. SERMON SCHEMES I. LITURGICAL Λ: Our Meeting with the Good Samaritan Modern application of the parable I. The best way of understanding and assimilating the Gospel is to give it an application round the Mass and Communion. This is the purpose of the present scheme. 2. It is not possible, in the case of the present parable, to do this with all its elements—but with some, yes. The wounded man i. When we assist at Mass it is convenient to do so as if we were the wounded man in the parable: (a) we also have fallen into the hands of robbers, the enemies of the soul—the devil, the world and the flesh ; (b) we have been robbed by them of sanctifying grace, or at least the fervour of our charity7 has been weakened, while at the same time we have lost many actual graces through them; (c) we have received innumerable wounds; venial sins, imperfec­ tions, tepidity, increase in the onslaughts of the passions, etc. ; (d) we are often half-dead; not dead altogether, but at least much weakened. 2. Our main wounds can be reduced to two—concupiscence and self-love. They are the two sources of infection which cause many sins and imperfections in us. The Good Samaritan i. The Fathers of the Church see in the Good Samaritan a figure of Christ. 2. Christ knows our weakness and in compassion he comes on our altars every day to supply a remedy. It is the same Christ who was compassionate and merciful with the sinners and the sick all his life on earth; the Christ of the healing miracles, the Christ who ‘had compassion on the multitude’, the Christ who opened the gates of paradise to the good thief on the cross at his side. He is here, on the altar at Mass and in Communion. He cures our wounds I. Like the Samaritan in the parable, Christ on our altars takes on himself our weakness, makes it his own, satisfies for it and heals it. aS TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Among the many fruits of the Mass we find this one of satisfaction for sin. 2. He heals our wounds, above all those of concupiscence and selflove. (a) The Mass has a special value, especially if united with our communion. (b) The postcommunion prayer in today’s Mass stresses this— that not only does the Eucharist purify us from our sins, but it also restores our powers, helping them to fight more efficiently against our enemies, especially against the desires of our fallen nature. (c) The Mass demands from each one who shares in it the handing over of his will and heart—it is not a mere passive assistance at the sacrifice of Christ. This offering of oneself has a great psychological value, as well as a religious one. Blessed are the eyes . . . 1. If the Old Testament was unto death (as today’s Epistle tells us), the New is a ministry of the spirit and of life. The synagogue was incapable of healing the wounds of human nature; we have the joy of belonging to the Mystical Body of Christ, the Good Samaritan. For this reason we can repeat the words of Christ in all truth: Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see. 2. Full of this joy, we can praise God in the words of the Gradual, and our praise will rise always to him, especially if we show our gratitude in a practical way by frequenting the Sacrifice of the Mass; every7 day more convinced of the value of the medicine which it can give to us. B: The Communion of Saints Moses prayed, and God’s anger was appeased The Offertory of today’s Mass recalls the intercession of Moses in favour of the people of Israel (fragments of Exod. 32): (a) the people had persuaded Aaron to make the golden calf for them while Moses was receiving the Law on Mt Sinai; (b) God was angry’ with them for their sin—they were a stiff­ necked race; (c) Moses pleads with God for the people, reminding him of the Patriarchs to whom he had sworn alliance; (d) God’s anger is appeased at the prayer of Moses. The saints’ power of intercession i. It is not merely consoling for the Christian to plead for the inter­ cession of our Lady and the saints; it is also a necessity. SERMON SCHEMES 29 2. The blessed in heaven cannot pray for themselves, because they lack nothing, since t hey are in the eternal glory and happiness of God ; but they do plead for us, this prayer being a fruit of their abounding love for God and their neighbour—charity in an eminent degree. That is why we should seek their help eagerly, as being a powerful source of graces. One for another 1. Not merely should those on earth seek the help of those in heaven; between those of us who still dwell on earth there should be a bond of solidarity which is so great that we pray one for another. (a) We must ask in prayer, says St Thomas, that which we should desire. And we must desire, not merely good things for ourselves, but also for others, because this belongs to the very essence of love, that love which we owe to our neighbour. Thus charity demands that we pray one for another. (b) Above all, priests, apostles, contemplatives, should plead for all those who make up the Mystical Body of Christ. 2. St Paul did this frequently (cf. Col. 1. 9; 4. 12; 2 Thess. 1. 11; Ephes. 6. 17-19). One body with Christ 1. The dogma of the Mystical Body is the foundation of this com­ munion of saints, through which the prayer of one benefits another (Rom. 12. 4-6). 2. In Christ, the Church militant, triumphant and suffering forms one Body. (a) There is a constant stream of influence going back and forth between these elements of the Body. Leaving aside for the moment the Church in purgatory, we can say that: i. the saints cannot be indifferent to our struggle; they are concerned with it and help us in it before the throne of God. Thus they co-operate in the work of our redemption and salvation ; ii. as Christ before the Father presents his own merits and applies them to us, so they, united with Christ, are also actors in the drama of redemption; iii. each and every act of love, be it on earth or in heaven; every prayer and sacrifice, is shared in by those who still fight on earth; iv. Christ has willed to those who are now confirmed in grace, sanctity and glory, the power to help in the work of redemption. (b) For this same reason there is a similar communication of prayers and merits between the members of the Church militant. TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST ,0 Individualism and Christianity 1. There is nothing so opposed to the true spirit of Christianity as individualism, a shutting up of oneself in one’s own ego without heeding the needs of others or without bothering about one’s neighbour. (a) Each Christian is united with all those who are baptized; (b) united also to the blessed in heaven. 2. This truth is often forgotten—we must meditate on it and live it. (a) Many times we approach God and feel unworthy; but we should remember our union with all that is holv in the Church. We can then say to the Lord : Consider not my sins and offences, but look at the faith and love of thy Church—that of Peter, of James and John, of Thomas Aquinas, St Francis, etc. (b) Thus we can pray, through the saints, for all who live in communion with us and within the unity of the Mystical Body ; (c) also for those who are as yet outside that unity, but who form that group of ‘other sheep’, who will one day, by his grace, come into the Church of Christ. J Π. THE EPISTLE A: Confidence in Christ (i) False confidence In the writings of St Augustine we find frequent reference to confidence in Christ—but the right kind of confidence. We have the wrong kind of confidence, according to him, when we trust in our own powers, or when we trust in Christ in such a way that we do not think that we need to do anything—he is sufficient for us. True confidence The Catholic doctrine on this point is: We trust in Christ who has merited justification for us (in our person), and has given us the grace to merit heaven. I. 2. Justification is not a mere external thing: It implies an interior sanctification, a personal and individual application of the merits of Christ. 3. And who is the cause of this? (a) God, whose mercy has reached out to us all ; (b) as meritorious cause, Christ our Lord, who through his love for us, became man and merited it for us, as one with us. SERMON SCHEMES 4. This explains ivhy our hope and confidence are so firm and certain: (a) God docs not do things by halves, and he will give us the means to attain the happiness of heaven; (b) Christ gave himself to death for us—and in whom can we have greater trust than in one who has done so much for us? The love demonstrated in such an act of self-sacrifice demands this confidence. (c) l ie has given us the I loly Spirit—our confidence has its basis in this presence in us of God himself. 5. Our good works take their value from this fact that Christ is with and in us, that what we do (in a state of grace) he does with us; he and I arc one. Epistle to the Romans 1. To complete the picture we need to read and to study with attention the Epistle of Paul to the Romans, chap. 5. 2. Also the doctrine of Christ, in which he identifies himself with us, John, chaps. 14-17. B : Confidence in Christ (2) Relation to the former scheme There we saw the general basis for our confidence in Christ, now we must explain it in more detail. Two contrasting opinions When Lainez pronounced his famous discourse in the Council of Trent he pointed out the two contrasting opinions, the Catholic and the Protestant, in this example: (a) according to the Protestants: We are like the soldier in the story, to whom the king’s son said : I give you neither horse nor armour. Therefore do not fight; at the hour of victory they will reward you because I have fought. (b) according to the Catholic opinion: We arc like that other soldier to whom the king’s son said: Here is a good horse and arms. Fight bravely, and I will fight at your side, afterwards my Father will give you the same reward as he gives to me. Presumption I. To trust that Christ will save us without our co-operation is to presume on the goodness of God and almost to blaspheme against his might, denying his justice and his goodness. 32 TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 2. It is silly to suppose that God gives us laws and commandments without also wishing that they should he fulfilled. 3. It would be an unjust thing to chastise any offence against them unless such were the case. 4. Faith is only a beginning; there must be good works as well. Faith increases our responsibilities in this matter, because our knowledge is increased. 5. To attain the inheritance of heaven it is necessary to become sharers in Christ’s passion, St Paul tells us. (a) This is the ver}'root of our confidence in Christ—the fact that we are one with him; we have to be other Christs in the world, then Christ will help us as if we were acting in his own name and person, as we really are. (b) Christ learnt obedience through the things he had to do and suffer, as Paul tells us once again (Phil. 2. 5). Christ first obeys, then saves others through his obedience. (c) To trust in him without first obeying the law is to trust in vain. That is why Paul likens life on earth to a race in which the athletes have to do the best they can, and the best wins the prize (1 Cor. 9. 24-26). The commandments are possible 1. The objection could be submitted that trust in Christ is prevented by the wall of the commandments, which are difficult—if not impossible—and good works. 2. There is a fallacy here: (a) Original sin has weakened our nature, it is true, but at our side we have Christ, who has won for us both the victory and the help necessary to attain it. (b) The Council of Trent warns us that the Fathers of the Church have always condemned the idea that the commandments of God ask an impossibility of fallen man. (c) How could a just and a merciful God punish an offence against something which is impossible? How could he reproach us who told the Pharisees that he had not come to extinguish the smoking flax, but to breathe softly on it so that it should burst into the full flame of divine love ? 3. The Council, quoting Augustine, says that God does not command the impossible; he asks us to do what we can and ask for the grace to do that which is difficult for us, helping us all the time by his grace so that we may be capable of fulfilling his commands. (a) Some of the British Troops in the last war had this saying for their motto : What is difficult we do at once; what is impossible takes a little longer! That should be our slogan also. SERMON SCHEMES 33 (b) our weakness has a remedy; in petition: i. if the unjust judge in the Gospel ends by listening to the petitioner who worries him constantly; if we who are ‘evil’ do not give stones in the place of bread; how much more will not God do, when these arc his very own parables ? ii. he will also give us his help that we may ask for those things which we really need. The commandments of one whose yoke is sweet and whose burden is light are not heavy or impossible! iii. or again, we might remember that he who imposed them knew full well the burden they would mean to fallen nature; yet he still imposes them! He also tells all those who are burdened, to call on him! (c) St Paul complained of his temptations—but he also received the reply: My grace is sufficient for thee. Did he not die to merit that grace for us ? Is he going to be miserly in its distribution ? (d) The grace of Christ is more abundant now than before the fall of man. Even so, our weakness is great; but Christ has taken it into consideration. Is he not the Christ of mercy—of the parable of the prodigal son; the one λνΐιο forgave the woman taken in adultery ? Perseverance 1. Grace makes it possible that God never abandons us, although we may try to abandon him. 2. Even perfection and salvation become possible for all—dare we say easy ?—through the grace of God. All should place their most firm hope in their salvation through the helps which God has given us. Just as he began the good work, so he will carry it through to the end, provided man does not cease to co-operate with grace. Confidence and fear 1. Both are human sentiments and both can exist at the same time in man. The fear we mention here is that which thinks of our own weakness, one which moves us to pray and trust. It is the fear of the child who is afraid that he may fall, and so takes his mother’s hand and continues to walk on in confidence. 2. Those who think they are safe should be careful lest they fall; they should look to their salvation in fear and trembling; work hard for it all the time, remembering that they have received the hope of salvation and glory, but have not yet attained that goal. ΙΠ. THE GOSPEL A: Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see . . . Introduction i. Today’s Gospel opens with this phrase of Christ. 2 34 TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 2. To what does it refer ? (a) The disciples had returned joyfully from their first apostolic mission—that is the first reason for the remark; (b) it also has a connection with what follows; they are blessed because they are going to hear the doctrine of mercy and charity explained by our Lord. What the just of the Old Law wished to see I. Christ—the int on which all the old Law converges: (a) Abraham wished to see ‘his day’ (John 8. 56); (b) Jacob expressed his hope in the Saviour whom the Lord had promised to send (Gen. 49. 18); (c) the desires of the just in the Old Law are summed up in the verses of Isaias used in the Liturgy of Advent : You heavens, send dew from above, you skies, pour down upon us the rain we long for, him, the Just One ; may he, the Saviour, spring from the closed womb of earth, and with him let right order take its being (Isaias 45. 8). 2. Yet these ardent desires were not fulfilled in their lifetime; they saw the Messias only by faith. (a) It was faith they lived by, all of them, and in faith they died; for them the promises were not fulfilled, but they looked forward to them and welcomed them at a distance, owning themselves no better than strangers and exiles on earth (Heb. 11. 13) ; (b) even though they knew Christ by faith, the revelation of the Old Law was but a shadow and a figure of that of the New. It did not reveal everything about the person and the doctrine of the Messias, nor the full splendour of the work of redemption. What the disciples sawr 1. Happier than the kings and princes of old, the disciples saw Christ and heard his words. They are of greater dignity and constitute the foundation of the Church of Christ. 2. They were more blessed even than the Jews who lived at the same time. All of them saw and heard Christ ; but not all of them contemplated the Messias with the eyes of faith, nor heard his words in the spirit of obedience—they did not wish to see and hear like that. W hat all Christians see 1. Especially blessed are all the disciples of Christ, all Christians. 2. More so than all the people who lived under the Old Law : (a) We have the fullness of revelation; (b) because of the fact that Christ has now come; L SERMON SCHEMES 35 (c) the work of redemption is accomplished; (d) we have the guarantee of a Church which will remain for all time, and which in the course of her history is now more abundant in fruits of sanctity than before. 3. The true disciple of Christ is more blessed than many others, who see and hear the Church and the works of faith, but who do not wish to believe : (a) happier than pagans, who still live in the darkness; (b) happier than those who lived at the time of Christ and who did not wish to believe in his teaching, in spite of the fact that they saw him with the eyes of the body. Christ has proclaimed the happi­ ness of those who have believed without such vision (John 20. 29). What those see who are called to a religious or priestly vocation 1. They are in a position to see and hear the Saviour more clearly than others : (a) they consecrate themselves to him ; (b) they know him in the wonderful works he performs in the souls of those whom they have to tend. 2. Conclusion: These are the treasures which constitute the object of our admira­ tion when we see ourselves in Christ: (a) may they be ever more and more understood and penetrated by the eye of faith ; (b) producing daily greater fruit in our lives ; (c) may we one day contemplate him face to face in heaven. B : The Parable The wounded man We do not know who he was—only that he was a traveller: (a) Man on this earth is also a traveller. All other creatures have been made for earth ; only man is made for heaven, towards which he is travelling. (b) But in this journey he is subject to a thousand and one necessities, some spiritual and others material—of this earth. i. If he cannot find the means of satisfying the former he will not reach his promised land—heaven. That is why he needs instruc­ tion in Christian doctrine and all the other means of sanctification and perseverance; ii. but if he cannot find means to satisfy his earthly needs, it will also be difficult for him to attain heaven; i. TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST ,6 iii. man, to keep rhe law of God, needs a minimum of material well-being; that is the basis of the Catholic social doctrine in its theological application. 2. He fell into the hands of robbers: (a) Some robbed him of his spiritual patrimony, heresies, bad literature, corruption of morals, his faith was attacked and his whole spiritual life. (b) Others robbed him of his just wages (necessary for his material life), thinking that any salary imposed by law or custom was suffici­ ent; they robbed him of his right to the fruits of the earth, as the Creator had imposed those rights. There were other robbers who were not so guilty—illness, suffering of all kinds, misfortunes of life, material catastrophes, scarcity of raw materials, etc. 3. How many there are in even' town who are fallen by the wayside, robbed of their spiritual and material necessities ! Those who pass by without heeding the sick man A priest and a Letite: The very people to whom the care of such needy souls had been commended. In the New Law those who are charged with the spiritual care of such wounded people are still the priests; those in charge of his material welfare are the rich and powerful. 1. 2. They pass by: That is, they take no heed, they are not worried about the state of the wounded man. They are intent on their own affairs, without thought for others. 3. Why do we pay no heed to the poor ? (a) Through pride: The mere fact that we say there will always be poor, seems to justify us in our own eyes, raising between usa wall which it is difficult to overcome. They are another class of people from us; we do not feel any bond between them and us. Authority is always inclined to this fault, forgetting that all authority is supposed to be used for the benefit of those who are governed, rather than for the benefit of those who administer power. (b) Through avarice: We can give no more, people say—yet if they would deprive themselves of some luxury the essential needs of the poor might well be met. i. We can give no more; but they have themselves placed a limit on what they think they can give, without giving until it hurts and without understanding that God is the Lord and wetheadministrators of his goods! SERMON SCHEMES 37 ii. Their one aim is to gain all they can at all costs—without thinking of the means and the fact that those means might be unlawful before God. Self is the great enemy here. (c) Repugnance: Let us confess it—the poor have little or no education, they are dirty, careless, unprovident at times; but they are still poor! The poor of Christ, identified with him in a special way, in spite of their vices (many of which come from the fact that we refuse to help them). Sickness, which is always disagreeable; sadness. (d) Human ingratitude: But we should remember two things; gratitude or ingratitude of man should not make any difference when it is a question of justice; when charity is the virtue concerned, we should seek the gratitude of God, not that of man. The Samaritan 1. He was a Samaritan, and therefore the wounded man was his enemy. (a) We must help the poor, even though they dislike or even hate us; the hatred or dislike of another does not impede or prevent my obligations towards him; (b) even if it is unjust anger, Christian charity has Christ for its model, who redeemed us—his enemies—from sin, making us his friends. (c) The spiritual order does not admit enemies. Even the enemies of the Church may bring punishment on themselves in the form of excommunication, but this very punishment is intended to be a remedy, a medicine. 2. He took charge of the sick man, bound up his wounds and took him to the inn, where he paid for his stay. Charity is active—not passive; effective in good works. To have the idea that we can help others while keeping our own money intact for ourselves is a delusion. C: Those who passed by The priest and Levite passed by the sick man i. They were about their own business and did not think it opportune to stop and waste time. (a) They were not necessarily evil occupations—they could even have been sacred ones. Possibly they were going to the temple or coming from it. (b) If they were coming from the temple they might have urged as an excuse that they were tired and in a hurry to join their families; 38 TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST if they were going to the temple, they would have the further excuse that they did not wish to arrive late for their sacred duties. (c) Yet in spite of this the Lord holds them up to us as examples of lack of charitw 2. An examination of conscience would show us the great number of times we pass by our neighbour in need, because we are engrossed in our own affairs, possibly pious ones. 3. This lack of care for our neighbour is excused by us, at times from lack of time,J urgent business,* sometimes even the demands of our life of piety. The true causes are : (a) an exaggerated idea of the value of our own business affairs; (b) very small interest in our neighbour. The very different example of Christ and the saints 1. Jesus spent all his life in the apostolate—but all the time doing good to others, without thought for himself. 2. St Paul lived a life which was full of activity, yet he found time to organize collections for the poor. The same can be said of all the saints. 3. We, too, do not need much time to ask an interested question about our neighbour. Why do we pass by so often ? I. The first cause we have mentioned is the over-valuation of the importance of our own affairs. (a) Nothing is superior in value to charity, which is the very bond of perfection. Love for the neighbour is but an extension and a proof of our love for God. (b) As proof of this we have the fact that there are times when charity to our neighbour takes pride of place before our obligations towards God. To help our neighbour in real need we may even miss Mass on Sundays, do servile work, etc. (c) It is an application of Osee (6. 6): Mercy before sacrifice. (d) St John’s argument is well known: how can we dare to say that we love God if we do not love our neighbour ? We say that we love God whom we do not see,and we do not love those whom we do see around us. God is in and with them; they are his. (e) Love proves itself in works, not in words. 2. The second cause in the slight interest we have in the affairs of others. (a) According to us, what they have is quite enough for them ; yet we are never satisfied, no matter how hard they may work for our advantage. SERMON SCHEMES 39 (b) This has its roots in self-love and in lack of charity. There is an intimate connection always between the two. (c) We place ourselves at the very centre of all, drawing all to ourselves and for ourselves; so much so that we see no importance in other things or people around us. The example of the Good Samaritan should teach us a lesson. God himself, the true centre of all things created, took such pity on our miseries that he took on himself the form of a servant (Phil. 2. 7). (d) Our lack of charity. Not merely in so far as we have no love for our neighbour and refuse to think of him as one with ourselves. We do not even understand the doctrine of the Mystical Body of Christ, of which we all form a part. This is a Body for whose well­ being we are all responsible, each one in his own measure. Interest in others If we only understood this doctrine and had a slight interest in those around us, how many misfortunes might we not avoid ? There are so many ways in which we can help others, simple ways some of them, such as a subscription to an orphanage, old clothes we do not want, books for the missions, the seminary fund, the Lenten Alms box—and a hundred others. (a) Be interested in those around you, especially in those who are poor and need your help; (b) show this interest by talking to them at times, by listening to their troubles, by helping when you can. There is nothing better for your spiritual life, and even for your physical and mental health. D : A reply to the Jewish people Introduction 1. The parable of the Good Samaritan is the answer to a question put to our Lord : And who is my neighbour ? 2. But the reply of Jesus is universal and for all time, even though he is giving a direct answer to a problem legitimately formulated but falsely solved by the people of the time. The Jewish concept of the neighbour 1. The whole question of their neighbour was a difficult one for the Jews, for many reasons. 2. Their law and their history, for example: (a) When God’s people entered the promised land they were for­ bidden to have contact with the peoples about them. Those tribes practised idolatry and were pagans; the Jews might easily be con­ taminated by their customs (as in fact they were). A* 40 '·· TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (b) It was God’s will that, if they did not overcome their enemies, at least they should live in isolation from them. 9 (c) At the present moment it may appear to be an exaggerated measure on the part of God; but rhe history of the Chosen People shows how necessary it was. W henever they made such contacts they fell into idolatry. (d) God then had to take stern measures to make his people return to the wav of truth. 3. Their geographical position made it difficult for them: (a) They lived in a land which was geographically isolated, among mountains and the sea on one side; (b) thus the people lived exclusively for the purpose of keeping the true faith and their religious traditions. 4. The results of all this: (a) a narrow idea of the neighbour; (b) all Jews were brothers, but they did not extend this feeling to foreigners. 5. The later happenings in Jewish history: (a) in the captivity this union between the Jews became even more pronounced ; (b) the same is true of the time of the wars of independence, under the Machabees; (c) the Roman dominion—at the very time of the birth of Jesus. They could not think of these oppressors as brothers, but instead looked for the coming of a Messias who would free his people from their yoke. 6. Therefore this doctor of the Law asks Jesus this question, not to catch him, but looking for something which would clarify this problem. The universal mission of the Jewish people 1. They had the mission of guarding the messianic traditions : But instead of doing this as they ought, they kept the messianic privilege for themselves. 2. What is more, Israel received the whole of the New Law: (a) Christ limited his preaching to them, just as he was born of their blood and race ; (b) Israel was to communicate to the world the New Law of the Messias. From them the apostles are chosen, who were told to teach all nations (Matt. 28. 19). 3. The Jewish people had been steadily prepared for this mission: (a) They had the truth, universal, valid for all time ; intended for all nations ; SERMON SCHEMES 41 (b) in spite of its isolation, it was at the centre of the civilized world of the time, with Jerusalem the meeting point for the com­ merce of East and West. Communications with Antioch and Alexandria were easy; (c) in their law they saw it written: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself (Lev. 19. 18), but they understood by the neighbour one’s friends. The concept had to be extended. The reply of Jesus 1. The answer is in the form of a parable, the doctrinal content of which is: Your neighbour is man—any man. (a) Any man—even though he may be a stranger or foreigner. (b) Jesus gives as a model one who, in the opinion of the Jews, was an outcast; there was such animosity between the two classes that not even a glass of water could pass between them (John 4. 9). 2. The reply of Jesus has been hard to accept for the Doctor of the Law, but at least it made him confess that the Samaritan acted rightly. (a) He did not like it: As we see from his answer he would not use the words ‘the Samaritan’, but: ‘He who showed mercy to him’. (b) a hard parable: It goes to show that neither the priest or the Levite, those who should have possessed greater holiness than other Jews, were aware of the meaning of the precept of charity—they take a lower place than the Samaritan. 3. Conclusion: The universality of love; the wider our hearts become in this sense, the nearer we shall be to the law of Christ. E: Christ, our Good Samaritan Introduction 1. Jesus gives us a description of himself in today’s parable. 2. He is the Good Samaritan, who shows man an admirable divine mercy. He drew near to man 1. Man, through sin, was lying at the edge of the road, stripped of all his riches in the supernatural order. 2. Jesus drew near: (a) By his incarnation: This demands the whole of divine wisdom, mercy and knowledge —God takes a nature like ours, unites it to his Person. 2* 42 TWELFTH SUNDAX AFTER PENTECOST (b) He drew near even in the way he wished to show himself to the world : i. eating with the poor, with sinners, those in need ; ii. a life of a worker, of humility and meekness; iii. selecting from the humble his apostles, to whom he would confide his mission. He dressed his wounds The many wounds man had received through sin: (a) deprived of sanctifying grace, the life of the soul; (b) deprived of the light of the intellect which could illuminate his mind concerning the things of God and also those which referred to men; (c) the weakening of his will; he placed his heart in creatures, separating it from his Creator; the will follows the indications of the intellect, it is a blind faculty; it is led away by concupiscence; (d) his body subject to death and misery ; (e) his appetites weakened in so far as the control of reason is concerned, following his desires. 1. 2. Christ binds up these wounds and gives us remedies for them: (a) sanctifying grace won for us on the cross ; (b) the word of God returns to its former purity7 and is increased bv his revelation ; (c) he strengthens our will through hope and by supernatural charity which makes us love God’s plans for us; (d) he taught us, by his example, that death is a step towards life ; (e) the evils of this life, after the death of Christ, have an important part to play in the development of the spiritual life. They are means to greater merit. He poured in oil and w ine The oil of divine mercy: Applied by the sacraments, wiping away sin and giving strength to do good in the supernatural order. 1. 2. Sweetness mixed with harshness: These are the oil and wine with which the Saviour treats us and cures us. He forgives us, but at the same time he imposes a penance on us; he allows us to feel at one and the same time his consolations and the lack of them; he chastises and consoles us at one and the same time. 3. They represent the word of God in Holy Scripture: (a) there we find the kind, gentle truths which give us consolation and hope ; SERMON SCHEMES 43 (b) also the terrible truths which wound the sinner and make him tremble with fear. Putting him on his beast In taking our nature he has raised us to God's level: (a) taking on him our sins; (b) which he did in the way which best suited the dignity of man, taking man to himself in one Mystical Body. 1. 2. Each day Jesus takes on himself our works: He is at the side of the road, saying to each of us: Come to me, all ye who labour and are burdened, and I will refresh you (Matt. 11. 28). 3. He lifts up us with his example: Of perfect obedience to the Father, of humility, of meekness; of all virtue. He took him to an inn 1. Christ, after man’s redemption, ascended into heaven. 2. But he has left man in the inn of the Church, in which he will find all the medicines necessary to heal him, to bring him back to perfect health. 3. At times Christ even takes the sinner, whom he has converted from a life of crime, and places him in the religious life or even in the priesthood. He then becomes an object of special love on the part of Christ. And said to the inn-keeper . . . 1. Christ has confided our care to his Vicar on earth, to the bishops and priests. 2. For this purpose he gives them money: (a) a triple authority; (b) knowledge and virtue, sanctifying grace and others which are destined for the people; (c) the power of orders and jurisdiction; (d) he suggests that they should add to all they have to do of obligation other words of mercy for souls. F: The conduct of the Good Samaritan Who was the fallen man ? He was not a Samaritan^ as some have thought: The Gospel does not say that. The parable would lose a lot of its force if he were. I. 44 TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (a) He was a man—any man. It is a universal lesson, one which applies to us too. (b) Today the idea of unity among the members of the human race is felt as never before. Neither religion, race, colour, nation nor culture makes any difference—they are all men, one with us, our brothers, to be loved equally. 2. The very substance of religion: (a) Once more Christ gives us an example of the very substance of religion—love of God and of our neighbour; (b) but the idea of the Pharisees, who put all the emphasis on externals, will always remain in the world. Two prayers rejected 1. There are two prayers of the Pharisees which are rejected in the Gospel parables, one in a chapter of St Luke, the other in the Gospel of todav. * (a) The Pharisee of whom St Luke speaks (chap. 18) was con­ demned because he prayed badly; he had no real humility, but pride of heart. (b) We are not sure whether the priest and the Levite of today’s parable prayed badly, but they certainly did not act as they should have done. They might have left the temple without condemnation, but they did not please God in their prayer. They did not receive grace; their prayer was not accepted. 2. The first Pharisee was condemned for his pride; these for their lack of charity after their prayer. Prayer should breed charity Good prayer necessarily breeds charity in the soul: (a) Through the heart we enter into contact with God—and God is love. (b) Good prayer is an act of love for God ; cold intellectual thought, even though it be concerned with divine things, is not prayer—it is possible to write a whole treatise on theology without ten minutes prayer. It is one thing to penetrate into divine things coldly and with the intellect merely; and quite another thing to treat personally with God,'the soul full of love for him. (c) Where there is presence of God, contact with him, lifting of the heart to him, acts of the will by which we speak, either mentally or vocally, to God and the saints, there is true prayer. Good prayer is known by its effects; and the first effect is an increase in charity. SERMON SCHEMES 45 The touchstone of mercy and compassion imperfect charitable resolutions: (a) During prayer some people do make an imperfect resolution concerned with charity—to visit some sick person, give alms to the poor, subscribe to some charitable work. (b) These small and foreseen works of charity are not a necessary proof of the love of God; at times they arc the result of a cold act of the intellect, they can be done for so many reasons, social or other­ wise or they can come from natural compassion. 1. 2. Unforeseen need—the touchstone of charity: (a) A much better proof in every way is unforeseen necessity which makes us draw near, something even bodily, to our neighbour; that which demands of us a sacrifice which is both certain and not thought out previously. What is more, it is personal, one which springs spontaneously from our heart, sometimes with apparent imprudence. (b) In a word, we must try to forget self in order to help others. Charity seeketh not her own... even at times to its own disadvantage. Analysis of the Samaritan’s actions He saw ... That is the first thing. There are people who do not see the sufferings of others or take heed to their needs. 1. 2. He stopped . . . (a) because he was aware of the need of the wounded man; (b) the priest saw him, so did the Levite, and both passed by; the Samaritan stopped, and so came to him and helped him. (c) God has given us eyes to see the needs of others and so that we shall not ‘pass them by’. 3. He took pity on him . . . (a) We must learn our union and solidarity with those in need. The Samaritan made the sick man’s need his own. This is not mere sentiment or philanthropy. (b) It is a human act, in which the intellect and will play their parts. It is charity, a virtue. 4. He drew near to him . . . Thus he became more a\vare of the man’s need. We must draw near; it is not enough to try to help others from a long way off. Even physical proximity may be the means to a moral approach. 5. He helped him . . . (a) He gives freely of his time; he gives his attentions, the small remedies he has at hand, such as oil and wine. 46 TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (b) He does not then abandon him, but puts him on his own beast —he becomes the wounded man’s servant. (c) He took him to an inn and paid for his stay there. The perfect consummation of a good work. The lesson If a father had found his son lying by the side of the road in these conditions, or if a man found his brother thus, they could not have done more for their loved ones than the Samaritan did. (a) Yet what he did is simple Gospel teaching. Christ did not say: Love your sons, or your brothers, but: Love your neighbour as yourself. (b) This is to do the will of our Father who is in heaven. (c) The Father’s will is that we should love one another as he has loved us (John 15). G: Christians and reparation Taking care of the wounded man 1. Christ, as our Good Samaritan, took on himself our mortality to cure the wounds of our sins. 2. This is the prophecy of Isaias (53. 5-6, n-12). 3. And St Paul: Christ never knew sin, and God made him into sin for us, so that in him we might be turned into the holiness of God The Following of Christ 1. The ideal of every Christian, since we all have to follow in the footsteps of Christ, is to reproduce in our own lives his sentiments and virtues. (a) What is the attitude of Christians towards the sins of others ? (b) St Paul tells his converts in Galatia that they must help to bear one another’s burdens, and that thus they will fulfil the law of Christ (Gal. 6. 2). (c) It is part of the law of Christ (and shows itself in his example) that we must do our best to carry the heavy load of the sins of others. 2. This is an aspect of charity, or perhaps it would be better to say of mercy, which is frequently forgotten. (a) Faced with the sins of others, the usual reaction is one of bitter comment, strict censure, detraction, a sense of pride in being about to say that we are better than our neighbour. (b) Without even thinking about it, too many Christians fall almost unconsciously into the sin of the Pharisees—lack of mercy towards others. SERMON SCHEMES 47 3. To carry the sins of others is to be one with Christ, in his work of redemption. (a) It means considering them as if they were our own, suffering because of them as if we had committed them, satisfying the divine justice for them. (b) In a word, it is reparation. The need for reparation It is necessary because of the existence of sin: (a) In every sin there is a double element, rejoicing in creatures, rebellion against God. (b) It is not enough to repent; sin takes with it a debt, and that debt has to be paid. If there was joy in committing it, there must be sorrow in repenting for it. (c) From this comes the need for reparation; there is no repentance without it. 1. 2. There are many souls who sin and do not make reparation: Therefore the need for the Mystical Body to set about this task. 3. Reparation in the Mystical Body: (a) Because of our solidarity, one must come to the help of another. (b) The illustration of the human body shows us this; if a speck of dust gets into the eye, the hand goes to its help ; grafting opera­ tions are common today, in which tissue from one body is joined to another—that should be the attitude of the Mystical Body too. (c) Today Christians do not share their earthly goods to the same extent as in the early days of the Church; but they should share their spiritual wealth. Sharers in the redemption of Christ The Christian who acts in this way has a share in the redemption of Christ: (a) Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins (Heb. 9. 22). (b) Christ’s passion was entirely effective to repair the damage done through sin, but God has ordained that it should be perpetu­ ated in the other members of his Body. (c) Every Christian must be able to say that he is nailed to the cross with Christ (Gal. 2. 19-20). I. 2. This self-crucifixion together with Christ implies a most sincere love: (a) love is the very soul of sacrifice; (b) mortification, penance, reparation and the cross are not pleasant things in themselves; 4S TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (c) no one crucifies himself because it is a good thing to do so, or enjoyable; but it can and should be done from love for Christ and for the souls which he redeemed. Sacrifice yourselves for sinners This is the reason for certain religious orders—reparation! The world is full of those who sin and never make satisfaction; others must do it for them. 1. 2. Dear God, if only we could understand the honour you do to us in making us sharers in your work of redemption! (a) We should ask God for the gift of generosity in self-sacrifice for others; (b) we should make a special effort on behalf of those near and dear to us, those in despair, in sin, those who are far from God ; for all those who should live holy lives and yet whose piety is in danger; (c) a little—just a little—effort made by each one would have a tremendous effect. H: A message of mercy A new message 1. Nowadays it is no longer new because it has been preached so often over the centuries, but when our Lord delivered it he himself called it new’ (John 13. 34). 2. The Gospel of today recalls to our minds that ‘new command­ ment’ of love and mercy towards our neighbour. Mercy and misery 1. Mercy is a virtue which has for its object the misery of another. 2. Every kind of misery comes under the sway of mercy; physical, moral, intellectual; all places and ages, rich or poor, guilty or innocent, private or public calamities. 3. All men have to suffer misery of some kind or another; that is the lot of a man upon this earth (Job 14. 1-3). (a) It is the duty of mercy to concern itself with them all. (b) Those who suffer most will be, therefore, the special objects of this virtue. Compassion and remedy 1. Mercy has two aspects, that of compassion and that of effective remedy. 2. Compassion means suffering with someone: (a) it implies making their sufferings our own ; SERMON SCHEMES 49 (b) it is not mere sentiment or philanthropy; (c) it takes its origin from a heart which is understanding, tender, full of love for God and the neighbour. 3. Help for others: (a) it is not enough to feel compassion, there must be effective help, as if we were dealing with something which affected us person­ ally; (b) it is not platonic, but practical and effective; (c) it takes with it the desire and the will to wipe away the misery of others so far as that is possible in this life—at least to alleviate them. The message of mercy 1. This name could be given to the whole Gospel; it is the preaching of the New Law of love, the virtue of mercy, especially of divine mercy which was incarnate in Christ, the Son of God. 2. Mercy is certainly a human sentiment, the gentle expression of our sentiments towards those who are like us in nature. Cicero calls it the most religious of all qualities. 3. But Christianity has given to that sentiment a divine splendour. God, who manifests his omnipotence principally by forgiving, has taught us to have mercy on our fellow men and to help them in their miseries. He has told us that we must be merciful as our Father in heaven is merciful (Luke 6. 36). 4. On our way through life we shall come across many men who are lying half dead, full of wounds like the man in this story. (a) He is not a Christian who passes by; (b) nor is he who takes no heed of this misery; (c) nor he who limits his help to a word or a look; (d) even though these may go to church frequently, wear scapulars, belong to confraternities; (e) it is not Christian because such attitudes lack the very spirit of Christianity; (f) every Christian has the obligation of being a good Samaritan. Good Samaritans 1. To bend over the one who is suffering, curing his wounds, taking care of him—that is mercy. As the Samaritan in the story, so: Go and do thou in like manner. 2. That is the teaching of Christ: (a) Christ accepted the help of Simon of Cyrene, even though not willingly given at first; he was grateful for it; witness the conversion of Simon and his family. 5o TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (b) If the cross is the inheritance of all Christians, so is this duty of helping others to carry their share of it. Thusand thus only shall we fulfil the law of Christ (Gal. 6. 2). I: The oil of consolation for the sick Introduction Christ has passed through this world: (a) healing the sick in body; (b) curing the sicknesses of thesoul. Thesearecven more important than the former, because science has no cure for them. 1. 2. Even when the sick cannot be cured of their bodily * ills,J it is still possible to pour on them the oil of consolation. The sick represent Christ I. The fundamental motive for giving them consolation: (a) Christ suffered for the sick: His example as the Man of Sorrows is a great source of consolation ; to the sick he might well say: I have given you an example, that you should follow in my steps (John 13. 15). (b) Christ suffered with the sick: He gives all the graces necessary to accept the cross and use it for merit and reparation, for the glory of God and the good of the sick. (c) He suffers in the sick: i. I was sick and you visited me (Matt. 25. 36). ii. It is not merely a question of being represented by the sick person—anyone who suffers and is united to the Body of Christ by grace, is Christ; Christ is in and with him. iii. This is true even though the sick person may not be con­ scious of it; he can still increase in grace through the suffering which he accepts with patience. iv. But the ideal is that he should appreciate this truth, accept his sufferings in conscious union with Christ and for Christ. 2. The sick form part of the passion of Christ: (a) St Paul: Col. 2. 14, i.e. the merits acquired by Christ through his passion are applied through our sufferings and sacrifices. (b) Christ has perpetuated his sacrifice and merits in two ways : i. the mystical sacrifice of his real Body in the Mass; ii. through the real sacrifice of his Mystical Body. The members of that Body perpetuate and prolong the real sacrifice of Christ ; from this comes the value of suffering and sickness. This thought is the most fertile source of consolation. SERMON SCHEMES 5î (c) If Christ at the last judgement will give a reward to those who visited him when he was sick (in the person of others), what prize and reward will he not give to one who has offered his own body to perpetuate in it the redemptive sacrifice? The road to sanctity Sufferings of the sick: It is another source of consolation for them to know that their sufferings arc a sure road to sanctification. (a) Experience teaches us this; on many occasions suffering has been the one thing which was able to turn a soul back to God again after a lifetime of sin. (b) Faith teaches us this truth; suffering, like everything else, comes to us from the hand of a Father who loves us. (c) Just as Christ won salvation for us by his complete acceptance of suffering because it was his Father’s will, so shall we win salvation by the same means. 1. 2. The exercise of patience: (a) the principal virtue to be used in suffering; (b) St James says that the man who knows how to use this virtue correctly is ‘perfect’ (James i. 4); (c) for the illness to be fruitful patience in bearing it must be universal, i.e. we must be ready to accept the illness God wishes to send us, when he wishes it and how, with all the uncomfortable circumstances which may surround it. We must have patience when the remedies overcome the illness and also when they do not. 3. The prayer of the sick: (a) very like that of Christ when he was being crucified ; (b) a prayer of great value and power, because of the patient acceptance of the will of God which accompanies it. J : Grace, the medicine for sin Grace in God’s plan 1. Theologians tell us that the passage in today’s Gospel has given rise to a saying about original sin which sums up its evil effects— man was stripped of grace and wounded in his natural faculties. Just as the man who fell among robbers was stripped and wounded, so the human race was stripped of the gifts God had granted and wounded in its very nature. 2. In the Good Samaritan we can see the help of God who comes to cure our wounds. 3. In the present economy of grace both are evident—man cannot, TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST by his natural [ wers, do anything to procure his salvation, but God supplies that defect by his power and his grace. Both ideas appear in today’s Mass; in the Epistle we are told that our sufficiency comes from God, and in the Collect it is made clear that even the service we give to God is his own gift to us. The wounds of original sin 1. The disappearance of the preternatural gilts and the weakness in the natural powers of man. 2. There are four main wounds left behind by original sin: (a) The wound of ignorance in the intellect, which is blinded, impeded on many occasions in its search for the truth, wide open to error in matters of religion and morals; (b) malice in the will—inclined to evil, easily led into sin through temptation ; (c) weakness in general, which leads man to avoid effort, work, things which are difficult yet necessary’ in order to acquire heaven; (d) concupiscence, which leads us to follow our lower instincts instead of the cold light of reason. The healing power of grace Grace is called Healing and Helping: There are two aspects here which need emphasis. (a) If God, in his providence, allowed man to fall, he is not lacking in power to overcome the effects of that fall. He has not abandoned man in his fall. (b) He re-established him, giving him power to continue to struggle towards good. (c) He did not give him back all that he had in the Garden of Eden—at least, not at once—but he did return to man, in the fruits of the Redemption, all the necessary remedies to overcome the wounds inflicted by sin. I. 2. Thus: (a) He enlightens the mind in its search for truth (Ps. 17. 29); (b) he gives power to the will—in fact, he gives it an attraction for himself which, as St Augustine says, pulls it almost in spite of itself. God with us Thus there results a magnificent union between ourselves and God in the work of our salvation. He comes to our aid and is in us and with us all the time ; (a) but we have to work with him. It is a joint task, God and our­ selves together can do it; but one without the other is useless; SERMON SCHEMES 53 (b) he helps us, but, as Augustine says, he does not force our free will, that must come from us. The very word ‘help’ gives us the clue to what this means, it implies effort on both sides, God and myself together. Come to my aid 1. The Introit of today’s Mass gives us this idea: God, come to my aid. It is a prayer which is repeated many times in the official prayers of the Church and the Psalms are full of it, e.g. Ps. 118.35-36. 2. These invocations can be used with profit as ejaculations. We might instruct our faithful to use them frequently during the day as simple prayers which do not take much time but which are very very effective in calling down the blessing of God on our works. K: The Good Samaritan—an individual application Three applications 1. The parable of the Good Samaritan offers us three applications in our own lives : (a) the strictly individual—the wounded man is anyone whom we may meet ; (b) the social—a whole class of people ; (c) the international—a whole nation. 2. We must not take the parable too literally: (a) All those we meet in the course of our lives are in some way related to us : i. it may be by blood; ii. through friendship; iii. or in our studies or work. (b) we must not interpret the wounds too literally: i. there are wounds of the soul which do not bleed openly but which are more painful sometimes than physical wounds ; ii. there are wounds through injustice, illness, worries, necessity, melancholy, hunger, ingratitude, etc. The first field ripe for the harvest—the family 1. The parable has its application in the relations between husband and wife, parents and children, brothers and sisters, masters and servants. 2. Husband and wife: (a) How many times the poor wife is the one who is wounded and left half dead. 54 TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (b) Infidelity in all its forms; but even leaving this on one side, how many times her work of love is despised, she is treated as a slave, abandoned to herself; lack of consideration for her in every way. 3. Children and their parents: (a) Less often parents in their treatment of their children—but frequent in the way children treat their parents; (b) the small faults of every day—lack of obedience, consideration, respect. Youth is by nature egoistic. How many children have to weep later for the sins they have committed earlier against their parents! Above all, this usually happens when it is too late to do anything to repair the damage done. 4. Brothers and sisters: There is no need to say any more than what has been mentioned already. 5. Masters and servants: (a) How many masters (and mistresses) forget to look after their workmen and servants as if they were human beings, and treat them as slaves ? (b) Social justice is an obligation on all those who have others working for them. The example of Mary Twice in her recorded life: (a) Once at the annunciation: She left all things to go to the help of her cousin Elizabeth. (b) At the marriage feast: She saw the need and helped at once. We should follow her example. Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost THE TEN LEPERS SECTION I. SCRIPTURE TEXTS Epistle: Galatians 3. 16-22 Gospel: Luke 17. 11-19 A: Texts concerning thanksgiving to God, and also ingratitude 1. Thanks for benefits received: Here thou mayest eat thy fill and bless the name of the Lord thy God for the fair land he had given thee. Dt. 8. 10. He who observes the day, observes it in the Lord’s honour. Just so, he who eats does so in the Lord’s honour; he gives thanks to God for it; and he who abstains from eating abstains in the Lord’s honour, and he too thanks God. Rom. 14. 6. Cf. 1 Cor. 10. 31. All is good that God has made, nothing is to be rejected; only we must be thankful to him when we partake of it, then it is hallowed for our use by God’s blessing and the prayer which brings it. 1 Tim. 4.4-5. 2. The spirit of gratitude in St Paul: I give thanks to my God continually in your name for that grace of God which has been bestowed upon you in Jesus Christ... 1 Cor. i. 4 if. Give thanks continually to God, who is our Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Eph. 5. 20. I give thanks to my God for all my memories of you, happy at all times in all the prayer I offer for all of you . .. Phil. 1. 3. Nothing must make you anxious; in every need make your re­ quests known to God, praying and beseeching him, and giving thanks as well. Ibid. 4. 6. Give thanks upon all occasions; this is what God expects of you all in Christ Jesus. 1 Thess. 5. 18. Cf. I Tim. 2. 1. 3. Ingratitude: Evil shall still haunt his dwelling, that repays kindness with injury. Prov. 17. 13. Thankless if a man be, like the hoar frost of winter his hopes shall dissolve; like water that goes to waste they shall vanish. Wis. 16. 29. 6. Its punishment : And thou, Capharnaum, dost thou hope to be lifted up as high as heaven? Thou shalt fall low as hell. Sodom itself, if the miracles done in thee had been done there, might have stood to this day. Matt. ii. 23. Cf. Luke 19. 43-44. 55 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY ALTER PENTECOST 56 SECTION II. GENERAL COMMENTS I. LITURGICAL Thanksgiving to God This Sunday's liturgy, with the Gospel of the ten lepers, gives us an occasion for preaching on the theme of gratitude to God for all his benefits. There are many who plead with God to grant them graces and favour; few who thank him for the graces received. The Church gives us an example, because on all such occasions she sings to him a Te Deum of praise and thanksgiving. Even religious and contemplatives fail to practise this type of prayer. The liturgy abounds in gratitude to God for all he has done for us. The very name Eucharist means thanksgiving, and this is one of the four ends of the Mass. We find frequent allusions to this theme in the liturgy, for example in the Gloria of the Mass. The Mass for Trinity Sunday is one long act of thanksgiving, while many of the Post­ communions refer to our gratitude to God for all his benefits (e.g. that of the Sunday after of the Ascension. The whole of our life should be an act of thanksgiving). If we can teach our people to take this obligation seriously, the whole of their religious life will become more human and pleasing to them. Sundays especially, the Lord’s Day, should be dedicated to this practice. On that day we all assemble together at Mass to thank God for his benefits received during the past week and to ask him for others for the week to come. Π. EXEGETIC AND MORAL NOTES A: The Epistle: Galatians 3. 16-22 Argument: If we leave aside one or two phrases, the epistle of Paul to the Galatians is not very useful for modem preaching, because it is almost entirely dedicated to the solutions of a practical problem. The Galatians had allowed themselves to be deceived by some of the Jewish preachers who, half-converted only, tried to persuade the people that the way to Christ was through the Jewish faith, i.e. all should submit to circumcision and take part in Jewish rites and practices. It is not difficult to see how dangerous such things could be in the early history of the Church, because the Law was nothing but a shadow of the Gospel, and ceased to have any binding force once the latter had been preached by Christ. i. 2. Texts: The general argument is this: The promise of God was made to Abraham and his seed—Christ. Between one and the other lay the Γ,'λ.;·..·. GENERAL COMMENTS 57 Law, a bond of union until such time as Christ should come, but one which now has no binding force or reason for its existence. Verse 16 establishes rhe foundation of the argument; the promise has the force of a last will and testament. It is we, as one with Christ, who inherit the promise. This promise was in full force long before the promulgation of the law, which therefore cannot annul it. Verse 19 has an allusion to an ancient rabbinical opinion, accord­ ing to which the Law was promulgated by angels, probably because of the physical phenomena which accompanied it on Mt Sinai (cf. Hcb. 2. 2 and Acts 8. 26). The whole point he is making is that the promise is the thing—not the Law, and our inheritance depends on the former, not on the latter. There is a second argument to support the former one. Verse 18 says that the promise of the inheritance was a free gift of God and not the result of good works. If the inheritance were the result of obedience to the law it would lose this character of a free gift. Promise and law are therefore two worlds, completely separate. Paul then goes on to discuss the purpose of the Law and its effects. 3. Applications: Universal character of the promise of redemption This epistle gives us an occasion for explaining the universality of the promise of redemption made to Adam and confirmed so many times in the course of Jewish history; also an occasion of preaching on the relationship between the old Law and Christ. Following up the promise made to Adam—and to the human race as a whole—God set out to build for himself one nation among all the others who would be the leaven which would transform the whole mass. For this reason he called Abraham, a nomad (interesting detail, because these wandering peoples are the ones who more easily keep the oral traditions pure). He promised Abraham that in him and his seed the whole world would be blessed and that all nations would flock to him. Here we have the double element in the promise which the Jews did not know how to interpret correctly, that of the one nation and the universality of the redemption. Having built up the Jewish nation, God then bound it to him by the Law, which was intended to prepare them to be fertile soil for the coming of the Messias. The law of itself had no salvation value, nor had the ancient rites which it contained. The idea of it was to direct the activities of the citizens towards good. It only bound the Jews and therefore had no reason to exist once Christ had come. The Jews twisted this plan, through their national pride. They interpreted the original promise and the subsequent prophecies about the universal redeemer to mean that salvation would only come to those who belonged to the Jewish faith. It was an easy step 5S THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AKTER PENTECOST from this false interpretation to an exaggerated political nationalism and dominion. At last the Messias came and the whole world flocked to him. Only the Jews remained outside, faithful still to a Law which no longer had any binding force. Although God had spent so much time preparing them for the coming of the Messias and his new Law, they did not recognize him when he appeared. B: The Gospel: Luke 17. n-19 I. The miracle: (a) The incident: The scene of today’s Gospel takes place during the journey of Christ from Galilee to Judaea. It would appear that, instead of going directly through Samaria, he took the border route which would lead him to the Jordan valley. In the course of this journey he passed by a town (St Luke does not give us the name, as usual); and when he drew near to it ten lepers met him. They were forbidden by Leviticus (13. 46) to live in inhabited places. This enforced isolation caused them to live together in order to help one another as far as they could, begging their food from a distance (4 Kings 7. 3). They knew about the miracles Jesus had worked and therefore they came to him and, from a distance, hailed him with the title Master— a title which only appears in St Luke, and which implies both the teaching power of the Rabbis and the power to rule and command. Christ does not heal them immediately; first he sends them to the priests. The reason is simple; leprosy was not only an illness but also a legal impurity and since these legal impurities were governed by a religious law, it was the duty of the priests to declare in each case that the impurity no longer existed. Christ, who was always careful to respect the Law, sent them to the priests and each group would go different ways, the Jews to Jerusalem, the Samaritan to Mt Garizim. It is easy to see how there could be a Samaritan among the Jews, because infirmity, especially an illness like this one, sweeps aside all frontiers and hatreds. It was a frontier region in any case, wrhich makes it easier for Jew and Samaritan to mix. (b) Egoism of the Jews, gratitude of the Samaritan: The lepers went on their way towards the priests, showing their blind faith in Christ, since they had yet not been cured. Then the miracle happened, they found themselves clean—a technical word for the cure of leprosy. What took place in their hearts? It is not difficult to imagine their joy, but that joy in some cases was egoistic and in another turned to gratitude. The Jews continued on their way to Jerusalem, in a hurry now to be declared legally clean and to THE FATHERS 59 start their lives over again. Only the Samaritan turns back to Christ and, recognizing him as God’s intermediary, expresses his gratitude in gestures and words exclusively reserved for God. All these men had faith, and therefore all were cured; but what a difference between the delicacy of the one and the forgetfulness of the others ! 2. Applications: (a) Christ, healer of the human race: This should be the first consideration; Christ, as healer of the human race, makes no distinction between nation or colour. He is intent upon only one thing, the cure of the wounds of soul and body We are all sick, with the illness of sin. Let us turn to Christ as did the lepers and beg him to have pity on us. He will heal us with his words, his medicines and his presence; with the beauty and holiness of his doctrines, if we will only meditate on them; with his divine calmness, that peace which the world cannot give. He will give it to us, and with it light for the present moment and hope for the future. He will heal us with his sacraments. Penance, which will cleanse us from the leprosy of sin ; the Eucharist, to strengthen us. He will heal us by his presence in the Blessed Sacrament, where we can go to him and ask his pity, as did the lepers. (b) The prayer of the lepers: It is a simple prayer and a humble one; it is also fervent. It is a prayer which accepts the Lord’s conditions with living faith that all will be well in the end. (c) Gratitude we owe to God : This is the principal lesson from today’s Gospel, that of the grati­ tude we owe to God for all his benefits. There is nothing we have not received from him. It should be a living and fervent gratitude; and how difficult it is to find such in this world ! SECTION III. THE FATHERS I. ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM The respect due to priests (Cf. Sermon on Romans> 16.3. PG. 28, 203-207) There is nothing which can do more harm to the Church of God than that disciples should not be united to their masters, fathers to sons and leaders to their subjects. . . . For which reason I ask you, beg of you, implore you, give up this evil custom of criticism. You 6o THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST will do no harm to the priests against whom you direct your critic­ ism, be it true or false; just as the Pharisee did no harm to the Publican, on the contrary, he did good, in spite of the fact that what he said was true. W hat is more, all that we do with such criticism is heap upon ourselves greater evils, like the Pharisee, who turned the sword against himself, receiving a mortal wound. Lest something similar should happen to us, let us bring that untamed tongue into subjection. If one who censured a Publican could not avoid the punishment, how shall we, who attack our fathers in God, be able to defend ourselves? Mary, who murmured once only against her brother, received a terrible punishment (Num. 12. io), and what shall happen to us who injure our leaders many times a day ? Do not tell me that there w as a question of Moses, because I will reply that Mary also was in question. So that you may understand this in another form and see that you should not judge your priests, even though their lives may be evil, listen to what Christ had to say about the leaders of the Jews: The Scribes and Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses. All things therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do; but according to their works do ye not (Matt. 23. 2-3). Could anything worse than these be found, who rose up against the future disciples ? Yet not even for that reason does he take away from them their due honour nor submit them to public shame. W ith reason, because if once we allow this liberty to our subjects, then at once the priests will be deprived of all authority in their teaching office. . . . For which reason David, having taken Saul by surprise, Saul the sinner, breathing threats of murder, one who merited such great punishments, pardoned his life and would not allow anyone to say as much as a harsh word against him, saying that he was the Lord’s anointed (1 Kings 24. 7). . . . The obligation of each is to examine his own life, lest he may hear one day—on the day of judgement—W hy seest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye ; and seest not the beam that is in thy own eye ? (Matt. 7. 3). Truly it is hypocrisy to kiss the hand of the priest in public, so that all may see it, run to his door when we need baptism, and then afterwards, at home or in the street, heap insults upon priests and allow others to speak evil of those who arc the authors and ministers of so much good. If he is such an evil father, how is it that you find him worthy of belief and the minister of such great sacraments? If he seems in your eyes a true minister and worthy of belief, how is it that you allow others to criticize him, do not stop their mouths and do not detest those lips which speak such evil, so that you may receive a great reward from God ? We may add something else, a serious thing; that we shall suffer a dreadful punishment. The reason is that there is nothing which does THE FATHERS 61 so much harm to the Church as this evil. Just as the body, unless the nerves are in good state, is subject to a thousand illnesses and a troubled life, so the Church, unless it is bound together with the bonds of charity, suffers many wars, increases the anger of God and is the occasion of many dangers. II. ST AUGUSTINE (A summary of his teaching in two sermons concerning thanks­ giving to God and the many motives we have for it. Cf. PL. 36, 1316-1322; 1738-1742.) We need to thank God constantly Because he returns us good for evil: The mercies of God will never be before our eyes unless we also keep before them our sins. Do not think so much of the guilt of the sin, but of the condemnation which is its reward. That condemnation you have sought yourself; the pardon is given to you by God. Do not say : That which God has given me, but rather : The return which God has made to me. You returned evil for good; he has given you good in return for evil. And in return for what good have you given him evil ? Because you exist; because you are in his image and likeness. There is no need for you to seek keenly to find what you must return to him—his own image is what he asks of you. He asks to be paid in his own coinage. 1. 2. Let us give him back his own gifts: What return shall we make to him, what gift, what sacrifice ? That of not forgetting his gifts. God seeks praise, not for his own benefit, but so that you may take advantage of it. What he demands is not for himself, but for you. . . . Give him back something which is yours, if you can. No, better not, because if you give him something which is yours merely, then all you will return to him is sin. All that you have, you have received from him; the only thing which is really yours alone is sin. He does not want what is yours, but what is already his. Just as if you gave a farmer sheaves which he had already sown, while if you give him weeds, you give something which he did not sow and which is not his; so with God. Give him truth, praise him in truth. If you try to do it with what is yours you will only lie. 3. Because he strengthens our weakness: These are his gifts. What was due to the sinner except punish­ ment? But that is not the return God makes to him; do not fear, do not tremble—merely love. Do not forget his good gifts and be converted to him quickly, lest you suffer his punishments. 62 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 4. The heavenly physician is greater than our sins: But in spite of the pardon given to us, we still have to withstand the attacks which come to us through our weakness. It is inevitable that there should arise in you sensual impulses towards things that are unlawful. This comes from your sickness. You still drag around with you a weak body, so far death has not been swallowed up in victon', the mortal has not been dressed in the garb of immortality; the soul—in spite of its pardon—is still subject to the dangers of temptation, delights in fantasies and suggestions to evil. This is its weakness. Do not fear; all your illness will be cured. They are very grave, you tell me. Yes, but the physician is more powerful than they, and for such a one there is no illness which cannot be cured. You need do nothing other than allow yourself to be healed ; do not reject his healing hand. He knows what he is doing. When he heals, you do not seek only the delights of his medicines, but resist also the stab of the knife. ... 5. The sick must allow themselves to be healed: Yes, he heals the sick, but he does not cure those who do not wish to be cured. Is there any greater boon then health ?... If you are not sick then you may think of what you like ; but if you are sick, then think first of all of your health before anything else. Your health is Christ alone; so think of him. Receive the chalice of salvation, of him who cures all ills. If you really desire health, you shall have it. When you seek honours and riches you do not always attain them ; but this health of yours is more important then they are and is in the hands of your own will. 6. By the grace of God: Perhaps you begin to be proud when you hear that he gives you a crown. I am great, you say; I have fought hard. But with what strength? Yours to be sure, but given you by him. That you have fought is clear, and therefore you will receive your crown because you have won the fight; but see who has been the victor in the first place, see who has constituted you as victor with him. I have over­ come the world, he said. And why do w'e rejoice that he has over­ come the world as if we had won that victory too ? We are glad because we too have won. We who wxre defeated in ourselves have been victors in him. In crowning you he crowns his own gifts, not our merits. I have laboured more abundantly than all they, says the apostle; but then he adds, yet not I, but the grace of God with me (1 Cor. 15. 10). After all his troubles are over he hopes for the crown which will be given to one who had fought a good fight, he who finishes the race, who keeps the faith; that crown of justice which the just Judge will give him on that day. Why ? Because he fought. Why? Because he finished the race. Why? Because he kept THE FATHERS 63 the faith. But why have you fought and how have you kept that faith ? Not I, but the grace of God with me. Therefore, if you receive the crown, it is because you are crowned through his mercy. Reasons for giving constant thanks to God 1. Grace of perseverance: You that stand in the House of the Lord . . . praise ye the Lord (Ps. 134.2). You that stand, not you that fall. He is said to stand who per­ severes, keeping the commandments; he who with unfeigned faith, firm hope and sincere charity, serves God and honours the Church, who does not give scandal through an evil life to those who ■wish to enter that Church, but who trip up over scandals. ... Be grateful. You were once outside; now you are within. Do you think it is a small thing to stand in that place where God has to be honoured, the God who lifted you from the ground, placing you on your feet in his house, giving you knowledge and the ability to praise him? . . . Should we not meditate on why we are here ? Should we not think of what we were, where we were lying and from whence he has lifted us up ? Should we not remember that, being evil, we did not seek the Lord ? He sought us out, those who did not seek him ; he woke us, having found us, called us, brought us into his house, helping us to remain standing. He who thinks on these things and is not ungrateful will forget himself, burning with love for a God who has given him so many wonderful gifts. Since there is nothing he can return to God what more can he do but give thanks ? 2. Because God is goodness itself: Why should we praise him ? Because the Lord is good. . . . When I hear it said that the Lord is good I am overcome with tenderness and sweetness. When I consider and admire those things which I behold around me, when I delight in them, remembering that all have come from him, then I return to the very source of them all and I understand how good God is. But at the same time, when I enter into him as far as my abilities allow me, I find him so superior to me, for God is so good that he does not need any of these tilings to be good. That is why I do not praise these things except in him, while on the other hand I find him perfect without them. . . . 3. The whole universe is good: And whatmoreshall I say ? Among creatures I contemplate a heaven which is good, a sun, a moon, the stars—all of which are good. The earth is good, as are the things to which it gives birth and which have their roots in it; all is good which walks and moves, which flies or swims in the waters of the earth.... 04 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 4. But nothing is good save God alone: Christ our Lord, who said that man was good, also added: None is good but God alone. Do not these words stimulate us to discover what it means to be good with the goodness of another and what it implies to be good of oneself? What is the goodness by which all these tilings are good ? You will not find one single good which does not come from him. Just as it is something proper to him to be good, so it is to Be. It is not that the things he has made have no being. Would it not be an insult to say that the things he has made are nothing ?... In spite of the fact that they are beings and exist, still, in comparison with him, he is forced to speak as if he alone existed : I am who am. He who IS has sent me to you (Exod. 3. 14-15). God did not say, he who is omnipotent, merciful, just—all of which would have been true—instead he left aside all the other names which could be used of God and replied that his name was the Supreme Being... and truly he IS in such a way that, in comparison, all created things are as if they were not. If they are not compared with him then they are, because from him they receive their being ; but if they are compared with him, then they are not, because the only true Being is God. 5. Thanksgiving because he came to us: If he had not given you his sweetness to taste of it, then perhaps you would not be able to say that he is good ; but he gave himself in such a way to men that he even sent them the bread from Heaven, his only Son who is equal to him. He who is like to him in all things was given to us to become man and die for men, so that you, though what you are yourself, can taste what you are not. The sweetness of God was too great for you to taste, it is too high for you, abject as you are and fallen in the mud. But into the midst of that great distance came the mediator. You, O man, could not attain to God ; God became man so that, since as man you can see men but not God, through the medium of a man you could reach him. Had he been a mere man only, then you have seen only what you are yourself and would not have attained the goal. Had he been merely God, you would not have been able to understand something which you are not, and neither would you have attained him. But God became man so that, by studying a man (a thing of which you are capable) you might reach God—something of which you are not capable. . . . 6. Charity—the greatest thanksgiving: Let us love the Lord, our God; let us love the Church. Him as our Father, the Church as our mother. Him as the Lord; her as his slave, because we are sons of his servant, the Church. What great love has joined these two in wedlock ! No one can offend against one and be ST. THOMAS A OPINAS 65 in the favour of the other. Let no one say: I can worship idols and consult soothsayers, but I have no intention of leaving the Catholic Church. You follow the Mother but have abandoned the Father.... Another may say: Far be it from me to do that, I do not consult soothsayers, but I belong to the Faction of Donatus. What profit is it to you not to have offended the Father when you heap insults on the Mother ? Of what profit is it to confess the Lord, honour God, preach his Son, believe that he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and then blaspheme against his Church ? Is not the example of any human marriage enough to convince us ? If you had a master in whose service you labour day and night, wearing out his door-step with your service, adoring him, but at the same time you injure his wife. Would you even dare to enter into his house? My dearest brethren, remain loyal to God as to your Father and to the Church as your Mother, that so we may imitate those who have gone before us and that they may rejoice in us who pray for us. Thus may God be blessed for all eternity. Amen. SECTION IV. A THEOLOGIAN ST THOMAS AQUINAS Gratitude and ingratitude (St Thomas’s teaching on these points is a solid basis for preaching on a subject which is so frequently forgotten by the faithful.) i. Gratitude: (a) Due to any benefactor: The nature of the debt to be paid must needs vary according to the various causes giving rise to the debt, yet so that the greater always includes the lesser. Now the cause of debt is found primarily in God, in that he is the first principle of all our goods. . . (2-2. q. 106, a. i. c). The natural order requires that he who has received a favour should, by repaying the favour, turn to his benefactor according to the mode of each (a. 3). Just as religion is super-excelling piety; so is it excelling thank­ fulness or gratitude; wherefore giving thanks to God was reckoned above many things. (b) Gratitude a part of justice and charity: Gratitude is a part of justice, not indeed as a species is part of a genus, but as a kind of reduction to the genus of justice.. .. The debt of gratitude flows from charity, which the more it is paid, the more it is due, according to Rom. 12. 8. Owe no man 3 66 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST anything, but to love one another. Wherefore it is not unreasonable if the obligation of gratitude has no limit (ibid. a. 5. ml 2 and 6 ad 211m). (c) Derives from love: The debt of gratitude flows from that of love, and from the latter no man should wish to be free. Hence that anyone should owe this debt unwillingly seems to arise from lack of love for his benefactor (q. 107 a. I. ad $ium). (d) Three requisites for gratitude: The first of these is to recognize the favour received, the second to express one’s appreciation and thanks, and the third to repay the favour at a suitable place and time, according to one’s means (q. 107. a. 2. c). (e) Innocent and penitent: Thanksgiving in the recipient corresponds to the favour of the giver : so that when there is greater favour on the part of the giver, greater thanks are due on the part of the recipient. Now a favour is something bestowed gratis: wherefore on the part of the giver the favour may be greater on two counts. First, owing to the quantity of the thing given : and in this way the innocent owes greater thanks­ giving, because he receives a greater gift from God, also, absolutely speaking, a more continuous gift, other things being equal. Secondly, a favour may be said to be greater, because it is given more gratuit­ ously ; and in this sense the penitent is more bound to give thanks than the innocent, because what he receives from God is more gratuitously given: since whereas he was deserving of punishment, he has received grace. Wherefore, although the gift bestowed on the innocent is, considered absolutely, greater, yet the gift bestowed on the penitent is greater in relation to him: even as a small gift bestowed on a poor man is greater to him than a great gift is to a rich man. 2. Ingratitude : (a) Three grades of ingratitude: Ί he first degree of ingratitude is when a man fails to repay a favour, the second when he declines to notice or indicate that he has received a favour, while the third and supreme degree is when a man fails to recognize the reception of a favour, w’hcthcr by forgetting it or in any other way. ... It follows that it belongs to the first degree of ingratitude to return evil for good, to the second to find fault with a favour received, and to the third to esteem kindness as though it were unkindness (q. 107 a. 2. c). (b) A sin : A debt of gratitude is a moral debt required by virtue. Now a thing is a sin from the fact of its being contrary to virtue. Wherefore it is evident that every ingratitude is a sin (ibid. a. 1. c). SPIRITUAL WRITERS (c) Mortal or venial: A man may be ungrateful in two ways: first by mere omission, for instance by failing to recognize the favour received, or to express his appreciation of it, or to pay something in return, and this is not always a mortal sin, because as stated above, the debt of gratitude requires a man to make a liberal return, which, however, he is not bound to do; wherefore if he fails to do so, he does not sin mortally. It is nevertheless a venial sin, because it arises either from some kind of negligence or from some disinclination to virtue in him. And yet ingratitude of this kind may happen to be a mortal sin, by reason either of inward contempt or of the kind of thing withheld, this being needful to the benefactor, either simply or in some case of necessity (q. 107. a. 3. c). (d) In every sin there is some kind of ingratitude: In every sin there is material ingratitude to God, inasmuch as a man does something that may pertain to ingratitude. But formal ingratitude is when a favour is actually contemned, and this is a SECTION V. SPIRITUAL WRITERS I. ST TERESA OF AVILA The effects of sin {Interior Castle, chap. 2, i) Fear of offending God: I once heard a spiritual man say that he was not so astonished at the things done by a soul in mortal sin as at the things not done by it. May God, in his mercy, deliver us from such great evil, for there is nothing in the whole of our lives that so thoroughly deserves to be called evil as this, since it brings endless and eternal evils in its train. It is of this, my daughters, that we should walk in fear and this from which in our prayers we must beg God to deliver us; for, if he keep not the city, we shall labour in vain, for we are vanity itself. That person to whom I referred just now said that the favour which God had granted her had taught her two things : first, she had learned to have the greatest fear of offending him, for which reason she con­ tinually begged him not to allow her to fall, when she saw what terrible consequences a fall could bring; secondly, she found it a mirror of humility, for it had made her realize that any good thing we do has its source, not in ourselves, but rather in that spring where this tree, which is the soul, is planted, and that sun which sheds its radiance on our works. She says that she saw this so clearly i. 68 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST that, whenever she did any good thing, or saw such a thing done, she betook herself straightway to its source, realizing that without his help we are powerless. She then went on at once to praise God; and, as a rule, when she did any good action, she never gave a thought to herself at all. 2. Understanding God's favours and being grateful for them (Life, c. io).· Let anyone, then, who has arrived thus tar give great praise to God and recognize how much he is in his debt. For it now seems that he wants him to be a member of his household and has chosen him for his kingdom, if he does not turn back. Let him not trouble about certain kinds of humility, of which I propose to treat. We mayr think it humility' not to realize that the Lord is bestowing gifts upon us. Let us understand very, very clearly, how this matter stands. God gives us these gifts for no merit of ours. Let us be grateful to his Majesty7 for them, for, unless we recognize that we are receiving them, we shall not be aroused to love him. And it is a most certain thing that, if we remember all the time that we are poor, the richer we find ourselves, the greater will be the profit that comes to us and the more genuine our humility7.. .. It is a very’ evident truth that we love a person most when we have a vivid remembrance of the kind actions he has done us. If, then, it is lawful, and indeed meritorious, for us to remember that it is from God that we have our being, and that he created us from nothing, and that he presen es us, and also to remember all the other benefits of his death and of the trials which he had suffered for all of us now living long before any of us w'as created, w hy should it not be lawful for me to understand, realize and consider again and again that, though once I was wont to speak of vanities, the Lord has now granted me the desire to speak only of himself.... We must seek new strength with which to serve him, and endeav­ our not to be ungrateful, for that is the condition on which the Lord bestows his jewels. Unless we make good use of his treasures, and of the high estate to which he brings us, he will take those treasures back from us, and we shall be poorer than before, and his Majesty will give the jewels to some other person who can display them to advantage and”to his own profit and that of others. For how can a man’unaware’that he is rich make good use of his riches and spend them liberally? It is impossible, I think, taking our nature into consideration, that anyone who fails to realize that he is favoured by God should have the courage necessary for doing great things. For we are so miserable and so much attracted by earthly things that only one who realizes that he holds some earnest of thejoys'of the next w'orld will succeed in thoroughly abhorring and completely detach­ ing himself from the things of this; for it is through these gifts that SPIRITUAL WRITERS 69 the Lord bestows upon us the fortitude of which our sins have deprived us. And a man is unlikely to desire the disapproval and abhorrence of all, or the other great virtues possessed by the perfect, unless he has some earnest of the love which God bears him, and also a living faith. For our nature is so dead that we pursue what we see before us and so it is these very favours which awaken and strengthen faith. Π. MARTIN HARRISON, O.P. Thanksgiving (Some extracts from chap. Ixx of Everyday Catholic, pp. 342 ff.) Gratitude is a virtue which should be spontaneous and natural to us; it is probably the easiest of virtues, since it requires no difficult effort on our part. Ingratitude is an odious vice and no one can respect the ungrateful. We are irritated at finding our favours accepted without any thanks and judge that we have given to an unworthy recipient. But whereas usually we are grateful to one another for favours, to God we are too often careless and indifferent in thisf respect. Gratitude is the ‘memory of the heart’ joined to a desire os repaying in some way the favour shown; it is the ‘poor man’payment’. No one, however poor he may be, is unable to be thank, ful; all can at least say ‘thank you’ and really mean it from the heart even though it may not be possible to do anything else in return... It is unfortunately too true that we take God’s gifts for granted as though we had a natural right to them. Were God to heal us by a miracle of some loathsome disease no doubt wre should express gratitude for so signal a favour. Yet ‘prevention is better than cure’ and day by day through God’s providence we enjoy good health but we seldom think of returning thanks. . . . Everything is a gift from God, given to us and preserved by his fatherly care, and for this we have a definite duty of returning thanks. What of the spiritual gifts? Especially faith! This is a gift; wre have no right or claim to it; it is not given to all, but is a mark of God’s special favour; but it is not always appreciated by those who have never known what it means to grope in the outer darkness of error, doubt, prejudice, and false teachings, neither do they realize the immense comfort of having been spared those doubts and anxieties which beset those who have not the light of true faith. Truly for this gift alone w'e ow'e a very great debt of thanks to God. How often do we plead forgiveness of our sins ? We cannot claim forgiveness as a right. Do we show any real gratitude for forgiveness and prove it by an amendment of life and a greater love for God ? What of the gift of the Body and Blood of our Lord in Holy Com­ munion ? Are we really grateful for this astounding condescension 70 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST and do we prove it by die frequent acceptance of this most holy food of the soul?... The gifts of God are so many, he is so prodigal in giving, that we forget the immense debt of thanksgiving that we owe for such a great multitude of gifts showered upon us, all un­ worthy though we are. We forger that these are ‘gifts’ and not ‘rights’ to which we have a claim. . . . The very prodigality of his gifts should not make us forgetful but rather fill us with humility that we so unworthy should be so greatly favoured in spite of our past failures, that we who are so utterly incapable of returning adequate thanks should receive so much. Though we can indeed do little in return, we can at least utter a fenent ‘Deo gratias’ from a spirit of gratitude deep in the heart and soul. HI. BOURDALOUE Confession (Summary of this sermon on confession, using as text the words : Go show yourselves to the priests.) Introduction: Leprosy, a loathsome and mortal illness, has always been used as an image of mortal sin. Just as the Lord sent these lepers to the priests, so he sends us to confession. The priests of the Old Law had no power to cure, only to declare that the illness had in fact dis­ appeared. The priests of the New Law have the power to heal, absolve, make clean. Yet it should surprise us that there are so many sinners who do not wish to take advantage of this great sacrament. They are sick indeed, but in their madness they do not even admit that they are ill. The theme of the sermon is the advantages for us of this sacrament, both when we are in a state of sin and when we are free from it. Providence has given us a means of wiping away sin and of prevent­ ing ourselves from falling into it. 1. 2. Confession wipes away sin: Among all the other means open to us, this is the most effective. This power of the sacrament comes from two things, the will of God and the nature of the sacrament itself, which is such that it contains everything necessary to lead the soul to a spirit of perfect repentance. (a) The will of God: i. the law ofmercy. To free ourselves from eternal condemnation all we have to do is accuse ourselves, and God will be content with that accusation. This is surely a new type of judgement. If an ordinary criminal excuses himself he is condemned; if he accuses himself he is pardoned and justified. From this it comes that our SPIRITUAL WRITERS confessions arc not wrung from us through tortures, but are free with repentance and love. Why? Because we know that, if God demands this condition, it is not to prevail over us, but to save us. David recognized this when he said : Pardon me, for I admit my sinfulness (Ps. 50. 4-5). This was a sure sign, according to St Jerome, that the saint knew and understood the intentions and the mercy of God. I recognize the little I can do in the way of reparation, is what he really means, but I also know that you will forgive me because I admit my guilt. ii. its double foundation—the goodness and omnipotence of God. St Ambrose relates of the King Theodosius, that he used to judge certain criminals personally and, once they were proved guilty, would pardon them completely. I prefer to win them over, not to lose them, he used to say. That is God’s way with us (Ps. 50. 6). The glory of God is made manifest in his pardon. (b) Confession and its benefits: i. it humbles us. This is one of the fundamental elements in penance, according to the Fathers of the Church, who say that it is God’s lesson in humility. In effect, there is nothing which humbles us so much as the recognition of our faults. Especially this is true if we think of it in terms of confession as we know it in the Church, not a vague accusation that we are sinners, nor a secret confession to God alone, but that made to a priest who does not know us, anticipating the very judgement of God, opening our consciences as God sees them. We accuse ourselves of being hypocrites, cowards, to a man who neither knows our weaknesses nor our trials, disposed to listen to whatever his zeal may dictate and accept the punishment he imposes. Heretics have refused to accept the doctrine of confession to a priest because it is humiliating. Yet it is this very act of humilia­ tion which gives it its value. Why should we be ashamed when it is this very shame which should move us to love confession ? Your loss, dear brother, says Chrysostom, has been that you have not been shamed enough. Confession remedies this lack. ii. it excites contrition. Because contrition is born of a living knowledge of the gravity and the malice of sin, and this we under­ stand more clearly in the tribunal of penance than anywhere else. How many hard hearts have been softened once they approached this tribunal, because this is the moment of truth, a time when we cannot hide from ourselves the gravity and the malice of what we have done. I have sinned, was the cry of the greatest of penitents, and has been repeated by so many others since his day. See, says St Ambrose, the effect of these three words; they can change the heart of God himself; but they also changed the heart of David; from a homicide and adulterer he becomes a saint. TH1RTEENTHSUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST iii. its satisfactory value. We cannot deny that confession is a penalty—a punishment in itself. St Ambrose calls it a ‘summary of all punishments’, a phrase which may seem exaggerated, but which has its foundation in sound theology'. The justice of God never loses any of its rights and, no matter what happens, knows well how to exact the due punishment for sin, either in this life or in the next. Faith teaches us that sin merits eternal punishment •and that this penalty’ is wiped away by confession. Therefore it is necessary that, in confession, there should be something which, in God’s sight, equals the eternity' of the sufferings due. This element, which St Ambrose calls the summary of all punishments, is the self-accusation. Why? Because God has so willed it. ■ (c) Confession prevents sin: Confession prevents sin from three point of view : ï.from that ofChrist. Confession is one of the many graces which spring from the wounded side of Christ. The graces particularly linked to this sacrament are those which defend and sustain us— those which prevent sin in the future. ii. with relation to the priest. The priest, as one chosen by Christ to administer this sacrament, has special graces to guide souls and keep them on the right path. We should lament the error of those who do not go to confession or submit themselves to direc­ tion. iii. from our point of view. We know w’ell from our own ex­ perience that confession is a great brake on sin and evil desires. The very fact that we shall have to go to confession tomorrow and tell the priest what we have done is capable of preventing us from committing many crimes into which we would otherwise fall. The example of certain heretics shows us into what depths we can plunge once we rid ourselves of confession. Let us make due use of this great grace which Christ has given us. IV. ST ALPHONSUS LIGUORI God’s mercy for sinners (Summary) I. God's mercy calls the sinner to repent: (a) God calls: There is no hostility on God’s part, only on that of the sinner. Indeed, the offended God is the one who weakens, humbles himself and seeks out the sinner to call him to repentance. (b) in many ways: He uses remorse of conscience, fear, threats of punishment, actual punishments in this life, illness, kindness too of all kinds. He makes repeated efforts to break through. We, sinners, have tried to drive God ί— SPIRITUAL WRITERS 73 from our souls, but he always returns; in fact, he never entirely ; 11 abandons us, no matter what we do, and his efforts to get us to repent are constant. He consoles us, promises us that, if we give up our sin, he will make it up to us in so many ways. He offers us the good example of those who do love him with their whole heart, shows us how happy they are even in the midst of sufferings of all kinds. (c) patiently : Surely there is no offended person so patient with those who have injured him as God is with us. (d) moved by his great mercy: St Thomas says that the whole earth would, by natural instinct, be moved to punish the sinner and thus take revenge for the injury done to their creator. But God does not wish for the death of the sinner, but that he should repent and live. St Augustine says that if God were not God he would be unjust, since he has too much patience with sinners. He goes on to say that we sin and glory in it, month after month, year after year; but he suffers us in silence. We provoke his anger, and all he does is to extend to us his mercy. It would almost seem as if there was a wager between us; we try to do our best to offend him and awaken his anger; he does his best to bring us to repentance. 2. His mercy towards the repentant sinner: (a) The tenderness of the divine embrace: God does not know how to turn his face away from the sinner who repents (2 Par. 30. 9), and Christ himself said that he would never turn away anyone who came to him (John 6. 37). He is the Good Shepherd who takes up the lost sheep and places it on his shoulders (Luke 15. 5); he is the Father in the story of the prodigal son, who kisses and embraces him because he has returned safely home (Luke 15. 20). (b) He forgets the sins of those who repent : He tells us so himself (Ez. 18. 21-22; Isaias 1. 18). He tells us to argue with him (Isaias 1. 18), in other words, if he does not deal with us mercifully, we can hurl in his face the fact that he has not been faithful to his promises. What more do wre need ? (c) he glories in his mercy: It is the attribute which is most vaunted in the Scriptures. By it he manifests his omnipotence, pardoning and receiving again the one who has offended him. By it he shows his independence of things created; it does not matter what his creatures have done against him; he is above all that. Why do sinners not take early advantage of this mercy now while there is still time? Why do you 3* I _ - I2 74 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST not return to your Father’s house, to that loving Father you have abandoned, like the prodigal son ? He awaits you with open arms to embrace you and forget your offences against him. The important thing is to return home once more. SECTION VI. LITERARY COMMENTS THE TEN LEPERS AND SIN (From the Catena Aurea of St Thomas) Just as the ten lepers may be taken as a type of the ten principal sins, the chief illness of our society', so the common supplication they made to God can be understood as a sign, showing us to whom we must go if we wish to be healed from them. The first sin is that of heresy', through which we, who have been born and brought up in the religion of Christ, renounce the practice of it entirely or parti­ ally. This happens at times through the influence of other interests, or through that obstinacy which causes us to shut our eyes to the truth, only to open them in darkness. The second is blasphemy, by which we hurl vile insults at God and the Church, insults which we would hesitate to use against anyone else, even an evil-doer of the worst type. The third is gluttony, by which we become lower than the animals. The fourth is avarice, through which we deny the labourer his due wage or pass by without heeding the pleas of the poor; trying to create a patrimony for ourselves out of the swreat and sighs of others. The fifth is pride, by which we lift ourselves above God himself, making a mockery of his supreme law, and making use of every effort to bring to the ground both divine and human power. The sixth is ambition, by which we make use of every artifice, even the most vile and deceitful, to acquire honours which our lowliness would never attain, once faced with the true merits of others. The seventh is hypocrisy, by which we hide our interest in merely human things under a cloak of virtue, of heroism, magnanimity or philanthropy. The eighth is impurity, by which we become un­ worthy of our most pure Head, Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, the sanctifier, whose vessels we are. The ninth is the unjust persecution of our neighbour, through which neither his goods nor his life are safe from us. The tenth is final despair, which closes our eyes to the warm and splendid rays of divine mercy, thus causing us to put an end to that life which God has given us. SERMON SCHEMES 75 SECTION VIL SERMON SCHEMES I. LITURGICAL Give us an increase in faith, hope and charity The liturgy and the spiritual life 1. This scheme can be reduced to one point, a commentary on the first part of the Collect in which we ask God to give us an increase in faith, hope and charity. 2. As a foundation it is interesting to see how the liturgy is related to the spiritual life. (a) It must not be understood as a series of rubrics or gestures; even less as a distraction to true piety. (b) It is essentially spirit and life. In the liturgy we have a summary of all that is meant by the Mass as a sacrifice and the Sacraments, together with the fact that it is the official prayer of the Church. (c) That is why St Pius X says that the first and indispensable source of Christian piety is the Liturgy (Motu Prop. 1903). (d) Pius XII says the same in other words in Mediator Dei. The spiritual life and the theological virtues The theological virtues: Every soul wishing to make progress in the spiritual life must cultivate these especially. (a) They are the most excellent of all and have a special part to play in the spiritual life and in the way of perfection; (b) it would be wrong to spend too much time on the moral virtues to the neglect of these ; (c) they are mutually connected, it is true, but the most important are the theological virtues. 1. 2. The most excellent of them all is charity: (a) it is the bond of perfection; (b) faith is its positive foundation ; (c) hope the force which unites us to God and drives us towards him always; (d) therefore we should cultivate these virtues in a special way, just as we insist on humility which is the negative foundation for all sanctity. These virtues as the object of our prayer i. They are infused by God: (a) given to us in baptism; (b) increased with every worthy reception of the sacraments ; (c) also by acts of these virtues. > : 76 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 2. Therefore, if they are infused, we must ask God for them: (a) they are necessary for all, both those who are still beginners in the spiritual life and those who are well on the way to perfection; (b) above all in moments of trial. No one will do any great work without falling back on them. Liturgical prayer 1. It is frequent to come across prayers which have for their object these virtues: (a) the Collect for the Vigil of Pentecost as well as that for Trinity Sunday; (b) on the feast of the Ascension we ask for an increase of hope; in the Collect for Easter for charity. 2. In a special way they are grouped together in the Collect of today's Mass: (a) here is a beautiful ejaculatory prayer; (b) we should have it on our lips constantly as a rule of life as well as a prayer. Π. THE EPISTLE The prophecies and Christ Their apologetic value 1. Prophecy is the announcement of future events which cannot be known by anyone except God himself. This is the type of prophecy to which I saias refers (41. 21-23). 2. Therefore if, from the beginning, certain clear and detailed facts about the coming of Christ were announced, we must not merely recognize the inspiration of the prophets, but also the messianic nature of him in whose person they were accomplished : (a) because the proof of prophecy is in the fact that what was announced actually happened later ; (b) if the prophecies about Christ proclaimed that he would die in a certain way and if it actually happened, then they are true and we must also admit that_truth when they announce that Christ is the Messias. The New Testament and the prophecy I. Christ appeals to them: Search the Scriptures . . . they give testi­ mony of me (John 5. 39). In the case of the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, he appeals to the prophets, beginning with Moses (Luke 24. 27), and reproaches them for not having given heed to that message. SERMON SCHEMES 77 2. St Luke and St Peter also appeal to the same source of inspira­ tion: Acts 2; ibid. 10. 43; 2 Pet. 1. 19, etc. 3. St Paul also: Acts 28. 23. Their dogmatic value 1. The important thing is to see how the Old and New Testaments coincide in their message concerning Christ and his mission (Matt. 5- 18). 2. There is a gradual progress from the vague to the definite in this revelation about Christ, the Messias. The first stage 1. From Adam to Moses: (a) The serpent has won a brief victory: But a struggle is predicted between his seed and that of a woman. That seed will crush his head finally. (b) Abraham: i. the universal victory of mankind in his seed; ii. God blesses him for that reason (Gen. 12. 2; 18. 17; 22. i7;i8); iii. from these prophecies we can conclude that the whole world will bless Abraham and that it will be through one of his descendants that this blessing -will come; iv. there will be a universal victory over sin and death. 2. Moses: (a) the leader of the Jewish people, difficult to over-estimate his importance; (b) in our Lord’s day the people were waiting for the prophetannounced by Moses. i. St John asks if Christ is he (John 1. 19); ii. after the multiplication of the loaves and fishes it is said of Christ that this is the one they were waiting for (John 6. 14); iii. the Samaritan woman is awaiting such a one (John 4. 25); iv. Christ says that Moses wrote about him (John 5. 46); v. all refer to Dt. 18. 18; (c) therefore the character of that universal blessing becomes clear; it will consist in the coming of a prophet of the line of Moses and with his type of universal authority, the founder of a religion and a special envoy from God. 3. From Amoses until the coming of Christ: Gradually the figure of this Messias is drawn more clearly; (a) he will be a priest for ever (Ps. 109. 4); THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 78 (b) bom of a Virgin (Isaias 7. 14); (c) in Bethlehem (Mich. 5. 2); (d) he will restore the glory of Israel; but he will do it in humility mounted on an ass (Ag. 2. 23; Zach. 9. 9). 4. With the picture of the servant of Goda new element appears: He will be a Man of Sorrows, a victim for the sins of others. David and Isaias draw the picture for us with all its details. (a) David describes the sufferings of Christ, surrounded by enemies and dying on a cross (Ps. 21); (b) Isaias is the Evangelist of the Passion in the Old Testament (42. 1-4; 52; 53. 1; 53. 2-12). 5. All these prophecies were accomplished in Christ: But we must remember also that St Paul said that in many ways God spoke to the people in the days of Old, but now he has spoken to us through his Son (Heb. 1. 1-2). ΠΙ. THE GOSPEL A: Giving thanks Thanksgiving This was the feast to which Jesus was going w hen he came across the ten lepers. (a) There were three great reasons for w'hich the people of Israel had to give thanks to God according to the Law; for the flight from Egypt; for the Law of Moses on Sinai; and for the passage through the desert. (b) The feast of Tabernacles was instituted so that, for eight days, they could give thanks to God for all the benefits they had received in the forty7 years exile in the desert. The Mass is the best of all thanksgiving sacrifices and ceremonies The Gospel of today’s Mass invites us in a special way to give thanks to God for all his benefits. (a) The Evangelist praises the gratitude of the leper who returned to Christ after being cured ; (b) Christ insists on the same thing when he, too, praises him and complains of the lack of gratitude on the part of the others. Thanksgiving for general benefits Those common to all men: (a) to be creatures of God, the family and atmosphere in w hich he has placed us, the means of livelihood, civilization, etc.; I. SERMON SCHEMES 79 (b) all these and many other things as well—are free gifts of God. As St Paul says, every good and perfect gift is from above, coming to us from our Father in heaven; (c) they arc given through no merit of our own, freely; (d) being gifts, they can grow and increase with our use of them, into other things even more precious. 2. Those individual gifts, given so freely to each one: (a) the call to the faith, baptism, a solid Christian education, etc.; (b) each day we should thank God for these special gifts given to the individual; (c) we are in a special position, special objects of his divine love and favour, especially in comparison with pagans. Thanksgiving for these individual favours 1. During the Octave of the feast of Tabernacles the Jews gave thanks for a special favour which they had received from God. 2. God has a certain measure of individual favours for each soul, family, nation. 3. All should be grateful for these favours. (a) They may be interior illuminations, dangers avoided, sins forgiven. (b) Each one is fully aware of these favours, received from God, at least in the interior secret conscience. 4. Like the individual, the family and the nation should give thanks. This thanksgiving predisposes God to grant further favours 1. All the thanksgiving ceremonies of the Jews turned on the future —on the Messias to come. 2. Gratitude is a merit for further favours in the future. (a) Once God sees that a soul turns in thanksgiving to him for favours received he is disposed to open the treasure house of his gifts to that soul. (b) God sees that his favour has increased a hundred-fold, because it has made the soul grateful to him for it. (c) If the soul thinks only of the favour and not of giving thanks to the donor, then God’s heart dries up and no further favours are granted. (d) Gratitude is an act of humility, which wins the heart of God as does no other virtue. It open the way for further favours. (e) This is an easy way to win the heart of God, surely ? (f) The most difficult thing is to admit that all, whether pleasant or unpleasant, comes to us from the hand of God and that we should 80 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST be ready to thank him tor all he gives us. This is the greatest act of humility’ and one which infallibly wins the heart of God. Conclusion Never to allow Christ to complain that we are lacking in gratitude. Listen to St Paul—Be thankful (Col. 3. 15). B: The favours of the Holy Trinity Human ingratitude to Christ 1. Today’s Gospel reminds us of this, but we should also ask our­ selves if we are sufficiently grateful to the Trinity. 2. While it is perfecdy true that God acts as one—the Three Persons together granting us favours; yet it is also true that, in many of those favours, there is a special mark or seal which leads us to attri­ bute them to one or other of the Divine Persons. The Father In him we see the power of government and omnipotence. (a) He is the creator, who gave me being and all that I have. His providence guides and saves me (Matt. 6. 25-34); (b) he is the Father of the Word, and wishes to be our Father also (1 John 3.1); (c) he rules the world as a Father—not as a Dictator. The Son i. The Son of our Father in heaven: (a) Mirror for the creation of the world and all things—without him was made nothing, says St John in the first chapter of his Gospel. (b) It is his sonship which is reproduced in ours; as our model, the son of the Father in heaven. (c) How can we imitate such a high example? Because he was also made Flesh and dwelt amongst us—we can imitate one who has lived with us intimately. (d) Man ruined God’s image through sin and lost his divine sonship ; Christ has restored that gift to us in its fullness. 2. He is our model and our redeemer. The Holy Spirit The love between Father and Son: Love unites those who love; this love sanctifies. (a) He loves the works of God, perfects the task of Christ on earth, directs and guides the Church, etc. Ii* SERMON SCHEMES 81 (b) 11c loves each one of us; and since love is the union between those who love, he joins us to God in intimate affection. (c) God dwells in us—as in a temple. (d) He is the pledge of what is to come—our salvation. Glory be to the Father and to the Son . . . 1. The hymn of thanksgiving to the Trinity. 2. Not because they are perfect in themselves merely, but also because of their work in us. Give thanks always to God. C: Before and after the favour Before i. The lepers: (a) Knowledge of their state: i. a symbol of the sinner. His first necessity is to recognize his sad condition, as it is his first step towards conversion. If he takes it, he is very near that conversion; until he takes it, he is far away. The lepers come to Jesus, as should all those who are unclean. ii. from afar off. We can imagine that such a one would hardly dare to approach ; yet he must approach, at least near enough to be saved by Christ. (b) their prayer: i. humble. This is necessary in every sinner; he has offended the God he approaches. ii. fervent. Our heart and soul must be in our pleas for mercy and forgiveness. iii. petition. Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. Restoration to the divine level after sin is an even greater favour than that of justification in the first place. Because of the offence, pardon must be sought in humble sincerity—the Miserere. (c) their faith: They obey and believe without a murmur. 2. Christ: (a) compassionate and understanding as always; he commands that they go to the priest at once; (b) the task of the cure of the soul should not be put off until another day. Who knows if we shall be given the grace tomorrow which has been granted us today? Who knows if, in our case, tomorrow will even come—at least in this life ? Who knows if the God who is disposed to pardon us today will be equally disposed if we add the accumulated sins of tomorrow? 82 THIRTEENTH SI NDAÙ AFTER PENTECOST After 1. The Samaritan: (a) he gave thanks, with all signs ofgenuine gratitude, prostrations, loud voice, etc. ; (b) the thanksgiving of the sinner should be even more fervent because his cure has been greater. 2. The other nine: (a) Only one gave thanks. (b) In their case it was due to the natural forgetfulness of the human heart, perhaps the natural wish to be re-united with their families, etc. (c) In the case of the sinner it is due to a lack of appreciation of the graces received. Perhaps for this ven* reason we fall into sin again. God does not throw away his gifts on those who do not appreci­ ate them. 3. The complaint of Christ: (a) Ingratitude hurt him—he says the same to St Margaret Mary. (b) A delicate heart is always more hurt by ingratitude than by positive insults. (c) Christ knows what it cost him to free us from sin; is it not natural that he should be hurt by our ingratitude ? D : And where are the nine ? Disproportion 1. There is a great lack of proportion between the one leper who returns to give thanks and the nine who do not. That is the motive for the complaint of Christ—and where are the nine ? 2. Unfortunately, this lack of proportion is only too general : (a) In comparison with the numbers who really do give thanks to God for his favours, there is a great multitude who do not even think of it. (b) They do not remember that they receive all things from God ; (c) they do not even bother to sing his praises, even with their lips ; (d) they do not make good use of his favours once they have received them; (e) they do not use them well and so produce good fruit a hun­ dredfold. God’s providence and its method of action i. St Bernard says that man is often unhappy and afflicted because he does not understand the method of action of Divine Providence. SERMON SCHEMES 83 2. God heaps benefits on us without revealing himself, on most occasions. (a) Usually he acts through secondary causes; (b) he keeps us alive—an act as great as that of creation, but one which passes us by unheeded ; (c) the simple washing of an infant with water in baptism per­ forms a transformation in that soul which is beyond human power to appreciate fully—yet we do not even think of it at times. 3. We are so used to God's favours: (a) familiarity which breeds contempt ? (b) we are not accustomed to appreciate things which are given to us so frequently; (c) we might do so if we realized that, were the favour withheld, the effects would be mortal in many cases; (d) on die contrary, if these favours are withdrawn, even for a short time, we usually blame God, complain that he has abandoned us, etc. Our crude spirituality 1. The fact that we lack faith is the reason for fixing most of our attention on the things of this life without looking beyond them to God. 2. There is a special lack of filial appreciation of God as our Father— we may say Our Father,’ but how much do we mean it in all its details ? 3. The soul in trouble is the one which usually refuses to accept God’s commands. It does not realize the benefit received under such circumstances. (a) Then he offers us a great occasion of gaining merit before him; (b) a means of expiation for sin in the past; (c) through the cross he unites us and even identifies us with himself in a special way, makes us sharers in his redemption and means of its extension. A virtue for special souls The recognition of benefits received demonstrates two things in the soul: (a) humility—what have you which you have not received ? (b) nobility of soul. It gives honour where it is due, and thus begins to pay the debt for what it has received. 1. 2. Souls who were especially grateful: (a) that of Christ himself, who never ceased to give thanks to his Father. (b) Our Lady—the Magnificat. 84 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST E: Gratitude as a prayer Where are the nine ? He asks, not because he does not know where they arc, or the excuses for their apparent ingratitude, but as a lesson to us. Gratitude as an excellent prayer 1. Many prayers go up to heaven from earth and although they have the aspect of true prayer, still they contain much which is purely natural. (a) They come from self-love rather than from the love of God. (b) I pray because I am weak, sick, with difficult problems to solve, in danger, etc. 2. There is another prayer which is not founded on necessity, but on simple gratitude. (a) One which has two aspects, adoration and thanksgiving; (b) like that of the Samaritan in today’s Gospel. Something proper to noble souls i. There is a union between the sentiment of love and that of grati­ tude. (a) Gifts conquer the heart and arouse in it sentiments of gratitude. (b) A heart begins to love when it begins to be grateful. (c) This is the outstanding characteristic of a sensitive soul ; while cold hearts do not usually see the need to give thanks always for benefits received. 2. For this reason the prayer of thanksgiving is, as St Augustine says, that of the saints. (a) Christ used it on many occasions. (The prayer at the Last Supper.) (b) He willed to be with us always on the Altar as our Eucharistic sacrifice—our thanksgiving in a perfect way. The benefits of this prayer 1. It increases true fervour of soul, since it comes from love- it unites us more to God, which is true fervour. 2. It is the source of new and greater favours. 3. We see it in today’s Gospel: first cured of bodily leprosy, the Samaritan who returns to give thanks is then cured of spiritual evils. SERMON SCHEMES 85 God’s benefits Each day contains so many of them that they would be impossible to count. Both in the physical and moral orders we are constantly receiving graces and favours from God. This is the foundation of a real duty—that of giving thanks. Let us give thanks to God Anyone who has received a favour should recognize the obligation of giving thanks. (a) We may think that only those who have good things from God should be grateful—health, money, friends, etc.—while those who are poor, starving, in sickness and suffering have not this obligation. (b) This is not so. Even the latter have to be thankful, because in the midst of their sufferings they can and should find God. (c) From the supernatural point of view the greatest blessing is the cross. A practical way of giving thanks We can reduce this to three points: 1. The Eucharist: The best method. 2. Evening prayer: Every night, before going to sleep, the Christian should adore God and give him thanks for all those graces and blessings he has received during the day. 3. Avoid the three grades of ingratitude which St Thomas mentions: (a) not giving thanks on return for benefits received ; (b) pretending that he has not received them; (c) not recognizing the fact of their reception, through forgetful­ ness or something else. (d) To the first grade belongs the fact that one returns evil for good; to the second, doubting the fact that what we have received is a gift; to the third taking the gift for an evil rather than a good. F: The greatest gift Gratitude in the Scriptures The duty of being grateful to God is preached in all the pages of the Scriptures. We shall take just one passage for examination—in the Book of Tobias, because of the doctrine contained in it. 86 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST A sublime teaching 1. Everything combines to make this one of the greatest pages of Scripture, from our point of view. The circumstances, the figure of the Father, once severely tried, but happy and contented ; that of the son, worthy of such a Father. 2. Some of the expressions used: Thou art great, 0 Lord, for ever, and thy kingdom is unto all ages. For thou scourgest, and thou savest; thou leadest down to hell, and bringest up again; and there is none that can escape thy hand. Give glory to the Lord, ye children of Israel; and praise him in the sight of the Gentiles.... I will praise him in the land of my captivity, because he hath shewn his majesty toward a sinful nation.. . . Bless ye the Lord, all his elect; keep days of joy, and give glory to him (Tob. 13.1-10). The doctrine of the book The special teaching of this book: It is that God rewards men of prayer, who live a virtuous life and practise mercy and justice. (a) God has in fact given this very reward to Tobias for his almsdeeds. (b) Compare his two wills, one when he thought he was dying, the other when he was actually in danger of death; the former made when he was poor, the latter when he was rich with God’s gifts of all kinds. I. 2. The first: (a) the counsel to give alms generously (Tob. 4. 7); (b) to be merciful ; (c) to keep the Lord in mind always and not to sin. 3. The second: (a) serve the Lord in truth, and seek to do the things that please him (ibid. 14.10); (b) and co mu and your children that they do justice and almsdeeds; and that they be mindful of God, and praise him at all times in truth, and with all their power (ibid., verse 11). Gratitude expressed in almsdeeds in the doctrine of St Paul 1. 2 Corinthians 8,9. In these chapters St Paul commands the collec­ tion to be made in Corinth for the poor in Jerusalem. 2. This is a form of gratitude which is most pleasing to God because it awakens in the heart of the poor man praise of God. SERMON SCHEMES 87 (a) It unites the Church in a hymn of praise to God; (b) the poor give glory to God for our generosity; (c) and also they glorify him by their prayers for us (ibid. 9.12-14); (d) the apostle ends by saying: Thanks be to God for his un­ speakable gift (ibid. 15). (c) This gift is that of almsdeeds, which unites and glorifies the Church, because God prefers almsdeeds to all sacrifices (Osee 6. 6; Matt. 9. 13). Without the gift of almsdeeds . . . 1. Isaias has a wonderful passage in which he sums it all up for us: Is not this rather the fast that I have chosen ? Loose the bands of wickedness, undo the bundles that oppress. Let them that are broken go free : and break asunder every burden. Deal thy bread to the hungry and bring the needy and the harbourless into thy house; when thou shalt see one naked, cover him and despise not thy own flesh. Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall speedily arise, and thy justice shall go before thy face, and the glory of the Lord shall gather thee up. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall hear . . . (Isaias 58. 6 if.). 2. God does not accept the gratitude, prayers, fasts or sacrifices of the man whose heart is dried up and who has no mercy for his brother. G: The gratitude of Mary The Magnificat 1. No creature, after the Son of God made man, ever praised God so much as the Virgin Mary. Her whole life was one continuous act of thanksgiving to God for all his benefits. 2. God wished to leave this to us as a precious inheritance in the Magnificat—that sublime canticle of praise to the Most High God which sums up all that is wonderful in the Canticles of the Old Law, those of Moses, Deborah, Anna, Ezechias, the three young men in the furnace, Tobias, etc. Its three parts 1. The whole Canticle is found in the first chapter of St Luke, the Evangelist of women, of the jubilant hymns. 2. It has three parts: (a) The first, from verses 46-49, is praise of God and thanks for all his benefits, especially that of the Incarnation; (b) the second (w. 50-53) praise and thanks for all the common benefits given to the Chosen People before the coming of Christ; 88 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (c) the third (w. 54 to the end) sings the praises of God for the fulfilment of all the divine promises made to the people of Israel. Here we must understand by the People the whole descendants of Abraham, therefore all those who are one with and redeemed by the Son of God. The Fathers on the Magnificat 1. The Fathers have written many pages on each word of this Canticle. He glorifies God, says St Bernard, who with a constant mind sustained by piety and with his thoughts lifted up to divine things, withstands with patience the trials of this life. 2. St Augustine says: He glorifies God who contemplates the multitude of his creatures in all their beauty and, resting on them, lifts up a pure and lofty mind to their creator. My soul . . . Only our Lady can say with absolute truth ‘my soul’—her soul is hers. (a) She gave the whole of her soul to the Word of God and what is his is hers ; (b) through the perfection of her charity. The more we love God, the more we love our own soul. She possessed her soul by charity, love of God; (c) by her patience and her full dominion over the lower part of the soul, the passions. No one else, however perfect, can say the same. The Lord . . . Elizabeth said to Mary that she was blessed because she had believed. Mary does not thank her cousin; she refers all thanks to God. It is almost as if she asked Elizabeth to forget her and join her in thanking the Lord for all his benefits. Rejoicing The word used here implies an external manifestation of interior joy and happiness. It is a sentiment which is so strongly felt that it cannot be hidden. The humility of his handmaid 1. This virtue, so typical of Mary, implies a recognition of God’s blessing as a free gift from him. 2. St Augustine, keeping this in mind exclaims: O true humility which gave birth to a God, given to men, and thus gave life t0 men’ SERMON SCHEMES 89 renewed the whole world, purifying it and opening paradise once more to captive mankind. O blessed humility of Mary. You were the heavenly ladder by means of which God came down to men. Humility and praise 1. Humility in Mary implied a total lack of self-seeking and a perfect poverty of spirit. For this reason it was full of the divine spirit. (a) because she reached the fullness of humility God raised her up to the heights; the humble shall be exalted (Luke 14. 11); (b) because she was free from all attachment to things of earth, God granted her the fullest measure of grace. 2. That is why all praise given to Mary goes, in fact, to God, because she is the most perfect of all creatures; for which reason she did not fear to say that all generations w’ould call her blessed. 3. The hymns of praise for Mary are in fact thanksgiving hymns of the whole human race addressed to God himself. She is, as it were, a channel through which our praises and thanks can flow. H: The gratitude of Christ and our ingratitude Two themes which are united 1. Christ came on earth to give due praise to the Father. He did this by opening the way to heaven for us, giving us grace on earth and the glory of eternal happiness in heaven. 2. Thus he restored the decrees of divine providence which had been upset by sin. 3. He came also to make us happy, to help us to follow him by co­ operating with his grace; to free us from the chains of sin. 4. A twofold ingratitude: (a) Those men who are ungrateful to Christ deprive the Father of the glory which Christ wished to give him in their persons; (b) this ingratitude produces a real sorrow in the heart of Christ; (c) these are our two themes. Christ came to praise the Father He came to give glory to the Father, to magnify his name, to give him constant thanks. To cite all the texts would be to repeat word for word the whole of the New Testament. We may indicate some of the main texts. (a) The Our Father’—the whole of the first half is given up to praise and thanks to the Father. (b) It was zeal for the honour of his Father which prompted the casting out of the merchants in the Temple (Matt. 21. 13). THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 00 (c) In all his greatest miracles he begins by giving thanks to his Father; for example, in the multiplication of the loaves and fishes (Matt. 14. 19). (d) Before instituting the Eucharist he gives thanks (Mark 14. 22-23). (e) His daily bread was to do the will of his Father (John 4. 34). (f) The main text is that in the last discourse to his apostles at the Supper. In his prayer to his Father he makes the double claim that he has glorified him, finishing the work he was given to do and revealing his name—i.e. his power—to men (John 17. 4-6). The Pauline texts 1. Through his obedience Christ gave the greatest possible glory to the Father, for which reason he was exalted above all others (Phil. 2.8-9). 2. Christ is described as the splendour of the glory of the Father and the figure of his substance (Heb. 1. 3). 3. Once death, the last enemy, has been overcome, Christ will submit all things to the Father, so that God may be all in all (1 Cor. 15. 28). The pain of Christ 1. When we speak of suffering in Christ we use the word in its real sense, because Christ was a man and could suffer like other men; in fact, his pain and sufferings were greater than those of any other human being. 2. When we use this word of God it is in a metaphorical sense, because God is perfect and cannot suffer pain. 3. Christ suffered from the first moment of his life on earth until his death on the Cross. (a) One of the greatest causes of his suffering was the ingratitude of men to the Father. It is expressed in today’s Gospel—where are the nine ? Is there no one who will return and give thanks to God except this stranger ? (b) Lack of appreciation, despising the graces received—these are the causes of his greatest sufferings. The agony in the garden This agony was caused mainly by moral sufferings: (a) It is true that the thought of the physical sufferings of his coming Passion enters into the picture; (b) but the main cause is the moral suffering implied in : i. the sins of men against his Father; I. F- SERMON SCHEMES . , 91 ii. their lack of gratitude to him; iii. the infidelity and ingratitude of so many of his friends. 2. In the passion we see: (a) The treason of Judas, whom Christ tried to call for the last time when he says to him, so gently; Friend, what have you come here to do ? Will you betray the Son of Man with a kiss ? (Luke 22.48). It is a call to Judas’ heart in the first case, and to his conscience in the latter. It failed. (b) The lack of real love in his disciples; Simon, could you not watch one hour ? (Mark 14. 37). (c) The lack of loyalty in Peter, implied in the gentle, loving look which our Lord gave him after his betrayal, and which was the cause of his immediate repentance and tears (Luke 22. 61-2). (d) The infidelity of the Chosen People, to whom he had given so many graces and who paid him back with insults and blows. The offence against the Father 1. In today’s Gospel our Lord is sad, not because these lepers did not return to thank him for the miracle, but because they did not give due thanks and glory to God for it. 2. To Christ in his agony in the garden we might well apply the words: Of what use is the shedding of my blood if men will continue to offend against the Father ? (a) His first words from the Cross show that he is thinking of this all the time; he asks his Father to forgive men, because they do not know what they are doing when they offend him. (b) Until the very last moment he is thinking of the ingratitude of men and the glory of his Father. Reparation 1. The devotion to die Sacred Heart of Jesus in one aspect is a devotion dedicated to reparation for the offences of men against that Heart of Christ. 2. This Feast is an invitation to honour the Father by uniting our­ selves to the sentiments of sorrow in the heart of Christ. It is a reply to the plea of Ps. 68, 21 : My heart hath expected reproach and misery. And I looked for one diat would grieve together with me, but there was none; and for one that would comfort me, and I found none. I: Reparation to the Sacred Heart Today’s Gospel i. It shows us an act of generosity on the part of Christ and, on the other hand, the ingratitude of the majority of those who received a favour. •î 92 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY APTER PENTECOST 2. Christ complains: (a) he cannot stand ingratitude; (b) it is the same complaint which he later reveals to St Alargaret Mary: Behold this heart which has so loved men and which receives from them in return nothing but ingratitude. 3. The leper who did return represents those devoted to the Sacred Heart, who try their best to make due reparation to him for the ingratitude of men. Reparation according to recent Papal documents I. The acts of consecration: Three have been published in recent years: (a) Pius IX, 22 April 1875; (b) Leo XIII, 1895; (c) Pius XI, in the Ency clical Miserentissimus Redemptor, together with the act of Consecration to be read in all churches on the Feast of the Sacred Heart. 2. Reparation: It can be summed up in the words of Leo XII : All have to make an effort to present due reparation, by means of their good works and prayers, for all the insults which are daily committed against the Divine Majesty in the whole world, by men who are ungrateful. Pius XI 1. The obligation: It is undoubtedly this Pope, in his Encyclical, who insists most of all on this obligation and its reasons. The act of public consecration must be united to the interior act of reparation, which springs naturally from love for Christ. 2. Its motives: (a) Justice: So that the insults offered to God by men may be repaired, and the order which has been violated restored by due penance. (b) Love: To suffer together with Christ and to console him for the ingrati­ tude of so many, even of his so-called friends. 3. Man; his reparation through and with Christ: (a) The whole race is bound to make this reparation from the moment in which all men were contaminated by sin. The instinct of the race since then has led to sacrifices to appease the anger of the God offended. (b) Sin made due reparation impossible for man; as a sinner he was incapable of making satisfaction. SERMON SCHEMES 93 (c) Christ offered himself as victim for sin in man’s place, and even though this abundant satisfaction repaid the debt due for all sin, nevertheless : i. we have to fill up in our own persons the things lacking; ii. we must unite our satisfactions to his. 4. Reparation in the devotion to the Sacred Heart: (a) It occupies the first place in this devotion. (b) Even though it might seem at first sight that acts of devotion can no longer bring any consolation to Christ in his glory, we must remember that, just as the sins committed after his death were present to his mind at the time of his sacrifice; so too were the acts of reparation. 5. The need for reparation: (a) The world continues to sin, to lead astray families and nations from God. (b) Even Catholics are not as faithful as they should be. (c) Some even turn against Christ who redeemed them. (d) Resolution to make some reparation for our own sins and those of others. J : Without distinction of race Racialism Nine Jews and a Samaritan were joined by their common misery: (a) Christ, whose field of action was usually limited to the Jews, makes no distinction of race or creed on this occasion; (b) even though the Samaritans were hated by the Jews. 1. 2. Racialism, in its worst aspect: Consists in a distinction of races so that one is considered above the others. (a) It consists in despising certain people because of their colour or race, denying to them the rights given to others. (b) In a religious sense it would consist in denying to them the possibility of salvation. (c) Politically, it may show itself in a desire to dominate and in certain cases, deprive them of their due rights, both religiously and from the civil point of view; exploitation in all its forms; civil inferiority. The Jewish mentality and that of the Church The Jews were racialists in the worst sense of the word: (a) God, in the Old Testament, did not reserve his salvation for one race. His will was always universal. I. 94 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (b) He did choose one nation to be the deposit of his revelation until the time should come to preach it to the whole world. By this means he also wished to prepare a home for his Son. (c) But the Jews misinterpreted this fact, as if they were to be the only ones to benefit by the coming of the Messias, and that others would only profit by that coming if they allowed themselves to be dominated by the Jews. Of that we have two examples easy to check; in the time of St Paul they wished that all who came to the Christian religion should be circumcised; they called all those who were not Jews, Gentiles, i.e. mere ‘people’. 2. The doctrine of the Church is definite: (a) There was no one so proud of his Jewish blood as St Paul; yet he has no hesitation in saying that, after the coming of Christ, there is now no distinction between Jew and Gentile, Greek or stranger. Christ has broken down that wall. (b) In his letter to Timothy, after telling him that he should pray for all, especially for rulers that their government may be wise and a benefit to all, he gives the reason : because there is only one God, one mediator between God and man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself as redemption for all men. (c) St Peter—no less a Jew—says that God does not wish that anyone should perish, but that all should be saved (2 Pet. 3. 9). Salmeron comments on this by saying that man is worth so much, since Christ redeemed him at so great a price. (d) There is no need to insist, because the universality of the love of Christ is the central theme of the Gospels : i. he is the Lamb who came to save the whole world (John 1.29); ii. he came, as he says, to save all men (Matt. 8. 11) ; iii. he is the good Shepherd and has many sheep outside the fold (John 10.16). 3. It is not surprising, then, that from the very first, the apostles spread the faith to the whole world, without distinction of race or frontiers, or that the early writers in the Church should use such phrases as this: Mary is the cause of her own salvation and of that of the whole world. Conclusion If, then, God wishes all men to be saved and if, in heaven, there will be no distinction : (a) all men, no matter of what race, are equal in his sight. All have the same value, that of the blood of Christ; (b) after this, the other distinctions of colour, science, civilization are of little value; SERMON SCHEMES 95 (c) from this it follows that the more highly civilized races have one object in God’s sight—to lead the lower ones to their salvation and to their proper place in the plan of redemption. K: Sin—the universal stain Leprosy 1. This is not a local disease—it soon extends to the whole body, without the possibility of a cure, at least at the moment. 2. It stains the spirit—by the depression it produces in the individual : (a) he knows himself to be incurable; (b) he sees that he is treated as a leper by others, with the greatest caution; (c) usually he is isolated, treated only by heroic souls who have given their lives to that purpose. 3. In the time of Christ it was a stain on society as well; the lepers were banished from public life, they were considered as impure, had to cry out to warn people if they were near. Sin It stained the glory of the angels: One sin opened for many of them the path to hell, which had to be created for them. 1. 2. It stains the paradise made for man: Our first parents possessed grace, the preternatural gifts, a special intelligence and understanding, they lived in an earthly paradise in continual conversation and friendship with God. 3. All this was, in one moment, lost by sin: All the world’s evil entered at that moment. Loss of grace, death, suffering, work which demanded sweat and blood, etc. This stain passed to all the seed of Adam We can see it in the calamities which afflict the world, natural and supernatural, material and spiritual. Sin as a stain on the Church Any sin is a stain on the Church: (a) The Church is not an ideal, but a society made up of individuals —we arc the Church. (b) Each individual Christian, even though his or her sin may be hidden, corrupts not merely his own person, but also the Church herself, doing a grave harm to Christ, who died so that his Spouse, the Church, should be clean and pure for all time. 96 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Conclusion We should be aware of our sins, not merely as individual crimes against Christ, but also as wounds in his Mystical Body, the Church, which can deprive many of the graces they might have received if we had been faithful. L: Confession The miracle and the priests 1. Christ, instead of bringing about this miracle directly, sends the lepers to the priests, who from the legal point of view, were the only ones who could pronounce them cured. 2. The Fathers of the Church, commenting on this fact, see these points: (a) the leper is the type of the sinner ; (b) leprosy is a type of sin, a mortal illness of soul ; (c) the steps these lepers had to take mark out for us the steps the soul has to take in order to be free from sin; it must be justified by the sacrament of Penance ; (d) God is the one who heals the wounds of sin, just as Christ was the one who cured the lepers; but it must be through the sacerdotal power. 3. We should think of the benefits offered us in the sacrament of Penance; (a) admiring the work done by Christ; (b) being thankful for such a great grace ; (c) by making use of it to obtain all the benefits intended by Christ when he instituted it. Confession and God 1. Confession as an act of worship of God: (a) It is a true act of worship, because of the oral manifestation of sins committed against God, together with the sentiments of reparation it contains. (b) A sacrifice to God is a contrite heart and an afflicted spirit (Ps. 50.19). 2. It is a manifestation of the justice of God: The fact that a man reveals his own sins personally is a manifesta­ tion of the fact that he understands that, by them, he has offended God’s justice. I 3. It is also a proof: (a) of human weakness, both from the fact of sin and from the fact that we cannot, of ourselves, get rid of sin ; SERMON SCHEMES 97 (b) of the omnipotence of God who can alone restore us to a state of grace. It gives honour and glory to Christ 1. He was condemned as an evil-doer—for our sins. By our sincere confession we accuse ourselves and free him. 2. We honour him because, by our confession, we admit the power of his redemption on our behalf. 3. We show our love for him. He from whom we have fled by sin is sought in all humility by sinners, in order to seek mercy and forgiveness. Confession and the penitent 1. It assures us of pardon: In the Old Law pardon was promised to those who were sorry for their sins ; but there was no voice to assure them that they had attained that pardon. We have the voice of the priest saying to us: I absolve thee. 2. It teaches humility and raises us up: Sin is an act of pride against God ; confession one of humility which raises up the one who humbles himself. (a) It relieves the burdened heart; (b) in confession the penitent draws near to a man like himself, who can understand his difficulties; (c) psychology recognizes the advantages of this. 3. It is a source ofjoy and happiness: (a) because a man in confession weeps for his sins—a source of joy; (b) because there he receives the embrace of pardon, like the prodigal son. 4. We should learn to appreciate and use this source of spiritual consolation and relief. M: Spiritual Direction An ordinary means 1. In the meeting with the lepers Christ demands that they show themselves to the priest: (a) to fulfil the law; (b) so that the priests could declare them cured. 2. In the spiritual life it is also necessary to show ourselves to the priest as we are, so that he may direct and guide us. 4 98 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (a) Spiritual direction is a theme which is not as well understood as it should be; (b) for that very reason it is necessary to have clear ideas about it. Persons who are apt for spiritual direction In general all those who sincerely seek spiritual progress: (a) Those in the world or those in a convent—it is all the same. (b) The way to sanctity may be different in both cases, but the end is the same, and both need spiritual direction. (c) In the concrete, those need spiritual direction who are begin­ ning the way to perfection; so as not to despair, not to show coward­ ice in their efforts to overcome venial sin, to conquer imperfections, affections to things of this world, etc. ; (d) to order their lives in a proper plan. (e) Those who are more advanced need it most. V The need for direction Anyone who wishes to advance to sanctity needs spiritual direction as an ordinarv means to that end. (a) It is enough to quote one saint—Vincent Ferrer: Christ will never give us the grace without which we can do nothing to one who, having at his disposal a man to whom he can go in his need, refuses to place himself under his direction, thinking that he is a law unto himself, and that he alone can discover all that is necessary for his salvation. (b) St Bernard puts it in a nutshell : He who is his own director has a director who is an idiot. The true idea of direction 1. It is not a slavery: • I : I I I (a) It is entirely in accord with personal liberty; (b) no one who seeks true spiritual direction will ever consider it an act of disloyalty to seek direction and guidance from another priest. 2. Confession and direction: (a) They are not the same thing at all : i. confession is a sacrament, spiritual direction is not; ii. confession is for the forgiveness of sin; spiritual direction is a direction of souls towards perfection. (b) From this come two conclusions: i. confession can be separated from spiritual direction__ two distinct persons can be concerned here ; SERMON SCHEMES 99 ii. in confession it is enough to confess sins; in spiritual direction more is needed ; one must reveal tendencies, temptations, difficulties, struggles, sacrifices, prayer, etc. Two categories of souls 1. Those who are simple, good, whom God calls by easy ways, by ordinary prayer, without complications of any kind. These hardly need spiritual direction, their lives are so easily ruled by divine providence. 2. Those who, by reason of their education, social position and interior problems have a more difficult life to lead. These do need spiritual direction, one who can guide them and direct them accord­ ing to the will of God. N: Director and directed The right spiritual director is hard to find The only thing we can do is search diligendy until we find such a one. (a) It is not necessary that he should be our confessor, although this will often be the case and where possible it is the best thing; (b) however, a director needs certain qualities which the confessor need not possess. The qualities of a good director St Teresa of Avila refers to these in her life: (a) He should be a master in the spiritual life and with experience; if he also has learning, so much the better; (b) a man of prayer. 2. St Francis de Sales says that the director should be full ofcharity, of doctrine and prudence, because if one of these is missing, there is grave danger. 3. The great masters of the spiritual life agree that a director should have these qualities: (a) theological knowledge, which should be more profound if he has to handle deep and difficult questions; (b) prudence and right judgement; (c) experience acquired through his own practice of the interior life, by direction he has himself received or by long experience in treating souls; (d) sanctity; he is an instrument of the Holy Ghost. 100 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Changing one’s director Important problem: One in which we must avoid excess and defect in our answer. (a) There are people who are spiritually unstable, always changing director; (b) on the other hand, spiritual direction is not a form of slavery; (c) as in many other things, there are certain signs, both negative and sitive, which may guide us. I. 2. Negative signs: (a) The fact that he appears to treat us harshly is not, of itself, sufficient motive for a change of director ; (b) nor is the fact that we are depressed, dry in the spiritual life. (c) St Ignatius used to say that one should not change a director either in times of dryness or in those of consolation. 3. Positive signs: (a) Lack of progress in the spiritual life, either due to lack of frankness with our director, his lack of spirit, etc. (b) It is then useful to consult a third party before doing anything. The one directed 1. The soul, to get the most advantage from spiritual direction, must also possess certain qualities: (a) we must open our soul to our director with clearness and humility; (b) be docile in accepting his guidance; (c) in this matter it is better to speak of docility rather than obedience; (d) we must have confidence in our director and trust him. 2. Above all, we must understand that spiritual direction does not suppress or destroy the soul’s individuality: (a) it is not slavish submission, nor total and absolute dependence; (b) the soul has to make its own way under its own power, with the help of and under the guidance of the director. O: Afar off At a distance from Christ 1. The Gospel presents to us ten lepers, who stood afar off from Christ and sought their cure. 2. The Fathers of the Church give this scene a spiritual significance especially St Augustine, who sees in the illness of these men the sin of ignorance and error. SERMON SCHEMES ιοί 3. The one Master who can cure them is Christ, who can act on their souls through the assistance and intervention of the priests. There are many still a long way from Christ 1. In some cases among our own, Catholics by baptism, but who do not practise their religion. 2. In other cases it is indifference, error, prejudice which keeps others away from the true faith ; especially the error of our day is indifference in religious matters. 3. The one who can have most effect to bring about a cure of these varied conditions is the priest. The priest and sinners, those in error, etc. 1. The first quality of the priest must be dedication—without this his life would be without any real effect. One truly dedicated priest, like the Curé d’Ars, is worth more to a diocese or parish than many who are not so dedicated. 2. By this dedication is meant a full realization of the needs of the parish, complete submission to authority, and above all, the know­ ledge that a priest is ordained for the people, to act as a mediator between man and God. 3. He must be a worker—seeking out the lost sheep wherever they are to be found; helping when possible those in error to reach the truth—by all the means at his disposal. 4. He must, above all, be a man of prayer—he is an instrument, and as such he must be closely in touch with God himself. 5. He must not expect others—especially sinners—to come to him; he must be prepared to go to them. Three rules; prayer, study, action 1. He should make the Mass the centre of his whole spiritual and active life: Round this centre should be grouped his other prayers, both public and private. 2. He must be a man of study: Otherwise he will not understand the problems which face his people, nor will he know the answers to those problems. Study will aid him in preaching. 3. His action must be: (a) prudent; (b) fitting the circumstances of time and place, etc.; V 102 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (c) full of charity—the major quality in any priest, but especially in one who deals with sinners. Conclusions 1. The best—perhaps the only—way we can deal with the evils of our time and nation is through a truly dedicated priesthood, at the service of Christ all the time and with no thought of self. 2. This should be a major point in all seminary training—with special emphasis on obedience to authority as the bond which holds the diocese and parish together. Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD SECTION I. SCRIPTURE TEXTS Gospel: Matthew 6. 24-33 (cf. Luke 12. 22-31) Some texts concerning Providence Epistle: Galatians 5. 16-24 1. Providence belongs to God: All God’s doing; his are the wisdom and the power; to him belong prudence in act and discernment. The ruins he makes, none can rebuild, his imprisonment none can escape; withholds he the rain, all is dried up; sends he rain, it floods all the ground. Yes, he is strong, he is wise; reads the knave’s heart as easily as the fool’s. He can thwart the counsellor, bemuse the judge, exchange the king’s baldrick for the rope of a prisoner, lead the priest away ungowned, dispossess the noble, bewitch the lips that never erred, rob the elder of his prudence, bring princes into contempt, unman the strong. Job 12. 13-21. ... elsewhere, with such power at thy disposal, a lenient judge thou provest thyself, riding us with a light rein, and keeping thy terrors in reserve. Wis. 12. 18. . . . but it is thy fatherly providence that brings her safe to port; thou hast made the sea into a high road men may travel by without harm. Wis. 14. 3. 2. God rules and governs all: God, the unseen power that can thrust mountains this way and that, uproot them in his anger, can move earth from its place, and set all its pillars quaking, can prevent, with a word, the sun’s rising, or imprison, under his royal seal, the very stars. Job 9. 5. Cf. ibid. 9. 8-13 and 22. 12-17. 3. All are subject to his providence: The Lord has set up his throne in heaven, rules with universal sway.. . . Bless the Lord, all you creatures of his, in every comer of his dominion; and thou, my soul, bless the Lord. Ps. 102. 19 ff. Bold is her (Wisdom’s) sweep from world’s end to world’s end, and everywhere her gracious ordering manifests itself. Wis. 8. 1. God am I, the Lord says, only when I stand near, and not when I am far away? Where, he would know, will you hide so close that he 103 104 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST is not watching you, he, the Lord, that fills heaven and earth? Jer. 23. 23-24. Cf. Rom. 8. 28; ibid. 13. 1 ; Apoc. 4. 11. 4. God cares for us and feeds us: Do not forget the long journeying by which, for forty years, the Lord thy God led thee through the desert, testing thee by hard discipline, to know the dispositions of thy heart, whether thou wouldst keep his commandments or not. . . . And now the Lord thy God means to settle thee in a fair land, a land that has water coursing down in streams, deep wells that break out from plain and hill; a land of w heat and barley . . . here thou mayest eat thy fill and bless the name of the Lord thy God for the fair land he has given thee. Dt. 8. 2-11. Cast the burden of thy cares upon the Lord, and he will sustain thee; never will he let thee stumble, his servant if thou be. Ps. 54.23. 5. God guides our lives: Heart of man must plan his course, but his steps wall fall as the Lord guides them. Prov. 16. 9. Cf. Prov. 19. 21; 20. 24; 21. 1. Not that, left to ourselves, we are able to frame any thought as coming from ourselves; all our ability comes from God. 2 Cor. 3. 5. Both the will to do it and the accomplishment of that will are something which God accomplishes in you, to carry out his loving purpose. Phil. 2. 13. SERMON II. GENERAL COMMENTS I. LITURGICAL We may note, with Schuster, that we are in the full period of the gathering of the harvest and that most of the inhabitants of Rome left the city and went to the suburbs to take the air and help in the harvest. Therefore today’s liturgy, which insists on divine providence which feeds the birds of the air and clothes in their beauty the flow ers of the field, is most opportune. Providence Sunday: Because the Gospel speaks so strongly on this point, today has been given the name of Providence Sunday. If we take the whole Mass into consideration it might be better called Sanctification Sunday. The sublime teaching concerning God’s providence is but a means of reaching the final phrase of the Gospel, teaching us that we should first seek the kingdom of God and his justice (Matt. 6. 33). One of the great obstacles to sanctity is the concupiscence of the eyes, by which we can easily reach a point where we are over­ anxious about temporal things. No man can serve two masters I. GENERAL COMMENTS 105 (Matt. 6. 24). For this reason abandonment to God’s providence helps us towards sanctification; he will solve all our problems for us, both material and temporal. All these things shall be added unto you. There is no doubt that the best method of attaining complete tranquillity and peace in this life is by making sure that God’s kingdom triumphs in us. St Catherine used to say: You look after me, 0 Lord, and I will look after you. 2. Invitation to the triumph of the spirit over the flesh: The function of the last verse of the Gospel is to interpret the Epistle, in a certain sense. The Seek you first the kingdom of God is the same in fact as the Walking according to the spirit and not according to the flesh, which is the theme of the Epistle. In the light of this teaching we can understand the Introit and the Gradual. Π. EXEGETIC AND MORAL NOTES A: The Epistle: Galatians 5. 16-24 Occasion and argument: It would appear that St Paul’s enemies in Galatia and elsewhere were insinuating constantly that his teaching with regard to the inefficacy of the Old Law and the Christian liberty in the New were occasions for opening the door to licence. Faced with this accusation, St Paul does his best to show that, if the Christians really allow themselves to be ruled by the Spirit, that is, by his abundant inspira­ tions, given to all within the fold, there can be no possibility of such a thing happening. Submission to the Holy Spirit excludes all concupiscence and desires of the flesh. This relationship between Christian liberty and moral life is explained frequently in Galatians (cf. 5. 13; 6. 16). This section explains the contrast between the works of the Spirit and those of the flesh. 1. 2. Texts: (a) Learn to live and move in the spirit. . . If the Christian walks as one who is guided by grace there is no chance that he will be led astray by his passions, which lead him along the paths of the flesh. There is a constant war between these two, and the battle ground is the soul. Man will always be tempted by the flesh and attracted by the Spirit of God ; there is open opposition between these two. (b) it is by letting the spirit lead you that you free yourselves from the yoke of the law . . . The sense of this verse is that one who is led by the Spirit has no need of the external threats of the law to hold him safe. The will chooses freely to serve God. This does not mean that there are no ιοό FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST moral laws, but that the true Christian is guided rather by an interior impulse of the spirit towards good in his keeping of the law rather than by external sanctions. St Augustine put this into the famous phrase: Love, and then do what you will, because you will neither do nor desire anything else but the will of your beloved. (c) the works of corrupt nature . . . St Paul does not intend to give a complete list, but it will be plain that he has in mind all the time the chief sins of the pagan world ut him. This subject occurs several times in the New Testament (cf. Rom. i. 29 If.; 2 Cor. 12. 20-21; Eph. 5. 3 ft'.; Col. 3. 5). The feuds, quarrels, jealousies, etc., are mentioned as having been introduced into Galatia bv St Paul’s enemies. All these exclude a man from the kingdom of heaven. (d) the fruits of the spirit: St Paul uses the word in the singular—fruit. The first three con­ cern our relations with God; the second group, patience, kindness and generosity, refer to our relations with our fellow Christians. The last group cover all other aspects of human relationships. 3. Nature crucified: St Paul rests all he has said on a dogmatic principle. By baptism our lower nature has been buried—crucified—together with Christ. This does not mean that it will never bother us, but that it will not dominate us as it did before. We now have grace sufficient to over­ come all its attacks, living in conformity' with the new principle of life which has been infused into us, a life according to Christ and his spirit. Thus the Holy Ghost will bring forth fruits in good w’orks. 4. The lesson: Man is made up of body and soul. The body knows through the senses, the soul through the mind ; from this arises the double source of knowledge or appetite, that of the body and its passions which desire that good known by the senses, and that of the soul, which wills the good known by the mind. In this strange co-existence of matter and spirit each part has an influence on the other. Since the knowledge through our senses is more vivid than that of the mind, it is easy to see why the sensual appetite is so strong and even violent at times. By a free gift of God our first parents w ere granted freedom from this struggle, because in them the mind was always the victor over the senses, but after original sin that gift was lost, together with grace. God, through Christ, restored grace to us, thus giving us the power to overcome our lower nature once more. The grace of Christ abounds, surrounding us on all sides. Therefore one who is overcome by concupiscence has no excuse, since the Holy Spirit and his gifts have been poured out on all abundantly. GENERAL COMMENTS 107 St Paul draws the conclusion in the form of a practical warning that we should walk according to the Spirit and not according to the desires of the flesh. To help us in this struggle, which will un­ doubtedly be a hard one since hell will re-double its efforts, there arc two considerations we might think of. First there is the thought of heaven or, according to this passage of his writings, the fear of losing it through sin. The second is the thought that the Holy Spirit dwells in us and produces in us this wonderful tree with such magnificent fruits, which give us joy and interior peace. B: The Gospel: Matthew 6. 24-33 Occasion: Today’s Gospel forms part of the Sermon on the Mount and is found in that section which deals with those who spend all their time laying up treasures on earth. It is madness to occupy oneself too much with such things, which are so open to loss or destruction, theft or death. Disciples of Christ should have a greater desire for the treasures of heaven, which are certain. If our hearts are all the time fixed on earthly things they will themselves become earthly; if our riches are in heaven, so will our hearts be also. Christ uses the example of the eyes, as the light of the body. A man’s heart is also, to a certain extent, his light, together with his affections and desires. His life will reflect them all. If they are soiled and contaminated by the lure of riches, the entire soul will soon find itself in darkness. Insisting on this, the Lord continues to explain his doctrine concerning the outlook of a true Christian with regard to these things. 1. 2. Texts: (a) A man cannot be the slave of two masters at once . . . Christ likens the inordinate love of riches to a slavery which is in opposition to the true slavery, the service of God. There is nothing in common between the sendee of God and slavery to riches (Luke 16. 13), which is sometimes called idolatry in the New Testament (Col. 3. 5). This idea is not exclusive to Christian thought, since Juvenal says: Among us the most sacred majesty is that of riches. Mammon—money—is not a god, but it can take on all the appear­ ances of one, in so far as it separates us from the senice of the true God and thus becomes his rival. No reconciliation is possible between these two rivals. God is not satisfied with half of our heart; he wants it all, a heart which will love him above all things. We may love earthly things, but only in so far as they are blessings from God which should lead to God. Riches, with all the pleasures which they offer us, the avarice, injustice, and evil of all kinds to which they lead us, make it impossible for us to * io8 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST sene God. It is hard to find a more total or abject slavery than that of a man who is a slave to money. God is the only true Lord because he has made us and also re­ deemed us. He is generosity itself to those who sen e him, but he is also a just judge to those who refuse him their service. His senice may appear hard and difficult to one who does not practise it; but to one who does give himself to it, it is easy, sweet and leads to eternal happiness. The senice of the world or of riches is hard indeed and leads to nothing but misery. It cannot give to those who are slaves to it more than it is itself, together with the horrors of eternal damnation. The misery of the poor consists in seeing all happiness in riches; that of the rich, in not attaining it through their monev. * (b) do not fret over your life . . . If, then, the senice of money can and does separate us from God, both rich and poor alike must be careful not to have an excessive love for the things of this world, since this inordinate affection, even in small things, can easily become a real slavery. The emphasis is on not being over-anxious, not to fret. This obviously does not exclude ordinary thought for the future and a reasonable preoccupation about such things as our work and wages, as St Augustine had to point out on more than one occasion in his writings on the work done by monks. Some of them, resting their arguments on these words of Christ, tried to exclude all work from the monastery. It is not work which has to be excluded, since it is one of the greatest means of sanctification. God has given us the earth that it may sustain life on condition that we wring its good things from it by work. What must be excluded is the wOrldly mentality of those who cannot see further than material things. In opposition to this way of thinking Christ gives us seven points to think about. The first, contained in the opening words of this verse, is based on the fact that it is God who looks after our body; the second, in verse 26, teaches us by example how God cares for the birds of the air and feeds them; in verse 27 we are shown how useless this over-anxiety is without God’s help; the fourth, in verse 28, takes another example, this time from the flowers of the field ; the fifth, in verse 32, tells us that such thoughts are only proper to heathens; the sixth, in the same verse, tells us that we have a Father in heaven, on whom we can rely to feed us and look after us in every way. Lastly, in verse 34, we are told that today’s troubles are enough ; why add to them by over-anxiety ? (c) the birds of the air . .. St Luke talks about ravens, but in any case, the interesting thing is the doctrine, beautifully expressed by St Ambrose (on St Luke 12. 24). The ravens, who do not work, have all they need and they have GENERAL COMMENTS 109 it in abundance, because they do not know how to reduce to private ownership the fruits which have been given them in common, so that all may cat. We, on the other hand, lose what is common to all because we are always trying to make it private. We lose it because we never manage to make it ours, since it will not last for ever nor do we ever have such an abundance that the future is certain for us. Why then do you insist on thinking that your riches are really yours, when God wills that your table should be a common one ? (d) can any of you ... add a cubit’s growth to his height? The correct reading may be : can any of you . . . add a quarter of an hour to his life? (e) and why should you be anxious over clothing ? Here our Lord mentions the wild lilies—the word stands for any wild flower, and we can see Christ’s appreciation of the beauty of created nature. To doubt God’s Providence is to leave ourselves open to the accusation of being men of little faith. Verse 31 is a condensation of all that has gone before. He goes on to say that it is proper to the heathen to think in this way. This is a call to the Jewish mind. They considered themselves to be so much better than the Gentiles around them. Those heathens think like this because they do not know that God is their Father, nor do they realize that, as a Father, he must take care of his sons, and since he is infinitely perfect none of our needs escape his wisdom, none is beyond his power (1 Pet. 5. 7; Phil. 4. 6). The history of Israel shows us this truth clearly. When they were subjected to the great empires the message of the prophets to them was simply this: Do not join with these peoples; have confidence in God. They lacked that confidence and made an alliance with Egypt. They were subjected to the captivity for that very reason. (f) Make it your first care to find the kingdom of God . . . This is Christ’s real message and a compendium of his whole teaching. The Christian should seek first the kingdom of God and its justice, just as Christ had preached it. If we do seek that kingdom above all other things, then God will look after all our bodily needs in so far as they are necessary to seek and attain that kingdom. It is not a promise that God will reward our services with material riches. The unfortunate thing is that the poor do not seek that kingdom as they ought, neither do the rich. Since the rich do not seek it, the poor suffer. Since the poor do not seek it, they expose themselves to a poverty which is caused by man’s bad faith and occasionally to spiritual poverty—the loss of heaven. 110 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST SECTION III. THE FATHERS I. ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM (A summary of his two Homilies Nos. 21 and 22 on the Gospel of St Matthew.) I. Money and God: (a) The tyranny of avarice: What could be worse than this threat of Christ, that riches can separate us from his love ? And what could be more wonderful than the thought that, by despising them, we can gain that love, friend­ ship and union with him? It is not merely a question of riches attracting thieves, or because they reduce our minds to the level of the brutes, but mainly because they separate us from God’s service that he warns us not to pay too much attention to them. They make you the captive of dead things, servants of that very thing whose master you should be, and they remove you from God, whose servant you ought to be with joy. No man can sene two masters, i.e. two who demand contrary things. (b) You cannot serve God and money: We should feel horror at the thought that we have made Christ compare God and money, the dictatorship of gold and the fear of God. You might say that this happened also in olden times, quoting the example of Abraham and Job. Do not quote rich men to me, but those who worshipped riches. Certainly neither Abraham nor Job did that. Job was rich, but instead of being ruled by his wealth, he dominated it and that is why he did not mind when he lost it. Not thus are the rich of today, rather there are no slaves so much in servitude as they, who pay constant tribute to money as to a tyrant. Once the love of money has taken possession of the fortress of the soul it sends out daily orders full of injustice, and there is no one who dares to disobey them. (c) There is no excuse: God has given his decision once for all—it is impossible to serve these two at one and the same time. If one commands you to rob and the other to deprive yourself of what is your own; if one orders chastity and the other fornication ; one drunken orgies and the other a rein on the appetite; one luxurious living and the other the despis­ ing of such things—how can these two be served at the same time ? (d) The evils of avarice: God calls money a master not by reason of its nature, but because of the misery of those who humble themselves before it. In the same way he calls the belly god, because those who serve it become like THE FATHERS in brutes. To show us that it is possible to fulfil his command and despise these things he adds: Do not fret over your life, how to support it with food and drink. And so that no one will be able to argue against those words, saying that, if they give up all things, how can they possibly live, he goes on: Is not life itself a greater gift than food, the body than clothing ? He who gave you what is greater will not be lacking in what is less important. (e) Over-anxiety to be avoided, not ordinary care: If God takes such good care of those things which have been created for our use, he will have greater care of us. That is why Christ quotes the case of the birds of the air; he did not add: because they do no fraud in their operations of buying and selling, but: they never sow or reap. What then? Should we not sow? He did not say that, but told us not to be anxious, over-solicitous; he did not say we should not work, but that we should not torment ourselves with cares. Just as he told us to feed our bodies, but not with gluttony. (f) A reason: If these words are not enough to get you to give up this anxiety, think of the uselessness of such things and give up this over-anxiety. Can any of you, for all his anxiety, add a cubit’s growth to his height ? Do you not see how, by means of some clear example, he shows you the truth about something not quite so clear ? It is not your effort so much, but the workings of divine providence which carries things out to their logical end, even though we may think we have sufficient power to do it by ourselves. If that providence were to abandon us, nothing we do would be of any use. (g) The moral lesson: Learn to avoid two things, avarice and laziness, convinced that almsdeeds is an excellent work. If we make a practice of it we shall soon learn to think less of the things of this world in comparison with heaven. Just as John the Baptist told the soldiers to be content with their pay (Luke 3. 14) we too have to begin with small things like these, because as yet we are not all ready for voluntary poverty. If we cannot do this then what pardon can we expect, who will be then inferior to the heathens and the Gentile philosophers ? What excuse shall we offer if, instead of being angels and sons of God, we do not even remain human ? To steal or to covet the goods of others is not proper to man’s meekness, but to brute beasts. At least we can and must practise poverty7 of spirit. 2. Divine providence: (a) God’s immense solicitude for man: After telling us to think of the flowers of the field, objects of God’s care, our Lord adds: Will he not be much more ready to clothe you ? fil ' Ft in FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST It is as if he had said: You to whom he gave a soul, whose body he shaped, for whom he created all things, to whom he sent the pro­ phets and to whom he gave the Law, finally sending his only Son for you—of what great value are you. (b) The reason for the beauty of creatures: To show forth the glory and the power of God, together with his wisdom; for it is not only the heavens which show forth his glory (Ps. iS. 2) but also the earth (Ps. 148. 9-10). All things praise him, some by their fruits, others by their majesty and beauty. It is a sure sign of wisdom and majesty to pour out so much beauty on things which are so lowly. For what is more lowly than something which is todav, and tomorrow is not? If God does such great things for these lowly creatures, how much more will he do for you, the highest of his visible creation. (c) Confidence in our Father: After saying that they—and we too—are men of little faith, he gives us words of great consolation when he tells us: You have a Father in heaven who knows that vou need them all. He does not say: You have a God in heaven, but a Father, to give us greater confidence. He gives us a double motive, because first of all, such a Father could not observe the needs of his sons without doing something about it, and secondly, he shows us that the very reason we appear to have for our over-anxiety is really a reason for laying it on one side. The reason and excuse we make for ourselves is that these things are necessary for us. He tells us that, precisely because they are necessary and our Father knows it, we should lay our cares and our solicitude on him with confidence. (d) Seek heaven first: Once he has freed the soul from this over-anxiety he reminds it of heaven. He wishes to lead us to our real home, that is why he lays hands on everything possible in order to get us to despise the things of this life in favour of those above. That is also the reason why he mentions the Gentiles, people who take no thought to the future life and give their hearts to this earthly one. We were not created to eat, drink, and dress lavishly; but to praise God, serve him and so acquire eternal goods. (e) The providence of God superior to the love of all fathers : Because he commands this to free us from superfluous cares. If you are anxious about tomorrow now', today—then tomorrow again you will be equally anxious. Of what use is this superfluous anxiety’ ? Why do you demand from one day that it should do the work of two or more ? It will not subtract anything from tomorrow’s cares. The TH day has been given to you that you should make use of it; why then cast on its shoulders the cares of tomorrow? We are twisting the divine order of things. He tells us not to seek earthly foods and we spend all our time doing just that; he orders us instead to search for heaven and its rewards and we refrain from it. Is it not certain that one day we shall have to leave all this, to fall into the hands of our judge ? Putting things off is no real help, because what help is there in waiting day by day for the punishment to come? If you wish to take advantage of this delay, use it for emendation and penance. If we will but have a sincere will, we can fulfil his commands; they are not difficult or hard, really. Penance and good resolutions are the key to our success. (f) Pray, but pray well : Some people say that they pray but are not heard. They have not prayed as the pagan woman did for the cure of her daughter, or like the friend who arrived late at night to ask for bread for his guest, or the widow who importuned the judge, or the prodigal son. A true father, however offended, does not wish to take justice on his son, but to see him repent and supplicant. If we would only burn with the same love which moves him! That fire demands but a spark, and with that spark we can light a great fire. If we, who are evil, are merciful to our children even when they offend us, how much so God, who cannot be harmed by our insults, feels them for our sake. If we love by our very nature, how much more God, who is supreme love ? For these and many other reasons we should not be discouraged ; rather in the light of such hopes, even though we sin each and every day, we should go to him, asking of him on our knees repentance and forgiveness for our sins. Thus it will be more difficult for us to sin in the future, we shall cast out Satan and excite the mercy of God. We shall attain the grace and favour of our Lord Jesus Christ. II. ST AUGUSTINE Providence and human needs (From Chap, xiv and xvi of Bk. II on the Sermon on the Mount. PL. 34, 1290-1293.) No man can serve two masters, is to be referred to this very intention, as Christ goes on to explain: either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will devote himself to the one and despise the other. And who the two masters are he immediately shows. You must serve God or money, you cannot serve both. Riches are said to be called mammon among the Hebrews. . . . But he who senes mammon certainly serves him who is called by our Lord the 114 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTOCOST prince of this world, as being set over these earthly things by reason of his evil nature. A man will, then, either hate this one and love the other, i.e. God; or he will devote himself to the one and despise the other. For whoever senes mammon devotes himself to a hard and ruinous master; for being entangled by his own lust, he becomes a subject of the devil, and yet he does not love him. For who can love the devil ? But he submits to him; even as in any large house, he who is intimate with another’s maidsen ant submits to hard bondage on account of his passion, even though he does not love the man whose senant he loves. He will despise the other, Christ says. He does not say that he will hate, for no one’s conscience can hate God ; but he despises, i.e. he does not fear him, as though he felt himself secure because of God’s goodness. From this careless presumption the Holy Spirit recalls us when he says to us, through the prophet: Do not add sin upon sin; and say not: The mercy of the Lord is great (Ecclus. 5. 5-6); and also: Or is it that thou art presuming on that abundant kindness of his, which bears with thee and waits for thee ? (Rom. 2. 4). For whose mere}' can be mentioned as great as his, who pardons all who return and who makes the wild olive partake of the richness of the true stock ? And whose severity is as great as his, w ho spared not the natural branches, but broke them off because of their unbelief r (Rom. ii. 17-24). But let not that man, whoever he may be, who wishes to love God and to beware of offending him, suppose that he can serve two masters; rather let him have a simple, undivided loyalty. Thus he will think of the Lord w ith an upright heart and in the simplicity of that heart will seek him. Do not fret over your life, how to support it with food and drink ... he says. Here he shows most manifestly that these things are not to be sought as if they were our blessings in such a way that, on account of them, we ought to do well in all our actions, but yet that they are necessary. For he has shown the difference between a blessing which is to be sought and a necessary thing which is to be taken for use, when he adds: Make it your first care to find the kingdom of God, and his approval, and all these things shall be yours without the asking. The kingdom and the approval of God, then, are our good; these are to be sought, and they are the purpose and motive on account of which we are to do everything we do. But because we serve as soldiers in this life, in order that we may be able to reach that kingdom, and because our life cannot be spent without these necessities, therefore he says: They shall be yours without the asking; only make it your first care to find the kingdom of God and his approval. In using that word : First, he has indicated that other things are to be sought later, not in point of time, but in importance. The former as being our good, the latter as being something necessary for us on account of that good. THE FATHERS HI. ST GREGORY THE GREAT (Summary of his Homily 5 in Matt, concerning the giving up of creatures and abandonment to God’s providence.) You have heard how Peter and Andrew, at one word from the Lord, left their nets and followed him. As yet they had not seen any of his miracles, nor had they heard a word from his lips about an eternal reward; yet at his command they forgot all they possessed. How many miracles we witness, with how many dire punishments are we afflicted or threatened, and yet with all this we are not pre­ pared to follow the one who calls us !.. . Our proud hearts do not wish to give up freely that which, against our will, we are losing every day! What shall we say at the day of judgement, we who will not separate our hearts from the love of this world, in spite of the commands to do so, nor do penance in our woes ? Perhaps someone will say within himself: What was it after all that these two fishermen gave up at the word of the Lord ? They had practically no possessions. In this matter w'e have to take more into consideration the affection of the heart than material values. He gave up much who reserved nothing for himself ; he gave up much who gave up all things, no matter how small. Certainly, we look with affection on those things we possess, and what we still lack as yet we seek with ardent desire. Therefore Peter and Andrew gave up a great deal because they abandoned even the desire to possess anything. . . . Let no one say, on seeing that others have given up a great deal: I, too, would like to imitate those who despise this world, but I have nothing to give. You will give up a great deal if you renounce earthly desires. The Lord is pleased with our offering, no matter how small, for he looks at the intention, not at the material value of the thing. He does not consider how much is given, but rather the fervour with which it is given. If we look at the material value merely, then these great saints bought the eternal life of the angels for some miserable nets and a poor boat. The kingdom of God has no fixed price, because it is worth all that you have. It cost Zachaeus half of all that he possessed—he kept the other half to make restitution; it cost Peter and Andrew their nets and boat; the widow woman purchased it for a few pence; another obtained it by the gift of a glass of cold water. Think, then, how cheap it is when purchased and how costly once it is possessed. . . . There is nothing so precious in God’s sight as good will. This good will feels the misery of others as if it were our own, delights in another’s good as if it were ours while it takes the sorrows of others on its own shoulders. To love friends, not for oneself but for God; to suffer enemies even with kindness; not to do to others what we would not like them to do to us; to administer IΙό FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST to the needs of others, not merely to the limit of our power but even beyond. What better sacrifice than this, provided that, with it, the soul gives up its very heart to God, making a sacrifice of itself. But this sacrifice of the will can never be complete unless it includes a giving up of the affection for things of this world, because all that we desire of it we undoubtedly envy when we see it in others, thinking that they have something which should, by right, be ours. And since envy is the enemy of good will, once it takes possession of the soul the latter separates itself from God. That is why saintly preachers, in order to have perfect love for their neighbour, took d care beforehand not to have atty affection for the things of this world, not desiring anything here below and not to possess anything. SECTION IV. A THEOLOGIAN ST THOMAS AQUINAS The Fruits of the Spirit (An important subject, but one usually set aside by preachers because they regard is as too difficult for their hearers. These general ideas, taken from the doctrine of St Thomas, may help.) Definition: Virtue is possessed and cultivated in view of the good actions which fructify therefrom. Acts are, by metaphor, called the fruits of virtue when they carry with them, like the products of the garden trees, a certain delectation. When, owing to the soul’s docility to the Holy Spirit dwelling within it, the supernatural infused virtues fructify in virtuous acts having savour and pleasantness in the doing of them, rightly are such good acts termed the fruits of the Holy Ghost (cf. I. 2. q. 70 a. 1). Sometimes the names of the virtues are applied to their acts: thus Ambrose writes: Faith is to believe what thou seest not; and: Charity is the movement of the soul in loving God and our neigh­ bour. It is thus that the names of the virtues are used in reckoning the fruits. . . . Fruits are any virtuous deeds in which one delights (cf. ibid, ad 3 and art. 2. c). 1. 2. Number: The difference between these fruits must be gathered from the various ways in which the Holy Ghost proceeds in us; which process consists in this, that the mind of man is set in order, first of all, in regard to itself; secondly in regard to things that are near it; thirdly, in regard to things that are below it. ST THOMAS AQUINAS Accordingly man’s mind is well disposed in regard to itself when it has a good disposition towards good things and towards evil things. Now the first disposition of the human mind towards the good is effected by love, which is the root of them all . . . wherefore among the fruits of the Holy Ghost we reckon charity, where the Holy Ghost is given in a special manner, as in his own likeness, since he himself is love. . . . The necessary result of love is joy; because every lover rejoices at being united to the beloved. . . . Now the perfection of joy is peace in two respects; first as regards freedom from outward disturbances . . . secondly as regards the calm of the restless desire ; for he does not perfectly rejoice who is not satisfied with the object of his desire; for he does not perfectly rejoice who is not satisfied with the object of his joy. Now, peace implies these two things, namely, that we be not disturbed by external things, and that our desires rest altogether in one object. Wherefore after charity and joy, peace is given the third place. In evil things the mind has a good disposition in respect of two things. First, by not being disturbed whenever evil threatens, which pertains to patience ; secondly, by not being disturbed when­ ever good things are delayed ; which belongs to long-suffering, since to lack good is a kind of evil. Man’s mind is well disposed as regards what is near to him, viz. his neighbour, first as to the will to do good; and to this belongs goodness. Secondly, as to the execution of well-doing; and to this belongs benignity, for the benign are those in whom the salutary flame of love has enkindled the desire to be kind to their neighbour. Thirdly, as to his suffering with equanimity the evils his neighbour inflicts on him. To this belongs meekness, which curbs anger. Fourthly, in the point of our refraining from doing harm to our neighbour, not only through anger, but also through fraud or deceit. To this pertains faith, if we take it as denoting fidelity. But if we take it for the faith whereby we believe in God, then man is directed to that which is above him, so that he subjects his intellect and, consequently, all that is his, to God. Man is well disposed in respect of that which is belowr him, as regards external action, by modesty, whereby we observe the mode in all our words and deeds; as regards internal desires, by continency and chastity: whether these two differ because chastity withdraws man from unlawful desires, continency also from lawful desires; or because the continent man is subject to concupiscence, but is not led away; whereas the chaste man is neither subject to,rnor led away by them. ii8 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST SECTION V. SPIRITUAL WRITERS I. ST TERESA OF AVILA The way to heaven, and the kingdom of God Seeking the kingdom: For my own part I had not doubted that poverty was the soundest basis for a foundation. I had been wishing for days that it were possible for a person in my state of life to go about begging for love of God and have no house or other possessions. But I was afraid that, if others were not given these desires by the Lord, they would live in a state of discontent, and also that the thing would cause some distraction. I had seen a number of poor monasteries in which there was no great degree of recollection, and it had not occurred to me that their distraction was not due to their poverty, but that their poverty was due to their not being recollected. Distraction does not make people richer and God never fails those who serve him. In short, my faith was weak, whereas the faith of this servant of God [Dona Luisa de la Cerda] was not. I sought the opinion of a great many people with regard to all this but found hardly anyone who shared my own—neither my con­ fessor nor the learned men whom I consulted about it. They put before me so many contrary arguments that I did not know what to do; for, now that I had learned the nature of the Rule and realized that its way is that of greater perfection, I could not persuade myself to allow the house to have any revenue. True, they some­ times convinced me; but when I betook myself to prayer again and looked at Christ hanging naked on the Cross, I felt I could not bear to be rich. So I besought him with tears to bring it about that I might become as poor as he. I found that the possession of revenue entailed so many incon­ veniences, and was such a cause of unrest, and even of distraction, that I kept on disputing about it with learned men. I wrote to that effect to the Dominican friar who was helping us, and he answered me in a letter two sheets long, full of refutations and theology; in this he told me that he had made a close study of the subject, and tried to dissuade me from my project. I replied that I had no wish to make use of theology and should not thank him for his learning in this matter if it was going to keep me from following my vocation, from being true to the vow of poverty that I had made, and from observing Christ’s precepts with due perfection. . . . It was at this time that, through my entreaties, for the lady had never seen him, the Lord was pleased that the saintly Fray Peter of Alcantara should come to her house. As one who was a great lover of poverty and had practised it for so many years, he knew how much I. SPIRITUAL WRITERS n9 wealth there was in it, and so he was a great help to me and told me that I must carry out my plan without fail. Once I had his opinion and help, which, as he had the advantage of a long experi­ ence, none was better able to give, I resolved to seek no further opinions. One day, when I was earnestly commending my plan to God, the Lord told me that I must on no account fail to found the convent in poverty, for that was his Father’s will, and his own will, and he would help me. . . . On another occasion he told me that money led only to confusion, and said other things in praise of poverty, and assured me that none would ever lack the necessities of life if they served him. . . . 0 my Lord, how abundantly dost thou manifest thy power! There is no need to seek reasons for what thou wiliest, for thou dost transcend all natural reasons and make all things possible, thus showing clearly that we have only to love thee truly, and truly to forsake everything for thee, and thou, my Lord, wilt make every­ thing easy.... He who truly loves thee, my God, travels by a broad and a royal road and travels securely. It is far away from any precipice, and hardly has such a man stumbled in the slightest degree when thou, Lord, givest him thy hand. One fall—and even many falls, if he loves thee and not the things of the world—will not be enough to lead him to perdition ; he will be travelling along the valley of humility. I cannot understand why it is that people are afraid to set out upon the way of perfection. May the Lord, for his name’s sake, make us realize how unsafe we are amid such manifest perils as beset us when we follow the crowd, and how our true safety lies in striving to press ever forward on the way of God. Our eyes must be fixed upon him, and we must not be afraid that this Sun of Justice will set, or that he will allow us to travel by night, and so be lost, unless we first forsake him. People are not afraid to walk among lions, each of which seem to be trying to tear them to pieces—I mean among honours, delights and pleasures (as the world calls them) of that kind. The devil seems to be frightening us with scarecrows here. A thousand times have I been amazed by this; fain would I weep ten thousand times, till I could weep no more, and fain would I cry aloud to tell everyone of my great blindness and wickedness, in the hope that this might be of some avail to open their eyes (Life, chap. 35). 2. The good that comes from true poverty: Do not think, my sisters, that because you do not go about trying to please people in the world you will lack for food. You will not, I assure you : never try to sustain yourselves by human artifices, or you will die of hunger and rightly so. Keep your eyes fixed upon your Spouse; it is for him to sustain you; and if he is pleased with 120 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST you, even those who like you least will give you food, if unwillingly, as you have found by experience. If you should do as I say and yet die of hunger, then happy are the nuns of St Joseph’s. For the love of the Lord, let us not forget this; you have forgone a regular income; forgo worry about food as well, or you will lose everything. Let those whom the Lord wishes to live on an income do so; if that is their vocation, they are perfectly justified; but for us to do so, sisters, would be inconsistent.... Poverty’ is good, and contains within itself all the good things in the world. It is a great domain—I mean that he who cares nothing for the good things of the world has dominion over them all. What do kings and lords matter to me if I have no desire to possess their money, or to please them, if by so doing I should cause the least displeasure to God ? And what do their honours mean to me if I have realized that the chief honour of a poor man consists in his being really and truly poor ? For my own part, I believe that honour and money nearly always go together, and that he who desires honour never hates money, while he who hates money cares little for honour. Understand this clearly, for I think this concern about honour always implies some slight regard for endowments or money; seldom or never is a poor man honoured by the world; however worthy of honour he may be, he is apt rather to be despised by it. With true poverty there goes a different kind of honour to which nobody can take objection. I mean that, if poverty is embraced for God’s sake alone, no one has to be pleased save God (Way ofPerfection, chap. 2). Π. ST JOHN OF THE CROSS The evil done by inordinate desires in the soul I. They darken and blind it: The third evil that the desires cause in the soul is that they blind and darken it. Even as vapours darken the air and allow not the bright sun to shine; or as a mirror that is clouded over cannot receive within itself a clear image; or as water defiled by mud reflects not the visage of one that looks therein ; even so the soul that is wounded by the desires is darkened in the understanding and allows neither the sun of natural reason nor that of the supernatural Wisdom of God to shine upon it and illuminate it clearly. ... 2. They affect the will: And at this time, when the soul is darkened in the understanding, it is benumbed also in the will, and the memory becomes dull and disordered in its due operation. For, as these faculties in their operation depend upon the understanding, it is clear that, when 4 SPIRITUAL WRITERS I2I the understanding is impeded, they will become disordered and troubled.. .. For as we say, the understanding has no more capacity for receiving enlightenment from the wisdom of God than has the air, when it is dark, for receiving enlightenment from the sun; neither has the will any power to embrace God within itself in pure love, even as a mirror that is clouded with vapour has no power to reflect clearly within itself any visage, and even less power has the memory which is clouded by desire to take clearly upon itself the form of the image of God, just as the muddied water cannot show forth clearly the visage of one who looks at himself therein... . For this reason one must lament greatly the ignorance of certain men who burden themselves with extraordinary penances and with many other voluntary exercises, and think that this practice or that will suffice to bring them to the union of Divine Wisdom; but such will not be the case if they voluntarily endeavour diligently to mortify their desires. If they were careful to bestow half of that labour on tlris, they would profit more in a month than they profit by all the other practices in many years. For, just as it is necessary to till the earth if it is to bear fruit, and unless it be tilled it bears nothing but weeds, just so mortification of the desires is necessary if the soul is to profit. Without this mortification I make bold to say that the soul no more makes progress on the road to perfection and to the know­ ledge of God and of itself, however many efforts it may make, than the seed grows when it is cast upon untilled ground. Wherefore the darkness and the rudeness of the soul will not be taken from it until the desires be quenched. . . . 3. The road to travel: Upon this road we must ever journey in order to attain our goal ; which means that we must ever be mortifying our desires and not indulging them. And if they are not all completely mortified we shall not completely attain. ... So exactly does God deal with certain souls; though he has taken them out of the world and has slain the giants of their sins and destroyed the multitude of their enemies, which are the occasions of sin they had in the world, solely that they may enter this Promised Land of divine union with greater liberty, yet they harbour friendship and make alliance with the insignificant peoples—that is, with imperfections—and mortify them not com­ pletely. Therefore our Lord is angry, and allows them to fall back into their desires and go from bad to worse (Ascent ofMount Carmel, I, XVIII. HI. ST FRANCIS DE SALES We must manage our affairs with care, but without anxiety The care and diligence we should have in our affairs are very different from solicitude, anxiety and eagerness. The angels have a i. 132 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST care for our salvation, and occupy themselves with it diligently, but for all that, they have no solicitude, anxiety or eagerness. ... Be careful then, my Philothea, in all the affairs which you have in your charge, for God, having entrusted them to you, wills you to have a great care of them. But if it be possible, do not be solicitous or anxious about them—that is to say, do not undertake them with disquietude, anxiety and eagerness. Do not be eager about your work, for every kind of eagerness destroys reason and judgement, and even hinders us from doing the thing well. When our Lord rebuked Martha he said: Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and art troubled about many things. See you, if she had been simply careful, she would not have been troubled ; but because she w'as anxious and solicitous, she became eager and troubled, and therefore the Lord rebuked her. The rivers which flow gently through the plains bear great ships and rich merchandise, and the rain which falls gently on the fields makes them fruitful in grass and corn; but the torrents and rivers which rush violently over the ground ruin the land that is near them and are useless for traffic, just as the very heavy and tempestuous rain lays waste the fields and meadows. Never was work well done which was done with im­ petuosity and eagerness.... Receive, then, in peace, the affairs which fall to your lot, and try to dispatch them in an orderly manner, one after the other; for if you seek to dispatch them all together, or without order, your efforts will weigh you down and weaken your spirit, and ordinarily you will be crushed down under the burden and will be unable to effect anything. And in all your affairs rely wholly on the providence of God, to which alone all your plans owe their success; nevertheless work quite tranquilly on your part to co-operate with it, and then believe that, if you have put your trust in God, the result will be always the most profitable for you, though it may seem to you good or bad according to your own judgement. Do as little children do, who with one hand cling to their father and with the other gather strawberries or blackberries along the hedges; for in like manner, while you are gathering and handling the goods of this world with one hand, cling fast always with the other to the hand of your heavenly Father, turning to him from time to time, to see if your doings or your occupations be pleasing to him. And above all things, be careful not to let go of his hand and his protection, thinking to amass or to gather more; for if he abandons you, you will not take a single step without falling on your face. (Extracts from Introduction to the Devout Life, P. 3, chap. 10). IV. BOSSUET The two great evils of ambition (Summary of a sermon preached on the 4th Sunday of Lent.) St Augustine says that true happiness lies in two things, having the power to attain what one desires and desiring only what we should. The second part is more important than the first. Yet we often separate the two and seek only for the former, i.e. the power to attain what we desire. Yet of what use is power if it is at the orders of a disordered will ? Then it only serves to increase our misfortune. To add execution to our evil desires is like putting poison into a mortal wound. Christ recognized that Pilate had great power. Had his will been ordered he would never have committed the crime of deicide. This is the last blindness of all and the worst, that before putting our desires in order we desire the power to achieve them, a power which is only used against ourselves. God teaches us to put our desires in order before even dreaming of satisfying them. Happiness is made up of two elements, good-will and power. God gives both of these to his servants, but at different times, i.e. if here below we desire only what we should, then we shall have the power to do everything we wish in the next life. The mistake is to seek power in this life, to which it does not belong. We are strangers and pilgrims here; why therefore should we seek great power in a country which is not our true home ? If we do the will of our Father in heaven, allowing ourselves to be ruled by justice, then the kingdom will come one day and we shall share in its power. In the case of Joseph and the Egyptian’s wife we see the slave wrho is not master of his own actions and the mistress who cannot even govern her desires. Which is the greater slavery? Yet a thousand tyrants such as this assail our will and make it captive; we do not even feel sorry for it. On the contrary, we weep when our hands are tied, but we suffer in silence when our heart is in chains. Ambition is incompatible with the true service of God, because it leads us to many vices and sins. Indeed vices increase with power. Therefore Augustine says that one of the best ways of curing the evil will is to deprive it of power to execute its designs. In truth, wre become tired of wanting the impossible, of giving wray to desires which cannot be attained and of not enjoying anything but the inner malice of vice. Evil frustrated begins to displease us; our very impotence makes us reflect and inclines us finally to modify our desires. This is done of necessity at first, but later we do it seriously and in good faith, blessing our lack of power which has been the first medicine to cure us. 124 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST We are like children, who need discipline—the discipline of fear or of difficult}'. If these two impediments are removed our corrupt inchnations begin to raise their heads at once. When a man sees no power above his own then his desires grow more vicious every day and more subtle. From this are born those unheard of vices, monsters of ambition, refinements of lust, pride unmentionable. They have been produced by an excess of liberty, the mother of all vices. Ambitious men will tell us that it is necessary to stand out from the crowd, while to remain in the throng is a sign of weakness; that genius is always outstanding. There are many answers one could give to this fallacious argument. It might be pointed out that, in this world, good and evil are mixed in such a way that at times it is hard to distinguish one from the other; but a time will come in which we shall see who has been the truly saintly, the truly ambitous. We might reply by telling them there is little use in being outstanding in a world in which death reduces all to the same state. Perhaps the best reply is that of the Scriptures, which show us in no uncertain terms the evil ways by which power is attained. The Book of Wisdom describes the unjust man putting the just in chains (2. 12). In truth, the just are of no use to the ambitious man, nor can they ever scale the heights of power. The ■wicked man bends whenever his ambition demands it, he serves whoever has to be served. The good, on the other hand, lack this flexibility, he becomes useless to the ambitious, who end by despising him. Virtue, in the midst of the intrigues of this world, is reduced to a cold mediocrity, which is hardly able to move along the right path which it has itself traced out, and in which it has cut off with one blow many of the ways by which worldly men are wont to rise to power. The way of the ambitious is shameful ; but that of virtue is too long. The evil man knows how to move rapidly and by all means to attain his end. If you wish to rise to power you will soon find that the slow step of virtue tires you. Live contented to be what you are, and above all, never allow7 the desire to do good lead you to become ambitious, because that is ambition’s greatest act of deceit. Always complaining about the way the world is being ruled, such men become reformers of abuses, severe critics of all who occupy high stations. What wonderful plans they make! What beautiful ideas for ruling the State, what zeal for the Church and what saintly rulers of a diocese they would become ! And all they do really, in the midst of such charitable desires, is become contaminated with the spirit of this world, and should they attain their goal, then they discover that either they advance slowly or not at all. All their good resolutions vanish and their high thoughts ■with them. SERMON SCHEMES 125 SECTION VI. SERMON SCHEMES I. LITURGICAL The main anxiety of the Christian The kingdom of God 1. Today’s Gospel tells us to make it our first care to find the king­ dom of God, and his approval. But what is meant by the kingdom of God ? 2. It has three meanings, the eternal glory of the blessed, the Church, the external and visible kingdom of Christ, and sanctifying grace. (a) It can mean the Church triumphant, the external Church or interior sanctification by grace. It is in this latter sense that we shall understand it here. (b) In this way the phrase of today’s Gospel comes to mean, find first God’s kingdom by realizing his plan for your sanctification in your soul. Or, to put it another way, the kingdom of God is hatred of sin, a constant disposition of soul to obey God and to keep his commandments, an increasing desire to love him above all things. The first thing—the kingdom of God A rational and logical norm of conduct: (a) When our activity is directed towards objects of different value it is convenient to put some order in them, order of importance. (b) In man the supernatural must be placed before the natural, the spiritual before the material, the spirit before the flesh. 1. 2. This is the command of the Master in the Sermon on the Mount: (a) It is not possible to serve two masters. (b) Preoccupation with material things can impede or harm the spiritual. First things first is the only possible rule. (c) Attend first to our sanctification and spiritual life, then abandon ourselves to Divine Providence, who will look after us as he does the flowers and the birds of the air. The Christian’s preoccupation 1. All this must be the first care of the Christian, otherwise he is no more than a follower of Christ in name only. 2. In the Epistle the apostle preaches the same doctrine but in different words: (a) It is not possible to be guided by both the flesh and the spirit, because there is a struggle between them; 126 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (b) in baptism the Holy Spirit was infused into us; the devil driven out; (c) then we renounced Satan and all his works and pomps; we were given the white vestment with the charge to keep it unsullied until the day of Christ ; (d) we became part of Christ and his Mystical Body, with the order to live by the spirit, to fight, to share in the cross. 3. The counsels of St Paul in today’s Epistle are no more than an echo of the doctrine of Christ; a necessary consequence of our Christian condition. As Christians we are bound to walk according to the spirit, and also we have to crucify our flesh, with its vices and concupiscence. 4. This means to seek the kingdom of God within us, as we have interpreted that in this scheme. Both Gospel and Epistle do no more than explain in different words our fundamental obligation which we contracted when we were baptized. The duty of every day 1. While we are Christians we have to take care to see to it that the kingdom of Christ reigns in us. Whenever we go to Mass we should renew the thought of our vocation, hearing once more the voice of the Lord as he says to us: Find the Kingdom of God. 2. He who seeks God can live in perfect confidence that nothing will be lacking to him. It is not an easy task; human nature is frail; that is the whole purpose and meaning of the Collect of today’s Mass, in which the Church begs God to look after her and her members, so that, with his help, they may keep away from harmful things and seek those which are salutary, because without that help human frailty will fall. Π. THE EPISTLE Chastity Chastity against lust 1. The theme is one of interest, if we take into consideration our materialized civilization, in which all is permitted. 2. This virtue has been called angelic because it makes men like the angels. 3. Three types of chastity: (a) virginal—that is by vow ; (b) chastity which forbids carnal pleasures outside marriage; (c) conjugal—which permits them within the limits imposed by marriage. SERMON SCHEMES 127 4. The object of chastity is to regulate the carnal and sensual appetite. 5. Impurity—the contrary vice—is a lack of control in the matter of these carnal and sensual pleasures. (a) Even though such sins arc not, in themselves, the worst of all, still, as St Thomas says, they can be the most grave in their conse­ quences. (b) It is a vice which is widespread, because it is of the flesh, and men carry that always with them ; also because the life of the world is carnal and sensual. (c) For this reason it is necessary to preach on this theme from time to time. A supernatural infused virtue 1. It has as its foundation the infusion of the divine life into us (as part of the virtue of temperance) and is the direct result of the triumph of the spirit over the flesh. 2. It is also one of the fruits of the spirit; in this sense it is an action of the virtue of charity, produced with ease and pleasure through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Two aspects of this virtue—negative and positive Negative: (a) a dislike of all that may affect the sensual appetite and free it from the dominion of the reason; (b) this dislike is produced by a knowledge of the harm done by such things and their incompatibility with divine things; (c) in this fashion the pure man separates himself from such things, mortifies the flesh, sets aside anything which might excite the sensual appetite. 1. 2. Positive: (a) the plenitude of the spirit; (b) a pure attitude to things—all things; that of a man who does not need to hide from God’s face as Adam did after his sin; (c) this is the patrimony of a soul which is full of love for God ; something which the proud and cold-hearted man can never possess. Means to preserve chastity Prayer: (a) As the spiritual life increases in us, so will this virtue as well; therefore all the means which conduce to a greater depth in our spiritual life also conduce to preserve and increase our purity. (b) In other words, it is a gift of God, and like other gifts, must be sought after in prayer. i. 1 I ia8 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 2. Vigilance: (a) This is necessary at every moment; we can never let up on it because the flesh is always ready to fight against the spirit; (b) mortification is a part of this vigilance; (c) so much so that he cannot be said to be vigilant who is not mortified. (d) Pius XII (Sacra Virginitas) says that in this matter we can never take too much care, and no severity with ourselves could be excessive. Modesty—the safeguard of chastity This modesty warns us in good time of the danger; gives us warning of occasions of sin; avoids evil conversations and all over­ familiarity with people of the opposite sex. It infuses into the soul a reverence and respect for the body as temple of the Holy Spirit. It is fed on the fear of God—filial fear, based on a profound humility which causes us to avoid all sin (Pius XII, in loco). HL THE GOSPEL A: Confidence in divine providence Introduction 1. Christ speaks to us about the excessive anxiety for even necessary things—food and clothing. 2. He is not therefore talking here about what is superfluous or convenient—in which case his argument could be even more conclusive. 3. To prove his point he makes use of many beautiful and forceful arguments. The soul is worth more than food and clothing 1. Is not life itself a greater gift than food, the body than clothing? (v. 25). 2. He who gives what is more important will also give that which is of lesser importance. (a) God could never give life and a body to man and then leave him to poverty and misery; (b) because his wisdom and his providence demand that he also gives us, together with these two important things, the means to sustain life ; (c) this is true not merely of the natural but also of the super­ natural life. He gave us that life in baptism; he will give us all the help we need to sustain and increase it. SERMON SCHEMES 129 3. Two lessons: (a) Confidence in the ordered providence of God, which will not fail us no matter what happens, especially when we are surrounded by tribulation and sorrow. God who sends or permits the cross will not leave us to carry it alone. (b) Of the order we should observe in our cares and anxieties, that which is of most importance is the soul. Thus, when other interests have to be put on one side in order to care for the soul and its salvation, we must concentrate on that supreme good, leaving the rest to God. (c) The same applies to temporal things. Because God looks after other creatures who are worth far less than man 1. See how the birds of the air never sow, or reap, or gather grain into bams, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. 2. The lesson of Christ: (a) The wonder of divine providence which provides for every animal and insect its food ; (b) more wonderful still is the care of God for man, a superior class of creature: i. so superior that God has given him charge over all the others (Gen. i. 28); ii. made in God’s image in a special way. (c) The image of the birds of the air is a happy one, because it reflects the liberty of action of true sons of God and also the souls of those who, free from things of earth, cast themselves on divine providence completely. B: We should have confidence in divine providence Why undue anxiety is useless 1. Can any one ofyou, for all his anxiety, add a cubit's growth to his height? (a) The argument is a graphic one; not one inch can we add to our height or one moment to the length of life laid down for us by God’s providence. (b) Christ does not condemn our taking care of ourselves and our families; what he objects to is that excessive care which is out of all proportion to the value of these material things. 2. The prosperity of the wicked: (a) It could be argued that wicked men apply themselves with zeal to temporal matters and prosper in them, gaining money and honours. 5 ■· I I3o FOURTEENTH SUNDAY’ AFTER PENTECOST (b) God has allowed this as a prelude to his just judgement of them and also as a punishment at times. (c) No man is entirely evil—the worst of men have some good points. It is only right that they should receive some reward—not in the next life; so they receive it in the shape of material things, on which they have set their hearts. (d) Ps. 72 describes the fate reserved for these in strong words which are worth our meditation. 3. God gives the increase slowly: (a) He does it thus with the body; our bodily growth is so slow as to pass unobserved, but it continues all the time. (b) He does the same with regard to our spiritual growth : i. through an increase of grace for even' good action done in a state of grace ; ii. the soul which humbly and sincerely dedicates itself to his service in the fulfilment of its daily duties is on the true road of sanctity; there is no need for extraordinary illuminations or inspirations from God, nor for special graces. (c) The same is true of a community, when each one is consecrated to God and to what God demands, without excessive anxiety; all that is needed is a quiet observance of the state of life and duties assigned to each. 4. Moderate care for the body: (a) What is condemned here is excessive care for the body, which is both useless and prejudicial, because it can lead to sin. (b) This anxiety should be regulated by the spiritual element— the care of the soul, which is all-important. (c) While the body is at the service of a soul in the state of grace it is an instrument for glory, that glory with which even the body itself will be invested in heaven. God’s generosity with the flowers of the field 1. Christ uses the example of the lilies of the field—the flowers. 2. The force of the argument lies in the fact that God does not hesitate to use the most brilliant and beautiful colours with which to clothe a flower, whose life may be that of one day only. (a) He will do more, then, in the case of man, a superior creature; (b) God has also thought of the garment of grace for the soul; a garment which not only does not perish in a day but which can live for ever in heaven. (c) With such care did he prepare this garment that, once torn by sin, he repaired it by the redemption. SERMON SCHEMES 131 Excessive anxiety, something proper to heathens Heathens live in a constant preoccupation with material things: (a) for them there is no supernatural, nothing in the next life to which they can look forward; (b) therefore, logically, they look to this life and the good things it holds for them. 1. 2. The Christian excessively anxious about temporal things: He lives far from the faith, which tells him: (a) that he should cast all his cares on God (Ps. 54. 23); (b) that he should not be too worried, because he can always reach God by prayer (Phil. 4. 6); (c) that God, who fed the Israelites for forty years in the desert, never allowing them to go for one day without sufficient food, is still with us. 3. A cause of scandal to those outside the fold: (a) These can easily say that excessive anxiety about material things shows a lack of faith in Christians, who turn their backs on God and worry about material things. (b) The example of Esdras is eloquent (1 Esdras 8. 22). Because God is our Father 1. He could so easily be a God who inspires fear—in all but a true Christian. 2. The true Christian knows that: (a) God is a loving and a provident Father; (b) each day he prays to that Father, asking him for his daily bread ; (c) he is a Father who has given his own Son to death for our redemption—greater love no one could have. How could he refuse us much less important things (Rom. 8. 32) ? C: Do not fret Christ preaches detachment Today's Gospel is a fragment of the whole Sermon on the Mount: (a) In that is contained the best treatise on religion and our duties as such, also the sublime beatitudes. (b) The Master speaks to us of charity, mercy, pardon, in the most sublime terms. 1. 2. He also preaches detachment: He could do it with complete authority who was born poor, lived poorly in Nazareth and then could say that the foxes had their holes IH I I 11! >1 FOL RTEENTH SL NDAY AFTER PENTECOST ï3- and the birds had their nests, but he had no place where to lay his head (Matt. 8. 20). God or creatures The lesson is profound and necessary: A man cannot be the slave of two masters at once . . . you must sene God or money; you cannot sene both. (a) By money we may understand all kinds of creatures; if we go deeper we may say, He who loves God serves him; he who loves creatures will be the servant of creatures. You cannot love God and creatures. (b) There is only one road for us to travel: Make it your first care to find the kingdom of God, and his approval, and all these things shall be yours without the asking. 1. 2. St Ignatius makes this the foundation of his Spiritual Exercises: (a) Man is created to praise, reverence and serve God and through this to save his soul ; (b) all creatures on the face of the earth have been created for him and to help him in this task, so that he may reach his ultimate end; (c) from which it follows that man must make use of them in so far as they help him to reach that end, and be detached from them if they distract him from it. 3. Therefore we may not love creatures for themselves: We must love God and only love creatures in so far as we find God in them. Do not fret 1. The more we become detached from creatures the more we unite ourselves to God. The more we separate our attachment from them the more we occupy ourselves with the things of God. 2. St Thomas gives the reason when he says: The human heart attaches itself with greater intensity to one the more it separates itself from others. Therefore the soul of man is directed towards God more perfectly the more it can separate itself from affection for temporal things; wherefore St Augustine says that the thing which poisons charity is the hope of attaining to or holding on to temporal things, while the increase in charity implies a diminishing of the desire for temporal things. The perfection of charity is the total destruction of this desire (Opusc. De Perfectione}. The spirit and the letter of the Gospel This passage is very difficult to understand: (a) Perhaps it would be better to say that is one which it is difficult to put into practice. Many will say that it must not be interpreted I. SERMON SCHEMES 133 literally; but perhaps, through an excessive prudence in our inter­ pretation of it, we only go half-way along the road which God has planned for us. (b) On the other hand, those saints who have been almost exaggerated in their interpretation of this passage have reached the heights of sanctity' through it. (c) We have only to think of St Francis. 2. A warning against over-anxiety: It is certain, however, that, in these words, Christ is not telling us to be idle; he is warning us not to be over-anxious—a thing which destroys our peace of mind and our real activity. However, it is no less certain that the greater our detachment from created things, the greater will be our advance in spiritual things. Confidence in God 1. If temporal things are given up for God the result is a greater confidence in him. This is the foundation of peace and tranquillity of soul. For which reason we may well make our own the prayer of the Gradual of today’s Mass : It is better to have confidence in God than in man and better to put our trust in the Lord than in princes. 2. To excite this confidence Christ presents God to us in today’s Gospel as a Father. . . . You have a Father in heaven who knows that you need them all. (a) Consoling words, because he is the most powerful and the best of all Fathers; (b) he cares for us with more love and efficiency than any earthly parent; (c) the best way we can repay him is by this complete confidence in him, putting ourselves in his hands completely, as a child does, almost without having any will of our own. St Teresa She shows us how much we should appreciate God’s care of us and how complete should be our abandonment to his providence (cf. texts quoted above). D : Anxiety about temporal things Introduction i. Jesus speaks to us of the confidence we should have in God’s providence. (a) He does not say that we should not occupy ourselves with temporal things; 134 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (b) he says that, due to the confidence we ought to have in divine providence, we should not be anxious about them or excessively worried about them. 2. There is a temporal activity which is good and one which is bad. That care which is good i. That care about temporal matters is good: (a) when it is secondary, when man is ready to give it up to attend to divine things ; (b) when it is regulated, i.e. when temporal things are sought with a view’ to the eternal ; i. because these things are necessary' to sustain natural life, which it is necessary and obligatory’ to look after; ii. because such goods make it easier to live the spirit and practice of the faith with peace and quiet; iii. when they are sought to attend to the needs of the family; iv. or for a special good ; v. to employ’ them in works of mercy ; (c) when it is done calmly, without anxiety, resting all the time on divine providence. 2. On obligatory care about temporal things: (a) to seek the necessities of life ; (b) to despise these and not to take care to provide them by all the means in our pow er, means which God had laid down for us to use, would be wrrong. God intends man to gain his bread by the sweat of his brow. (c) Christ, in the Our Father, orders us to ask for spiritual things, but he also commands us to beg for our daily bread ; (d) the apostle condemns such neglect—he who will not work should not eat (2 Thess. 3.10). A care for such things which is evil 1. It is not merely sordid and servile avarice which the Lord con­ demns on this occasion. He also condemns over-anxiety' for temporal things. 2. This is evil: (a) when the temporal is put before the spiritual ; this is a common fault among Christians, who fulfil their religious and spiritual duties so long as these do not interfere with their temporal affairs; (b) when these things are sought against the real good of the soul or against the law of God. Then such action is not merely bad, it can easily be malicious ; (c) when illicit means are used to acquire such goods; SERMON SCHEMES 135 (d) when our attention to such things is accompanied by over­ anxiety and fear; sure signs that we have an excessive desire for them and that we lack confidence in God. (c) It is when things such as these arc most necessary for us that we should have more confidence that divine providence will provide if we do our best. 3. Signs which indicate excessive attention or anxiety about these things: (a) when our anxiety about material things is greater than our attention to the spiritual needs of the soul; (b) when our attention to material things definitely impedes our approach to God or our attention to our religious duties; (c) or when it impedes our giving ourselves to God with generosity; thus come distractions, temptations, etc. E: Seeking the kingdom of God It has to be sought after This aspect of the kingdom is stressed in today’s Gospel. We shall see that it is a constant element in our Lord’s teaching, because it is such an important thing in the spiritual life. The parables of the kingdom There are two which deal most specifically with this idea of the diligent search which is necessary on our part. 1. That of the woman who sought diligently the money she had lost (Luke 15. 8 ff.). This has a double spiritual application: (a) the kingdom of God was lost by sin: The light of Christ was lit on earth; he searches for the lost coin and finds it at the moment of the redemption. (b) on our part through personal sin we lose grace: We must light the lamp of our faith in the sacrament of penance and find that kingdom within us through grace. Grace will pardon us and sanctify us again. 2. That of the hidden treasure (Matt. 13. 44): (a) The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, and man may find it in two ways ; (b) at times it comes spontaneously; in which case the man who finds it hides it, sells all he has and buys the field in which it is hidden; (c) in other words, even though the kingdom may come to us out of the blue, as it were, we still have to work for it; 136 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (d) on other occasions it will be the soul itself which seeks the kingdom with anxiety; it is uncertain of itself, seeking always some­ thing which it knows must exist; in which case the grace of God has been given to make the soul look for what it needs. The kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17. 21) 1. That was the reply given by Christ to those who asked him when they would see the triumph of the kingdom. 2. There are two interpretations of it: (a) that the kingdom of God is within us; (b) another that the kingdom was within them, among them, although they did not recognize it because they had a wrong idea of what that messianic kingdom was going to be. 3. In both cases the words indicate that the kingdom has to be sought; that it is hidden. Even though it may present itself in an exterior form, still we have to penetrate into it with the eyes of faith to know in what it consists and the good that it offers us. If thou knewest what it is God gives . . . (John 4. 10) In these words of Christ to the Samaritan woman we see the same idea stressed. Jesus -wants her to advance and to seek the kingdom with the same anxiety with which she seeks water at the well and from him. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst . . . (Matt. 5. 6) 1. This is the hunger and thirst which compel a man to search for the kingdom, just as natural hunger and thirst make a man seek food and drink. 2. Sanctity must be sought at every stage of the spiritual life: (a) In sin, once remorse sets in, we must look for it by seeking the grace of God which will remedy our evil, through penance. (b) The virtuous soul must seek to advance ever further along the road to sanctity; growth is a natural consequence of this hunger for greater sanctity; (c) more so in the case of the soul who knows the small value of earthly things and detaches itself from them. Let us seek the kingdom of God through the practice of the virtues 1. Faith must discover every day new' aspects in the mysteries of God, in themselves and in their relation to us. 2. Hope, essentially a virtue concerned with the future life, will not rest until it has found that life in heaven. SERMON SCHEMES 137 3. Charity, which grows every day, is the seed of the kingdom which must grow until it reaches its full glory in heaven, where we shall find the fullness of the kingdom. F : Providence The teachings of Scripture 1. God, who created the world, must also rule it; without that rule it would be nothing. 2. For this reason the Scriptures present God to us as ruler of the world and even of the actions of men—nothing can escape his hands. (a) Cf. Ps. 32; Ps. 144, which is a hymn to divine providence. (b) We are told that all things—goods, life, riches, poverty and death—all come to us from God (Ecclus. 11. 14 ff.). (c) It describes to us numerous works directed by the Lord (cf. Wis., chaps. 6-8, in which there is a description of God’s providence and care for Israel). (d) The very death of the Son of God is attributed to God (Acts 2. 23)· The end sought by providence i. Man wishes very often to intervene and submit to his own judgement the actions of providence. For that, he ought to have the knowledge and the power of God. (a) One philosopher is supposed to have said to his students: If I had God’s power, how differently I would arrange things in this world. Then, after a moment’s reflection he added : But if I had his wisdom also, I would leave things as they are. (b) St Paul, talking about the mystery of the choice of the Jews and their subsequent rejection by God says : How deep is the mine of God’s Wisdom, of his knowledge; how inscrutable are his judge­ ments, how undiscoverable his ways ! Who has ever understood the Lord’s thoughts, or been his counsellor ? Who was ever the first to give, and so earned his favours ! All things find in him their origin, their impulse, the centre of their being; to him be glory throughout all ages, Amen (Rom. 11. 33 ff). (c) Who would have thought that the hardness of heart of the Jewish people would lead to the conversion of the whole Gentile world? (Rom. 11.11). 2. We must try to see always the end God has in view in all the workings of his providence. (a) Men put their efforts to attaining worldly things very often; but all these things are temporal, passing; our true happiness can never lie in them. This life is only a preparation for another and therefore its value is relative. 5* i38 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (b) But no one is entirely evil; therefore God’s providence may grant riches, honours and other things which are of the world to those who are destined for eternal damnation. That ought to show us how dangerous these things are. A practical example I. God's judgement and ours: Anyone who saw the rich man eating and drinking, while Lazarus the begger was sitting at the gate, would probably have made a very different judgement of rhe situation from that of God. 2. Yet the Lord was seeking the happiness of Lazarus: (a) Possibly he knew that Lazarus would save his soul in poverty, but that he would lose it if he were rich; at least he knew that his present misfortunes would bring him a great and an eternal happi­ ness. (b) So God chose the elements which would bring that about, even though men would not have understood them—at least, at the time. A higher purpose We have considered one of the purposes of divine providence— the salvation of mankind. But there is another, and a higher one— that of his own glory. I. Not all men reach salvation: Some at least, if not many, are condemned. This does not mean to say that God’s will and government have failed in their case. He has given to the higher creatures the faculty of knowledge and free will; they can choose; but whatever they do, God’s will is always done. 2. In the first place, from evil he draws good: Well known is the phrase that, if the fury' of the persecutors had not existed, neither would there have existed the patience of the martyrs. If the rich man had not been so cruel the reward given to Lazarus would have been less. 3. Finally,[even the condemned give glory to God: They did not wish to give due honour to his rewarding justice; they now give honour to that justice which punishes them. Always, good or bad, we give glory to God. The universal good God takes into account the universal good of all, and that may sometimes mean that one has to suffer for the good of another. We SERMON SCHEMES BQ cannot always appreciate this, because our view is so limited. We only see one very small piece of the whole picture. But God is the Supreme Being, providing for all and working out all things, great or small, for his own glory and honour. G: Providence A false notion of God 1. Many ancient philosophers, great writers, like Voltaire, believed in God; but they relegated him to the shades of eternal existence, saying that he had no hand in the government of the world. 2. They tend to destroy the whole idea of providence, redemption, grace, the Church—leaving all things to man’s free will. His fate is, according to them, in his own hands. 3. This doctrine: (a) at first sight appears easy: It explains many of the evils in the world, and is a comfortable thought; (b) but in reality it is terrible: i. because life without something to look forward to in the future would be impossible. If this is all we have in the way of happiness then it would be better not to live at all ; ii. when we see the evils of this world, especially the triumph of evil over good, injustice of all kinds, sufferings, etc., it would be a terrible thing, almost impossible to bear, unless we had the consolation at the same time that a wise providence governs all and knows how to draw good from evil. The Catholic teaching on this matter The First Vatican Council is quite clear on this point: God guards and guides by his providence all that he has created, reaching to the very ends of the earth and directing all things gently but firmly. All things are naked and open to his eyes, including those which lie in the future and those which are the results of the free acts of his creatures. I. 2. From this we can see that: (a) the foundation of providence is the fact of creation; (b) God did not create the world blindly, but with infinite wisdom and knowledge of what he was doing—and therefore for his own ends. This end was first, his own glory—he cannot act for any other purpose than this, at least primarily—and then for the good of the whole world, the happiness of man in particular; i4o FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (c) if he had no purpose in creation then he is a fool, because only fools do things without thinking, i.e. without a purpose; (d) and if, having a definite purpose in creation, he had left the world to its own fate, then he is defeating his own purpose. What is more, he is either careless or impotent; (e) we also see the effects of providence; he directs and governs, conserving all things in being: i. conservation: we have received our being from God, and if he withdrew his hand from us for one moment we would drop out of existence ; ii. we are very like electric cables : they transmit energy, but if the power station should fail, they carry' nothing, they are nothing but dead wires, serving no real purpose; (f) we also see the manner in which he exercises this providence : gently' and easily : i. God attains his ends without violence or miracles in most cases: he has at his disposal so many ways of attaining this that he does not have to make use of extraordinary means—unless "with a purpose; ii. he knows well how to attain those ends: by making full use of the whole complex world of causes which surround (and confuse) us; (g) we see its extent—all things which he has created. Nothing escapes his guiding hand: i. naturallyy there will be a difference between one kind ofcreature and another: and this difference lies, in the first place, in the degree of love God has for one in comparison with another. The pilot of a plane takes care of his engines—and also of his children; but the latter is a special care, because it is that of a father. ii. He also uses some creatures—the higher ones—to direct and guide the lower. This is not because he is incapable of doing it him­ self; but because of his love for those higher creatures—this has important applications, and not merely in connection with the R.S.P.C.A. ! 3. Therefore we find three great divisions in God's providence, according to his love: (a) there is a general providence by which he governs all things; (b) a special one by which he rules his rational creatures; (c) a very special providence which governs those who are really and truly just, in a state of grace and sons of God. With these he makes sure that all things work out for their good. Difficulty in comprehension If there is any difficulty in understanding this doctrine it is usually due to the fact that we find it difficult to comprehend how God can direct our free acts of the will. SERMON SCHEMES 141 1. No one else could do this except God, who gives us all that we have, all our being, including the being of our free acts. 2. What is more important is the doctrine of the Fatherhood of God, which is stressed so much in today’s Gospel: (a) This is a new and a startling aspect of God’s providence to­ wards men; (b) all that we have said about the purposes of divine providence so far is, of course, strictly true; but it would also be true to say that we need look no further than divine love when it is a case of men; (c) the loving providence of a Father for his children is the key to our confidence in God and the gratitude we should have for all his loving-kindness. H: Creatures This scheme is based on a famous meditation of St Ignatius on “ The Love of God ” {Spiritual Exercises, 4th Week). True love consists in fruits and effects, not in words: the effect of true love is the reciprocal communication of all good things between the persons who love each other; whence it follows that charity cannot exist without sacrifice. Do not, then, content yourself with tender and affectionate sentiments. For, says St Gregory, the proof of love is in the works : where love exists it works great things, but when it ceases to act it ceases to exist. First point 1. Recall to yourself the benefits of God. These benefits are of three principal orders : (a) the benefits of creation ; (b) benefits of redemption; (c) particular benefits. 2. In each we find the three characteristics which denote divine love: (a) a love which acts and manifests itself by works: What more active than the charity of God in the creation, preservation and redemption of man ? (b) a love that gives, and lavishes its goods : Has God anything of which he has not given a part to man ? Has he not given himself on the Cross as an example, and in the Euchar­ ist, his body, his blood, his life, his divinity and all his being ? (c) a love never satisfied with what it has given, and that would always give more: Is not this the love of God towards us? Is it not true that his greatest gifts have not been able to exhaust the prodigality of his 142 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST heart? Is it not true that there is in him a desire to do us good which will never be satisfied until he has given himself to us entirely and for ever in heaven ? Second point Consider that God, your benefactor, is present in all creatures and in yourself: If you look at every step of the visible creation, in all you will meet God.... And how is this great God in you ? In the most noble, the most excellent manner. He is in you as in his temple, as in a sanctuary’ where he sees his own image, where he finds an intelligence capable of knowing and loving him. Thus yrour benefactor is always with you; he is more intimately united to you than your soul is to •vour bodv. * 1. 2. You ought not to lose sight of him: Always keep yourself in his presence like a child in that of his father. Third point God acts continually in all his creatures: And for whom ? For you. Thus he lights you with the light of day; he nourishes you with the fruits of the earth; he serves you by each one of the creatures that you use; so that it is true to say that at every* moment the wisdom and the power of God are at your service and are exercised in the world for your wants or pleasures. 1. 2. This should be the model for your conduct towards God . . . (a) Beware at stopping at a mere contemplation of God in yourself; add action—the faithful accomplishment of the divine will. (b) The divine activity is combined with great tranquillity: to your action join contemplation. Fourth point 1. Detachment from creatures: They7 have only limited perfections, while God has all perfection in an infinite degree. 2. Detachment from ourselves: All our being and all our happiness depend, not on ourselves, but on God, as the light of the ray depends on the sun. 3. From this double detachment comes true liberty of spirit. Conclusion Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will. All that I am, all that I have SERMON SCHEMES 143 thou hast given me, and I give it back again to thee, to be disposed of according to thy good pleasure. Give me only thy love and thy grace; with these I am rich enough. I: Good and bad use of wealth A man cannot be the slave of two masters at once. . . . You must serve God or money; you cannot serve both (Matt. 6. 24). 1. Does this mean that riches are evil? That they are to be con­ demned ? 2. The whole thing turns on a right understanding of Christ’s thought on this subject and on the meaning of the word serve. Riches are dangerous 1. There is no need to pile up texts ofScripture or of the Fathers: We need only remind ourselves of the words of Christ, when he said that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom (Luke 18. 25). 2. In what does this danger lie? (a) They open the way for all other things which the world thinks to be good—and that can be very dangerous. (b) Again, once a man has started on the road to acquiring riches, there is no obstacle which can stand in his way and no means which he will not use : i. the minister of ambition is lies, says Tertullian; ii. no mercy for others, defrauding labourers of their just wage, anything for more profits; iii. lack of fidelity to promises or contracts; (c) once attained, riches lead to other sins and make it easy to attain other pleasures : i. they can close the mouths of people who could testify against us; ii. separate us from the poor, who annoy us with their petitions; iii. constitute a constant source of temptation and sin; (d) all this in such a gentle fashion that such things can become almost second nature to the rich man : i. it is difficult for him to admit to fraud in business—he con­ siders that a mere commercial transaction; ii. he will not even admit his immoral conduct—it is the usual way of life in the class to which he belongs. Riches are not in themselves evil i. There have been many saints who were also rich: St Louis, king of France, David, king’of Israel, 144 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 2. Sacred Scripture praises the rich man who does good with his money (Eccles. 5. 12 if.). To serve God alone This is the solution as given us by Christ; Serve one master—not two. Our senice should be given to God alone, because he is our last end. (a) He who does so, uses all things created with joy and delight as gifts from God; he really enjoys them; (b) but he delights in and uses them as God commands. The advantage of riches I. It may be easier to direct our poverty towards God, because: (a) it is not attractive in itself—no one wants to be poor; (b) less occasion of sin, and hope in God for a remedy. 2. But the rich man has many advantages: He has more ways of sending God than the poor and he should make good use of them : (a) his sacrifices, resisting temptations brought by riches, etc.; (b) possibility of doing great things by good use of his money; (c) the fact that he is an administrator of the goods which God has given him and the consequent reward which God will give to the faithful administrator; (d) if a glass of water merits heaven, what will be the reward given to one who becomes a real benefactor to those around him ? Service of God through riches I. A simple matter: (a) Once the passions have been subdued, the rich man can serve God without having to think of the other cares of this world—he has means and can supply all his needs; (b) he can direct even his pleasures to God, because they are means of distributing his wealth provided they are not excessive or directed towards sinful pleasures; (c) charity in all its forms is open to him—he can make due use of it through almsdeeds, etc. 2. Conclusion (Prov. 28. 6; Eccles. 7. 12-13): Two sides to the picture, good or bad use of money and riches of all kinds. J: Simplicity If thy eye is clear . . . (Matt. 6. 22) I. This is not included in today’s Gospel, but is, in truth, an introduction to it: It contains the whole doctrine of today’s Gospel in a sum mar}'. SERMON SCHEMES 145 2. We shall base our interpretation of it on the word 1 clear ’: If your intention is right, simple, direct, then the whole of your body will be lit up by it, directed by it. You will see things as they are. 3. This means giving a just and true value to things: All things, according to a divine, not a human, standard. The value of things 1. The notion of value implies a relation: (a) Things have a value in so far as they are useful for something; there are two terms of relation—man, and the thing he uses. (b) If the end for which the thing is used is relative, so will be its value. Something which is useful today may be useless tomorrow. (c) If the end is fixed, immutable, then the value of the thing remains always the same. This is true in everything which is referred to God and used for God. 2. Simple souls of clean heart and eye: This is a wisdom which God does not grant to the great and powerful, but to the humble. From creatures to God The intention: The man who has a pure intention, who is simple and direct in his approach, sees all things in relation to God and to men : (a) He does not merely discover God’s wisdom and knowledge, but also his Fatherhood, the mainspring of his providence; (b) the simple soul, of pure intention, puts into practice today’s Gospel entirely; i. seeing that things are a means, not an end in themselves; ii. that there is one who looks after all things with love—God ; iii. that he must look after man in a special way; iv. that over-anxiety is not proper to the sons of God ; (c) that is why this verse is an introduction to the Gospel of today’s Mass. I. 2. The joy of the saints: (a) That is why the saints were so fond of nature; they see God in it all the time; (b) nature spoke to Augustine: I am not your God, but he made me; (c) creatures give the saints reason for singing God’s praises and also lead them to him. 3. In this at least we can imitate them, surely! 146 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST K: Consequences of the Fatherhood of God His providence 1. In today’s Gospel our l.ord tells us that there is such a thing as divine providence. (a) Reason tells us the same thing; (b) it means that God directs things to a certain end or purpose— as does every' rational creature ; (c) there is a relation between things—one thing connected with another, and all directed to some end or purpose. 2. This had to exist first in God’s mind; it is a kind of divine prudence. Providence is perfect 1. Because of its end or purpose—God. 2. Because of the means it uses—creatures, all of them and at every moment. 3. Because it covers all things, both necessary' and free. ‘I 4. Because of the perfect way God uses secondary causes, one related to another, one helping and directing another, etc. 5. Because it does all things well, softly yet strongly. Providence and man 1. It can be reduced to four words: (a) Father; (b) wise, (c) merciful, (d) omnipotent. 2. Fatherhood: (λ) Human fatherhood is based on that of God, a human share in it and imperfect compared with it (Matt. 7. 11). (b) No one should be called Father on earth, because the word is so fitting to God—we have only one Father, God (Matt. 23. 9). Various consequences No fretting—no over-anxiety: (a) This is the first result of the fatherhood of God, no over­ anxiety’. (b) There are two kinds of solicitude, good and bad ; the good is linked with the virtue of prudence; the second is almost akin to avarice or greed. I. SERMON SCHEMES i47 (c) It is this second kind which is condemned in the Sermon on the Mount—it implies sadness, anxiety, affliction of spirit, bitterness, etc. 2. Petition : (a) We should ask for what we need, of course, but without worry. (b) The Gospel reminds us of these two truths: i. that our heavenly Father knows all our needs even better than we know them ourselves; ii. that we should seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be given to us without our asking. (c) The model for our prayer of petition is the Our Father, in which we begin by giving praise and glory to God and then follow it up with our petitions. 3. Do not fret: (a) This phrase, so often repeated in today’s Gospel and in other parts of the Scriptures, is a direct consequence of the paternal providence of God ; (b) all things are directed towards the good of man, if man is a good son of God; (c) even evils, no matter of what kind, can be directed to this end (Rom. 8). In spite of past offences Are you worried about your past sins, thinking that they may impede the paternal providence of God in your case? Remember St Augustine’s phrase: O God, creator of all things—except sin. 0 God orderer of all things—including sin ! How many benefits God drew' from the sin of David, from the denials of Peter. Sons of God Be a son of God and act like one; love your Father in heaven and go through life holding on to his hand. Put yourself under the shadow of his wings. L: Tepidity Its definition i. It is not : (a) lack of consolation or sweetness in the spiritual life: Consolation is something which passes quickly and many pious people suffer from the lack of it; (b) nor is it venial negligence in the things of the spiritual life: 148 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST W hen perfection is at stake many of us arc inclined to be slightly negligent at times. 2. It is affection for venial sin: (a) not so much tailing into venial sin as doing so with ease and frequently ; (b) from habit and, above all, with affection for the sin; (c) when this state of soul exists it is a sure sign that : i. our will desires to sene two masters; it serves God because we do not sin mortally; it serves Satan in so far as it is not decided vet a ut giving God its entire affection; ii. it is divided between God and the world, the devil and the flesh; iii. what was formerly an occasional fall now becomes truly habitual. •I U1» II i c i 3. The signs of it: (a) Coldness in the performance of religious duties is not a sign of tepidity, but mainly a natural thing; (b) nor is the abandonment of certain religious practices, if it is occasional, nor venial faults, if occasional and if we repent as soon as we advert to them. However, both can be warning bells; (c) the habit of abandoning works of piety is a sure sign of tepidity. Kinds of tepidity One may become tepid: (a) giving up all idea of a higher state of life in the sense of perfection; this can be very dangerous, because it implies the bad use of graces already given ; (b) those who limit their activities to things that are of obligation and do not worry about perfection at all; less culpable, this, but still very dangerous. 1. 2. Once it exists it may present two characteristics: (a) extreme tepidity—near mortal sin; (b) less grave, in those persons who try to live some kind of spiritual life; (c) in this scheme we are concerned with the former. The extreme form I. Its characteristics: (a) With regard to mortal sin: i. we must distinguish between attraction, affection and consent; ii. we are not speaking here ofconsent, because that puts us into a state of mortal sin—not into that of tepidity; iii. nor of attraction, because that is an effect of our natural inclination and of temptation; SERMON SCHEMES i49 iv. affection—this is a different matter; it consists in an im­ prudent attraction, conserved and favoured by our conscience. It has a natural aspect and also one which depends on our will. v. St Francis de Sales describes it thus: Proposing to avoid sin and then feeling rather sad at being deprived of it; abstaining from sin like sick people who do not eat melons because the doctor has told them not to do so. They do not eat them, because the doctor has threatened them with death if they do; but they do not like it. They talk about them, try to get round the prohibition, ask if they may not at least smell them and think that those people are lucky who may eat them. vi. The grave danger lies in the fact that affection for the evil and consent to it are difficult to distinguish. It is a permanent tempta­ tion, voluntarily maintained. (b) With regard to venial sin: No resistance to it or reaction to it. (c) Spiritual activity: None; no effort is made, no desire for the things of God, which would be a healthy sign had it existed. 2. Causes: (a) life languishes when it has to exist in an atmosphere which is antagonistic to it or when it is not sufficiently nourished; (b) the spiritual life needs strong food; (c) just as natural life is a long struggle against death and illness, so too is the spiritual life; (d) routine and boredom are the two enemies of the spiritual life, which can easily lead to tepidity; (e) passions which absorb all our attention; (f) conscience which can so easily pull cotton wool over our eyes by seeking vain excuses; bad thoughts and habits; little resistance to temptation ; (g) discouraged by falls and repeated temptations, no effort in our confessions, cold faith ; criticism of priests, Church, etc. Remedies 1. Hard work: Work hard against the two causes already mentioned; feed one’s spiritual life and reform defects in it. 2. Food: (a) prayer; lay down the necessary minimum: Never pray without reminding ourselves that we have been admitted into an audience with God. Sincere prayer, in which we ask for all we need and in which we propose to reform our lives and look first to our eternal salvation. I5o FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (b) devout attendance at Mass: Not to confuse true devotion with a liturgical appeal to the senses. (c) sacraments received with sincerity; (d) daily examination of conscience. 3. Reform: (a) Have no confidence in any type of piety which does not increase our spiritual life ; (b) it is necessary to meditate on the motives for departing from evil and doing good; move the intellect to think; move the will to act and to hate sin above all things; all this prayerfully and sincerely. The great remedy i. Recourse to the dirine mercy. 2. Human misery is so imp tent; more so the soul which is tepid. But all human misery has a remedy; employ our energies to the full and have confidence in the divine mercy. 3. This mercy, to be efficacious, must be tangible ; it is, in its mani­ festations—the Sacred Heart and our Lady. Devotion to these two sources of divine mercy—true devotion, that is—will be infallible. M: Tepidity of the apparently pious The fact 1. Such people can be tepid, although they try to serve God: The reason; they are also trying to serve the world as well. 2. Three kinds ofpersons reach this state of tepidity: (a) Those who, from a state of sin, have reached the state of grace, but are still tepid; they need to be encouraged to get out of that state. (b) Those who descend to this state from a higher one. God grant they may stop there, although it is difficult. (c) Those who are naturally good and have never been either better or worse than they are at the moment. They need to be shaken out of their inactivity. Often all that is needed is to show them the way. Description I. Exercises of piety which cost little or nothing; little prayer or examination of conscience. Routine confessions and Communions. (a) Many resolutions, which usually die out or are mere wishes · (b) a life which is led by emotions rather than bv true intellect and will. SERMON SCHEMES ιςι 2. With regard to venial sin; they avoid most, but not all, by any means; their submission to God is not complete; they criticize, are worldly, etc. 3. They are alive—but only just; their efforts are easily frustrated, long periods of slipping back, etc. Causes 1. Always the same, but we may mention them again according to the two ages of life. 2. In youth : (a) dissipation—life of the senses, the divine ideals never become realities; (b) the imagination—especially in women, led by emotions, deceived about their degree of virtue, shocked when they fall, etc. ; (c) activity which is ill-directed (perhaps there is even too much activity and not enough recollection). It is easier and more showy to act than to pray. 3. In adult life: (a) too much activity—routine spiritual life, serious occupations which take up too much time, no time for prayer; (b) ambition. Men especially may easily be led away from God by too much anxiety about advancement, honours, riches, position in life, etc.; (c) scruples and a multitude of other circumstances in the spiritual life which can lead to over-anxiety; (d) pride and lack of charity towards our neighbour. Remedies 1. The same as in the previous scheme. 2. Activate the spiritual life and organization of it: (a) Mass, sacraments well received and with true fervour, medita­ tion, spiritual reading, examen; (b) remind ourselves that the spiritual life depends a great deal on actual graces; (c) our co-operation is necessary—are we doing all we can ? (d) organization of the spiritual life; in the sense that our works of piety must flowr into our daily lives if they are to be of any use to us; (e) have a fixed rule, not to depend on the caprice of each and every moment; (f) spiritual direction very useful. Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost RAISING TO LIFE OF THE AVIDOW’S SON SECTION I. SCRIPTURE TEXTS Gospel: Luke 7. 11-16 Epistle: Galatians 5. 25-6.10 (The other texts which may be useful to the preacher on this Sunday may be found elsewhere in this work, those concerning the resurrection on Easter Sunday, and those concerning death on the 23rd Sunday after Pentecost.) SECTION II. GENERAL COMMENTS I. LITURGICAL The Gospel and the Altar: The Mass of today is dominated by the Gospel in which the central figure is Christ, the resurrection and the life (John 11. 25), who now raises the widow’s son. It is the same Christ who appears on our altars to give us life—to raise us up from the dead. It is important to stress this connection between the Gospel and the altar, because it is all very well to think of the Gospel as history in which we are taught divine truths which unite us to God. But there is more to it than that; we must also love the Gospel by means of its mystical significance. When the Church chooses a passage of the Gospel to include in the Mass she does so with the idea that, not only will it reveal certain facts to us about our religion, but also so that, through the whole sacrifice, sacraments and prayers of the liturgy, we shall draw abundant fruit for our souls. We shall begin to live what we have heard. I. Christ, the restirrection and the life: Just as we saw ourselves in the man lying half-dead by the side of the road, having been attacked by robbers (twelfth Sunday after Pentecost), so now we see Christ as our resurrection—the one who gives us life ; and ourselves as the dead boy who has need of Christ, as his life. From the point of view of the liturgy it would be only a partial application if we thought of this only in connection with those in mortal sin. He is also dead who is stationary in the spiritual life; he who bears no fruit, who is like the barren fig tree. Life is movement; he is dead therefore, who has it not. According to this 2. 152 GENERAL COMMENTS 153 idea, we can consider as dead those who have no movement in the spiritual life, and we can think of Christ as the one who brings them to life. The Introit will give us a good prayer if we arc in this state. It is a sublime programme which St Paul draws up for the Christian who considers himself alive. To rise from our spiritual laziness and to fulfil the high programme of charity which the apostle lays before us, we can rely on the sacrifice of the Mass. Through it the Lord frees us from the designs of Satan (the Secret) and gives us life (the Communion), penetrates into the very depths of our souls and directs our activity by his grace (Postcommunion). Π. EXEGETIC AND MORAL NOTES A: The Epistle: Gal. 5. 25-6.10 i. Texts: The section read today follows on after that of last Sunday and has a number of exhortations which are not really connected, except for the reference to the fight between the flesh and the spirit. (a) Since we live by the Spirit, let the Spirit be our rule of life: These verses which end chapter 5 have been included in today’s Epistle as an introduction to chapter 6. In fact it is a repetition of the theme which occupies Paul’s mind in the whole of this section of the Epistle. To possess the Spirit implies a way of life in accordance with that Spirit. It is not enough to be a Christian in theory, instead we must submit ourselves and all our occupations to the direction of the Spirit. In this way we shall avoid pride and vainglory, as well as injuries to our weaker brethren. These in their turn must avoid envy of those who are apparently more gifted spiritually or materially. (b) If a man is found guilty of some fault. . . The fact that we are guided by the Spirit does not mean that we cannot be surprised by sin or that we will not come across unexpected falls; unexpected because we might not have thought the people who are concerned capable of committing them. All are subject to human frailty. In such cases those who have not fallen should do all they can to correct the sinner and enable him to recover his former state. This should also serve to make them watchful, lest they also should fall; at the same time this Avatchfulness will make them more charitable towards their weaker brethren. There should be no such thing as scandal—all should be charity. (c) Bear the burden of one another’s failings . . . This refers mainly to temptations and sins, but it can also include other tilings. By helping one another we shall fulfil the law laid down by Christ, whose main commandment is that of charity. !ί FIFTEENTH SLNDAY \FTER PENTECOST (d) The man who thinks he is of some worth .. . The man who imagines himself to be so perfect or so important that he has no need to bother about the troubles of others is suffering from a great error. The truth is that we are nothing. The treatise on grace is eminently practical, but we tend to study it in theory. This treatise, together with the knowledge that all we have and are we receive from God, is the very basis of mercy to others, not looking down on them in their falls and forcing ourselves to help them. We recognize, in their weakness, our own. We know that we, too, are nothing, and that the best way to continue to hold fast to what we have received from God is to attribute all to him and desire the same for others. ·* i b * i* i» ί (e) Everyone should examine his own conduct . . . The man who does this will be far from having any stupid ideas about his superiority over others who have strayed from the path of justice. He who really knows himself will certainly have some­ thing against himself—not against others. Instead of comparing himself with others, such a man will see himself as God sees him. Advance in grace is not a race against others, but a race towards an ideal. (f) Each of us will then have his own load to carry ... This personal examination of conscience is necessary, because we all have to undergo temptations and trials; it will also enable us to be more prompt in helping others. (g) Make no mistake about it; you cannot cheat God . .. Verses 7-10 contain a general exhortation to the Christian life. Let no one deceive himself, thinking that the Christian obligation is a light one. No one can play the fool with God; a man will reap what he has sown. We must make our choice between the flesh or the spirit; if we have only sown works of the flesh in obedience to its desires, then we shall reap destruction; if we have sown works of the Spirit, the fruit of that will be eternal life. In our hands lies the decision as to what we shall sow—and reap. He who sows can grow tired; but we should not allow that temptation to overcome us, because even the farmers overcome it by thinking of the fruits of their labours. The best seed we can sow is that of helping our neighbour, especially those who are nearest to us, our brethren in the faith. 2. Applications: The greatest burden the Christian has to carry is that of tempta­ tion and sin. We can lighten this burden for our brethren in many ways. First of all we can avoid giving him scandal or an occasion of sin by our conversation, conduct and attitude towards things. We are our brother’s keeper in so many ways. If our brother is not GENERAL COMMENTS j55 merely a neighbour but in some special manner under our care, as a son, a workman, a disciple—then we have an even greater obligation. In this case our help should be not merely negative, but positive. By exhortation and example. If we should find that our neighbour falls into sin then we should do all we can to bring him out of that state back to the grace of God. Above all, there should be no thought of our own superiority, no sarcasm—only friendship and help. We could so easily be in that state ourselves. There are other temptations in which we can help our brethren; sufferings of all kinds, loss of material goods, a sad economical situation, etc. We can all help, if only by our sympathy, friendship —or at times with material help. B: The Gospel: Luke 7. 11-16 I. History: (a) Naim: After the Sermon on the Mount, the cure of the leper and the Centurion’s servant, we have this, the third and an astonishing miracle. Naim is about 30 kilometres from Capharnaum; a small village, with its walls and gates ; some 200 inhabitants. It was at the moment when he was about to enter the gates of the city that our Lord came across the funeral procession, making its way to the cemetery, which by law had to be outside the walls, since it con­ stituted a legal impurity. (b) The miracle: The description given us by St Luke could not be more graphic or detailed. The Gospel speaks for itself. 2. Texts: (a) A dead man was being carried out to his burial. . . According to the Jewish custom, the dead man was carried on a stretcher, wrapped in a shroud which left his face open to the air. It is easy to come across death; we find it everywhere. Our very life itself is a slow procession towards the grave. We are born, and at once condemned to death ; but we insist in hiding our heads in the sand and refuse to admit or to think about it. How people dislike sermons on death ! Yet it only frightens those who do not prepare themselves for it or think about it. We can only die once—and when a man has some­ thing to do which depends on one sole action he is accustomed to prepare himself well for that action. Only when it is a case of the greatest act of all, it would seem, do we tend to neglect this pre­ paration. He who rehearses the moment of death is the one who is likely to die well. i56 FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST On the other hand, death is uncertain. God, who has given us the years of our life to prepare for it, has also hidden from us the moment when it will come upon us. If it had not been so, then we would have heaped sin upon sin until the last moment. It is certain that God's mercy is infinite; but it is also true that it goes hand in hand with his justice. Let us remember the old saying: as a man lives, so shall he die. This is a law which, given the due exceptions—and they are few—is always fulfilled. Death is the school for life. We live all too often seduced by the pleasures of this world, which will not last, until the danger of death removes the scales from our eyes and we see things as they really are. Reality, that which endures, is eternal life. The only real things of value are those which we can take with us on that last journey, not those which we must leave behind because there is no room for them. Blessed indeed are those who, at the moment of death, find Christ by their side, as did the widow’s son. (b) Do not weep .. . Here is the compassionate heart of Jesus. We may learn from it to have compassion on our brethren when they suffer. God and his Church also tell us not to weep when we suffer the loss of one dear to us, because life is not taken away from our beloved ; there is a change in the state of life—nothing more. And that change is for the better, as we sing in the preface for the dead. Do not weep, because the journey has been easy- and the separation is for a short period of time. What is more, the change has been a happy one for the person who has had to undergo it. (c) Young man . . . Death strikes at all times and at all ages. We might think of the spiritual death of so many of our youths of today; but also of the material danger too; death can come upon them when they are least prepared for it. It is the age of great ideals, but also that of the greatest dangers. Good Christian education is the only answer to this problem. (d) I say to thee, rise up . . . The Lord has stilled tempests, torn the prey of sickness from its grasp, healed at a distance the servant of the Roman officer; but this time he reaches down to the very depths of Sheol to free from it one of its captives. It is as well to notice how, in contrast to others, the prophets, who raised people from the dead (e.g. Elias, 3 Kings 17. 22), Christ does so with authority, as one who is in full command. (e) They were all overcome with awe . . . Not so much fear as a deep and a lasting reverence which led them to praise God/Thcy all admitted that a great prophet was GENERAL COMMENTS 157 among them ; they had not yet reached the knowledge that Christ was the Messias. It is as well to understand the difference between a prophet, the Messias and the Son of God—three ideas which confused the Jewish mind. A prophet is one who speaks to the people in God’s name. The Messias would also be a prophet, but not merely that; he would be something more. Like Moses, he would be the founder of a new religion. However, it was not necessary that he should also be the Son of God. That would depend on God’s will, and although the divine revelation is clear on the point, it is hard to see if the Jews really understood that, in this case, the Messias was to be divine. It would seem that they never did really understand it. Later we shall see how difficult they found the question Christ put to them about David and the Christ. If the Messias is the son of David how is it that the latter calls him Lord ? The High Priest did not condemn Christ because he called himself the Messias, but because he claimed to be God. 3. Applications: (a) Christ is life: Material life of the body, whose resurrection he merited. (b) That of the soul : He was first of all victor over sin, and if we do not rise from sin we shall never see the true glorious resurrection of our bodies. A man in mortal sin may appear to live, but in reality he is a walking corpse. Bodily death separates us from this world; but spiritual death separates us from God and from his grace, the principle of the life of the soul. Bodily death is frequently preceded by an illness of some kind, so is the death of the soul in sin. Unfortunately we do not notice that illness which slowly weakens us until it is too late; that tepidity and carelessness about our religious life. The body does not die all at once; only little by little, even though the separation of soul and body takes place in an instant. Nor does the soul usually die in a moment. The vitality of the life of grace is lost little by little. It may be said of some of us, I know of all thy doings, how thou dost pass for a living man, and all the while art a corpse. Rouse thyself, and rally whatever else still lives, but lives at the point of death. There are tasks my God expects of thee and I find them unfulfilled (Apoc. 3. 1-2). If we do not rouse ourselves, if we do not make use of the means given into our hands—the sacraments, prayer—death will come upon us without our taking any heed to the warnings, deaf to the tears and sobs of those who deplore the loss of a soul, surrounded by passions which are swift to carry us to the grave. Ï5S FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (c) In the young man we sec an image of humanity as a whole: In each age there are ditlerent errors which lead men to spiritual death; but the truth is one and the same. I am the way, the truth and the life (John 14. 6). (d) The widow can represent the Church, whose children die through sin and who weeps for them : She longs to educate them, yet on so many occasions she sees them come to grief and die. But she is also a source of life, and it is a great joy to her when her sons return. SECTION III. THE FATHERS I. ST CYPRIAN (Some extracts from the Treatise De Mortalitate) i. Although in very many of you, beloved brethren, there is a steadfast mind and a firm faith, and a devoted spirit that is not disturbed by the present epidemic, but which, like a strong and a stable rock, rather shatters the turbulent onslaughts and the raging waves of time, without being itself shattered, and is not overcome, but rather tried by these temptations; still, because I observe that there are some who, either through weakness, decay in their faith, or the attractions of this life, or through the weakness of their sex or —which is worse—through straying from the truth, are not so steadfast, therefore it seems good to me not to disguise the matter, but as far as in me lies, reprimand that feeble attitude of mind. He who has already begun to be a man of Christ must be found worthy of God and of Christ. 2.... For it is written that the just man lives by faith. If you are just and do live by faith, if you truly believe in Christ, why, since you are about to be with Christ and are sure of the Lord’s promise, do you not embrace the fact that you are called to Christ and rejoice that you are free from the devil’s clutches ?... What else is there for us in this world than a constant battle against the devil, a struggle against his darts and weapons, a perpetual conflict ? Our warfare is with avarice, with immodesty, with ambition and anger; diligently and with difficulty we war against carnal vices and the lures of the world. The mind of man, besieged at every point, scarcely manages to meet the attacks, with difficulty resists them. If avarice is pro­ strated, lust springs up; if lust is overcome, ambition takes its place. . . . Since then to see Christ is to rejoice and we cannot have true joy until w-e do see Christ, what blindness and folly is it which THE FATHERS 159 makes us love the world’s afflictions and punishments, and not rather hasten towards that joy which can never be taken from us? 3. The reason is that faith is lacking, because no one believes the things which God has promised though he is truth itself, whose word to those who believe is eternal and unchangeable. . . . God promises to you, on your departure from this world, immortality and eternity; and do you still doubt ? This is not to know God at all; it is to offend Christ, the teacher, with the sin of unbelief. This is for one established in the Church not to have faith in the very house of faith. How great is the advantage of leaving this world Christ himself, the teacher of our salvation, shows us. When the disciples were sad when he said that he was soon to leave them, he said to them, If you loved me you would surely rejoice that I am going to the Father; teaching thereby and showing us that, when those whom we love depart from this world, we should rejoice rather than grieve. Remembering this truth the blessed Apostle Paul lays it down in one of his Epistles: For me to live is Christ and to die is gain (Phil. 1. 21). He counted it the greatest gain no longer to be held captive by the snares of this world, no longer to be liable to the sins and vices of the flesh, but be taken away from such troubles, freed from the fangs of the devil and called by Christ to the joy of eternal salvation. . . . Many of our people die in this plague, that is, many of them are liberated from this world. This plague, just as it is deadly to Jews and Gentiles and enemies of Christ, so it is a departure to salvation for God’s servants. The fact that, without any difference being made between one and the other, the just die as well as the unjust, is no reason for you to suppose that it is a common death for good and evil alike. The just are called to the place of refreshment, the unjust are snatched away to punishment; safety is more speedily given to the faithful, punishment to the unbeliever. We are thought­ less and ungrateful, dear brethren, for we do not acknowledge the benefits done to us.... By the dread of the plague the lukewarm are inflamed, the lazy are nerved up, the slothful stimulated, deserters compelled to return, heathens constrained to believe, while some of the congregation arc called to their rest, a new and great army is gathered to the battle with a braver vigour, to fight without fear of death when the battle shall be joined, because it comes to the fight in time of plague. Further, dear brethren, what a great thing it is, how pertinent and how necessary, that this pestilence and plague which seems so horrible and deadly, searches out the virtue of each one, and examines the minds of men to see whether they who are in health tend the sick; whether relations love their kindred; whether masters ιόο FIFTEENTH SI N1)A\ AFTER PENTECOST pity their languishing sen ants; whether doctors do not forsake their patients; whether the tierce suppress their violence; whether the rapacious can quench the tierce tire of their raging avarice, when in the fear of death ; whether the proud bend their neck ; whether the rich even then give alms, when they see that they are to die without heirs.. . . How often has it been revealed to me, how frequently and manifestly has it been commanded by God in his goodness, that I should diligently bear witness and publicly declare that our brethren who are free from this world by the Lord’s summons are not to be lamented, since we know that they are not lost, but sent before. Departing from us, they precede us as travellers, as navigators are accustomed to do. They should be desired, but not bewailed; black garments should not be assumed here when they have already taken the white garment upon themselves there; neither should occasion be given to the Gentiles rightly to reprimand us that we mourn for those who, so we say, are alive with God, as if they were finished and lost to us for ever. Then we do not approve with the testimony of heart and breast, that faith which we express in our words. We are giving the lie to our hope and faith and what wre say appears to be simulated, feigned, false. There is no advantage in setting forth virtue by wrords and then destroying the truth by our deeds. Finally, the Apostle Paul reproaches, rebukes and blames those who sorrow thus over the death of their friends : Make no mistake, brethren, about those who have gone to their rest. You are not to lament over them, as the rest of the world does, with no hope to live by. We believe, after all, that Jesus underwent death and rose again; just so, when Jesus comes back, God will bring back those who have found rest through him (i Thess. 4. 13). He says that those have sorrow at the departure of their friends who have no hope. But we who live in hope, and who believe in God and trust that Christ suffered for us and rose again from the dead, abiding in Christ, and through him and in him rising again, why are we ourselves unwilling to depart from this life, or wrhy do we bewail and grieve for our friends when they depart, as if they were lost? Does not Christ himself, our Lord and God, encourage us, saying: I am the resurrection and life; he who believes in me, though he is dead, will live on, and whosoever has life, and has faith in me, to all eternity cannot die (John 12. 25). If we believe in Christ, let us have faith in his words and promises; and since we shall not die eternally, let us come with a glad security unto Christ, with whom we are both to conquer and reiem for ever. In dying we are passing over to immortality by death; nor can eternal life follow unless we first depart from this life. Death is not an ending, but a transit, and, this journey of time being over, a THE FATHERS i6i passage to eternity. Who would not hasten to better things? Who would not erave to be changed and transformed into the likeness of Christ, to arrive more quickly at the dignity of heavenly glory, since Paul says: He will form this humbled body of ours anew, moulding it into the image of his glorified body, so effective is his power to make all things obey him (Phil. 3. 21). Christ the Lord also promises that we shall be with him and live with him in the eternal mansions and rejoice in the heavenly kingdom. He says, in his prayer to his Father, I will that where I am they also whom thou hast given me may be with me . . . (John 17. 24). He who is to attain to the throne of Christ, to the glory of the heavenly kingdom, ought not to mourn or lament, but rather, in accordance with the Lord’s promise, in accordance with his faith in the truth, to rejoice in this his departure and translation. . . . It is for him to wish to remain long in the world whom the world delights, whom this life, flattering and deceiving, invites by the enticements of earthly pleasures. Again, since the world hates the Christian, why do you love that which hates you ? Why do you not rather follow Christ, who redeemed you and loves you ? John in his Epistle exhorts us that we should not follow our carnal desires or love the world: Do not bestow your love on the world, and what the world has to offer; the lover of this world has no love of the Father in him. What does the world offer? Only gratification of corrupt nature, gratification of the eye, the empty pomp of living; these things take their being from the world, not from the Father. The world and its gratifications pass away ; the man who does God’s will oudives them for ever (1 John 2. 17). Rather, beloved brethren, with sound mind, firm faith and strong virtue, let us be prepared for the entire will of God. Laying aside the fear of death, let us think on the immortality which follows. By this let us show ourselves to be what we believe, that we do not grieve over the departure of those dear to us, and that, when the day of our summons shall arrive, we heed it without delay and without resistance to the Lord, when he himself calls us. . . . We should often reflect that we have renounced the world, and in the meantime we are living here as guests and as strangers. Let us greet the day which assigns each of us to his own home, which snatches us hence, sets us free from the snares of the world and restores us to paradise and the kingdom. Who, set down in a foreign land, would not hasten to return to his own country ? Who, hastening to return to his friends, would not desire a fair wind, so that he might all the sooner embrace those dear to him ? We regard heaven as our country, the patriarchs as our parents. Why, then, do we not hasten and run, that we may the more quickly behold our country and greet our parents ? There a great number of our dear ones await us, a crowd of brothers, parents, children, longing for us, already 6 itu FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST assured of their own safety and desirous of ours. What joy for them and us to attain to their presence. What a pleasure there is in the heavenly kingdom, without fear of death; how lofty and enduring that happiness, with an eternity of life before us !... To these let us hasten with eager desire; let us crave to be with them soon and thus quickly to come to Christ. May God behold this, our eager desire; may the Lord Christ look upon this purpose of our mind and faith, he who will give the larger share of the rewards of his glory to those whose desires in respect of himself were greater. Π. ST AMBROSE r ‘» ji !> V Just as the Wisdom of God could not die, so he could not rise again who had not died. Therefore he took flesh, in which he could die, and by his death he attained resurrection for him who had died. Resurrection could not come to us except through a man, because just as sin and death entered through another man, so the resurrec­ tion must come from him. Man rose, therefore, because man was dead. Yes, man rose indeed, but it was God who raised him. We do not know Christ according to the flesh, but we do enjoy the benefits of the grace he won for us through that flesh, we know him as the first fruits of those who sleep and the first-born of the dead. The first fruits are of the same kind as those which follow them; and they are offered to God as a gift. It is a sacred offering, made in the name of all, on behalf of a nature which is almost restored. Thus Christ is the first fruit of those who sleep; but of his own merely, of those who lie in death as in a sweet sleep, or of all the dead ? Just as all die, so all are brought back to life in Christ and just as Adam was the first fruit of death, so Christ is the first fruit of the resurrection. Let no one despair or feel hurt at the fact that all rise again, since the just can expect the full fruits of virtue. All will rise again, but each one in his own place (i Thess. 4. 16). The results of divine mercy are the same for all, but the reward is different according to our merits. Sec, then, what a grave sacrilege it is not to believe in the resur­ rection. If we do not rise again, then Christ has died in vain and has not risen himself. If he did not rise for our benefit he did not rise at all, because he had no need of it himself. In his person the whole world rose again; the heavens and earth, and both earth and heaven will be free. He did not need to rise again, since he was not subject to the chains of death; for even though he died as man, he was free even in the depths of hell. Truly he was free who could bring about his own resurrection: Destroy this temple, and in three days I will rebuild it. Truly he was free who went down into hell to free all the rest. C? ex 1 THE FATHERS 163 III. ST AUGUSTINE (Extracts from several works of St Augustine concerning life, death and resurrection.) Two kinds of dead persons: The mother who was a widow rejoices at the raising up of the young man, her son; the Church, our Mother, rejoices daily with those men whose souls are brought back to life. The former had died in the body, the latter in the spirit. Visible death is the object of mourning; the invisible death of the soul is neither seen nor bewailed. These dead are only sought out by him who knows them; and he alone knows them who can bring them to life again. If the Lord had not come to bring life to the dead the apostle would not have said: Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light (Eph. 5. 14). When he says: Awake thou that sleepest, you hear him speak of one who is asleep; but when he goes on to say: And arise from the dead, then it is clear that he is speaking of a dead man. Frequently, those who are dead are spoken of as being asleep. To him who can raise them all up again they are asleep. For you he is dead who does not move when you shake him, pinch him, wound him; but to Christ he was no more than asleep to whom he said : Arise, and he rose up at once. No one can awaken from sleep as quickly as Christ can raise from the dead. 1. 2. Three people raised from the dead by Christ: Let us see, then, what it is he 'wishes to teach us through these dead people he raised again to life. He raised the daughter of the leader of the synagogue, whose cure had been asked of him. ... He raised this young man, the son of a widow. ... He raised Lazarus from the tomb. These three represent the three kinds of sinners whom the Lord raises daily. The daughter of the leader of the synagogue was still in the house and had not yet been carried out from her room. There she was raised up and given back to her parents. The second was not in the house, but had not yet reached the tomb ; though taken from his room, he had not yet been handed over to the earth. . . . There was a third, whom he raised from the very tomb itself, Lazarus. 3. Three kinds of sinners raised to life by the Lord: (a) Interior sinners: There are people whose sin is yet in the heart and has not been brought out into action. One, for example, is seduced by some desire. The Lord says : He who casts his eyes on a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matt. 5. 28). So far the sin is not exterior, but the heart has given way to it. The dead is within, has not yet been brought out, and at I> I’ ί B 164 FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST times, as we know from daily experience, men notice it when the Lord says: Arise. The harmful thought is condemned and the health of true justice is once more in the soul. The dead has come to life in his own house, the heart is alive again. The resurrection of a dead soul has been accomplished in the darkness of conscience, as it were inside the walls of a house. (b) External sinners: Another, after consenting, has reached the point of action, like bringing forth a dead man, so that what was hidden so secretly now appears in public. Are we to despair of those who have translated thoughts into acts? Was it not also said to the young man, Arise? Was he not also handed back to his mother ? If he who has done evil is warned bv the word of truth, is moved and arises at the word of Christ, he also receives the gift of life and can come forth, so as not to perish eternally. Fl (c) Sins of habit : Those who, by dint of frequent sin, contract a habit which no longer allows them to avert to the evil they do, convert themselves into defenders of their own wickedness. If they are warned, they get angry, like the inhabitants of Sodom . . . they thought he was more worthy of condemnation who forbade what they did. They are bound by their habits in such a way that we may say they are like those who are buried. But what shall I say ? They are buried as Lazarus was, of whom it was said that he had already begun to corrupt and stink. That tombstone is like the hard force of habit which presses on the soul and neither allows it to rise or even to breathe. 4. The grades of these sins: This force of habit of which I am speaking is reached in the soul through three grades. The first is a seduction of the heart; the second consent; the third action, and the last, habit. There are those who cast aside illicit thoughts so quickly that they take no delight in them. There are those who take delight in them, but who do not consent, in which case their death is not perfect, but it has begun. If consent is joined to delight then the condemnation is complete. After consent comes action, and actions are converted into habits; then they are in a desperate plight which merits the phrase: He has been buried for four days and smells. But then the Lord comes, to whom all is easy, although in this case he does show you that there appears to be some difficulty, because he groans in spirit, to show you that a great clamour is necessary to awaken those whose habits are set. ... He comes out alive from the tomb, but he cannot walk and the Lord has to tell the disciples to untie him and let him walk freely. He raised him from the dead, but they untied his bonds. THE FATHERS 165 (a) Happiness not to be found in this life: Why do we insist on looking for happiness in this life, where it is not to be found? I know that you desire it, when you are sick for instance, or when you suffer any of those tribulations which abound in this life, because when old age draws to its close, there is nothing but pain, without any joy. In the midst of all the sorrows of this life men seek nothing else but long life and happiness—things which cannot be attained here. Because no matter how long the life of a man may be, it is so short in comparison with the centuries that it is likened to a drop of water in the sea. What is man’s life, including that which we call long? We call long a life which is, in reality, short, brief and full of sorrows until it reaches a useless old age. Here everything is limited, short, yet why do men seek it so eagerly? What diligence, what efforts, what anxieties care and trouble in order to live longer and grow old ! And what does it mean, this longer life, except to hasten towards the end ? You had yesterday and you would like to have tomorrow; but, when both have passed, you have less than before. You want one day to dawn, and with it another—which you do not want to see—draws ever nearer. . . . But, if men are so anxious to die a little later, why are they not equally anxious, at least, to live for ever? Yet no one wishes to think about it. Daily we see people searching in this world for happiness which they will never be able to find ; yet no one wants to live in such a way that he may reach that place where this happiness can be found. (b) We should look for it where it can be found : If you were on the search for gold and I also wished to find it as well as you, and knew where it was to be found, somewhere on your land ; if I saw you seeking hither and thither would I not say to you : What are you looking for? Gold. I also; but do not search for it where it is not. I will tell you where it is; I will not hide it from you. What is more; let us all listen to the one who can tell us where it is to be found. The same kind of thing is happening now. You want a happy life; and I cannot tell you not to desire it, only that you should not seek it in this world where it cannot be found. Is not our life very like death ? The days rush by, today pushing aside yesterday, and tomorrow shouldering away today. They do not even last; and would you wish to remain with them ? I do not rebuke you for your desire for happiness; on the contrary, I would inflame it even more. Seek life, yes; seek happiness—but only where it is to be found. (c) Not in this life: The man who hears my words ... has passed over already from death to life (John 5. 24). When do we pass from death to life, so as not to be condemned ? In this life we pass from death to life; this life 166 FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST which is not yet yet life and therefore from it we can pass as from death. WTiat is needed—the man who listens to my words, and puts his trust in him who sent me, enjoys eternal life (ibid.). Doing these things you believe and you pass. Is there anyone who passes from one to the other while remaining? Yes; the man who remains in the I dy but passes from one place to the other in his mind. Where does he go and from what ? From death to life. In this life, as I have already told you, life does not as yet exist, and we pass from this death to life so as to avoid the judgement. And why do I say that this is not yet life ? If this life were really so, then Christ would not have said to one who questioned him: If you desire to enter into life, keep the commandments (Matt. 19. 17). Notice that he does not say: Into eternal life; he simply says: Life. Therefore this life does not even merit the use of the word life, because it is not the true life. What is the true life save that which is eternal? Listen to the apostle when he says to Timothy: Warn those who are rich in this present world not to think highly of themselves, not to repose their hopes in the riches that may fail us, but in the living God, who bestows on us so richly all that we enjoy. Let them do good, enrich their lives with charitable deeds, always ready to give and to share the common burden. And why does he suggest this ? Listen to what follows : laying down a sure found­ ation for themselves in time to come, so as to have life, which is true life, within their grasp. If, then, you have to lay up some solid treasure with which to attain in the future the true life, that is a sure sign that the one you now enjoy is a false life. Do you wish to embark on the journey to the true life? Well, then, you must leave that which is false. Listen and believe, and so you will pass from death to life and you will not be condemned. SECTION IV. A THEOLOGIAN ST THOMAS AQUINAS (Vainglory and fraternal correction—two separate ideas, but both suggested by today’s Epistle. These extracts are taken from the Summa only.) Vain glory: The word glory properly denotes that somebody’s good is known and approved by many.... Now, it is not a sin to know and approve one’s own good, for it is written (1 Cor. 2.12) : Now we have received not the spirit of this world, but the Spirit that is of God, that we may know the things that are given us from God. Likewise it is not a sin to approve one’s own good works, for it is written: Let your light I. ST THOMAS AQUINAS 167 shine among men. lienee the desire for glory does not, of itself, denote a sin: hut the desire for empty or vain glory denotes a sin; for it is sinful to desire anything vain, according to Ps. 4. 3. Why do you love vanity and seek after lying ? Now, glory may be called vain in three ways. First, on the part of the thing for which one seeks glory, as when a man seeks glory' for a thing which is unworthy of glory, for instance, when he seeks it for something frail and perishable; secondly, on the part of him from whom he seeks glory, for instance, a man whose judgement is un­ certain; thirdly, on the part of the man himself who seeks glory, for that he does not refer the desire of his own glory to a due end, such as God’s honour, or the spiritual welfare of his neighbour. 2. Is it a mortal sin ? ... as regards the love of God, it may be contrary to charity in two ways. In one way by reason of the matter about which one glories; for instance, when one glories in something false that is opposed to the reverence we owe to God.... Or again, when a man prefers to God the temporal good in which he glories. . . or again, when a man prefers the testimony of men to God’s. In another way vain glory may be contrary to charity, on the part of the one who glories, in that he refers his intentions to glory as his last end; so that he directs even virtuous acts thereto, and, in order to obtain it, forbears not from doing even that which is against God. In this way it is a mortal sin. . . . It is stated to be a grievous sin, not only on account of its gravity, but also because it is a disposition to grave sins, insofar as a man is rendered prompt to be presumptuous and too self-confident; and so it gradually disposes him to lose his inward goods. 3. /Is a capital vice: Gregory reckons pride to be the queen of all vices, and vain glory’·, which is the offspring of pride, he reckons to be a capital vice, and not without reason. For pride, as we shall state, denotes inordinate desire of excellence. But whatever good one may desire, one desires a certain perfection and excellence therefrom ; wherefore the end of every vice is directed to the end of pride.... Now among the goods that are the means whereby man acquires honour, glory seems to be the most conducive to that effect, in as much as it denotes the mani­ festation of a man’s goodness. . . . Hence, on account of its close connection with excellence, which men desire above all, it follows that it is most desirable. And since many vices arise from the in­ ordinate desire thereof, it follow's that vain glory is a capital vice. 4. The daughters of vain glory: The vices which, by their very nature, are such as to be directed to the end of a certain capital vice are called its daughters. Now the FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST i68 end ofvain glory is the manifestation ofone's own excellence... and to this end a man may tend in two ways. In one way directly, by boasting, in words, or if it be deeds, then if they be true it is called love of novelties which men are wont to wonder at most; but if they are false it is called hypocrisy. In another way a man strives to make known his excellence by showing that he is not inferior to another, and this in four ways. First as regards the intellect, and thus we have obstinacy, by which a man is too much attached to his own opinions, being unwilling to believe one who is better. Secondly as to the will, and then we have discord, whereby a man is unwilling to give up his own will and agree with others. Thirdly, as regards speech, and then we have contention, whereby a man quarrels noisily with another. Fourthly, as regards deeds, and this is disobedience, whereby a man refuses to carry out the will of his superiors (all from 2-2. q. 132, a. 1-5)· 5. Fraternal correction: Here it is as well to remind ourselves of the principles in which St Thomas bases his doctrine rather than on the words themselves; therefore we have collected his ideas: (a) it is an act of charity (2-2 q. 33. a. 1) ; (b) it is a matter of precept, but that does not mean that in every case, at all places and times, we should correct our brother—life would become intolerable then; (c) when it is feared that the sinner will not heed the warning, but may even become worse, then it may be omitted without sin. SECTION V. SPIRITUAL WRITERS I. FRAY LUIS OF GRANADA On finding Jesus in our death Dying in Christ: (a) The death of the sinner: The death of the sinner is an evil thing for many reasons : he must leave this world, where he has left his heart; he must leave the body, which is worse; but worst of all, there are the eternal torments which await him. They all worry him at the moment of death. The pains of his illness weigh on him, sorrows, fears in his inner conscience, the sadness of those he leaves behind, the thought of what will happen to him, of past sins, the account he now has to render, terror at the thought of the judgement, the tomb, the loss of all that he had esteemed so highly in this life—friends, family, possessions and even the very air and light that he enjoys in this life. Each of these things makes him suffer the more according as he has SPIRITUAL WRITERS 169 had a greater affection for it, because, as St Augustine says; things which have been possessed with love cannot be lost without pain. For which reason a philosopher said that he fears death least who has least delight in this world. (b) The evil conscience: But the worst thing of all at that hour is the torment of an evil conscience, together with the thought and the fear of all that awaits it. Then a man awakens, at the thought of approaching death, he opens his eyes and sees things Avhich he has not even bothered to look at before. At that time all other thoughts are put aside, the necessary daily struggle for the needs of life can no longer be under­ taken ; ambition for honours and money ceases, there is no occupation to distract us. The only thought in the soul is of the account to be rendered; emptied of all things else, it feels only the weight of divine justice. Think of the state of this miserable soul when it leaves the body; what anguish, what darkness will overcome it when it sees that the first thing to greet it is its own conscience, together with its many sins. There will now be no possibility of hiding anything or denying the charges; within us will arise both accuser and witness. (c) The death of the just: How far from these evils is the death of the just; for just as the evil man receives the punishment for his crimes, so the just man receives his reward : well it is, at his last hour, for the man who fears the Lord; his day of death shall be a day of blessing (Ecclus. 1. 13), that is, he shall be rewarded on that day. This is what St John expresses even more clearly when he says : I heard a voice, too, from heaven, Write thus: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. Yes, for ever henceforward, the Spirit says; they are to have rest from their labours; but the deeds they did in life go with them now (Apoc. 14. 13). For this reason the just have no cause to fear death; rather they will accept it with praise of God, because they have finished their journey and their labours, while their happiness is about to begin. For which reason Augustine says: Of one who wishes to be free from these bonds and be with Christ we should not say that he dies with patience, but that he lives with patience and dies with joy. He does not fear death because he feared God, and anyone who fears such a great Lord has nothing else to fear. He does not fear death because he feared life; the fears of death are effects of a bad life. He does not fear death because he made use of this life in learning how to die well and preparing himself for it, and the man who is thus on the watch has no need to fear. He does not fear death because he did nothing else in this life except store up for himself treasures against that hour—virtues and good wrorks. He does not fear death 6* -'wi’TKF’lTrÎÈjêr’^Î.'ij I7o FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST because he has the Great Judge on his side through the many services he has done him. He does not fear death, because for the just, death is but a sleep; it is not death, but the last day of work; he does not die, but instead he sets out on the road to life and to immortality. (d) His consolations: He does not fear the other circumstances which surround death, because he knows that these are birth-pains of one who is being born to eternity, for the love of which he always desired death and suffered this life with patience. The memory of his sins does not frighten him, because he has Christ for his Redeemer, whom he has always sought to please; nor does he fear the rigours of divine justice, because he has Christ for his advocate. He does not fear the devils, because Christ is his leader; nor the tomb, because he knows that there the corporal body is buried to rise again a spiritual body Π. MGR RONALD KNOX On Death is from his meditation on “The Fear of Death”, A People, pp. 30 ff. Sheed and Ward, London, 1954.) us, I think, the meditation on death is an effort; we teeth and go through with it. I suppose that, as we •om day to day, we are all the time unconsciously rhaps even consciously repressing) the unpalatable as you will sometimes find yourself ignoring the person you greatly dislike—some public man, for e writings or utterances annoy you, so that the mention jives you a sudden feeling of irritation, merely by 1 that there is such a person; so it is with this common race we call Death; unconsciously we try to cheat a belief that he is not there, although we know he is. know was asked by her mother what she would say if that he wanted her to be a martyr. And she replied nent’s hesitation, T should say, “What?” ’! How well at habit among children of saying ‘what ?’ when they rfectly well what you said, and are only trying to stave m, get rid of it somehow. And so it is with many of us >ple; when God whispers in our ear the warning that taps soon, we must die, our instinct is to say ‘What?’ t he won’t raise the subject again. . . . ; trj- to console ourselves with the reflection that life gets ■e unpleasant as it goes on, and therefore when it comes won’t matter much. How dreadful, the gradual failure rs, the childish weakness of body, sometimes of mind ! SPIRITUAL WRITERS 171 How dreadful the long months of pain that may precede death, the drastic efforts of the doctors to prolong life, the vista of bottles over there in the corner! If death comes to us, quite soon, quite suddenly, at least it means we shall miss all that. If we live on, to go through all that, at least by the time we have gone through it we shall feel ready for death—we shall have got tired of waiting about in its ante-chamber. So we tell ourselves; but does it really help much ? Rather, I think, the effect of brooding over those bottles is to magnify the stature of death in our own minds, make us shy at it still more. How formidable an enemy, which can thus cast its shadow before it! And can we really believe that death is only the gate to immortality when we see, or think of, a human body being taken to pieces bit by bit, first one faculty deserting it and then another? . . . Is this all, then ?—ought death to come into our prayers simply as one of those things which some of us are afraid of (like spiders), things which can be ‘offered up’ ? Are we never to pray about what our death is going to be like—apart, of course, from asking God to give us the grace of perseverance ? I remember the late Archbishop Goodier, who gave me my ordination retreat, saying this: that it was a good thing to pray for the kind of death that appealed to you. It was surprising, he said, how often you found that particular prayer granted. I have wondered since whether Archbishop Goodier, who was an extremely holy man, prayed that he might have a sudden death, because he didn’t like the idea of the bottles. A priest went to call on him one day down at Teignmouth, and the Archbishop saw him off to the door. When he got a little way away he saw the door still standing open; so he went back and found the Archbishop just inside, dead. Another of these holy men, the late Abbot of Buckfast, had a great horror of deaths, and he, after spending a day or two in bed with a bit of a cold, told the infirmarian that he would be getting up next day, there was no excuse for treating himself as an invalid any longer; and he was found dead in the morning.. . . Your whole life should be a sacrifice offered to God in union with our Lord’s sacrifice in the holy Mass. The crucial moment in the holy Mass is when the priest says, Hoc est Corpus meum. And in our sacrifice the crucial moment is that of death, when we too say, Hoc esl corpus meum. This is my body, Lord, the body thou gavest me, and art now taking away from me, the body in which I have suffered, and sinned. Come, holy oils, and seal these gateways of sense, the points of contact in me between body and soul; seal them well, this is a secret present from me to my God. And if death is the moment of consecration, we, as we look forward to it now, are making our offertory; we are holding out our bodies on the paten, ready against the moment when they will be caught away from us in the consummation of the sacrifice. ? Ii -P ti FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST m. DAVID GREENSTOCK The Glorious Adventure (Some extracts from chap, io of the book under this title, 105 ft'.) I i i I i I In a letter written about his father’s death Pascal says : Let us not grieve like pagans who have no hope. We did not lose our father at the moment of his death; we lost him, as it were, at that moment when he entered the Church by baptism. From that day on he belonged to God; his life was vowed to God. All his actions were concerned wth this life only for the sake of God. At his death he separated himself completely from his sins, and now he is received by God and his sacrifice is accomplished and crowned. Thus he performed what he vowed. He has finished the work God assigned to him. He has achieved the only thing for which he was created. This letter sums up admirably the Christian attitude towards death. It is the last stage of a journey; the culmination of a life dedicated to the service of God at the moment of baptism. The full perfection of the union with Christ which was begun in our souls by baptism and continued by the other sacraments has now been attained. It is important to see this purpose of the sacraments clearly if we are to understand and to accept death. The redemptive power of Christ comes into contact with the soul through the sacraments and steadily transforms it into another Christ. Baptism gives us the life of Christ for the first time—we are bom again to a new dignity, that of sons of God with the right to call him Father.... Confirmation brings that new life to maturity.... If sins should enter into the realms of grace and tend to break the bond which unites us to Christ, his redemptive power is at hand once again in the sacrament of Penance. One really sincere confession with a deep sorrow arising from love can convert the sinner into a saint in a moment, so great is the power of Christ’s redemption. . . . When we consider the Holy Eucharist, we are at the very heart of this mystery of union with Christ. He gave us this great gift because, when people are in love, they tend naturally to live together. . . . Extreme Unction is, in some ways, the greatest demonstration of the divine love and mercy. As St Thomas says, a soul who has received this sacrament in the right dispositions should be perfectly prepared for entry into heaven. Sin has been removed from the soul, doubts and fears are wiped aw’ay. God now reigns supreme. Where before all might have been turmoil and worry’, now there is perfect peace. The devil is chained so that he cannot harm the soul and his temptations only sene as instruments of merit. Holy Communion under the form of Viaticum—provision for the journey—strengthens the soul still further and makes its union with our Lord" more intimate. . . . SPIRITUAL WRITERS 173 At this moment there is one last act of our will which can and should complete the union between us and Christ; it is the willing acceptance of death in loving faith. This act of heroic virtue will purify us from the temporal punishment which may yet remain to be suffered for past sins. It is such an extreme act of faith, confidence in God’s promises and love, that he, on his part, will respond to it with his usual generosity. We can give our souls into God’s hands without fear of the future.... We are going home, where we really belong. There we shall find peace from all the trials and sufferings we have had to endure in this mortal life. Christ himself promised that he was only leaving this world in order to prepare a place for us in that other life where God himself shall be our prize and our consolation. . .. There is no need for us to be afraid of death if we are prepared for it, because Christ has destroyed its power to harm us and our death has been, as it were, consecrated in his death on the cross. God sees in our death the image of the death of his Son, with whom we are one. It still comes as a consequence of sin, but now, after Christ’s death and resurrection, it also serves as a channel of grace. For the Catholic who dies after a careful preparation it can truly be called a glorious adventure. IV. BOSSUET The shortness of life (A fragment of a sermon, but one which is of great use in forming our ideas on this life.) 1. What a small thing is man, as indeed is everything that has an end. A time will come when this man, who appears to you to be so great, will not exist; a time when he will be like a child who is not yet born, in which he will be nothing. No matter how long he lives, even though it be a thousand years, the end must come. He does not differ from those things which do not exist except in the fact of the time he did live on this earth. ... I came into this world under the law which proclaims that I must leave it; I come to play my part, to appear like others, but afterwards it is necessary to disappear. I see others leave this life before me, and there will exist those who see me leave it before them. These, too, will give up their place to those who follow them—and finally all of us will fall into nothing. . . . How small is the place I occupy in the volume of the years! I have only appeared to increase the number, but the play would have been put on equally well without me. ... 2. I had a narrow escape from death, we say on certain occasions. That is not true; I escaped from this or that danger of death, but from death itself, never. Death lays many ambushes for us—if we 174 FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST escape from one we fall into another, until at length we fall into his arms. It is like a tree in a high wind which is tearing oft' its leaves; some resist more than others, and if some of them manage to escape the storm, then winter comes and with the frost they fall. In a ship­ wreck there are some who are drowned at once, while others float for a time amidst the waves through the help of planks or some such thing. Then, just when they think they are safe, a wave dashes them upon a rock and breaks them into pieces.... 3. Perhaps my life has lasted forty’ years—and of those forty how many are worth the trouble? Sleep is so like death; childhood is the life of an animal. How much of my youth would I not give the whole world to rub out? And when I became an adult; are there not many years that I would long to strike out? What is left for me? The moments in which I had some joy, some pleasure ? But how far apart are those moments in my’ life! If I take out of my life the time spent in sleep, those illnesses, anxieties, moments of sadness, etc., how much is left for honours and pleasures ? And even then, did I not enjoy these things in small doses, and not without anxiety ? Of those innocent pleasures what remains to me now ? A useless memory! And of those which were not· so innocent? Remorse of conscience, a debt I owe to hell—or penance for them. I I I 4. How true it is to say that we pass the time away ! We do pass time, and it passes with us. The whole of my life could be reduced to a moment; and that moment is the only thing which separates me from nothingness.... What is even more terrible, everything passes before my eyes, but in the eyes of all, all remains. Things belong to God rather than to me and depend on him—not on time. Time can not snatch them from his dominion, because he is above time and all things belong to him and form part of his treasures. What I have done I shall find again, in eternity. All those pleasures which I have enjoyed may be reduced to one moment of time, but I shall have to answer for them as if they were permanent. It is not enough for me to say: They are in the past; I need not worry about them any more. If they are past for me, they are not past for God, who will demand an account of me for them. SECTION VI. SERMON SCHEMES I. LITURGICAL A ‘memento’ Like the widow of Naim I. Many Catholics have not learned to pray or do it in an artificial way. Yet the most simple act of religion is that of prayer. It is enough to go before God in humility and with confidence. SERMON SCHEMES (a) Like a beggar before the Lord; a patient before his doctor; showing our gratitude, our joy, our tears and our petitions. (b) The tears of the widow of Naim moved the Lord to mercy, and the miracle follows from his compassionate heart. The widow did not even say a word—or at least, the Gospel does not mention it; but she did manifest her sorrow. 2. Catholics assist at Mass; but it is sad to think that many come out of church without even having said a prayer; yet the Mass is the best of all prayers. (a) Leaving aside the fact that the Mass is the best of all prayers, with an infinite value, there are many occasions for saying the most beautiful prayers during Mass. (b) One of these is the memento of the dead and of the living. The prayer could not be more simple: Remember, O Lord, thy servants and handmaids who have gone before us in the sign of faith and who sleep the sleep of peace. Application of the Sacrifice 1. Among these fruits of the Mass there is one in which all the baptized share, by the fact of their membership of the Church—it is that which is called passive. (a) There is another which is shared by those who assist at Mass according to the grade of their active participation ; (b) another which is proper to the priest who celebrates ; (c) another which depends on the application which the priest makes; this is given to him or to those to whom the priest desires to give it. 2. But apart from this, the holy Sacrifice admits many other inten­ tions, covering a wide field of things, persons, places, business matters, etc., which can also have great power, because of its union with the Body and Blood of Christ. (a) At this stage of the Mass the priest remembers all those for whom he especially wishes to pray; (b) the faithful who assist actively at Mass should do the same; (c) especially remembering those to whom they are joined by ties of blood, friendship, or other special relationship ; (d) there is also the whole Mystical Body to be remembered— we are all one in Christ, especially at Mass. The diptychs 1. In the early Church these were read out at this moment. 2. In the East these referred especially to the dead, but there were also lists of persons prominent in public or Church life for whom special prayers were asked, at their head a list of the Bishops of the Imperial city. 176 FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 3. In the M est, especially in the Roman liturgy, the commemoration of the living predominated. The dead were not mentioned originally, since this list was intimately connected with those who had made offerings for the Mass; it is presumed that not all the names were read out, but only a selection of them. 4. The Mozarabic rite does contain a mention of the dead, either because the living had made offerings for them or because they were remembered at this point with the others. Be mindful, O Lord . .. 1. These lists, called the diptychs, have long since disappeared; but we can still say the words Be, mindful, O Lord, with special intentions in our minds. (a) At any moment of special difficulty, be it an examination, illness, loss, business problem, etc., the best method of reaching a satisfactory solution will always be the Mass. (b) After the consecration our minds turn naturally to the dead and those in purgatory. St Monica said, when she was dying: Lay my body where you will; the only thing I ask of you is that you remember me before the altar of the Lord. This is the moment when we should remember all those near and dear to us—also our enemies, all the souls in purgatory7; those who have few to pray for them, etc. 2. Like the widow of Naim, we can go daily before the Lord and weep for our sorrows and difficulties, making known to him at the altar all our needs. Π. THE EPISTLE A: Vanity A universal evil 1. The counsel given by the apostle to the Galatians comes up against a contrary reality : (a) He says: We must not indulge vain ambitions, envying one another and provoking one another to envy. (b) He who so often preached charity now warns us against something which is so often the cause of discords; vanity. 2. Here we are faced with a universal fault; it is said to be proper to women, but that is not true. It springs from pride and is almost an attenuated form of that vice—and is just as widespread. While normally not a mortal sin, it can be very dangerous because it usually leads to pride, the root of all sin and, as St Thomas says (cf. supra), it makes a man presumptuous and sure of himself; thus robs him little by little of his interior life. SERMON SCHEMES 177 The vain man or woman 1. Nut the same as the proud: (a) The vain person is usually quite content to take pleasure in what he has or with what he thinks he has; (b) he considers it to be something great, so much so that he is not usually ambitious for more; (c) it is a benign form of pride, therefore; (d) he seeks vainglory. 2. There are three types of this vainglory: As St Thomas says : (a) On the part of the thing in which one seeks glory, when a man seeks for it in something which is unworthy of it. This is the type of feminine vanity, which glories in clothes, the voice, physical beauty, etc. ; (b) On the part of the one from whom this glory is sought, e.g. a man of little or no judgement; this is the vanity of the politician, the orator, the wise man in the eyes of the world (scientists ?) who seek applause from the mass of the people, most of whom are not fit to judge what they are applauding; (c) on the part of the one who seeks the glory; if, for instance, he does not refer it all to God and to the salvation of his neighbour ; (d) this is the most subtle of all forms of vanity, and it is that which we find in the man who takes exaggerated pleasure in his own good qualities, seeks that others should always admire them, etc. St Francis’ description The humble Bishop of Geneva has left us a good description of these different kinds of vanity: (a) He says: We call that glory vain which we give to ourselves, either for that which is not in us, or for that which is in us, but is not ours, or for that which is in us and is ours, but does not deserve that we should glory in it. Nobility of race, the favour of the great, and popular esteem are things which are not in us, but either in our predecessors, or in the esteem of other men. (b) There are some who become proud and haughty because they are on a good horse, because they have a plume in their hat, because they are richly attired ; but who does not see the folly of this ?... (c) Others esteem and value themselves fortheir curled moustaches, for a well-trimmed beard, for crisped tresses, for soft hands, or because they can dance, sing or play; but are they not meanspirited in wishing to enhance their value and increase their reputa­ tion by such frivolous and foolish things ? FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (d) Others wish to he honoured and respected by the world for a little knowledge as though everyone ought to he their pupils and look upon them as their masters.... (e) Others arc vain of their beauty, and imagine that all the world pays homage to them. All this is extremely vain, foolish and frivolous. (f) That which is truly good is known in the same way as the true balm; balm is tested by dropping it into water, for if it goes to the bottom and takes the lowest place it is judged to he the finest and most precious. Even so, to know whether a man be truly wise, learned, generous, noble, we must see if the good things in him tend to humility, modesty’ and submission, for then they will be truly good ; but if they float on the surface, and seek to appear, then the more conspicuous they are, the less will they be truly good. Against vanity—humility’ Good counsel of St Francis: (a) If we are punctilious in regard to rank, to precedence, to titles, we not only expose our qualities to question, to examination and to contradiction, but we make them mean and contemptible; (b) for the honour which is beautiful when received as a gift, loses its beauty’ when it is exacted, sought after and demanded. 1. 2. According to this, the best remedy for vanity is humility: (a) Humility is not interested in the exaltation of its own person— what interests the humble person is good for its own sake ; (b) the humble person only washes to give glory to God ; (c) he is not proud of his superiority’ nor glories in it; he knows that all he has is received from God; wherefore, feeling himself a sinner and the most unworthy of men, even when he recognizes the good qualities which he really has, he says with the apostle that the only thing he wishes to glory in is the cross of Christ (Gal. 6. 14). B : Works done through vanity The malice of vanity It is not usually a mortal sin, but very dangerous because it disposes us to other kinds of sins which can more easily be mortal. It makes a man presumptuous, self-confident beyond his real powers, etc. The works of vanity What is the influence of vanity on our works? Here is a question which is of the greatest importance in the Christian life, especially in the ascetical life. I. SERMON SCHEMES 170 2. In this matter me must distinguish various hypotheses: (a) Indifferent acts done through vanity: i. the morality of such acts is entirely determined by the purpose for which they arc performed; if such an act is done from the motive of vanity only, then it is bad. ii. thus, to sing is an indifferent act; if it be done for the glory of God it is good ; if it be done from vanity it is bad. (b) The same can be said of good works in themselves, but which arc done only from the motive of vanity. (c) Those good works which are done partly from the motive of vanity and partly from a good motive remain good and meritorious, but not so much so as if they had been done simply for the good motive, excluding the bad one. (d) At times vanity accompanies the good act without being in any way a motive for it. This has to be kept in mind, because it is difficult to do something before men without feeling some vanity if we have done it well. This sentiment does not make the act bad at all. It is something purely natural. The daughters of vanity 1. Vanity is a capital vice, according to St Thomas, born of pride, the queen of the vices. 2. Among the daughters of vanity there are three which need concern us here: (a) Boasting—talking always about oneself, one’s works, but with the idea of obtaining praise for them ; (b) it can take a collective form as well as an individual one— family vanity and boasting, for example ; (c) it has indirect ways of approach—seeking praise even by mentioning one’s own defects, etc. 3. Another is ostentation; seeking to attract attention in dress, adornment, mannerisms, etc. 4. Lastly hypocrisy—which seeks to put on the habits of virtues without there being any real lasting virtue present; at times to hide great sins, etc. Patience, prayer, and effort i. The soul must fight constantly against vanity in all its forms: (a) It is one of the more subtle defects and one which it is difficult to correct. We carry it so deeply rooted in our nature that even when we think that we have overcome all self-love, we still find the last vestiges of it in vanity. iSo FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (b) Good souls are very troubled when they find that they cannot correct this fault very easily. Good men and saintly often feel small and petty when they observe that, even in their best actions, there is an admixture of vanity. 2. As a remedy we may suggest: (a) Patience: This is ven' necessary to withstand our own defects; we must recognize that it is necessary’ to fight with all our powers, but we must also admit that it is a long and a difficult struggle, which will take, not months, but often years—perhaps the whole of our life. We must go on fighting. (b) Prayer : Ask for humility constantly. (c) Effort: The ascetical life is impossible without it ; perfection may be God’s work, but it also demands our co-operation. The grace will not be wanting but often our efforts are wanting. We have to make use of all means, mortification of our own tastes and pleasures; hide our triumphs, allow them to pass unheeded, etc. 3. The result: It will be at least a lessening of our vanity', until at length it disappears altogether. C: Teaching the ignorant Two motives for the theme Both from today’s Epistle: (a) Bear the burden of one another’s failings; then you will be fulfilling the law of Christ (Gal. 6. 2). (b) The second motive is found in the word correcting'., which could have the meaning of instructing; this would be the best method of preventing falls and also, once the fall has taken place, the best method of curing it. Christ, the truth He proclaimed it many times in the public life: (a) I am the light of the world ;... he who follows me can never walk in darkness (John 8.12). (b) I am the way; I am truth and life ... (John 14. 6). 1. 2. This truth of Christ was communicated to the Apostles: Not in any abstract fashion, but in a practical and efficacious way by the Holy Spirit on the feast of Pentecost. SERMON SCHEMES i8i (a) Christ makes mention of it at the Last Supper: It will be for him, the truth-giving Spirit, when he comes, to guide you into all truth (John 16. 13). (b) These words imply that the Spirit will give them a loving interior knowledge of the person and message of Christ, in ail the details and aspects of his life and his preaching. 3. The mission the Apostles receive: That of preaching, teaching (Matt. 28. 19-20); the world was far from the truth because it was far from Christ. The noble mission of teaching 1. The most excellent wrork of all is that of the contemplation of the truth, because it makes use of man’s highest faculty, the intellect. 2. But even more excellent is the study of truth in order to com­ municate it to others : (a) He who really teaches, communicates the truth; he is a co­ operator with it. A high mission, therefore, because God is truth and to teach means to co-operate with God in the diffusion of truth, the expansion of his life and his teaching. (b) Any kind of teaching is a noble thing, but the teaching of divine truth is the most noble of all. When teaching the ignorant is counted among the works of mercy it is this kind of instruction which is meant. The ignorant I. At all times teaching is noble: But if the one who receives it is ignorant then it becomes a spiritual work of mercy. (a) Mercy is pity for the sufferings of others in such a way that we are moved to remedy them; it implies both compassion and help, without personal interest or advantage—just because our neighbour needs our help. (b) A father does not exercise this work of mercy when he teaches his children, neither does a teacher, because both are doing what they should by obligation. (c) On the other hand the priest, religious, or teacher wrho goes round the confines of the parish looking for the black sheep with a view to instructing such a one and bringing his soul back to God— all these are doing a wrork of mercy. 2. This is a most excellent work of mercy: (a) because it is spiritual as opposed to corporal; (b) because it is connected with the spread of truth—the most excellent of all the means to attain to the love of God. 182 FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST An excellent apostolate Of this there can be no doubt: (a) since the apostolate is nothing more than communicating the knowledge of Christ to those who did not know him, so that they may love and serve him; (b) better—it is to make others into the image of Christ. i. 2. Many do not live Christian lives, not through any malice, but through ignorance: (a) For this reason teaching the ignorant opens a wide field for all branches of Catholic Action. (b) We should not forget this work of mercy, because although there are more schools than ever before, there is less religious teaching outside the Catholic schools—and remember, most of it is the teaching of error. ΠΙ. THE GOSPEL A: Christianity: a religion of life Introduction I. In the scene of today’s Gospel we see that the field of action is divided into two distinct camps : (a) that of death: Ih i. a young man who has died; his mother, who can only weep, without being able to help ; ii. the friends who carry the bier, without any other solution to the problem; (b) that of life: i. Christ, already communicating the life of his doctrine to his disciples and now ready to bring life into this scene of death ; ii. the young man rises; the mother rejoices as do the friends. 2. A perfect image of what Christ came to bring to the world : Life for souls. Christ is the life i. lam the way; I am truth and life (John 14. 6); (a) Jesus is the life in himself: Because he has the very life of God, the same nature as the Father and the Holy Spirit; (b) he is our life: i. the spiritual life of our souls; SERMON SCHEMES 183 ii. he has a body, but it is joined to the divinity in such a way that humanity is redeemed by it and from his humanity comes to the whole Church all the supernatural life it enjoys. (c) not merely because he communicates life, but because he has come as our Head to unite us to himself, incorporating us into him­ self in the Mystical Body; (d) this life develops with the co-operation of man with the vital principle of it, which is grace, until all our activity is influenced by it and infused with it; then the Christian can say with St Paul, I live, now not I ; but Christ liveth in me (Gal. 2. 20). 2. Christ preaches a kingdom of life: (a) All that he came to preach is summed up in this one phrase recorded by St John : Eternal life is knowing thee, who art the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent (John 17. 3); (b) which means that, if Christ came into the wrorld to give testimony to the truth (John 18. 37), then the truth which he preaches is that which gives eternal life. (c) There is a phrase wrhich teaches this quite clearly: I have come so that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly (John 10. 10). Life instead of death 1. In today’s Gospel we see a young man who comes into contact with Christ just because he was dead ; but for that fact he might never have had any contact with Jesus. 2. The death of Christ, for our life: (a) In the spiritual order Christ draws near to us—but by dying for us. (b) He is the grain of wheat, which dies in the furrow of the passion and which bears the wonderful fruit of all the grace 'which the world has known since the sin of Adam. He will be the Good Shepherd, who gives his life for his sheep (John io. n). (c) By that death he merits life for our souls. (d) He also merits resurrection for the body—the whole of eternal life we owe to him. 3- Our death, that Christ may live: (a) Just as Christ died that man may live, so it is necessary that man should die so that Christ may live. (b) Paul expresses this many times, saying that it is necessary that the old man should die in us so that the new man may live. (c) It is a great consolation to know that the words of Christ to the sisters of Lazarus are true : I am the resurrection and the life (John !· i84 FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST The sacraments of life Baptism: (a) sacrament of re-birth to a new life (John 3. 5). (b) Paul sees in this sacrament an image of our burial together with Christ to rise to a new life in and with him (Col. 2. 12; Rom. 6.4)· 1. 2. Confinnation: Grace to defend the new life. 3. Penance: To restore that life should it be lost. 4. The Eucharist: To increase it and be a pledge of our future resurrection (John 6. 54)· 5. Anointing of the Sick: Last element in the preparation for our entry into the real life of heaven. 6. Orders: Ministers of the new life as instruments of Christ. 7. Marriage: Consecration of the most vital function of human nature, the production of new life for God. 8. In a word, all the sacraments by which the reign of Christ is developed in our souls give or increase grace, that living water whose fruits are eternal life. B : Why death ? A doubt about the Redeemer’s victory 1. This doubt may arise because of the existence of death among us, even after the redeeming death of Christ. 2. In fact, death is a consequence of Adam’s sin, through the loss by him of the gift of immortality. (a) Christ redeemed us, and his grace is more abundant than that given to our first parents before the fall ; (b) yet this enemy still remains, an enemy so unpleasant and tremendous that we have to bury—often in haste—the bodies of those near and dear to us ; (c) but Christ has overcome death in a different way from his victory' over sin. Sin disappears completely in the presence of grace. i. but death reigns in appearance only and with a completelv different mission than before; SERMON SCHEMES 185 ii. its mission is to hand over to God the souls of the just, that they may be glorified. 3. What is more, the very presence of death in the world produces salutary results, as we can see from those we are about to mention. To teach us to hate sin i. Sin has been the gate through which death came among us (Rom. 2. Since we cannot see the horror of sin, we can at least have some idea of it by a contemplation of its daughter—death. (a) In Abel’s body our first parents could see clearly the horror of their sin; (b) in any dead body -we can see, not merely death as daughter of sin, but the eternal death of the soul which leaves this world deprived of the grace of God. As a lesson to the proud and the rich First lesson: humility: (a) By sin man revolts against his creator and •wishes to become like God; (b) by the universal law of death God shows us all that we are mere creatures, formed from the dust of the earth and subjected to God’s rule. 1. 2. Second lesson: the vanity of all created things Especially the vanity of riches which have been of no use to one who is dead, unless he has been wise enough to send them to heaven before him in the hands of the poor. For the consolation of many Those who live surrounded by sufferings and misery of all kinds: These, and many like Job, desire death to free them from their misery—to them it is a consolation to know that all this will end with death. 1. 2. The poor—and in two ways: (a) They see that riches do not free a man from death and that death is often more terrible for those who live preoccupied with the things of this world. (b) Death or its danger has often been the cause of alms on the part of the rich, which benefit the poor. 3. The just: Death is the end of their sufferings and labours and the entry7 into the joy of their eternal reward (Job 3). iS6 FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST As a rein to check evil-doers 1. The fact of death, possibly a sudden death, can act as a salutary check on sinners, who would otherwise ignore other warnings of God. 2. Other evils, from which many sinners escape—such as wars, famine, etc—are not sufficient, but the fact of universal death is enough to make many think twice about the evil of their lives. The merit of the just For merit and virtue on the part of the just: (a) Following the example of Christ, who could have arrived at the end of his mission of redemption without dying on die cross ; (b) our death, in a state of grace, is somehow linked to his; (c) it is a supreme act of submission to the will of our Father in heaven. Conclusion 1. There is a pagan attitude towards death which can see no good in it—it is the end of all things. 2. St Francis called it sister death—a creature, something made to help us to attain our last end, our glory and that of God. For the just who die in the Lord it can be a glorious adventure. C: Consolation in death The Christian’s mourning Christ says to the widowed mother, Weep not: (a) It is not a command, much less a condemnation of her tears. (b) These are words of consolation; they imply that she has found one who can give her consolation and can wipe away all her tears. 1. 2. Christ weeps for the death of Lazarus: He weeps so much so that this fact attracts the attention of those around him. (a) Weeping and mourning are natural when we have lost those dear to us ; (b) more natural still if it is a case of our parents, especially if we have been ungrateful children, shortening their lives perhaps by our ingratitude. 3. St Augustine, in his Confessions : After saying that he poured out abundant tears before the body of his mother, he goes on to say : Let him who wishes read this and interpret it as he pleases. If he should think that I have done ill, or even have sinned in shedding so many tears for mv mother ... a SERMON SCHEMES 187 mother who for so many years had wept over me ... I beg of him not to laugh at my tears; rather, if he be sufficiently charitable, let him weep too, for my sins. Tears of hope 1. We must allow nature to weep tears which alleviate grief; but we must not grieve like those who have no hope (i Thess. 4. 12). 2. There are many motives for this hope: (a) the knowledge that even death comes to us from God. It is our Father who has made this universal law (Heb. 9. 27); (b) death is but a sleep (cf. John 11 ; Acts 7. 59) ; (c) with this sleep there has come to the soul the true joy of heaven. i. if not immediately—because the soul may need our help in purgatory—at least the certainty of heaven, because sin is no longer possible for it; ii. this is the gain which Paul saw in death (Phil. 1. 21). (d) We shall one day go to them and rejoin them; they have merely gone before us—a few short hours or years and it will be as it was before, only more so. Our love will be re-united. » Consolation for what has been left behind He who dies leaves his body: (a) St Paul calls us all tent-dwellers (2 Cor. 5. 4), with reason: i. the union of soul and body on earth is of short duration; ii. home is a place of rest, something stable; the tent is some­ thing which we use for a while only; then we leave it to go home; iii. the idea means that we are like strangers in a strange land; iv. soldiers use them in war—we are soldiers of Christ, who have to maintain a constant battle against our enemies. (b) All this consoles us in the presence of the dead body, because we know that this person has left things which pass in order to acquire what is sure and permanent. 1. 2. The dead say goodbye to the world: (a) and with it they leave behind all their anxieties and dangers; (b) no longer is the life of grace in danger; here in the world there is always the danger of sin and the loss of grace—and eternal life with it. 3. He leaves the world's goods: (a) all of them chains which prevent the kingdom of God from growing in us; (b) there is no longer a double anxiety, for material and spiritual things; all now belongs to God. te 188 FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 4. He leaves the miseries of this life: Free from work, danger of sin, all danger. Consolation for the memory of them The just leave behind them this consolation, summed up in an inscription over the tomb of Cardinal Alciati in the Church of St Mary of the .Angels in Rome: He lived in virtue, he lives in the memory of men on the earth; he will live in glory for eternity. D : Moral death of youth The scene of the Gospel 1. Christ—source of life through his teaching, his example, his grace and sacraments. 2. A young man, dead, carried out to burial, in the opposite direction to the way Christ is going. 3. A mother who accompanies him, weeping because the last efforts to save the life of her son have failed. Christ continues to pass by He passes in the priests, the tabernacle, the example of so many of our youth, who are exemplary. Our mother, too, continues to weep 1. Perhaps our earthly mother, who weeps for a son or daughter spiritually dead; she may have done all she could to prevent this; or she may have been too weak, lacking in a spirit of education, careless about her children’s friends, etc. 2. It may be the Church who weeps, for those youths for whom she has done so much and yet they have ignored her. A dead youth This is a young man: (a) Christ uses the example of a young man when he is about the moral death of a soul—the prodigal son ; (b) this age, when it is said that we live life, is just the most danger ; (c) from passions, from bad example, literature, etc. (d) one of the causes of the moral death of youth is lack fidence : i. in their family, parents, etc. ii. in society; iii. in the world. talking age of 0 of con­ SERMON SCHEMES 189 (c) The young man was being carried—so often this happens; youth is led astray by those who seem to be friends or by natural instincts which have never been controlled. Conclusion 1. Beg from God an efficacious meeting between Christ and the soul of our Catholic youth. 2. Mothers can do so much by their prayer and example. 3. Let friends be a help, not a cause of scandal. E: Rising again to the life of grace Confession 1. In Naim we see a man who, at the command of Christ, comes back to normal life. (a) We wish to fix our attention on another moment, all too frequent in our lives, in which Christ meets souls in sin, dead to grace, and restores them to their supernatural life again. (b) This happens in confession. 2. There are two moments, two actions so to speak, in confession; the forgiving of sin and the restoration to the life of grace. (a) Most of us think only of the first; or at least we think more about it than we do about the second ; (b) we shall concentrate most of all on this second element. 3. In Naim the Lord limits his activity to something we might call external; at his command a soul is reunited with a body. In this new encounter in confession the influence of Christ is more intimate, because we receive new life insofar as we are united with him. Pardon and sin 1. The state of a soul dead in the sight of the Lord: (a) the deformity which is sin; guilt and punishment; (b) deprived of life; subject to the devil. 2. Jesus begins his work. 3. The pardon of sin: (a) in the sacrament of penance he joins us to himself; (b) all the sacraments have this effect, but each one in a different way; (c) in this sacrament we receive the effects of Christ’s death and passion : i. Christ dies because of sin; in confession we die to sin, which is destroyed ; 14ί I. Il; fl lllIL 100 FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST ii. this death to sin is brought about because, at this moment, we are united to Christ and receive the influence of his merits and satisfactions. (d) Not merely that, our union with Christ through confession gives to our new life a satisfactory value—enables it to satisfy God for the sins we have committed and which have nowf been pardoned. In this sacrament all our actions have been given value to satisfy divine justice, outraged by sin. (e) Meditation on this should help us to remember our new condition as victims for sin and so avoid routine—that great enemy of the spiritual life. It increases grace 1. Death to sin means an increase: The seed, which must die before it can bring forth fruit. 2. This life is received when sin is forgiven: (a) pardon of sin is effected by the infusion of grace; the act is one, but it can be considered from two points of viewr, the negative and the positive ; (b) the more important is the positive, consisting in union with Christ, the true Vine, without which union there can be no life ; (c) from this union come our merits and our supernatural acts— acts of Christ in us. 3- Christ has the fullness of life: But we have not—we have to grow until the day of our death. 4. But by which acts does this life grow? (a) Through all those which are supernatural ; through the exercise of any virtue. (b) However, in confession there is a special kind of act through which grace can be especially increased : i. think once more of confession as intimately linked with the death of Christ; everything done then was by way of suffering; in confession those acts are lifted up to a special level to increase grace and merit which are connected either with the struggle to do good or avoid evil. Part of the absolution prayer refers to these. Whatever good you have done, or evil you have suffered. ... ii. what was first of all expiatory now becomes meritorious for an increase of grace. (c) I may find it hard to look back on my baptism, so many years have passed; but it should not be so difficult for me to look back on my last confession, especially in moments of sadness or torment SERMON SCHEMES 191 Eternal life The perfect life: (a) The perfect is the end of imperfection—the whole of the supernatural life is directed towards this perfection. (b) Christ meets us in the Naim of confession; he sows the seed of life, the harvest will be in heaven when we shall live with him and be like him. 1. 2. Confession changes all our sorrows into the seed of eternal life: Not one of them can be compared to the glory to come. Let us return to Naim 1. We need not envy this youth; he left death behind him; we have left sin behind us. 2. You live again the life which this mother gave you—I have exchanged hell for the life of God in the sight of Mary, my mother, who weeps for joy. You will die again—by his grace I will not. F : Death—the end of a journey This life is a journey Like all travel it must have : (a) an end or purpose—few people, if any, travel because they like it; (b) we must know where we are going—otherwise we will not even begin the journey ; (c) we must know something of the means to reach our goal. The end or purpose of life Ή I * Not this world: It is transitory, we have here no abiding city—we are truly on a journey, whether we like it or not. 1. 2. The end is heaven—or hell, for all of us: Like all travellers, we shall have companions, but they too are transitory—some get out at a station half-w'ay along the route, others get in; it would be stupid to regard any of them as our last end or purpose in making the journey, or to become so interested in them that we did not change trains when necessary, for example. 3. In all great enterprises it is essential to keep the end or purpose in view all the time, otherwise we are liable to be distracted from it. The same is true here; think of your last end, not as something sad, but as a return home, where you really belong and arc among your true friends. !92 FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST The way we are to travel Here we have guides, we are not left on our own: (a) Christ himself our model—the way, truth and life ; (b) the Church, infallible guide appointed by Christ; (c) the priests and bishops; all will help us to keep on the right path if we allow them to do so ; (d) it would be stupid indeed to ignore such guidance and to rely on our own efforts to find the way; we are in unknown territory— unknown to us, at least. They know it well. The means 1. The commandments, our compass and map. 2. The sacraments, our food and provision for the journey. 3. Grace—our strength to undertake it with all its difficulties and hardships. Death, the gate into life 1. At the end of an earthly journey we leave the train and our com­ panions, knowing full well that it is necessary' in order to reach home. 2. We do so willingly, however pleasant they have made the journey for us, because otherwise we shall never reach our home and family. 3. When we reach home all the hardships are forgotten in the joy' we have at being among our own. Life is like that 1. We are slowly but surely travelling towards our eternal destiny. The journey will have an end, even though we may not like to think about it now. 2. When we arrive, we shall have to leave all things which have been a part of the journey in order to reach home. Then so many of those things will take on a new importance in our minds, either because they have kept us away from home for a long time or else because they have helped us. 3. The Church can tell us which things will help us to reach home and which will not. Luggage I. The trick of travel is not to take more than is essential—all great expeditions make a special study of this, and the nearer they come to reaching the goal the more important it becomes to study this ; fJL SERMON SCHEMES 193 factor in detail—extra weight can mean death in some cases (Everest). 2. To reach the goal some things have to be abandoned—others are essential. 3. We are in the same position with regard to our journey to heaven. Study the position carefully; cast aside anything that may not be necessary or useful; even dien, consider carefully the list you have made—are they all useful or necessary ? Death—not an end but a beginning 1. Our faith teaches us this quite clearly; but we are not prepared to take it on faith—we must, if we are to reach the end safely. 2. When we pass from this world to the next, we really do pass from death to life. 3. Try to think about it now, before it happens. Never mind the details of death, they are not so important. The important thing is to be prepared for that change of trains now—and to remain in that state. Then we are certain of attaining the goal—eternal life. G: The miracle of the resurrection of a soul A daily miracle 1. The people were astonished at the raising of the young man to life —but every day the world (although it does not know it) witnesses a similar miracle in the restoration of so many souls to the life of grace. (a) This took place at my baptism, when God changed an enemy into a friend; when I was dead and came to life as a son of God. (b) It takes place in the confessional; (c) every time the sinner begins to love God. 2. However, with this re-birth of souls the same thing happens, according to St Augustine, as with the works of creation—we do not appreciate them because they happen so frequendy. We do not appreciate the difference between a soul in sin and the soul in a state of grace. 3. Let us see, with St Thomas, what this means. A miracle of love It may not be a miracle in the strict sense of the word; but in the wide sense it certainly is. Is it not a miracle that someone should pardon his enemies and make them his sons ? Is it not a miracle that God should wait for us, day after day, expecting our co-operation with him? 194 FIFTEENTH SLNDAX AFTER PENTECOST Something only God can do This is a work which is entirely divine: (a) Only God can make a man just and create the grace which performs that task. AH acts of creation are magnificent; but this one more so, because it is supernatural and brings the life of God to the soul. (b) Only God can pardon sin, which is an offence against him; (c) only God can give us the adoption of sons; (d) only he can give us the right to heaven—w hich is his life and his home. 1. 2. It is the greatest of all his works: (a) Any work is measured by its effects; this one gives us divine life and the right to heaven. (b) Earth and all things on it will pass; but this life is for eternity, if we co-operate with it. Once again in Naim ■t 1. If we look back at Naim once again, can we compare that miracle with the act by which God justifies the sinner—we do not call the latter a miracle only because God repeats it so many times. (a) There was a dead body—here a dead soul ; (b) there a short human life which is given back, only to be lost again one day in death; here is an immortal life; (c) there life was restored, the union of soul and body—both soul and body desired that reunion, longed for it; here is a soul which, because of the sin which is on it, is opposed to the grace w hich is restored to it; (d) there the body did not oppose the reunion—here God often has to use great power to bring the sinner to repent; (e) there it was an unknown young man; here an enemy. 2. May God grant that we may always appreciate the grace w hich he has given us. He promised his disciples that they would do even greater things than he did; may I be allowed to associate myself with this, the greatest work of all, the conversion of sinners! H: The characters in this miracle Jesus Christ He stands out as the main figure: Of course, and what does he do ? (a) He has preached the Sermon on the Mount, healed the servant of the centurion and a leper. Preaching and doing good—those are his missions. I. SERMON SCHEMES 195 (b) Do we lake heed of his preaching; appreciate his gifts of grace ? Many heard him, and many did not know how to ask for what they really needed—salvation. Do we hear and ask as we should ? 2. His mercy: (a) On seeing the funeral procession he is moved with pity; he took all burdens upon himself. (b) We, on the contrary, while very conscious of our own miseries, are often unsympathetic with those of others. (c) Christ’s mercy was ever active and effective; to deplore the sad state of the poor and do nothing effective to help is not to have the pity of Jesus. 3. Omnipotence : (a) He commands the winds and seas and they obey him ; he gives orders to death itself and makes it give up its prey; small wonder that the people acclaim him as a great prophet. (b) But it is a power which is used to do good. The more powerful you are the more reason why you should use your power for the benefit of others; thus you will be more like him in life, and death will bring your reward. The crowd They surroundJesus as usuaf but not all are his disciples: Are we his disciples, truly? A disciple is one who hears his doctrine and obeys his commands. We might examine our con­ sciences. Illi The widow the greatest ofall sorrows: Having already had to weep for her husband, she now has to weep again for her only son. The world is a sad place, even though it tries to hide the fact; the cross follows us wherever we go. 1. She represents 1 2. She found Jesus Christ—the only remedy for sadness: The only effective consolation at such times lies in Christ, his teaching and his person. We have him with us in the Blessed Sacra­ ment, just as she had him in her grief. The young man We often see a funeral passing through our streets: (a) Death is a preacher who stands in his pulpit when we least expect it, but few care to listen to his sermon. (b) But not to think about problems really does not help to solve them ; on the contrary, those problems which are acute really become worse if we let them go for too long without trying to solve them. I. I τ<)6 FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 2. Death teaches us many lessons: (a) A punishment for sin; see if you arc in sin; in which case, were you to die now, you would not find peace, but punishment. (b) It is the end of those things which pass away; of what use now to this young man all the pleasures of his youth ? (c) Death is the hour of truth; now this youth knows what is true and what is false. That is false which has to be left behind; the only true thing at this moment for him is Christ. Take all the rest away and leave him with Christ and that will be more than enough to restore him to life. 3. Do we learn the lessons death has to teach us? Do we know the real value of things ? Do we live with Christ, so as to rise with him after death ? The miracle 1. We say that it is the greatest of them all, from our point of view— because to raise from the dead seems impressive to us; more so than other miracles. But to God’s power they are all easy, all the same. 2. But there is another resurrection no less miraculous than this one —the resurrection of a soul from sin. (a) Again it is Jesus who draws near; we separate ourselves from him by our sins, but he will not leave us. (b) As he touched the litter on which the young man was lying, so he touches our hearts by his grace. (c) The young man sat up—grace needs our co-operation; we must awaken from the sleep, or better, the death of sin. We must do something on our part never to sin again; at least our good resolu­ tions must be put into practice. I: Youth The needs of modem youth Arise: That command of Christ could be directed to so many of our modern youths of both sexes. 1. 2. It is not merely a question of rising from a life of sin to the life of grace, although that, too, is necessary. 3. Rather it is a question of ideals. Let us examine this more closely. The spiritual economy 1. It begins with the intellect—truth. From the truth it receives its courage, resistance, hardness. 2. The main principle of a true life is this direction on the part of a mind guided and illuminated by truth. That is what makes a man. SERMON SCHEMES 197 3. Truth directs and inflames the will; the will is, to a certain extent, the slave of the mind. (a) On many occasions the imagination will try to take over from the intellect; (b) passions and appetites try to draw the will after them; (c) a strong will, i.e. one guided by strong principles on the part of the intellect and strong motives, will not only refuse to be led away; it will use these things to obtain even greater strength. The need for an ideal 1. Obvious, because motive is the only thing which will move us to action. 2. This ideal, in the case of a Catholic youth, should be the call of Christ to follow him, not in a spirit of sentiment, but in the fight against the enemies of Christ, who are also the enemies of the soul. They are the world, the flesh, the devil. He has overcome them all; now he asks of us that we, too, win the victory in his name and by his power. In practice Living to the full the life of grace: (a) there will be difficulties at times; (b) they may be so great as to discourage us; (c) this has been felt by some of the greatest saints, therefore we need not worry; (d) the great thing is to fight hard with and for Christ. 1. 2. His grace: It was sufficient for Mary the sinner of Magdala, St Augustine, Paul and so many others, and will be equally effective in our case. It has not lost one atom of its power. 3. However, we must co-operate with it: (a) intellectually—by having a high ideal in this struggle ; (b) morally—keeping God’s commandments; (c) socially—by doing our best to help others to attain the truth and to keep the law of God. 4. Above all: Confidence in Christ and confidence in ourselves when we keep near Christ. The secret of success i. When King George VI came to the throne he sent a message to the youth of the Empire, in which he reminded them of the story of the man on a dangerous journey who had to pass through a dark and sinister wood. IQS FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 2. A wise witch told him to put his hand in rhe hand of God and all would be well. So it proved to be and he passed through all the perils safely. 3. The King gave the same advice to youth and then said that, although the times were difficult for the country, he, as King, intended to do the same; he would put his hand in that of God and have confidence. 4. There could be no better advice given to youth than this. Psalm 23 contains a summary of the same advice. 5. Youth should have confidence; the Church and Christ look to our Catholic youth to undertake many really great tasks for God. (a) These can only be done by youth—old age is too stable, not flexible enough; (b) middle age is too cautious perhaps; (c) they need the impetuosity, the energy, the zeal of youth. .·> & 6. Courage, zeal, imagination, anxiety (in the true sense of the word) at the problems which face the world—all these are demanded. All can be obtained through and with Christ, as our leader, following his footsteps as closely as possible, living up to his ideals. Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost THE CURE OF THE MAN WITH DROPSY SECTION I. SCRIPTURE TEXTS Gospel: Luke 14. 1-11 Epistle: Ephesians 3. 13-21 Texts concerning the worship of God i. The Christian cult: But the time is coming, nay, has already come, when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth; such men as these the Father claims for his worshippers. God is a spirit, and those who worship him must MOrship him in spirit and in truth. John 4. 23-24. These occupied themselves continually with the apostles’ teaching, their fellowship in the breaking of bread, and the fixed times of prayer. Acts 2. 42. When the new week began, we had met for the breaking of bread, and Paul was preaching to them. . .. Acts 20. 7. And here is a warning I have for you. I can give you no praise for holding your assemblies in a way that does harm, not good. From the first, when you meet in church, there are divisions among you ; so I hear, and in some measure believe it.... And when you assemble together, there is no opportunity to eat a supper of the Lord; each comer hastens to eat the supper he has brought for himself, so that one man goes hungry, while another has drunk deep. Have you no homes to eat and drink in, that you should shew contempt to God’s church, and shame the poor ? Praise you ? There is no room for praise here. The tradition which I received from the Lord, and handed on to you, is that the Lord Jesus, on the night "when he was being betrayed, took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and said, Take, eat; this is my body, given up for you. Do this for a com­ memoration of me. And so with the cup, w'hen supper wras ended, This cup, he said, is the new testament, in my blood. Do this, whenever you drink it, for a commemoration of me. So it is the Lord’s death that you are heralding, whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, until he comes; and therefore, if anyone eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily, he will be held to account for the Lord’s body and blood. A man must examine himself first, and then eat of that bread and drink of that cup; he is eating and 199 : 200 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST drinking damnation to himself if he eats and drinks unworthily, not recognizing the Lord’s body for what it is. i Cor. 11. 17-29. 2. Worship according to the example and teachings of Christ: Whereupon he said to them, Have you never read of what David did, when he and his followers were hungry ? How he went into the tabernacle, and ate the loaves set out there before God, although neither he nor his followers, nor anyone else except the priests had a right to eat them ? Or again, have you not read in the Law that the priests violate the sabbath rest in the temple, and none blames them ? And I tell you there is one standing here who is greater than the temple. If you had found out what the words mean, It is mercy, not sacrifice, that wins favour with me, you would not have passed judgement on the guiltless. The Son of Man has even the sabbath at his disposal. Matt. 12. 3-8. Then he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went into the synagogue there, as his custom was, on the sabbath day, and stood up to read. Luke 4. 16. And on another sabbath day it happened that he went into the synagogue to teach ... Luke 6. 6. vas a sabbath day on which he was preaching in one of gogues. . .. Luke 13. 10. CTION II. GENERAL COMMENTS I. LITURGICAL f by the spirit: be obvious that the Church, in today’s Mass, repeats many îtructions she has delivered during the other Sundays after t. Like any wise teacher, she repeats herself when it is ig important she has to offer. One of these fundamental that of walking according to the guidance of the spirit. A t the Epistles for the other Sundays after Pentecost will how many times this idea is repeated. impotence: 1er fundamental idea in the spiritual life. In this sense the of today has a connection with that of the Good Samaritan, it is Christ himself who presents himself as the healer. He, is the most humble of men, is the cure for pride. i idea of the real need we have for God’s help is insisted upon in troit, Offertory and Communion. The two former prayers are o God for help, coming from the afflicted spirit of one who himself unable to cope with life as it stands. The Collect is t a treatise on actual grace ; the need we have of the divine aid GENERAL COMMENTS 201 if we arc to do anything. God’s grace goes before us and accompanies us in all that we do. IL EXEGETIC AND MORAL NOTES A: The Epistle: Ephesians 3. 13-21 1. Occasion and argument: The Epistle to the Ephesians has, like most of the letters of St Paul, two parts, one dogmatic and the other moral in its argument. The dogmatic section ends with a wonderful prayer to God, in which there are various petitions, all of which breathe the inner sentiments of Paul’s heart, especially those connected with the Mystery of Christ. It is enough to give a brief comment on them and leave them for points of meditation. 2. Texts: (a) Let there be no discouragement, then . . . In the previous verses he has described the importance of his ministry to Jew and Gentile alike. He tells them not to be discour­ aged at his present trials, because these only prove his love for his disciples and his mission. They are not a glory for Paul but for the Ephesians themselves ... it is the common faith that matters. (b) I fall on my knees to the Father ... For all the mysteries whose secrets have been opened to him and for those which have changed him into an apostle, in thanksgiving for all the graces of redemption, whose minister he is—for all this he goes on his knees in thanksgiving. The Jews prayed standing; die phrase indicates humble prayer. (c) That Father from whom all fatherhood in heaven and on earth takes its title ... The thought of Paul is that all things have received their being from God, but also that being contains the idea of children of God. The theme of this verse is the creative omnipotence of God, which forces us to turn to him as a Father who loves us. (d) May he, out of the rich treasury of his glory ... Today’s Epistle contains five petitions directed by Paul to the Father: i. that God may fortify us through the work of the Holy Spirit within us; ii. that Christ may reign through faith in our hearts; iii. that our leligious life may be founded on love; iv. that the faithful may understand the depths of the love of Christ for them; v. that they may all be filled with the fullness of God. 7* «5 202 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST The first petition is in verse 16. The phrase ‘your innermost being’ is used by Paul in two senses; one, that of the rational being with moral intellectual faculties; as in Rom. 7. 22-25; the second, in the sense of a man re-bom through grace and under the influence of the spirit (2 Cor. 4. 16). His petition is that this inner man, reborn through grace and sanctified by the spirit, may be fortified, may give himself up entirely to the influence of that spirit, and may be nothing else but a true Christian in his thoughts, words and actions, a temple of the Holy Spirit, from whom he receives life. If this is carried out, then religion will become the true guide and dominant influence in the life of the faithful and in all that they do. Paul asks and prays that this fortifying of the interior man may be in proportion to the glory of God, whom he begs to pour out his graces with generosity and power, just as he did in the work of our redemp- iay Christ find a dwelling place, through faith, in your •·· is the second petition. Every Christian should be able to ’aul’s own words : I live, now not I ; but Christ liveth in me 20). On this occasion the apostle wants this life of Christ aur hearts to be so stable, so imbued with the Holy Spirit, would be enough to see a Christian in order to see Christ . Our life in Christ and his life in us, thanks to faith, corn­ er baptism. This faith of which he speaks is not merely the tual assent to divine teaching; it is that faith which works 1 charity (John 14. 23; Gal. 5. 6). It includes an impulse s God, the principle and the goal of revelation. The Christian is turned his heart into a dwelling-place for Christ has not r sin and there is no place for it in his life. nay your lives be rooted in love . . . third prayer is a consequence of the former. The life of Christ hearts of his disciples shows itself in charity’, which embraces and all his followers. It is then that a man becomes strong; lat he is able to understand the length and breadth, height and of the mystery of the redemption. e makes the intellect keener, and so the more our lives arc lated by the love of Christ the more perfectly shall we underhis mysteries and the intimate link up between all the truths th. Christ is known, in this sense, according as he is loved, specific object of this knowledge at the moment in Paul’s is the abundance of God’s gifts to men as typified in Christ, nan without love, without grace, could perhaps write a magni: treatise on dogmatic theology, but a St Thérèse would know etter than he what it means to love and to know God, what is ove of Christ for us and his work within us. Love produces a ■ * ' GENERAL COMMENTS ■ 203 kind of intuitive knowledge of the thing loved, and supernatural love above all produces an increase of graces which, on its part, en­ lightens the mind to see things in the right way. This means, in effect, to live the truths which are thus made more clear in our minds. (g) the love of Christ, to know what passes knowledge: The fourth petition ; the knowledge of the love of Christ which is based on our own spiritual experience, and then we shall see that no amount of knowledge will ever exhaust those riches of Christ. (h) May you be filled with all the completion which God has to give: The knowledge of the charity of Christ will fill us with love, then will take place that mutual connection and influence; grace in­ creasing love, and love increasing grace within us, until the God who is love fills our hearts. (i) He whose power is at work in us ... A doxology with which Paul ends this dogmatic section of the Epistle. 3. Applica tions : There are so many that it would be impossible to mention them all or even to give a summary of them. Much has been written about the Mystery of Christ, and no matter how much is written, it can all be reduced to the development of the symphony of his love, manifested by the redemption and our incorporation in him as our Head. From this incorporation and our divine sonship by adoption follows the brotherhood of all men, to which the apostle refers in verse 14. What is more, the powrer of the Spirit and the knowledge which he will give us of the love of Christ and of the whole depths of the riches of this mystery afford ample scope for themes for preaching. Μ I hi I 1 Ί ;i B: The Gospel: Luke 14. ι-ιι i. Occasion and argument: (a) The last journey of the Lord: This last journey of Christ from Galilee to Jerusalem presents many difficulties from the chronological point of view. Christ left Galilee, after complaining about the three main cities there, Capharnaum, Bethsaida and Corozain. He leaves the north and moves into Judaea, where he spends several months. During those months he went several times to Jerusalem and even made one or two hurried visits to Galilee, on one of \vhich he healed the ten lepers. The story in today’s Gospel took place during those first few months and possibly in the region on the other side of the Jordan, where the Jewish hatred was not so strong. This passage contains 204 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST the scene, but with two very different parts; in the one we have the cure of the sick man, and the question of whether or not it was lawful to heal on the sabbath; while in the second we have a lesson in humility. During his stay in Judaea Christ enters into a synagogue on the sabbath and begins to preach. Among those present there was a woman who had been ill for eighteen years, so bent, from arthritis possibly, that she could not look up. Seeing this, Christ says to her: W oman, thou art rid of thy infirmity. The woman, cured, at once begins to give thanks to God, but the ruler of the synagogue, not willing to attack Jesus directly, addresses the multitude : You have six days on which work is allowed ; you should come and be healed on those days, not on the sabbath. For this zealous man the miracle means nothing—it is the sabbath which is all-important. Christ is indignant. What, you hypocrites, he says, is there any one of you that will not untie his ox or his ass from the stall and take them down to water, when it is the sabbath ? Truly, the untying of a knot was one of the things mentioned in the thirty-nine groups of actions forbidden on the sabbath day. However, in the case of domestic animals it was permitted. Christ goes on to the logical conclusion. And here is this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound these eighteen years past; was it wrong that she should be delivered on the sabbath day from bonds like these ? It was a common thing to attribute all illness to Satan. If there was any day of the week when it would be opportune to demonstrate the victory of Good over evil, surelv it was the sabbath ! J (b) The second scene: This takes place, not in the synagogue, but in the house of one of the notable Pharisees, who had invited Jesus to eat with him. Again it is the sabbath and the Pharisees are on the watch for him. Suddenly the occasion appears; a man with dropsy comes to Jesus in the hope of being cured. Then Christ turns to the lawyers and Pharisees and asks them: Is healing allowed on the sabbath day? They kept silent, even though in many of their writings the question had already been discussed and solved. Seeing this, Christ takes the man by the hand and sends him away cured. Afterwards he turns to those who would not reply to his question and says: Is there any of you who will not pull out his ass or his ox immediately, if it falls into a pit on the sabbath ? According to Luke, this also went without an answer. (c) The first seats at the table : The lack of bitterness against Christ among these Pharisees of Transjordan is amply demonstrated by the fact that the meal went on a long time and that many were the questions brought up for discussion, beginning with this one of the first seats at table. GENERAL COMMENTS 205 They would not have been Pharisees if they had not sought the places of honour nearest the host: That couch is mine; no, it is mine, who am more worthy. Who do you think you are? More worthy ? I am older and more learned that you are, etc., etc.... For people who Jived entirely by externals these petty questions of precedence were very important. Christ intervenes, comments on what is happening and then puts them to shame by showing them that they are not even sufficiently intelligent to know the best means of obtaining what they want. (d) Eternal reward : Having put them to shame in this way, Christ goes on to teach them another lesson; he teaches them how to obtain, not the material advantage of a return invitation, but a spiritual one—an eternal reward for kindness and charity. When they give hospitality it should be to those in need; the cripples, the lame, the blind. Then he adds that the reward will come when the just rise again. It is plain that this is a commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, as are so many other things which Jesus said and did; it is not an earthlyreward which should be sought, but a heavenly one. Treasures in heaven ! It is more blessed to give than to receive. 2. Texts: (a) As he went into the house . . . The first lesson—Christ assisted at a social function, such as this meal. The Lord’s Day is not a sad day of the week, nor is it for­ bidden, once our religious obligations have been fulfilled, to take lawful recreation, and rest from the weekly labours. It is also clear that Christ did not refuse such invitations, even when they came from his enemies. (b) they were watching him. These Pharisees of Transjordan were not bitter enemies, like the others, but neither were they friends ; they show us on this occasion an example of the kind of person who smiles at us to our face and then destroys our reputation or good name in secret. If there is one thing we must hate it is this false hypocrisy. Christ himself was kind and patient with all who were stupid, forgiving to the woman taken in adultery ; his last words of mercy were for a robber ; but we find him full of anger and uttering the most terrible threats against hypocrisy. (c) Here his eye was met by the sight of a man w ho had the dropsy. Perhaps the very Pharisees had planted him there to see what Christ would do and so bring up the old question of healing on the sabbath. The dilemma was obvious; Christ would have to choose between the doctrine of the Pharisees and his mercy. 206 t SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (cl) Is healing allowed on the sabbath day ? Christ gets the question in first; he wishes them to solve it. There is no need to go very deeply into this question. The law of the Pharisees was very strict on the point and their interpretation of the law had made it ridiculous and impossible. However, in treating with Jesus, even the Pharisees went beyond their own strict inter­ pretation of the law; the reason is simple. They could not deny the fact of his miracles, but it is difficult at times to distinguish between wonders done by God and those which the devil can produce, as a fallen angel. The only clue is this: in the wonders wrought by Satan there will always be something evil, something which reveals their origin. If they could show that, in working his miracles, Jesus disobeyed the law of Moses, then it might help to discredit him in the eyes of the people. In this case he himself accuses them of going beyond even their own strict interpretation of the law, since although they said that it was unlawful even to untie a knot on the sabbath, there were exceptions to this rule, in the case of domestic animals or sudden emergencies. To pull an ox or ass out of a pit into which it has fallen is a harder task than that of untying a simple knot. Yet they allowed it. Christ, who could not even see a case of sickness without doing something about it, argues with them in such terms that they are silenced—there is no reply, and they know it. (e) do not sit down in the chief place . . . The parable, if it can be called one, is so clear that there is little need to explain it. Our Lord is here giving them a rule of prudent conduct based on Proverbs 25. 6-7; and also a lesson in humility. But undoubtedly his thoughts are fixed on that heavenly banquet at his coming, in which the Father will give the highest places in heaven to the humble of heart. That the humble shall be exalted is the real lesson of this parable. 3. Applications: In selecting the texts from the writings of the Fathers and other spiritual authors our intention has been to insist on two points ; first, the true Christian concept of adoration and religion. Our religious life must be interior and exterior. Interior, because otherwise it is hypocrisy; exterior, because we are men, made up of material and spiritual, and also have social obligations as a community. The two elements must be joined in such a way that the interior spirit dominates the exterior, but both are necessary. In our exterior cult the day of days is Sunday, when Mass is of obligation. The desire of the Church has always been that the Sunday Mass should be a social, as well as an individual act of worship. This is true of the family group as much as it is true of the parish as a whole. There is nothing which serves to keep the family THE FATHERS 207 united so much as prayer in common, especially when that prayer is the finest of all prayers—the Mass. The second idea is that of humility and a despising of the honours offered by this world—a theme which we have spoken about very frequently already. SECTION III. THE FATHERS I. ST GREGORY NAZIANZEN (Some extracts from his apologia entitled The Christian Philosopher) Counsels on various subjects Age: Are you still in the flower of youth ? Then you will fight valiantly against all sinful movements of the soul and will reap the harvest of not giving in to those inclinations to which such an age is exposed. Instead you will give proof of aged prudence in a young and virile body, and you will obtain more pleasure from this victory than from any crown awarded in the games. Because then you will win the palm before the whole world, a palm beyond compare. Are you entering on old age ? If so, you will not allow your spirit to grow old, but will await death as a time of your certain liberty; you will go forth from this, full content with that state which comes afterwards, in which none are children, nor are there any old men, but all are perfect adults in the state of perfection. 1. 2. Bodily beauty: Have you beauty of body ? Then see to it that the beauty of your soul will stand comparison with it. Has that flower of beauty passed ? Has it closed, so that now it cannot be seen, perhaps even seeming ugly to the sight ? Well, it will still be wonderful in beauty in regard to those things which are not visible. Like the rose, which is changed later into a berry neither flowering nor perfumed. He who was the most beautiful of all the sons of men (Ps. 44. 3) wastes no time in contemplating exteriors, but turns his eyes to what is within. 3. Health: Have you good health ? Then make use of that strength of body as well as possible; you will warn, reprove, pass the night in vigils, sleeping on the ground, weaken and debilitate the grossness of the body; discuss heavenly things and earthly, meditate with attention on death. Do you find yourself suffering some illness? You will III 2O8 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST fight; and should you be overcome you will really gain the victory, namely that of never having to fight again. 4. Riches: Do you possess an abundance of riches? If so, you will do what you can to become poorer; you will share your goods with the poor man, as if you were an administrator of goods not your own, so that he may be helped by the benefits he receives and be reunited to God. Do you find yourself in need ? You will have God for your riches, you will laugh at the rich, as at people who, for all their wealth, are nevertheless poor, because they have need of many things. They drink,* onlv to thirst the more. * Are you troubled by hunger? You will feed together with the birds of the air, who sow not, neither do they reap; you will live like Elias in the house of the widow woman; the crock of oil will not diminish nor the flour.... Are you thirsty ? The fountains and rivers will give you to drink, but a drink which does not make you drunk nor is it given in any measure. Are you cold ? The same thing happened to St Paul. 5. Persecutions and insults: But let us turn our attention to things which are more perfect. Are you attacked with insults ? You will overcome by not returning them. Are you afflicted by persecutions ? You will put up with them. Are you the object of cursings? You will exhort and beseech. Calumnies? You will pray. Are you struck on the right cheek ? You will also present the other, and even a third if you had it, better to exhort him who wounds you to use meekness and kindness, teaching in deeds what you cannot put into words. Are you the object of hate ? Christ will be honoured by your company in his affliction; even were you to be called a Samaritan, accused of working through the medium of the devil; you will receive all this, together with your God. How­ ever much you may have suffered, there are still many trials for you to undergo; there is the gall, crown of thorns, the sceptre of reed, the purple garment, the cross, the nails, the thieves crucified with you and the mocking passers-by. It is meet that God should carry the greater burden, being made an object of scorn for having suffered more torments and cruelties. Π. ST AUGUSTINE (Some extracts from Serm. 88. PL. 38, 539-540) A: Christ, our physician, yesterday and today Our physician: You know well, as I do, that our God and Saviour Jesus Christ is the physician of our eternal salvation and that, if he has taken on I. THE FATHERS 209 him our infirmities, it is so that they may not last for ever. He took upon himself our mortal body to destroy death in it, although crucified in our weakness, as the apostle says, he lies in the power of God (2 Cor. 13. 4). And since he can no longer die, death hath no more dominion over him. (Rom. 6. 9.) These points of doctrine are very clear in our faith; just as you know that his miracles serve[for our spiritual learning, so that we may know what it is which will not pass or ever have an end. He opened the eyes of the blind, those eyes which death would one day close; he raised Lazarus, who would have to meet death again; but all he did for the health of the body was not done so that they would last for ever, even though one day he intends to give them immortality, but so that, since what is not seen is not believed, faith in the invisible might be increased by means of things visible. 2. The gift offaith: Christ did all that to invite us to believe, and that faith is fervent today in the Church, spread over the whole world; now there are greater cures performed, those cures for which he deigned to perform those lesser ones. As the soul is worth more than the body, so the health of the soul is better than the health of the body. Now it is not the body without sight which is cured by the Lord. It is the blind heart which opens its eyes to his words. Now he may not raise up a mortal body, but he raises the soul which lies dead in a living body. Nowadays it is not the deaf bodily ears which are opened, but many there are with deaf hearts, and these are opened when the Word of God enters therein, so that those who did not believe may have the faith, that they may live well who lived evil lives and the disobedient may obey. Sometimes we say: That man believes, and we are astonished because we knew his hardness of heart. But why do you wonder when you see him believe, become an innocent servant of God; it is because he sees, whom you knew to be blind ; he lives, whom you thought to be dead; because you notice that he now hears, whom you knew was deaf? B : The three kinds of pardon 1. Baptismal: In Holy Scripture we find three possible kinds of penance. Even in order to approach baptism, in which all sins are wiped out, it is necessary to do penance for the former life. No one can take on a new life without being sorry for the old one. . . . 2. Penance in alms and pardon: Now let me speak to you about another kind of penance. .. which is at our disposal every day. How shall I prove to you that this exists ? no SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST I can find no better quotation with which to support my claim than the daily prayer which Christ taught us and in which he shows us that we must ask the Father to: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us. And what debtors are these of whom he speaks ? They can only be our sins.. .. Here he teaches us to pray and also gives the answer to him who prays. He knows how these things are dealt with in heaven and how we should make our petitions. Do you wish to be forgiven ? Then forgive. What have you that you can give to the God from whom you beg so much ? Does Christ still walk this earth ? Can you receive him into your house with joy? Can you give him hospitality and a meal, like Aiartha ? He needs not such things who sits at the right hand of the Father; but when Jvou do it to one of these little ones,3 *7 *you do it to me.... Give to the poor and the hungry, and perhaps you will have less than you had before, but it will be in your own house, not in heaven, and perhaps even on this earth, he to whom you have given in order to obey Christ may reward you. . . . You are God’s workman; when you give to a poor man you sow in the winter that you may reap in summer. Why do you fear, as a pagan might, that such a great Lord and father of his family, living in such a great house, will not feed his workmen? There will be more than enough for your clothing; God "will always give enough to those in need, but not to the avaricious. Extend your hand and work with courage ! 3. Alms: Of course you will notice, as I have said, that there is less in your own home when you give alms, because you cannot see it until God returns it to you. But tell me; when you pardon from your heart are your goods diminished? When you forgive one who has sinned against you, have you less in your heart ? You pardon, and you lose nothing. A fountain of charity has entered your heart and springs forth there in abundance. You hold on to some hatred against your brother? Y’ou have blocked up the fountain. When you pardon, not only have you not lost anything, but you have received an abundance. Charity never leads to scarcity.... I will be avenged, you say; he shall pay for it; I will make him see to it. Yes; you bum with hate, you are consumed with it, you are restless—you who, had you pardoned, might have been safe, you might have prayed in safety. What is it you have to do ? Pray. But how can you? You are full of hate and anger, you threaten revenge, you do not pardon from the heart. The time for prayer has arrived, you begin to say those words and at last you reach the phrase which I have mentioned. What do you do? Do you refuse to forgive your enemy? Then you separate yourself from Christ. Yes; you stop praying and you do not wish to say: Forgive us our debts as we THE FATHERS 211 forgive our debtors, because you do not dare to continue; lest he should say to you : I forgive you as you forgive others. You do not dare to say it because you do not dare to forgive.... 4. Sacramental penance: It only remains for me to talk about the last kind of penance. . . . There exists another kind of penance in the Church which is harder and more difficult; which is that of the penitents who are prevented from sharing in the Sacrament of the altar, lest by receiving it unworthily, they should eat and drink their own condemnation. It is a difficult penance; perhaps they have committed homicide, perhaps adultery or sacrilege. A grave affair and a serious wound; but the physician is omnipotent. After the temptation and the delectation you pass to acts. You are like a corpse which is four days in the tomb, evil smelling, but the Lord does not abandon you even then, instead he cries out: Lazarus, come forth. The evil of the tomb gives way before the voice of mercy; death gives way to life. It gives way, but in bonds, as men are in bonds who make their confession. They come forth from death, because if they had not confessed they would never have left that sad state. Confession means to come forth from that dark place. But what does the Lord say to his Church : Whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Christ hands Lazarus over to the Church when he tells his disciples to loose his bonds. Some say that we increase sin by promising to sinners the way of sacramental penance. But were this door to be shut, would the sinner not add far more sins to those he has already committed, in desperation at not finding pardon? Then one would say: I have sinned; I have committed a crime and I cannot wait for it to be pardoned through the penance which I may do. I shall be condemned. Why, then, should I not live as I please. Since I cannot find charity here, at least I can satisfy my desires. Why should I deny myself anything ? They have closed their doors to me; even though I should mortify myself here below, I still lose. Since I cannot attain the future life, why should I not obtain some pleasure from this and do what is wrong, but which is at least agreeable ? If you close the door to sacramental penance you will increase sin through desperation. But just as God provided a remedy so that despair should not increase the number of sins, so he knows well how to give us hope, so as not to increase their number. ... So that despair will not increase their number he has opened the door of sacramental confession; so that hope will not increase them, he has kept secret from us the moment of our death. 212 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST ΠΙ. ST BERNARD On the grades of humility (Extracts from his sermon on the subject) The way of humility: The way is by the road of humility, which leads to truth ; one is work, the other a reward. How do we know that he is talking about ire, when he says merely : I am the way. See how clearly i this when he says: Learn of me, because I am meek and heart. He gives us himself as a model of humility and If you follow him and imitate him you will not walk in >ut in the full light of life. Because what is the light of life h? i. to light and truth: ghts up the whole man, and even’ man who comes into showing him where true life is. That is why, after saying: ay, he adds : and life. As if he would tell us : I am the way Is to truth; I am the truth which promises life; I am the is given you. Truly; this is eternal life, that they may know >nly true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. our strength to follow this road: ay: I consider the road to be followed, namely, humility; s fruit, which is truth; but, alas, what is to become of me >urs which await me are so tiring that I am afraid of never t the desired goal ? To this the Lord answers : I am the way, um which will sustain you on the road. He shouts out to ) have erred and have mistaken the road through ignorance to them: I am the way. He calls out to those who are 1 those who doubt through lack of faith, I am the truth; ) those who faint at the up-hill climb, I am the life. I think efficiently proved that, from this very’ chapter of the Gospel, ;e of the truth is the fruit of humility. Father, who art Lord i and earth, I give thee praise that thou hast hidden all this the secrets of the truth) from the wise and prudent, and it to little children (who are the humble). It is clear from this : the truth,hidden from the proud, is revealed to the humble. lition of humility: ility may be defined thus: it is a virtue by which man, ring and seeing his own defects and miseries, thinks little self. rity the goal attained through humility: le to me, all ye that labour and are burdened ; I will give you Lome, he says. Where? To me, who am the truth. How? Bv ST THOMAS AQUINAS 2t3 humility. With what hope of results ? I will give you rest. But what kind of rest and help is this which Truth promises to those who climb the steep hill and which he gives to those who have already reached the summit? Possibly it is charity. Because St Benedict says that it is to this virtue that the monk attains once he has ascended by all the steps of humility. 0 sweet and gentle food of charity, which refreshes those who are tired, gives new strength to the weak, fills the sad hearts with joy and for all of us makes the yoke of Truth sweet and his burden light. SECTION IV. A THEOLOGIAN ST THOMAS AQUINAS Magnanimity, Presumption and Ambition i. Magnanimity: (a) It is concerned with honours: Magnanimity, by its very name, denotes stretching forth of the mind to great things ... a man is said to be magnanimous chiefly because he is minded to do some great act. Now an act may be called great in two ways; in one way pro­ portionately, in another absolutely. An act may be called great proportionately, even if it consist in the use of some small or ordinary thing, if, for instance, one make a ver}’· good use of it; but an act is simply and absolutely great when it consists in the best use of the greatest things (2-2. q. 129 a. 1. c). On the other hand, some passions have great power of resistance to reason arising from the external things themselves that are the objects of those passions; such are the love of money or of honour. And for these it is necessary to have a virtue not only regarding that which is greatest in those passions, but also about that which is ordinary or little; because things external, though they be little, are very desirable, as being necessary for human life. Hence with regard to the desire of money there are two virtues, one about ordinary or little sums of money, namely liberality, and another about large sums of money, namely magnificence . . . with regard to great honours there is magnanimity. Wherefore we must conclude that the proper matter of magnanimity is great honour and that a magnanim­ ous man tends to such things as are deserving of honour [ibid. a. 2). He that makes good use of great things is much more able to make good use of little things. Accordingly the magnanimous man looks upon great honours as a thing of which he is worthy, or even little honours as something he deserves, because, to wit, man cannot sufficiently honour virtue which deserves to be honoured by God. I i I IB i · SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Hence he is not uplifted by great honours, because he does not deem them above him; rather does he despise them, and much more such as are ordinary or little. In like manner he is not cast down by dishonour, but despises it, since he recognizes that he does not deserve it (ibid, ad ÿum). (b) Its relation to humility: There is in man something great which he possesses through the gift of God, and something defective which accrues to him through the weakness of nature. Accordingly’, magnanimity makes a man deem himself worthy’ of great things in consideration of the gifts he holds from God; thus if his soul is endowed with great virtue, magnanimity makes him tend to perfect works of virtue; and the same is to be said of the use of any other good, such as science or external fortune. On the other hand, humility makes a man think little of himself in consideration ofhis own deficiency, and magnanim­ ity makes him despise others in so far as they’ fall away from God’s gifts; since he does not think so much of others as to do anything wrong for their sake. Yet humility makes us honour others and esteem them better than ourselves, in so far as we see some of God’s gifts in them... (a. 3. ad \um). (c) Its relation to fortitude: It is clear that magnanimity agrees with fortitude in confirming the mind about some difficult matter; but it falls short thereof, in that it confirms the mind about a matter wherein it is easier to stand firm. Hence magnanimity is reckoned a part of fortitude, because it is annexed thereto as secondary to principal (art. 5. c). (d) Confidence and magnanimity: Now it has been stated that magnanimity’ is chiefly about the hope of something difficult. Wherefore, since confidence denotes a certain strength of hope arising from some observation which gives one a strong opinion that one will obtain a certain good, it follows that confidence belongs to magnanimity (art. 6. c). (e) Security and magnanimity: As the philosopher says: fear makes a man take counsel, because, to wit, he takes care to avoid what he fears. Now security takes its name from the removal of this care, of which fear is the cause; wherefore security denotes perfect freedom of the mind from fear, just as confidence denotes strength of hope. Now, as hope directly’ belongs to magnanimity, so fear directly regards fortitude. Wherefore as confidence belongs immediately to magnanimity', so security belongs immediately to fortitude. It must be observed, however, that as hope is the cause of daring, so is fear the cause of despair. . . . Wherefore as confidence belongs indirectly to fortitude, in so far as it makes use of daring, so security’ ST THOMAS AQUINAS 215 belongs indirectly to magnanimity, in so far as it banishes despair (art. 7). What (f) the magnanimous does and avoids: Since the magnanimous tends to great things, it follows that he tends chiefly to things that involve a certain excellence, and shuns those that imply defect. Now it savours of excellence that a man is beneficent, generous and grateful. Wherefore he shows himself ready to perform actions of this kind, but not as acts of the other virtues. On the other hand it is a proof of defect, that a man thinks so much of certain external goods or evils, that for their sake he abandons or gives up justice or any virtue w’hatever. Again, all concealment of the truth indicates a defect, because by so doing the mind seems to give way to external evils. Wherefore these and like things the magnanimous man avoids under a special aspect, inasmuch as they are contrary to his excellence or greatness (art. 4. ad 2uni). 2. Presumption: (a) A sin: Hence it is vicious and sinful, as contrary to the natural order, that anyone should assume to do that which is above his power: and this is w'hat is meant by presumption, as its ver}7 name shows. (b) Opposed to magnanimity by excess: Magnanimity observes the mean, not as regards the quality of that to which it tends, but in proportion to our own ability; for it does not tend to anything greater than is becoming to us. Now the presumptuous man, as regards that to which he tends, does not exceed the magnanimous, but sometimes falls far short of him: but he does exceed in proportion to his own ability, whereas the magnanimous man does not exceed his. It is in this way that presumption is opposed to magnanimity by excess (q. 130. a. 2. c). 3. Ambition: (a) It is a sin: Honour denotes reverence shown to a person in witness of his excellence. Now two things have to be considered with regard to man’s honour. The first is that man has not from himself the thing in which he excels, for this is, as it were, something divine in him, wherefore honour is due principally, not to him but to God. The second point that calls for observation is that the thing in which man excels is given to him by God, that he may profit others thereby: wherefore a man ought so far to be pleased that others bear witness to his excellence, as this enables him to profit others. Now the desire of honour may be inordinate in three ways. First, when a man desires recognition of an excellence which he has not; • -■<· 216 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST this is to desire more than his share of honour. Secondly, when a man desires honour for himself without referring it to God. Thirdly, when a man’s appetite rests in honour itself, without referring it to the profit of others. Since then ambition denotes inordinate desire of honour, it is evident that it is always a sin (q. 131. a. 1. c). (b) Opposed to magnanimity: Ambition signifies inordinate love of honour. Now magnanimity is above honours and makes use of them in a becoming manner. Wherefore it is evident that ambition is opposed to magnanimity' as the inordinate to that which is well ordered (art. 2. c). (c) Dignities : Honour is due to those who are in a position of dignity, on account of a certain excellence of their estate: and accordingly inordinate desire for positions of dignity' pertains to ambition. For if a man were to have an inordinate desire for a position of dignity', not for the sake of honour, but for the sake ofa right use of a dignity exceed­ ing his ability, he would not be ambitious but presumptuous (a. 2 ad 2um). G » » SECTION V. SPIRITUAL WRITERS I. ST TERESA OF AVILA Love for honours Perfection demands that we despise honours: I believe myself that a soul which attains to this state neither speaks nor does anything of itself, but that this sovereign King takes care of all that it has to do. Oh, my God, how clear is the meaning of that verse about asking for the wings of a dove and how right the author was—and how right we shall all be !—to ask for them ! It is evident that he is referring to the flight taken by the spirit when it soars high above all created things, and above itself first of all ; but it is a gentle and a joyful flight and also a silent one. What power is that of a soul brought hither by the Lord, which can look upon everything without being ensnared by it! How ashamed it is of the time when it was attached to everything ! How amazed it is at its blindness! How it pities those who are still blind, above all if they are persons of prayer to whom God is still granting favours! It would like to cry aloud to them and show them how mistaken they are, and sometimes it does in fact do so and brings down a thousand persecutions upon its head.... It is weary of the time when it paid heed to niceties concerning its own honour, and of the mistaken belief which it had that what the I. ; f » SPIRITUAL WRITERS 217 world calls honour is really so. It now knows that to be a sheer lie and a lie in which we are all living. It realizes that genuine honour is not deceptive, but true; that it values what has worth and despises that which has none; for what passes away and is not pleasing to God, is worth nothing and less than nothing. It laughs at itself and at the time when it set any store by money and coveted it.... What is there that can be bought with this money which people desire ? Is there anything valuable? Is there anything lasting? If not, why do we desire it ? It is but a miserable ease with which it provides us and one that costs us very dear. Often it provides hell for us; it buys us eternal fire and endless affliction. Oh, if all would agree to con­ sider it as useless dross, how well the world would get on, and how little trafficking there would be! How friendly we should all be with one another if nobody were interested in money and honour! I really believe this would be a remedy for everything. 2. The desire for honours in spiritua l people : When the Lord begins to implant a virtue in us, it must be esteemed very highly and we must on no account run the risk of losing it. So it is in matters concerning our reputation and in many others. Your Reverence can be quite sure that we are not all com­ pletely detached when we think we are and it is essential that we should never be careless about this. If any person wishing to make progress in spiritual matters finds that he is becoming punctilious about his reputation, let him believe what I say and put this attach­ ment right behind him, for it is a chain which no file can sever: only God can break it with the aid of prayer and effort on our part. It seems to me to be an impediment on this road and I am amazed at the harm it does. I see some people whose actions are very holy and who do such wonderful things that everyone is astonished at them. God bless me, then ! Why are such souls still on earth ? How is it that they have not reached the summit of perfection ? What is the reason for this ? What can it be that is impeding one who is doing so much for God ? Why, simply his punctiliousness about his reputation ! And the worst of it is that this sort of person will not realize that he is guilty of such a thing, the reason sometimes being that the devil tells him that punctiliousness is incumbent upon him. Let such people believe me, then; for the love of the Lord let them believe this little ant, for she speaks because it is the Lord’s will that she should do so. If they fail to remove this caterpillar, it may not hurt the whole tree, for some of the other virtues will remain, but they will all be worm-eaten. The tree will not be beauti­ ful; it will neither prosper itself nor allow the trees near it to do so, for the fruit of good example which it bears is not at all healthy and will not last for long. I repeat this; however slight may be our concern for our reputation, the result of it will be as bad as when 218 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST we play a wrong note, or make a mistake in time, in playing the organ—the whole passage will become discordant. Such concern is a thing which harms the soul whenever it occurs; but in the life of prayer it is pestilential. You are trying to attain union with God. We want to follow the counsels of Christ, on whom were showered insults and false witness. Are we, then, so anxious to keep intact our reputation and credit? We cannot do so and yet attain to union, for the two ways diverge. When we exert our utmost efforts and try in various ways to forgo our rights, the Lord comes to the soul. Some will say: I have nothing to forgo: I never get an opportunity' of giving up anything. But if anyone has this determination I do not believe the Lord will ever allow him to lose so great a blessing. His Majesty will arrange so many ways in which he may gain this virtue that he will soon have more than he wants. I would urge you, then, to set to work and root out things which are of little or no consequence, just as I used to do when I began—or, at least, some of them. They are mere straws; and, as I have said, I throw them on the fire. I am incapable of doing more than that, but the Lord accepts it; may he be blessed for ever. J Π. ST FRANCIS DE SALES Simplicity (The lack of simplicity of heart was something which Christ always attacked wherever he found it. St Francis has many delightful things to say about this virtue, but space forces us to limit ourselves to one passage on which he points out that it is, above all, a simple way to sanctity and a safe one. Cf. Spiritual Conversations, chap, xvi.) Allow yourself to be guided by your superiors: Let us say a few words about that simplicity of heart which allows us to be guided by God and our superiors in spiritual matters. There are souls so confident of their own powers that they desire to be guided by none but the Holy Spirit, and they imagine that all the thoughts which come to their minds are inspirations from him; that he takes them by the hand and leads them in all that they undertake. They deceive themselves. Tell me, was there ever such a special vocation as that of St Paul, whom our Lord himself converted ? Yet he did not choose to instruct him directly; instead he sent him to Damascus telling him that there he would find a man who would direct him (Acts 9. 4-7). St Paul could have replied: Lord, why do not you tell me? He did not even hint at such a thing but with simplicity did as he was told. Do we imagine that we are more favoured than St Paul, imagining that God himself will come to guide us without the help of any creature ?... I. SPIRITUAL WRITERS 219 2. The safest way: Certainly, not all can follow the same path and not all know by which path God is calling them. Only our superiors, to whom God has granted a special light, can teach us this. We should not say: They do not know me well. We must believe that they do know us and be mindful of the fact that obedience and submission are certain signs of true inspiration. But I do not find consolation in the practices they lay down for me, while I find great pleasure in others. That may be, but neither the goodness of an action should be judged by the pleasure which it give us, nor is it necessary to cling to one’s own satisfaction, because that would be to keep the flower and throw away the fruit. You will gain little advantage from practices of piety which you undertake to follow your own impulses, which are die results of self love. That love, under the pretext of good, only wishes to take pleasure in a vain esteem of itself. There is no doubt that our good consists in allowing ourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit without any reserve ; that is what true simplicity desires, that simplicity so often recommended by our Lord. Be simple as doves, he told us (Matt. 10. 16). m. BOSSUET On worldly honours (Extracts or summary from a sermon preached before the Court on the Wednesday of the second week of Lent.) 1. To detect true from false honour we must appreciate three W,| things: (a) the price and value of the things, to see if they are vain; (b) their conformity with reason, so as to see if vice is present; (c) the right order of things, so that when virtue receives its due honour, that shall be directed towards God, the author of all good things. 2. Vain honour: We must be like children as far as any malice is concerned (i Cor. 14. 20) but not with regard to our sentiments and feelings. There is a childish element in all of us which age does not seem to mature, at least not easily—it can last a long time. The most childish of all man’s defects is the seeking of honour in things which are only passing. So men seek to shine in exterior pomp rather than in the virtues of their life; ornaments of vanity rather than beauty of virtue. Chrysostom gives us the reason: Having lost the One Good, man tries to collect about him all these petty goods, begging on all sides for that glory which he can no longer find in his own conscience. ? « 1 220 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Yet there is something great in all men—because all have been created to possess God. Just as God is great because he has nothing but himself, so man is only great when he has nothing but God. Yet in our pride we make the mistake of thinking that, in exterior things, we can find what has been lost when we lost God. People do not admire us, they admire our external splendour. Chrysostom says again: Exterior vanity is a sure sign of interior poverty. 3. The chains of vanity: Vanity, if it only remained there, would not be so bad perhaps, but it reins in charity, and by drying up the source of alms, dries up also the graces of Christianity. But why talk about alms; vanity does not even permit a man to pay his debts at times; it places in danger maidens’ virtue. .. . Then there is the vanity of the learned men of our time who, as soon as they think they have a little talent, are capable of boring the whole world with their sayings and doings, and because they know how to arrange a few words in a certain order, or are capable of measuring a verse or two, they think that they are also capable of talking about anything and with authority. 4. Evil honours: Evil cannot be praised for its own sake; but what if it takes on the appearances of virtue or necessity? Then it can deceive many. Is there anything worse than detraction? Yet, when it is disguised under the name of plain speaking, necessary criticism, etc., then all let it pass and it can even be taken for a virtue. Thus honour is given to vice. Those who do not know much about precious stones allow themselves to be deceived by false ones. So it is in this case. But God is not deceived ; in his kingdom of justice and truth names matter little; it is the reality which counts. 5. True honour: This is due to Christian virtue in all its forms, especially when it knows how to refer all honour and glory to God, to whom it is due. God is the only one who can, with justice, take all honour to himself. The rest of creatures have to admit that without God they can do nothing and are nothing. Therefore he is the one to whom they owe their virtue. IV. J.-B. MASSILLON (Summary of parts of the sermon for the Wednesday in the third week of Lent.) The purpose of the sermon is to correct two opposite errors; that of those who despise external practices of religion ; and those who ignoring the essential part of the law—the internal—are content with externals merely. SPIRITUAL WRITERS 221 1. External religion is not a useless thing: It springs naturally from the interior love of God ; it is due to God ; it is also due to man, who is made up of body and soul. He is not pure spirit and needs these things to act on his interior fervour. 2. It is commanded by revelation: We are told that we must confess with our lips what we believe in our hearts : (a) to give glory to God ; (b) so as not to hide entirely the secret favours he has granted us; (c) so as to confute injustice and proclaim God to those who do not serve him; (d) to edify our neighbours; (e) to give strength to the weaker brethren against the attacks of the world ; (f) to undo scandals and show our conversion openly; (g) to console the just and help them to praise the divine mercy. 3. It is not something for the simple people: But it does belong to holy simplicity to make use of it. Nor is it necessarily useless because some do, in fact, abuse it. 4. Interior religion: God asks us for our hearts and religion is a thing of the heart. External practices, without interior piety, are useless—and perhaps more than useless. Yet in many other things, in hatreds, pleasures, projects for the future, etc., man’s heart goes further than his exterior actions; but in religion this is not always the case. In religious matters it is so easy to be satisfied with the externals and allow the interior spirit of religion to diminish in us or vanish altogether. We think that we can even deceive the God who said that he would not be content with lip service. The example of the Jews should teach us that externals without the interior spirit are harmful. What really counts is the interior mortification. 5. Conclusion: Avoid the two extremes. Prudent and solid virtue demands the mean; it is caprice merely which loves excesses. Let us add nothing of our own to our religion. From the moment we try to make an alloy between religion and our own tastes and pleasure, from that moment it is changed either into a cold, dry philosophy, dependent on reason, and with no room for things of the heart; or it becomes pure superstition, which both reason and faith despise and condemn. 222 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST SECTION VI. LITERARY COMMENTS A: The Sabbath in the life of the Jewish people '· i 4i IÎ The command to keep the sabbath day had more influence on the Jewish nation than any other, not just now and again, but every seven daN's. Any transgression of it would be noticed at once by anyone and more easily than other violations of the law. The doctors had made a list of thirty-nine occupations which were forbidden on the sabbath. But the evil did not lay in this, but in the way in which they were interpreted. In this, as in other things, the Pharisees inoculated a germ which was highly poisonous into the whole of the law. Since our Lord was condemned on so many occasions for his violation of the sabbath we include here a summary of the more important precepts on this point, laid down by the doctors of the law. According to the law it was forbidden to ‘harvest’ on the sabbath. The concept of harvesting was amplified to include such things as climbing a tree to throw down ripe figs. According to the doctors of the law no one could eat such fruits, nor even those which had fallen from the tree on the sabbath. For the same reason a housewife was forbidden to use eggs which the hen had laid on the sabbath. The prophets had opposed the transit of great caravans of merchandise on the sabbath; but the doctors of the law, in their bad interpretation of this law, went to extremes. They included under the heading of ‘carrying burdens’ things like carrying the amount of food equivalent to a dried fig; or the quantity of wine sufficient to mix one glass, milk which could be drunk at one sip, honey which could be put on a wound, oil sufficient to anoint one small member and the quantity of water which is necessary for the bathing of the eyes. They even forbade the carrying of a purse on the sabbath, saying that it should be given to one who was not a Jew to carry or laid on a beast of burden. It was forbidden to carry from one place to another a piece of paper the size of a passport. Women could not leave their houses with a needle, a cake of soap or perfume or even a bottle of balm. From this it is easy to see why these same doctors of the law protested when they saw the man who had been cured by Jesus carrying his litter on the sabbath. Especially strict were the laws for curing wounds in the case of falls, and also those concerning the treatment of the sick. It is permitted, says one book of the law, to anoint and to rub, but it is not allowed to use much force or to give real massage. No artificial emetic may be taken. If it is a small child, it is not allowed to stretch out his legs to correct a rupture. In case of dislocations, the’patient LITERARY COMMENTS 223 may not move them by putting them in and out of water. He may only give them the usual washing, but nothing more must be done to cure him. B: Banquets in the East One may say of the eastern manners what one says about its liturgy; the whole system is an incredible mixture of the greatest liberty and the most scrupulous precautions. In such a warm climate men do not feel the need for much food ; above all in the summer season with its great heat, hunger is lost. In the evenings comes the cool breeze from the west and the villages and towns come to life. Therefore usually, when the Bible speaks of official banquets, one has to understand the evening meal, with the setting sun and the cool breeze from the west. Since the light enters usually through the doors, these were left open. It can be imagined that a house of one giving a feast then becomes like a theatre rather than a closed fortress, as ours are. He who wishes to do so, enters and looks around. Others gather at the doors and there they stay. The main rule of life is : God is with the one who goes slowly; haste is of the devil. As if they were not really interested, they go into the dining room, and beggars and the poor mingle with the guests as the most natural thing in the world. When Jesus recommends that the poor and needy should be invited to the feast this is something which enters into the plan of the oriental customs. Each meal takes on the quality of a debate, with narratives and discourses; in such circumstance it is easy to lift the conversation to a high plane. Among the Pharisees it was considered good manners to speak of the Law during meals. Since these banquets constitute a social act, they were only given to one’s friends ; for which reason the Pharisees threw it up in the face of our Lord that he ate with publicans and sinners. To talk with such was bad enough, but to eat with them ... ! The external rite changed frequently in Palestine, since it lay between the two great nations of antiquity; but in the time of Christ it was usual to eat lying down. It is not certain if the guests lay on boards, mats or cushions. With regard to the conversations recorded during such meals, it is interesting to remember that each guest lay on his left elbow and was not facing all the others. The feet of all lay outside. Thus they could talk easily with their neighbour, but with those in front of them it was more difficult. On entering the house a slave was waiting with water to wash the feet, dusty from the roads; before meals the hands were washed and anointed with oil. The host received his guests with an embrace and a kiss. 224 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST SECTION VII. SERMON SCHEMES I. LITURGICAL The Day of the Lord Sunday 1. The Day of the Lord—it has succeeded the Jewish Sabbath in its effects and in its significance, as we shall see. 2. Today the Gospel gives us an occasion to talk about keeping the Sunday holy, and therefore this scheme is intended to develop these points : (a) something about the history of the Sunday observance; (b) its characteristics, (c) the way to keep it holy. A double memory The character of Sunday is that of a double memory: (a) The main one is that of the Resurrection of the Lord: i. It would appear that the Christians instituted it with this idea in mind. It was rather like a weekly remembrance of Easter. ii. This appears to be the meaning of that passage of St Justin: On the Lord’s Day we all meet together, both because this first day of the week was the day of creation, and also because Christ, our Saviour, rose from the dead on this day. iii. For this reason it has always been a day of joy and all fasts, exterior penances, etc., which occur on this day are either sup­ pressed or transferred to another occasion. (b) The second memory is closely united to the first: i. Since baptism was administered on the vigil of Easter and since this new life is closely united with Easter, on Sunday we should remind ourselves of our baptism. It is the day on which we commemorate our rising to a new supernatural life. ii. There is a vestige of this in the sprinkling with holy water before the principal Mass on Sunday. The two purposes of the Sunday i. Both can be deduced from the characteristics or memories which it holds for us: (a) Adoration of God—what we call cult: Man is bound to adore him and give thanks to him for all his benefits. The day which is most suited for this purpose is, obviously, that which commemorates our redemption ; since it is as it were a summary of all the other graces we have received. SERMON SCHEMES 225 (b) Spiritual renewal: Each Sunday must also be a day of spiritual revival; especially through prayer. Then by coming to church to hear the word of God for our instruction. 2. Both purposes need rest: (a) From this comes the third aspect of the Sunday in relation to a Christian life; cult of God, spiritual renewal, rest. (b) The first two are commanded by the Church ; (c) the other is a necessary consequence of the others and is very useful in order to sanctify the Day of the Lord. Hearing Mass 1. Æfass is of obligation for all those who are over seven years of age: (a) there is no record of this law until the fifth century; (b) but up to that time there was no need for a law, because the Christians had such an affection for the Mass, especially on Sundays, that they used to say: We cannot be without the holy sacrifice. 2. The law: After the fifth century the law appears, and sanctions with it. No servile work 1. This came gradually, as Christianity spread through society. 2. Little by little, in the time of Constantine onwards, laws were made which regulated the work which could be done on the Sunday, Sunday in Christian life 1. It is not our intention at the moment to concentrate on the two great obligations already mentioned. It is enough to fix our attention on certain aspects of those obligations. The Christian should make of the Sunday a day of real sanctifica­ tion. It should be a day of assisting at the parish Mass and hearing the word of God. 2. The parish is the unit to which we belong and all should have a special devotion to the parish church. Π. THE EPISTLE A: Our Father The source of all paternity I. According to the apostle, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is the source of all fatherhood, because from him comes all father­ hood on earth or in heaven. 8 Π 226 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST If fatherhood is the communication of life, the source of all life then God is our Father. 2. But there are titles and reasons why God is my Father, and which link me in a special way to his service. God our Father There are three main titles of this paternity. Because of creation he is our Father: (a) He has not created us in the same way as other beings, of the vegetable or animal world ; (b) he made us to his image and likeness, something special which was not given to his other creatures. 1. 2. Because of the government which he exercises over us: (a) he does not govern us as creatures, but almost as over-lords of his creation. (b) this is a singular act of providence on the part of God. 3. Because of our adoption: (a) Here we enter into the supernatural order. He wished to give us his own life. (b) He has made us his adopted sons with the right to his in­ heritance (Rom. 8.15). With an eternal love Two characteristics: To confirm fully the idea which we have begun to explain it is useful to keep in mind that there are two characteristics which belong to fatherhood on earth, to see how these are fulfilled in a more perfect way in God. 1. 2. These characteristics are love and the communication of life: (a) God loves us; not in any old way, but in a most special way: i. Men love things which exist—God loves us, and therefore we exist. ii. Before the creation of the world God had thought of us and chosen us (Eph. 1. 4). (b) He gave us life: i. On God depend both soul and body; he gave them to us, the soul by immediate creation, the body through our parents. ii. From God comes all that we have, all good qualities, both spiritual and material. iii. At every moment of our existence God gives us life and helps us in all our actions. SERMON SCHEMES 227 (c) He gave us supernatural life: i. This exceeds our natural life and without it we would have been perfect men ; ii. but God’s love was so great that he wished us to share in his own life. When Adam lost this gift by sin God determined to restore it (John 3. 16-17). Our duty to God the Father The Fatherhood of God: From this idea comes an obligation on our part and a duty which we must accomplish. It is not merely something we have to do in justice; but something which we owe to him as to our Father—the duty of loyal sons. 1. 2. These duties can be reduced to: (a) Honour: we are bound to give God the honour he deserves : This again consists of three elements : i. praise of God, not with the lips only, but from the heart; ii. purity of body—die temple of God (1 Cor. 6. 20); iii. love for our neighbour. (b) imitation, as our Father: This consists in three acts: i. love (Eph. 5. 1); ii. mercy (Luke 6. 16); iii. perfection (Matt. 5. 48). (c) obedience: i. because he is God, the Lord of all; ii. because his own Son gave it to him; iii. because of the advantages for us. (d) patience in trials : If God tries us at times we must not rebel against his will, because he loves us. Our trials are not always punishments; sometimes there is another purpose behind them, of which we know nothing (Prov. 3· ti-12). Praise, reverence and serve the Father 1. This is our purpose on this earth, because he is our Father; there­ fore we have to praise him, serve him and reverence him. 2. In other words, God, our Father, loves us—and love is only repaid with love. Actions are a sign of love; therefore our unconditional service is the best way of showing our love for God. 228 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST B: Christian fortitude May he .. . strengthen you in his spirit (Eph. 3. 16) 1. For his faithful in Ephesus St Paul asks for strength in virtue. 2. Of fortitude—as of prudence—one must say that it is necessary for even' virtue. Virtue which is not strong ceases to be virtue. 3. On the other hand, it is a fact that there are many weak Christians, those who remain in grace and virtue while favourable winds are blowing, but at times of temptation, trials, hardships, etc., they weaken and sometimes fall. An example of strength 1. In the Old Testament we have the history7 of Judith, which throws a good deal of light on the meaning of fortitude, before we attempt its definition. 2. She is the perfect image of a strong woman ; she did not hesitate, in order to save her people, to give up her fasts and sack-cloth; go down to the enemy’s camp, and even into the very tent of their leader. When her chance came she cut off his head, having first cried out to God to give her strength. Fortitude 1. What is it? That which Judith did. 2. Leaving aside more theological concepts, we may say that it is that virtue which disposes our will to overcome and vanquish all fears. (a) Strictly speaking, it has for its object the worst kind of fears, especially that of death ; (b) but it can be extended to resistance against all our enemies of the soul, both interior and exterior, while by means of it we are urged to undertake those great struggles and heroic acts which virtue supposes. 3. What the martyrs and saints did implies heroic virtue. 4. We may say that fortitude is the virtue by means of which souls resist all those enemies who try to separate them from God and overcome all the difficulties which they come up against in their struggle to fulfil their duty to God. (a) It is the spiritual energy of soul, necessary to fulfil the com­ mands of God at every7 moment and the duties of their state__no matter at what cost. (b) It is the temper of great souls, who prefer to die rather than sin. SERMON SCHEMES 229 Two acts of fortitude 1. St Thomas assigns two acts to this virtue—attack, resist. 2. Of the two it is more difficult to resist than it is to attack. (a) Because to resist implies an attack from without on the part of a strong enemy; while attack implies that we have the strength. It is always more difficult to resist a strong attack than it is to launch one; (b) because the one who resists feels the present danger more than one who attacks. The latter sees dangers in the future more than in the present; (c) resist implies a long struggle, while an attack can have success at any moment. It is always more difficult to remain quiet under attack than to launch out into violent movement. The need for strong men 1. Of the Christian of today it is required that he should be very strong in order to stand up against the materialism and sensuality which surround him; to fight against his lower inclinations. (a) It is not the fortitude of the martyrs; but that which is needed each day to overcome our adversaries who go about like a roaring lion (1 Pet. 5. 8); (b) fortitude in youth, to overcome evil customs and the dangers of the present civilization, bad books, pictures, television, etc. 2. This was practically the theme of a discourse of Pius XII to the Marian Congregation in 1945. In that speech he insists time and again on this virtue. (a) In one passage he says : What does life demand today, in its civil aspect ? Men, real men... firmly tempered and disposed to action, who feel it a sacred duty not to be careless about anything which could lead to their perfec­ tion. . . . Men who, in the practice of their profession, flee from mediocrity and aim at that perfection which the labour of recon­ struction demands from all. (b) In yet another passage: The present age demands Catholics without fear, for whom it is the most natural thing in the world to confess their faith, both in words and works, provided that the law of God and the true sentiments of Christian honour demand it. True, integral men, firm and intrepid. illll toil ; l 230 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST C: Strength of the inward man, through the Spirit Those who are fortified by the Spirit according to the interior man 1. The Spirit works in us in an interior way; he transforms us into Christ and in him he strengthens us. This is the thought of St Paul at the end of the third chapter, and the beginning of the fourth, in his second letter to the Corinthians. 2. Therefore, the petition he sends up to the Father on this occasion is a prayer that we may all be transformed through the spirit into men who are profoundly spiritual. 3. This prayer coincides, then, with the idea he expresses so fre­ quently, above all in Galatians, that we should all walk in the spirit (5· l6)· St Paul’s thought about spirit and flesh Two powers are in man after sin; the spirit and the flesh: They are contradictory; one leads us to God, the other to sin. (a) The impulses of nature and the impulses of the spirit are at war with one another ; either is clean contrary to the other, and that is why you cannot do all that your will approves (Gal. 5. 17). (b) Inwardly I applaud God’s disposition, but I observe another disposition in my lower self, which raises war against the disposition of my conscience, and so I am handed over as a captive to that disposition towards sin which my lower self contains (Rom. 7.22-23). (c) The Christian should walk according to the guidance of this Spirit, renouncing all the works of the flesh (Gal. 5. 16 ff.). I. 2. The interior man: (a) According to this the strengthening of the spirit in the inward man means becoming more and more spiritual, less and less carnal; (b) there are two means for accomplishing this; fidelity to the Spirit on the one hand, and mortification of the flesh on the other. The two must go together; through them the Pauline petition can be realized. The interior man, and fidelity to the Spirit 1. The great masters of the spiritual life teach us that fidelity to the Spirit and his inspirations is the only sure means to increase our spiritual life. 2. It is useful in this respect to quote a passage from Abbot Mannion: (a) We must be watchful not to oppose the workings of this Divine Spirit by our levity, our voluntary dissipation, our careless­ ness, or wilful deliberate resistances, by an ill-regulated attachment SERMON SCHEMES 231 to our own judgement. . . . This action of the Holy Spirit is quite compatible with those imperfections which so often overtake us by surprise and which we regret, compatible too with our infirmities, human limitations, and temptations. . . . (b) That which is incompatible with his action is calculated resistance to his inspirations. Why is this ? First because the Spirit proceeds from love, he is love itself; and yet although his love for us is incommensurable, and his action infinitely powerful, the Spirit absolutely respects our liberty and does not compel our will. We have the sad privilege of being able to resist him; but nothing thwarts love like obstinate resistance to its advances. (c) Then, it is above all by his gifts that the Holy Spirit guides us in the path of holiness and makes us live as children of God ; now, in his gift it is the Holy Spirit who urges and determines the soul to act. . . . The soul’s part is certainly not to remain entirely passive, but to be ready to receive divine inspiration, to listen to it, and be promptly faithful to it. Nothing blunts the action of the Holy Spirit in us like a rigid, unbending attitude in regard to those inward movements which bear us Godwards.... (d) And if these infidelities are multiplied, and become frequent and habitual, the Holy Spirit is silent; the soul thus given over to itself, without guide and inward support in the path of salvation and perfection, is very near to becoming the prey of the prince of darkness; it is the death of charity; Spiritum nolite exstinguere. Extinguish not the Holy Spirit, for he is like a fire of love burning within our souls. Crucifying the works of the flesh 1. Together with this fidelity we need a constant overcoming of self or crucifixion of the works of the flesh (Gal. 5. 24). It is not merely a matter of separating oneself from all sin or imperfection, but also from some things which are good and lawful. There are always two great temptations for all of us, no matter how much we may desire to serve God—pride and sensuality. 2. The Christian who avoids mortal sins and also does all that he can to avoid venial sins, but who gives way without scruple to his natural tendencies and to self-love or concupiscence will eventually put an obstacle in the way of the Spirit working within him. 3. The task of purifying these relics of concupiscence is one which must be undertaken as an indispensable condition for the work of the Spirit within us. (a) There must be a renunciation of many good things, even when they do not imply movements of concupiscence or pride; (b) positive work to destroy in ourselves the root of concupiscence ; this is the real reason for mortification of all kinds. 232 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Conclusion The Christian who does all this may be assured that it will not be long before he is walking in the spirit, to the exclusion of the works of the flesh. HI. THE GOSPEL A: The Day of the Lord The Gospel of today gives us an occasion for talking about die sanctification of the Sunday and Holidays of Obligation. The significance of the Sunday 1. In both the Old and the New Law one day of the week has received the name of the Day of the Lord. 2. But, even leaving aside the exaggeration of the Pharisees, the characteristics of this Lord’s day are ven’ different in the Old and in the New Law; (a) they coincide in this, that it is a day when God should be specially honoured and adored ; (b) but in the Old Law God seems very far off and even harsh. He was a God whose name could not be pronounced ; creator and judge, whose work of creation is solemnly celebrated by consecrating to him this one day of the week. (c) In the New Testament we do not consecrate the last day of the week to God, as the last day of creation; but instead we dedicate Sunday to him, the first day, the day of victory over death and that of the consummation of the redemptive work. This day is: i. holy, because it is the day of the Lord ; joyful, because we celebrate his greatest triumphs. Its importance i. This is shown by: (a) The fact of its divine institution (Ex. 20. 8; 31. 14); (b) the confirmation of this by the Church : i. she observed it from the beginning, probably from apostolic times ; ii. the severity of the Church’s laws, punishing any fault with regard to this observance with eternal death. (c) Reason also shows us this : Unless we had a day dedicated to God our laziness would allow us to go many months without giving him a thought. SERMON SCHEMES 233 2. God is the Lord of our life: (a) Just as before people offered him the tithes and first fruits, now substituted for alms, etc.; so we must offer him at least the gift of our time; (b) he and the Church have decided that it shall be one day out of our week. The way to make the Sunday holy 1. Since this is the Lord’s Day it is only right that it should be sanctified and that this should be its main purpose. 2. This sanctification has a negative element, which consists in resting from servile works; not so much to give some rest to the body, but mainly to give us time for the service of God. 3. The positive element is the cult we offer to God on this day. (a) First of all sacrifice: i. the Jews were bound to offer these sacrifices at least once a year—and they were but shadows of the future ; ii. we have to come together once a week to repeat the sacrifice of the Cross. Christ has made it very easy for us. (b) Secondly those devotions which most conduce to our salvation and sanctification: i. these works do not bind under sin, because the Church did not want to put that obligation on us, but they clearly enter into the end and spirit of the law; ii. one of the main things we should do is listen to a sermon. (c) There should be no need to mention charity under all its aspects, both spiritual and material. ff i! i’ I •i »; cl rP L. • ■ H<» je M How the Sunday can be profaned 1. By missing Mass or doing servile work. 2. But there are other ways: (a) by making this, the Lord’s day, a day dedicated to sin, the world, flesh and the devil; (b) occasions of sin; (c) family life and recreation should be the ideal. Benefits of making the Sunday holy i. Earthly, material benefits were promised in the Old Testament (Isaias 26. 15). It is well known that, where the Old Testament promised material rewards or punishments, the New Law has changed them into spiritual ones. 8* W.’J;! & } - i f 11 i : 234 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 2. If Christ promised that his Father would hear any prayer offered by two or three united together in his name: (a) What will the Mass not do, in which the whole parish is united, where the sacrifice of Christ is repeated and offered for all ? (b) God will be angry with those who do not unite their efforts to those of the rest of the faithful. 3. The family that prays together stays together: (a) What a strong bond of union between husband and wife, who go to Mass together, that God may bless them whom one day he blessed in matrimony; (b) the great influence it Mil have on the conduct of them both— and the family. B: The Lord’s Day and Man’s Day Sunday is the Day of the Lord All our days belong to God: He is the author and the preserver of them all. (a) Each day we must give to God the tribute of our homage, adoration and love for all that we have and are ; each day we should ask his help, for every day he is our God, to whom we owe so much and from whom we need help. (b) Since we are condemned to work because of sin and this work distracts us from God by applying all our energies to created things, God has chosen one day out of the week which is reserved for him. (c) It is right that man should dedicate this one day to God, who could have demanded the same cult every' day, with justice. I. 2. The law: (a) In the Old Testament God laid it down that the sabbath should be this day of rest, reserved to himself to be made holy (Ex. 20. 8). (b) In the New Testament the Day of the Lord is the first day of the week—Sunday. 3. Sunday is the day of the Trinity: (a) in honour of the Father, who began the work of creation on this day; (b) of the Son, who rose again from the dead on the first day of the week; (c) of the Holy Spirit who descended in a visible form on Sunday —Pentecost, to give life to the Church—and to us. 4. The law of the Church: (a) It is necessary to dedicate this day to God with the following acts: 0 ,.^νΙ SERMON SCHEMES 235 (b) by hearing Mass. This is the principal act of Christian worship, and it is an obligation binding under grave sin; (c) but not merely this half hour or so of the Mass should be dedicated to God on Sunday; the whole day should be one of sanctification; i. we can assist at the evening devotions; ii. learn something about our faith either from sermons or readings. (d) the practice of works of charity is a good way to make sure that we sanctify the day of the Lord. It is also man’s day Every day is also man's day: Because all creatures have been made for man, to help him to attain his end. (a) The rest of the week man concentrates his main efforts on the things around him, his work, gaining his daily bread ; (b) the Lord has willed it that Sunday should be, not merely his day, but also a day of rest for man—as in heaven he will one day share his glory with us, so now he shares his day. 1. 2. Day of the soul: Because it is a day of intense communication with God : (a) by means of that supreme act of adoration, the Mass ; (b) more perfect still if during it we go to communion ; (c) communication by prayer; (d) communication by listening to the word of God in sermons or readings; (e) because we can share in the active work of the apostolate, catechism instructions, etc. 3. Day of the body: (a) No one loves work so much as God ; he is ceaseless in his own labours; he placed man in paradise to work in it, and after sin this work became our expiation for sin. Incarnate, he dedicated himself to labour. (b) God himself, through Moses, ordered the sabbath to be kept as a day of rest, and through the Church, he ordered the same on Sundays for Christians ; (c) this is a need imposed by nature and God has accommodated his law to it by this Sunday rest; (d) the day of the body, which should not give itself over to excess in eating or drinking on that day, or to any sin. 4. Day of the family: (a) for mutual affection and understanding; (b) family recreation and union. B 236 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST C: Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath? The argument of Christ 1. Christ voluntarily, with premeditation and we might also say in a provocative way, violated the law of the sabbath as the Jews under­ stood it—and he did this at least six times (cf. next scheme). 2. He entered on a constant war on this point with the Pharisees: (a) He does not do it solely for the Pharisees; but mainly thinking about us; (b) he did not wish us to confuse the letter of the law with the spirit; we must not manufacture for ourselves a religion which is against the natural law, or one in which the word of God is inter­ preted in such a way that it leaves little or no room for mercy. The arguments of Jesus Directly against the Scribes and Pharisees: You are hypocrites, you are not sincere, he tells them, time and again. (a) He was teaching in the synagogue and a poor woman entered who had been ill a long time,J and was so bowed down that she could not look up. Jesus cured her although it was a sabbath. (b) The chief of the synagogue, afraid to tackle Jesus personally, tells the people that there are six other days in the week when they can come and ask for cures. (c) Jesus calls them hypocrites and points out that they will untie an ox or an ass, or help their animals out of a pit on the sabbath, but they will not allow him to cure one human being who is far -worse off than these animals. (d) His adversaries were confounded ; the people applauded. 1. 2. You do not understand the law: There were some things which the law permitted on the sabbath— such as the offering of sacrifices (Num. 28. 9). 3. The spirit is above the letter: (a) Even in the old law, which also had its spirit of mercy : I will have mercy rather than sacrifice (Osee 6. 6). (b) Jesus reminded the Pharisees of these words when they accused the disciples because they plucked the ears of corn on the sabbath (Matt. 12. 2). (c) If the law permits the priests to violate the sabbath in the temple without being guilty of any offence, how much more will it allow me to do works of mere)', which are worth more in sight than any sacrifice! SERMON SCHEMES 4. The natural law: (a) There is a text concerning this in the same chapter 12 of the Gospel of St Matthew. The positive law must always be interpreted according to the natural law and the rights which that law gives to every man. (b) My disciples took the ears of corn and ate them because they were hungry; they are within their rights; he then gives them the example of what David did and his men, how they ate the loaves of proposition when they were hungry, a thing unlawful for any but the priests. 5. Man is not made for the sabbath—but the sabbath was made for man : (a) There can be no opposition between the natural and the divine positive law; both came from one and the same God. Both were given for man’s benefit; (b) the sabbath was made for the benefit of man, so that he could rest and so that he could have a little more time to apply his mind to the things which concern his eternal salvation. i. this is the basis ofJesus' argument. The sabbath has been made for man ; therefore, if on any occasion it is a hindrance rather than a help it must be abandoned. ii. for this reason I allow my disciples to do this work of plucking the ears of corn and eating them on that day. The sabbath may perish before man. 6. lam the Lord of the sabbath: The Lord proclaims himself the author of all law and all justice, as God made man (Mark 2. 28). 7. The most profound theological reason: As happens so frequently, we find it in St John : (a) Christ healed the sick man by the side of the pool of Bethsaida on the sabbath, and the Jews persecuted him for it (John 5. 16). (b) He gives then this supreme reason, which they did not under­ stand : My father has never ceased working, and I too must be at work. (c) Not merely did they not understand but his words made them all the more anxious to kill him: This made the Jews more deter­ mined than ever to make away with him, that he not only broke the sabbath, but spoke of God as his own Father. Substance of the doctrine i. The examples, actions and words of the Saviour teach the people more about the substance of Christian doctrine than all abstract arguments could do. R SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 23S 2. The doctrine which follows from these episodes in the life of Christ is clear, yet there have been times when it has not been understood. A religion of formulas, of small precepts rigidly interpreted, the minor details of liturgical worship, details of the law—the letter of the law, understood in such a literal fashion that it becomes absurd, can overcome and smother the spirit of the law’ and the Gospel, which is mercy and charity. 3. This shows us the importance of preaching the authentic Gospel and of not reducing it to four or five points, or to some precepts which are preached to the exclusion of others, when Christ’s mind is that he is more interested in mutual love and charity’ than in anything else. D : The supreme reason Six violations of the sabbath Recorded incidents: As we said in the last scheme, there are at least six recorded incidents when Christ violated the sabbath publicly : (a) the apostles and the ears of corn (Matt. 12. 1); (b) the cure of the man with the withered hand (Luke 6. 6-11); (c) the cure of the woman eighteen years under the chains of her infirmity (Luke 13. 11-12); (d) the cure of the man with dropsy (Luke 14. 1-6); (e) cure of the man at the pool (John 5. 1-9); (f) cure of the man blind from birth (John 9. 1-8). 1. 2. The reason given by Jesus: (a) first case: the sabbath was made for man—I will have mercy, not sacrifice. (b) second, third and fourth cases: you untie an ox or ass; (c) fifth and sixth cases : these two lift the whole thing on to a higher spiritual plane. St John opens up two questions, that of the spiritual sabbath and that of the divinity of our Lord. The divinity of our Lord The man who was blind from birth: (a) In this episode the Gospel of St John reveals to us that some­ times there is a connection between sin and illness and at other times there is not (John 9. 2-3). (b) In the case of the man at the pool there was a connection (John 5. 14). I. SERMON SCHEMES 239 2. Spiritual cure: In both cases Jesus takes the cure from the material sphere to the spiritual. Together with their bodily cure Christ has given them both intellectual light so that they may see, i.e. he has given them faith. i. in the case of the man born blind (John 9. 35-38) ; ii. in the case of the man at the pool : Sin no more, our Lord said to him; therefore he had brought him back to the life of grace. 3. The supreme reason: (a) In both cases Christ offers the supreme reason why he cures on the sabbath ; the Jews had interpreted it in a materialistic, brutal, stupid manner; Christ opens up for them all the joy and glory of the sabbath, with its eternal perspectives. (b) He is God, and therefore not only may but must work on the sabbath (John 5. 17). (c) Christ, as God, must be present in all his works, otherwise they fall into nothing—he keeps his works in being all the time, even on the sabbath ! Consequences of this divinity The theology: In continuation, in chapter 5, we find it is profound theology which St John unfolds for us, taking as the starting point the miracle. 1. 7 2. We may quote some of the main points he makes: (a) The Son cannot do anything at his own pleasure, he can only do what he sees his Father doing ... as the Father works on the sabbath, so does the Son. (b) Just as the Father bids the dead rise up and gives them life, so the Son gives life to whomsoever he will (verse 21), an allusion to the spiritual life which he gives to all who come to him. (c) The life which the Son gives is that of faith : The man who listens to my words, and puts his trust in him who sent me, enjoys eternal life (v. 24). (d) He gave this to the man at the pool just as he did the one who was born blind. Believe me, the time is coming, nay, has already come, when the dead will listen to the voice of the Son of God, and those who listen to it will live (v. 25). The eternal sabbath There is a reference to this which should not be forgotten: Christ said to the Pharisees: Do not be surprised at that; the time is coming, when all those who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out of them; those whose actions have been I. •a: té ■ .? 240 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST good, rising to new life; and those whose doings have been evil, rising to meet their sentence (w. 28-29). 2. There is abundant material here for sermons: (a) In St Augustine there are frequent references to the relation between the earthly Sunday and the eternal. This is but a continua­ tion of the former. (b) The last chapter of the City ofGod sums it all up. E: The spirit of the sabbath in St Augustine His exposition of it 1. He penetrates into the very spirit of the sabbath according to the mind of God, giving an interpretation which is poles apart from that of the Jews. They were more concerned with the letter; Augustine with the spirit. 2. He refers especially to the sabbath in the spiritual order; it is the day of spiritual rest, the day of God, who is a Spirit. It is an anticipa­ tion on earth of the eternal rest in heaven. 3. We talk about keeping the Sunday holy, he says, because here is the Spirit of God. See what kind of holiday or rest he asks of us. On whom, says Isaias, will the Spirit of God rest ? On the humble, the meek, those who fear my words (Isaias 61. 1). Third precept and third plague I. He loves to compare the third precept of the law with the third plague on Egypt: (a) You cannot rest, he says, because of your inner unrest; you cannot see because you are blinded by the corruption of your vain quarrels. You wish to see that which you cannot see. (b) The mosquitoes were born of the mud in the land of Egypt (Ex. 8. 17). They are like small flies, very active and annoying, which attack your eyes and do not allow you any rest, because as soon as you frighten them away they return once more to plague you. Thus is your poor heart, agitated and tired from the vain fantasies of your contrary and warring sentiments. Keep the law; keep the sabbath in the spiritual sense. 2. Those who do not rest: You are told to keep the sabbath, but understand that spiritually, not as the Jews understood it and spent the day in idleness. It w’ould have been better for them to do something in their fields rather than spend the time in idle’discussions, while their women do nothing but look out from'their balconies, instead of spinning yarn. ° SERMON SCHEMES 241 Servile works The law forbade the Jews to do servile work on the sabbath: (a) We must distinguish carefully between work which is free and that which is servile. The difference lies in the motive; if the motive is an interior one then the work is free; if it is exterior, the work is servile. When we work because we wish to do so the work is free; when we are forced to work it is servile. (b) Let us save our true liberty on the sabbath and cast far from us all yokes of slavery. 1. 2. St Augustine says: Let us observe the sabbath in a spiritual manner. Let us do no servile work on the sabbath. The Jews did not understand the mean­ ing of these words. The most servile of all works which we can do on the sabbath is sin. Let the Jew, with all his lack of understanding, hear the words of Jesus : He who does sin is the slave of sin. Whatever you do in this world, do it with the idea of gaining the future rest. For the love of this world men work eagerly in all kinds of business. But do you work in all kinds of good actions, not for the love of this world, but to merit eternal life, the eternal rest which has been promised to you. The contrast We must look for the true spirit of the Gospel in the Fathers of the Church ; there is no more sure guide. 1. For this reason we have studied briefly the idea of the Sunday rest in St Augustine, the chief of the Latin Fathers. 2. We do not pretend that all our people can be brought up at once in this spirit; if the majority hear Mass, rest from servile works and do not sin on the Lord’s Day that is the most we can expect. 3. But for priests and religious there is more to the Sunday than that, and if they observe the Lord’s Day in a true spirit of faith they will, by their example, draw some souls after them. F : The sabbath in St Thomas The former scheme dealt with the doctrine of St Augustine; in this one we shall limit ourselves to that of St Thomas. We shall see how both coincide. A moral precept I. St Thomas points out that the Sunday includes a moral, cere­ monial and spiritual precept. 242 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 2. A moral precept in so far as: (a) man must dedicate part of his life to divine things; (b) also Sunday may be considered as a day when man must avoid sin, in which case it comes under a general moral precept—as we have seen from St Augustine. Ceremonial precept 1. As a reminder and sign of the creation of the world. 2. As a figure of the burial of Christ in the tomb. 3. As it reminds us of the eternal rest which will one day be ours. Servile works There is a three-fold servitude: (a) That of man to sin (John 8. 34) and in this sense all sin is a servile w ork ; (b) of man to man; when a man puts his bodily service at the disposition of the will of another ; (c) the servitude of the sons of God; in this sense it is a work of adoration of God, as is everything else that pertains to his service. Forbidden works 1. It is the first two of the three already mentioned which are for­ bidden by God ; (a) the first always, and obviously, because of the moral concept of Sunday; (b) the second because it is real slaver}', not proper to free men. The use of our higher powers is allow ed, because that is proper to free men. 2. The third is not merely not forbidden, but it is also commanded, as something proper to the concept of Sunday, so that man may fulfil his obligations towards God. (a) To serve God is liberty; (b) that is why, in the Old Law, the priests worked on the sabbath. 3. St Thomas makes his own the text of Augustine already quoted in which he says that it is better to work in the fields on a Sunday than idle away one’s time in useless or harmful diversions ; while for women it would be more profitable to spin than to dance. Sabbath and Sunday i. Sunday has taken the place of the sabbath in the Old Law both by command of the Church and the custom of Christian peoples. SERMON SCHEMES 243 2. Sunday has not the figurative value that the sabbath had, and therefore its precepts are not so severe with regard to servile work as they were in the Old Law. More things are allowed and many more can be permitted by a dispensation. Conclusion 1. The whole doctrine of the third commandment is extremely valuable, because it concerns directly the honour and glory of God and also the constitution of the Church. 2. It is a social precept, since the faithful gather together in church to praise God and the whole of social life takes on a new character, unlike that of ordinary working days. Men take off their wurking clothes and put on others—an external symbol of the importance of this day. All take on the aspect of sons of God reunited to love and serve him. 3. To fit in with all this the priests must do their best to attract their people to the service of God : (a) by a correct rendering of the liturgical part of the function; (b) popular devotions and singing; (c) a well prepared sermon. G: Fraternal correction Today’s Gospel has two parts; the first concerned with the miracle, the other with fraternal correction. How this correction should be given 1. With charity—the first and most important requisite: (a) Correction comes from charity and must be a fruit of it; (b) that correction is not good which tends to humiliate the one corrected ; (c) sometimes it is self-love and not the love of our neighbour which promptsit; (d) to know if it is an act of charity we must see if it is done with anger or indignation—if so, then it is not charitable or good. 2. With humility: (a) The one who corrects also has his faults, perhaps worse ones than those which he is correcting; (b) this will give him dominion over his anger and indignation and will give gentle kindness to his words; (c) it will also help him to correct his own defects and so help his neighbour more by example than by his words. 3. With respect: The fact that a man commits a fault does not mean that he loses our respect or the right to it. 244 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 4. Correction without excess is an important thing: (a) It is difficult; quite often the one who corrects another is not patient enough to wait for a gradual correction of the fault concerned; (b) it is proper to a delicate spirit to see when his words are having effect—then there is no need to sav more. 5. With understanding: (a) See if the fault is more important in our eyes than it was in the eyes of our neighbour when he committed it ; (b) remember that he was blinded by passion or temptation ; (c) remember that there is a lot of good in all men. 6. At the right moment: (a) Its efficacy’ will depend very much on this factor; (b) the first moment of a fall is not usually a good one; (c) if the one who corrects has suffered from the fault of another he should be careful to let such things pass for a time before correct­ ing his neighbour; otherwise self is sure to enter in; (d) charity seeks privacy in correction, doing the least harm possible. How it should be received I. With humility: (a) This is difficult because when corrected we feel hurt, we see all the defects of the one who corrects us, we try to justify ourselves, we think that we are being judged only by the evil we do and not for our good qualities as well; (b) but it will do us good if we take it with humility; (c) the first manifestation of this humility is the silence with which we receive the correction; not judging it yet, either for or against; just take it and think about it. 2. With gratitude: (a) To God who has sent us a good angel; (b) to the one who does it—it is a work of mercy ; (c) the best way of giving thanks to both God and man is to correct the fault which has been pointed out to us. H: Observing Christ Two classes of people who watch him i. Those who do it out of malice: (a) against Christ himself: Like the scribes and Pharisees mentioned so often in the Gospels; some out of pure curiosity, others from real malice. (b) against his Church : i. this has been a fact from the early ages; SERMON SCHEMES 245 ii. false accusations against the faith and practice of Christians led to many being killed; iii. in all her history she has been watched with malice by her enemies, the difference between her teaching and the lives of so many of her faithful has been pointed out as a stain on her character ; iv. but she will still be the Church of Christ, in spite of the difficulties she has so often with the human element within her. (c) against individuals: i. all Catholics are the object of this kind of observation, like himself; ii. he who returns to the Church after a life of sin is watched carefully by those who still remain afar off; iii. so is the one who tries all the time to live a life of virtue; iv. especially priests and religious. 2. It is a foul vice: (a) because it comes from malice and pride; (b) it is directly opposed to charity; (c) and also against justice, because it violates the respect due to the liberty of the human person. 3. Christ overcame it: (a) he answered them—sometimes before they mentioned their criticisms in words; (b) he confounded them and put them to shame—the example of the ass and the ox ; (c) he continues to overcome them in the person of his Church ; i. every day the truth becomes clearer; ii. her sanctity more apparent, in spite of the human faults of so many of her members; iv. even heresy only helps to make the truth shine with greater brilliance. Those who wratch in order to learn I. There were some like this who watchedJesus: (a) The simple people; i. to hear his teaching, admire his example and follow him with enthusiasm; ii. to speak in admiration of him, as in the case of the simple woman who admired his conduct in the face of his enemies (Luke ii. 27); iii. to bear him in triumph through the streets of Jerusalem (Matt. 21. 8-10); (b) his disciples, who tried to follow his teachings in their lives; (c) the twelve apostles, more intimate with him than the rest; (d) Mary, his Mother. 246 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 2. They also look on the Church, his mystical Body, with venera­ tion and love: (a) the simple faithful, who go to church to hear the truth ; (b) those in trouble, in sorrow or pain, who look to her to give them strength; (c) sinners who repent and who come to church to receive the embrace of pardon ; (d) chosen souls, continually looking at Christ to learn more and more from him; (e) apostolic souls who feel the need to do something in return for all that Jesus has done for them ; (f) all the souls of those who are filled with the true spirit of faith know how to understand that human faults are bound to creep in, but that it does not really matter. I: Observing Christ, our model He wishes to be observed in this way 1. It is the will of Christ that we should take him for our model (John 13. 15) and it is also the will of his and our Father in Heaven (Matt. 3.17). 2. The whole of the Christian life is summed up by Paul: Be ye imitators of me as I am of Christ (1 Cor. 4. 16). The qualities of our model 1. He is perfect: This is admitted even by those who deny his divinity ; (a) in his horror for sin; (b) his practice of all the virtues in an heroic degree ; (c) his love for the Father; (d) his charity and mercy; (e) his perfect denial of self in order to love and serve others. 2. He can be imitated: (a) because he took on himself all our human miseries and weak­ ness, he was like us in all things except sin; (b) thus : i. he lives a hidden life of poverty and work; ii. a public life of great hardship, with both successes and failure ; sorrows and joys ; iii. he suffered, as no one else has ever had to suffer—all kinds of sufferings. 3. He is full of attraction for us: (a) He said so himself, once he was lifted up he would draw all men to him (John 12. 32); SERMON SCHEMES 247 (b) this has been fulfilled as a perpetual miracle throughout history in an endless scries of lovers of the cross. i. Paul (1 Cor. 2. 2); ii. the other apostles who were in joy at the thought of being counted worthy to suffer something for his sake (Acts 5. 41); iii. Andrew, embracing the cross; iv. all souls who have received the cross with joy throughout the ages and in whatever form it is presented to them. 4. His example is efficacious: (a) with the example he offers us the grace to accept it; (b) he merited for us the grace to imitate him in his virtues; (c) especially in his passion and death; there he won for us abundant grace to imitate him in all things. J: Man and animals Two extremes 1. The Gospel, so scanty when it comes to useless details, still allows us a glimpse now and then of the delicate sentiments of Christ. (a) On this occasion he is not defending animals, merely pointing out the contrast between the conduct of the Pharisees towards them and towards their fellow men. (b) On another occasion, when talking about divine providence, he will mention the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. 2. There are two extremes we have to lament in man’s treatment of the animals God has given into his care, a sickly sentimentality on the one hand and an excess of cruelty on the other. Excessive sentimentalism We see this only too often : (a) people who leave all their money to homes, etc., for animals when there are the poor of the whole world waiting for their help ; (b) others who spend as much on feeding an animal as would feed a child of a poor family; (c) others who refuse to allow most valuable experiments on animals, capable of saving millions of lives. Some basic principles regarding animals 1. All that exists is God's work and musty therefore, be respected. 2. All that has been created has been made for man's use: (a) To make an animal into an end in itself instead of a means is to attempt to change the natural order of things; (b) man may dispose of the animals for his needs, without any restriction, just as he disposes of a mineral. 248 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 3. To be avoided: iMoral evil, and physical evil when possible, and when it is not convenient for other purposes which are laudable. (a) To destroy life for the sake of doing so is evil; (b) physical pain in animals should be avoided, especially any torture of an animal for diversion or caprice ; (c) but it is not wrong to use animals for experimental purposes, provided the experiments are justified, with reasonable chance of success in the end and care is taken to avoid unnecessary pain. 4. A true Christian should be sufficiently sensitive to rejoice in the beauty, fidelity, and love (if we may call it that) of the animals for man, avoiding causing them any harm where possible. All these thoughts appear in some form in the Scriptures 1. They are all God’s creatures, he dresses them and feeds them (Matt. 6. 26). 2. But he created them for our use (Gen. 9. 3). 3. We are worth more than they are (Matt. 6. 26). 4. He has reflected in their instincts many of the virtues which we ought to possess : (a) the ant (Prov. 6. 6); (b) the wisdom of the serpent and the simplicity of doves (Matt. 10.16). 5. Harshness to animals, and positive cruelty especially, lead to lack of sensitivity in man (Prov. 12. 10). K: Ambition The first seats at the table 1. The scene is laid for us in today’s Gospel, and Christ’s comments to those whom he saw trying their best to occupy the first places of honour at the table to which he was invited are also addressed to us. 2. They give us an opportunity of thinking about ambition in all its forms. Ambition Ah inordinate love of and desire for honours: (a) Honour and fame are almost necessities of human nature; (b) we wish others to think well of us, to honour us ; (c) it horrifies us to think that others may form a poor idea of us and of our qualities ; (d) riches and honour are the two great stimulants of all human activity. SERMON SCHEMES 249 Magnanimity 1. For the pagans it was a great, if not the greatest, virtue. It supposes a search for glory and honour. 2. In Christians too it is laudable, as a virtue. 3. What is the meaning of this virtue for a Christian ? 4. St Thomas gives us the answer when he says that magnanimity seeks great honours, not immediately, but through hope. It is the same as that phrase of Augustine, Our life now is one of hope, later it will be one of glory. The Christian should seek truly great honours, those which are eternal, not passing things; and this honour he should now’ possess in hope. The wray to honours The key: Here is the key to the meaning of our Lord’s words: He that humbles himself shall be exalted. (a) The greatest future honour will be given to the one who humbles himself here below (Phil. 2. 8); (b) Christ, who was God, reached the very depths of humiliation on earth, for which reason the Father exalted him, with a name beyond any other, for all eternity. 1. 2. An example—that of St Paul: (a) He aimed very high, wishing to submit all men’s minds to his teaching, touch all their hearts ; he is greater than those wrho attack or contradict him; greater than Moses; has earned more fruit than the other apostles, etc., etc. (b) But none of this leads him to glory in himself or be vain; instead he has one glory, Christ, and he is satisfied to wait until God will give him the final victory and his reward for eternity. 3. The Gospel does not ask of us that wre should be timid, cow ards, mediocre. It demands from us humility, that we shall flee from worldly honours and seek the true honour, which comes from God as a reward for virtue. True magnanimity is impossible without true humility. That is why they go hand in hand. L: Pride, an anti-social vice The Lord gives us a lesson against pride 1. We see also how the Pharisees, through their pride, neither heed the teachings of Christ nor allow’ him to heal the poor man. 2. On many occasions we have spoken about this vice; now we shall consider it in its social aspects. SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST a5o The essential anti-social nature of pride Its essence: (a) Man naturally loves himself; otherwise he would no longer wish to live or to perfect himself; (b) but pride puts this natural love into disorder, out of step with the rest of men. The proud man loves himself without any thought of others, except how he can use them. 1. 2. Its history: (a) The first sin of pride was that of Satan ; this brought with it later the fall of Adam. (b) Just as a great building crashes to the ground and brings other smaller ones with it if it should chance to fall on them, so that proud spirit fell on us and accomplished our ruin. And in falling on us he somehow communicated to us a movement similar to that which provoked his fall (Bossuet). 3. Its consequences: (a) it begins by separating us from God ; (b) from its essence and origin comes its anti-social aspect; i. we are not thinking only of the loss of grace, which is obvious, because God resists the proud (James 4. 6), but of the fact that, by its very nature, it separates man from God; the proud man sets himself up as his own last end. ii. once a man prescinds from God in this fashion he knows no brake and admits of no guidance whatever. There is no need to insist on the social and international consequences of such a thing. (c) Pride makes man the centre of the world. All idea of senice disappears and with it the social value of the proud man. (d) Consequences of pride are passions, injustice of all kinds— every’ sin, in fact. Pride the ruin of all the social elements Science: (a) True science cannot be proud; it must admit God exists and also its own limitations ; (b) a scientist who is proud soon thinks that he knows everything and is capable of giving his opinion about anything. I. 2. Art: The proud man admits no rules of thought—and therefore no rules for the expression of thoughts. 3. Authority: (a) It is impossible to govern with pride, whether it be the family, state or municipalities. SERMON SCHEMES 251 (b) Where all think they arc superior no one will obey and law is impossible. (c) Rebellion takes the place of law. 4. Material progress: (a) The new god of today ; but material progress in pride is a god that devours its sons. (b) We live amidst the fear of a world-wide catastrophe, which has been brought on us by pride and by too much attention to material progress instead of to the spiritual. May God give us grace to be humble in time. II ILV Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost THE GREATEST AND THE FIRST COMMANDMENT SECTION I. SCRIPTURE TEXTS Epistle: Ephesians 4. 1-6 Gospel: Matthew 22. 34-46 (Cf. Luke 20. 41-44; Mark 12. 28-37) Texts related to this passage of the Gospels (Many of the texts concerning charin' have already been quoted elsewhere in this work;* there is no need to repeat them. We shall limit ourselves to those which have not already been men­ tioned and to other texts related to this passage in some definite way.) God must be loved above all things: What return, then, Israel, does the Lord thy God ask of thee? This, that thou shouldst fear the Lord thy God, and follow the path he chooses for thee, and love him, and serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and soul, and keep those divine commandments and observances I enjoin on thee this day, as the conditions of thy happiness. Deut. 10.12-13. GX.ibid. 11.22. He will rid thy heart and the hearts of thy children of all defile­ ment, and thou wilt find life in loving the Lord thy God, heart and soul. Ibid. 30.6. Yet always keeping carefully in mind, and carrying out in act, the terms of that law which the Lord’s servant Moses enjoined on you. You must still love the Lord your God, and follow the paths he has chosen, obeying his commandments, keeping close to him, and offering him the service of your heart and soul. Josue 22. 5. And he answered, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with the love of thy whole heart, and thy whole soul, and thy whole strength, and thy whole mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. Luke 10. 27. Nor does this hope delude us; the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom we have received. Rom. 5. 5. Meanwhile we are well assured that everything helps to secure the good of those who love God, those whom he has called in fulfil­ ment of his desisjt. Rom. 8. 28. That love resides, not in our shewing any love for God, but in his I. * See 5th, 12th and 21st Sundays after Pentecost. 252 SCRIPTURE TEXTS 253 shewing love for us first, when he sent out his Son to be an atone­ ment for our sins. Beloved, if God has shewn such love to us, we too must love one another. 1 John 4. 10-11. 2. Christ is the promised Messias: I will raise up for them a prophet like thyself, one of their own race, entrusting my own message to his lips, so that he may instruct them at my bidding. Deut. 18.18. Sign you ask none, but sign the Lord will give you. Maid shall be with child and shall bear a son, that shall be called Emmanuel. Isaias 7. 14. From the stock of Jesse a scion shall burgeon yet; out of his roots a flower shall spring. One shall be born, on whom the spirit of the Lord will rest . . . word of him shall smite the earth like a rod, breath of him shall destroy the ill-doer; love of right shall be the baldric he wears, faithfulness the strength that girds him. Isaias n. 2-5. For our sakes a child is born, to our race a son is given, whose shoulder will bear the sceptre of princely power. What name shall be given him ? Peerless among counsellors, the mighty God, Father of the world to come, the Prince of peace. Ever wider shall his dominion spread, endlessly at peace; he will sit on David’s kingly throne, to give it lasting foundations of justice and right; so tenderly he loves us, the Lord of hosts. Isaias 9. 6-7. I have appointed thee to be the light of the Gentiles, in thee I will send out my salvation to the furthest corners of the earth. Isaias 49. 6. Nay, here is one despised, left out of all human reckoning; bowed with misery, and no stranger to weakness ; how should we recognize that face ? How should we take any account of him, a man so despised ? Our weakness, and it wras he who carried the weight of it, our miseries, and it was he who bore them. A leper, so w’e thought of him, a man God had smitten and brought low; and all the while it was for our sins he was wounded, it was guilt of ours crushed him down; on him the punishment fell that brought us peace, by his bruises we were healed. Isaias 53. 3-5. Rise up, Jerusalem, and shine forth; thy dawn has come, breaks the glory of the Lord upon thee! Isaias 60. 1. They shall have one king over them, a shepherd to tend them all, my servant, David; my will they shall follow, my commands remember and obey. Ezcch. 37. 24. Then I saw in my dream how one came riding on the clouds of heaven, that was yet a son of man; came to wrhere the Judge sat, crowned with age, and was ushered into his presence. With that, power was given him, and glory, and sovereignty; obey him all must, men of every race and tribe and tongue; such a reign as his lasts for ever, such power as his the ages cannot diminish. Dan. 7. 13-14. b: l· ΐ· l 254 SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST It is ordained that this people of thine, that holy city of thine, should wait seventy' weeks before guilt is done away, sin ended^ wrong righted; before God’s everlasting favour is restored, and the visions and the prophecies come true, and he who is all holiness receives his anointing. Be assured of this and mark it well; a period of seven weeks must go by, and another period of sixty-two weeks, between the order to rebuild Jerusalem and the coming of the Christ to be your leader. Street and wall will be built again, though in a time of distress; and then sixty-two weeks must pass before the Christ is done to death ; the people will disown him and have none of him. Dan. 9. 24-26. Bethlehem-Ephrata! Least do they reckon thee among all the clans of Juda ? Nay, it is from thee I look to find a prince that shall rule over Israel. Whence comes he ? From the first beginning, from ages untold! Mich. 5. 2. Sion, poor maid, break out into songs of rejoicing; I am on my way, coming to dwell in the midst of thee, the Lord says. Zach. 2.10. Glad news for thee, widowed Sion; cry out for happiness, Jerusalem forlorn! See where thy king comes to greet thee, a trusty deliverer; see how lowly he rides; mounted on an ass, patient colt of patient dam! Zach. 9. 9. See where I am sending an angel of mine, to make the way ready for my coming! All at once the Lord will visit his temple; that Lord so longed for, welcome herald of a divine covenant. Mai. 3. 1. SECTION II. GENERAL COMMENTS I. LITURGICAL I. The Ember Days: The Missal fixes the fasts called Ember Days after the Seventeenth Sunday, although they do not always coincide with that Sunday, but occur in the third week of September. On this Sunday St Leo announced to the people: The fourth and sixth days of this week we fast, and on the Saturday we celebrate the vigil in St Peter’s. It will help to know something about the origin of these Ember Days, and so keep in touch with the liturgical spirit of the Church. 2. Their origin : The name was given to the fasts which were celebrated each season. Properly speaking there were only three, because those of Spring coincided with Lent, and so did not have quite the same meaning as the others. The common opinion is that these fasts had a relation to the harvests, according to a statement attributed to Pope Calixtus; It was laid down that the Saturday fast should be under­ taken three times a year, namely, at the time of the corn the wine GENERAL COMMENTS 255 and the oil. According to Morin they had their origin in the sanctifica­ tion of the old pagan feasts, known by the name of harvest festivals, feast of the wine-gathering and die feast of the sowing. Just as these had an agricultural flavour, so too do the fasts of the Church. We offer, says St Leo, the sacrifice of our fastings and abstinence for the harvest of all the fruits of the earth, to God the great giver of them all. 3. Their significance: The idea of preparation for the giving of Orders on the Saturday of the Ember Days is not an early custom, although it does go back to the time of Gelasius I. Although they were days of penance they also had a festive character. These fasts were very different, then, from those of Lent. They began in Rome, a city whose principal riches lay in agriculture. From Rome they passed into Gaul, Germany and Spain. Today drey are not celebrated by the Church, their memory being preserved solely in the Missal. However, it might be useful to celebrate them once more, especially among agricultural people, with litanies, the blessing of the fields, etc. In any case, they should be a time of prayer for those who are to be ordained. This is the official time for ordinations, even though they may possibly be held at other times. We should pray that God may pour out his choicest graces on those who are soon to be his ministers. II. EXEGETIC AND MORAL NOTES A: The Epistle: Ephesians 4. 1-6 i. Texts: (a) Here, then, is one who wears chains in the Lord’s service . . . The Epistle to the Ephesians is one of the so-called captivity epistles, written by Paul from prison. He is the model for all those who aim at being apostles, who live lives of sacrifice and austerity; an example to the faithful and to our enemies alike. (b) to live as befits men called to such a vocation as yours ... This call is undoubtedly that to the faith, and what we are com­ manded to do by St Paul is to live in conformity with the teachings and the demands of that faith, being grateful to God who, out of so many millions, has called us. This may be linked, in preaching on it, with those parables concerning the withdrawal of the vocation or graces (talents, the banquet, etc.), so that they can be given to those who will make a better use of them. (c) You must be always humble, always gentle . . . It is worthy of note that St Paul, whenever he talks about the virtues which a man should present to God in thanksgiving for this call, always begins with the social virtues. He gives us the reason ··■ ■. ------------- 256 SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST himself : eager to preserve that unity the Spirit gives you, whose bond is peace. 1 he fact that this unity is a precious thing is demonstrated by the fact that the Lord himself, at the Last Supper, prayed for it as a last gift of the Father to us, together with the fact that, after so many centuries, we still think of it as a distinctive mark of the true Church of Christ. If it is a sign of the true Church it will also be a sign C1 of a true Christian. Charity and love are the model for the Christian, and where they exist God exists, and from them will flow naturally all these other virtues he mentions. (d) You are one body, with a single Spirit. .. i. intrinsic elements. St Paul mentions here those factors which go to make up the Church ; three of them being intrinsic to her, namely a body, a Spirit and hope; other three extrinsic, one Lord, one faith, one baptism. Finally, there is one element which is over all, namely, the same God, the same Father of all of us, who is above all beings, pervades all things, and lives in all of us. By the body he means, of course, the mystical body of Christ, the visible organization of the Church ; the Spirit is the Holy Ghost, soul of the Church; the third is hope, that anchor of the soul which reminds us of the motive for our life. This motive of hope rests on the grace of God, who has given us his most solemn promises; with these we travel on towards our salvation, confident in him who called us. ii. extrinsic elements. The Lord Jesus, head of the mystical Body; the faith or collection of revealed truths related to him; baptism which makes us members of the kingdom of Christ. Above all these is the Father, who sent the Son to redeem us and the Holy Spirit to sanctify his Church, so as to give us personally all the means of salvation and sanctification; so that the Holy Trinity could dwell in us. The authority with which he can demand our obedience, the right he has to our love as a Father—these are the chains which bind us in a social unity as a Body and with Christ, our Head. He is above all as the Lord, with all by his graces and by the indwelling of his Spirit. 2. Applications: The first must be our constant desire for unity among Christians, unity of thought, desires and actions. We are not members of one sole organization, but of one Body. The Church is not merely a union of individuals who are working for the same ends under the same authority; it is a living and dynamic organism, as is the human body, whose head is Christ and whose soul is the Spirit. There is no place here tor quarrels; all must be subject to the common good of the whole. The second thought is that of living according to the faith which has been given to us. GENERAL COMMENTS 257 B : The Gospel : Matthew 22. 34-46 Occasion and argument: On several occasions we have made mention of that Tuesday in Holy Week when our Lord’s enemies made a common front against him, propounding various questions, with the idea of catching him out or being able to refute him in one of them at least. When Christ had confounded the Sadducees when they proposed their rather gross question concerning the resurrection, one of the scribes, whose intention we shall discuss later, asked him the well-known question about the greatest commandment of the law. The reply was as simple as it had been on other occasions, but after it had been given, Christ passes to the offensive, in which he would pronounce the most violent discourse of his life against the judges of Israel and especially against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. But before he did it he proposed a question to them, with the idea of making them keep silent. He wanted to show them that they had asked him many questions, all of which he had answered; they, in their turn, were incapable of answering a simple question which he put to them. Thus he could begin his invective against them without interruption. Thus, the Gospel is divided into two parts, the last question proposed by the Pharisees and that put forward by our Lord. The latter part needs no deep explanation, because if the Jews did not answer it then it was either through ignorance or because they did not wish him to revile them any more. The former has already been dealt with in this work, especially in the commentary on the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost. I. 2. Texts: (a) And one of them, a lawyer, put a question to try him ... It is not clear in any of the Gospels if this man was in good faith or not; whether he had heard the wise answers of Christ to the other questions and had decided to put this one to him, one which was in dispute amongst the doctors, or whether he was a delegate of die Pharisees. St Matthew says that the purpose was to try Christ, to trap him; on the other hand, St Mark gives the impression that the scribe spoke enthusiastically once he saw how Christ had confounded the Pharisees. The words of Christ that he was not far from the kingdom seem to imply that he was in good faith (Mark 12. 34). (b) The greatest commandment. . . The question is not such an easy one as it appears at first sight, at least to the casuistic rabbis and Pharisees, who had made a list of 613 precepts of the Law, of which 248 were positive and 365 nega­ tive. This gave them plenty of room for discussion about the problem of which was the most important. 9 I ir » 258 SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (c) Thou shalt love the Lord thy God . . . These words of Deuteronomy form part of the sherma which evenpious Jew had to recite twice a day. Christ adds, without being asked, what is the second, namely, the love of our neighbour (Lev. 19. 18). (d) On these two commandments all the law and the prophets depend . . . Here the Lord makes the whole of the Old Law depend on the fulfilment of these two precepts, saying that we shall fulfil all our obligations if we love God and our neighbour. (e) Then, while the Pharisees were still gathered about him .. . His real enemies are before him and now Jesus takes the initiative. We should not forget that Palm Sunday, with the triumph which his adversaries could not stand, was very near. The Lord puts them a question about the Messias. The solution to the whole matter would have been simple had they admitted that the Messias, apart from being a son of David, was also the Son of God. But the Jews did not know this, even though the Old Testament gave them more than sufficient evidence for the truth of it. Perhaps Jesus was already thinking that it would be this question put to him by Caiphas which would lead to his condemnation and death. On that occasion they sought the quickest way of attaining their object, by condemnation for blasphemy. It was not enough, in their eyes, to accuse him of being a false Messias, because that would have implied a long judicial process which they did not want. What they desired was to surprise him in a thing like blasphemy, which took with it instantane­ ous condemnation to death. If, on this occasion, they had answered that the Messias was God himself, then the process of his condemna­ tion would have been much slower, because they would have had to pass in review all his miracles one by one, to see if they proved his messianic character and also his claim to be God. This is not, then, a vain question or one which has little or no importance. It is fundamental for religion and for the judicial process which is to come so soon now. (f) Whose son is he ? The reply is a simple one : David’s—because that w as one of the messianic titles, one which the blind men at the gates of Jericho had given to our Lord. If that is so, then how is it that David, in Ps. 109, calls him Lord ? According to the Jewish way of thinking, no ancestor can call his successor Lord, on the contrary, and still less in such an emphatic manner as does this psalm. The real answer could now be given bv any child in a catechism class: the fact was that the Messias was a son of David by descent, but since he was also God, even David would have to bend the knee before him. THE FATHERS 259 In the time of Christ the Jews thought that this psalm, like Ps. 2 which is similar in tone and expression, referred to the Messias; but later on the arguments with the Christians led them to deny this, so that they need not give the answer Christ demanded. They made the psalm refer to Abraham, to Solomon, to King Ezechias—to anyone except the Messias. 3. Applications: The first is that of the precept of the love of God and the neigh­ bour. The second that of the messianic and divine nature of Christ our Lord. He affirmed that he was the Messias from the first moment of his life; the first year quietly to anyone who was prepared for it; the last two openly and publicly to all men. The same can be said about his claim to be God. Even those who oppose him admit that the Gospel of St John is clear on this point, although they say that it was written at a much later date and that, by that time, the idea of his divinity had taken a hold on his followers. Even leaving aside that the Jewish type of mind could have reached such a conclusion in such a short time—a thing which is impossible—we can reply that, in the other Evangelists, there is abundant proof of the same claim. Without going into any more details we may cite just one thing—the condemnation of Christ by the High Priest precisely because he made this claim. The Jews will not admit it, and this fact gives us an opportunity of pointing out how passion clouds the intellect and how prejudice refuses to allow us to admit things which are really simple and clear. Psalm 109 with its verse: Sit at my right hand until I make thy enemies thy footstool, with the commentary provided by Ps. 2, gives us an opportunity for talking about the Prince of peace. In constant struggle against the princes of this world, he destroyed their authority and power, destroyed even death itself with his resurrection, overcame with his resurrection the enemies against whom he had to fight, and in his Church continues to destroy Satan in all fields. SECTION III. THE FATHERS I. ST GERMANUS Our Lady It is convenient to carry the discussion into another field. I know that our first parents were cast out of the garden of Paradise dressed in skins, weak and half-dead because of the sentence of death hurled against them. But their daughter, the blessed Virgin Mary, leaving aside those small signs of her descent from them, such as that of a mortal body, far surpassed them in all things. Living among men, 20ο SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST she raised herself to an angelical purity, as if she had no body; and she seemed like that tall ladder whose head was in the heavens. That is, she considered all the time the good things which are there, while the foot of the ladder was on the earth, namely while the weight of her mortal body kept her on this earth. By her the angels went up to heaven, but descended to earth again, overcome by her virginal purity, while God rested on her. Immortal God, what a cumulation of graces! What dignity that of the Virgin, and what majesty! Nothing can adequately describe her glory, all fall short, even the seraphim with the six wings standing before God. . . . Wherefore there was nothing in her which was not pleasing to the divine Majesty, nothing unworthy of that great mystery. Turning to what we said before, she did not deny that she was a child of Eve by nature, nor did she entirely reject that dress of skins. By her obedience she admitted her blood line; but not because of that was she subject to all that is human, i.e. those cares and tribulations which are a part of this mortal life (Collecciôn escogida de los SS. Padres (1879), V). Π. ST AUGUSTINE The Two Precepts Faith with love, the distinguishing mark of a Christian Love, the work offaith: I suppose that those of you who assisted yesterday will remember the point we reached in our exposition of this letter, which was: This is the divine command which has been given us ; the man who loves God must be one who loves his brother as well. This much has already been explained. Now we shall see what follows: Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God (1 John 5. 1). Who is he who does not believe that Jesus is the Christ ? He who does not Eve as Christ commanded. For there are many who say: I believe, I have faith. But faith without works will not save us. The work of faith is love, as the apostle says (Gal. 5.6). Your past works which you did before you began to believe were either of no use at all or, if they had the appearances of good, were in vain. If they were of no use then you were like a man with no feet or whose feet are useless, you could not run. If they appeared to be good then you did indeed run, but since you were not running on the right path, then, instead of arriving at the goal, you went astray. We have to run indeed, but on the right path. He who runs along the wrong path runs a useless race, or perhaps it would be better to say that he runs only to tire himself. And what is the path on which we run ? Christ told us: 1 am the way. What is the kingdom towards which we run ? Christ also told us that: I am the truth. You run through him, you run to him, in him you rest. But so that we might run through him, I. THE FATHERS 261 he had to lean down to us, because we were afar off from him, we journeyed afar off It is even a small thing tosay that we were travelling a long way off; we were actually without strength and we could not move. The physician came to the sick and the way was opened out to the travellers. We were saved by him, we journey through him. This is to believe that Jesus is the Christ, as those Christians do who are not merely so in name only, but in works; not as the devils believe. 2. The faith of the Christian goes hand in hand with love: And to love the parent is to love his child (1 John 5. 1). At once he links with faith, because faith without love is vain. With love, it is the faith of a Christian; without it, it is the faith of the devils. Now', those who do not believe are worse than the devils, harder hearted than they. There are those who do not wish to believe in Christ; they do not even imitate the devils. There are those who hate Christ ... they are like the devils, who said : What have we to do with thee, Son of God ? Hast thou come to condemn us before the time ? (Mark i. 24). Add love to this faith, so that it may be converted into that faith of which the apostle speaks, faith which works through love. If you have found this faith then you have found a Christian, you have found a citizen of Jerusalem, a companion to the angels, a pilgrim who is on the right path. Join him, be his companion, run with him. . . . 3. The sons of God are the body of the Son of God: We can be sure of loving God’s sons.... What is this, my brethren ? A moment ago he spoke of the Son of God, not of his sons. He told us that Christ was the object of our contemplation and said to us: Everyone that believes that Jesus is the Christ is a son of God and to love the parent is to love the child, that is God’s child, Christ! Now he continues: If wre love God and keep his commandments we can be sure of loving God’s children ; when it would appear that he should have said, we can be sure of loving God’s child—Christ. . . . The children of God are the body of the only Son of God. Since he is the head and we the members, there is only one son of God. Therefore he who loves the sons of God loves the Son of God, and he who loves the Son of God loves the Father. It is impossible for anyone to love the Father who does not love the Son; nor can he love the Son who does not love the sons of God. What sons of God ? The members of the Son of God. Loving, one becomes a member, one is united to the whole body of Christ; from -which comes one sole Christ who loves himself. It is obvious that, when the members love one another, it is the whole body which loves itself. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one is glorified; all are glorified with it (1 Cor. 12. 26). 202 SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 4. Who loves the Head must love the Body: You may say to me: 1 love the Father and the Son; but only the Father and the Son. I love only that Word of God by whom were made all things in heaven and on earth, who was made flesh and dwelt amongst us. You are lying, because if you love the head you must also love the body; and if you do not love the members, nor do you love the head. Does not the very voice of the Head frighten you when he cries out from heaven in favour of his members: Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me ? He calls him a persecutor of himself who persecuted his members, his lover, one who loves his members. You know well, brethren, who are his members; the Church itself. 5. God's command: We groan here below because of the difficulty we find in fulfilling God’s command. Listen to what I am going to say to you. 0 Man, you wear yourself out loving avarice ! Only with weariness does one love what vou love; but without weariness one loves God. Avarice has sent you work, worn', tribulation, dangers, and all for what ? So that you could have that necessary to fill your coffers and which causes you to lose your peace of mind ? Perhaps you were more at peace when you did not have that which you now possess. That is what avarice has done for you. You have filled your house and you are afraid of robbers; you have acquired gold, and you have lost sleep over it. That is what avarice has made you do. But what did God tell you to do ? Love him. You love gold, you seek it and perhaps you do not find it. But he who seeks me, says God, will find me. You love men and perhaps you do not attain the object of your love. Who ever loved me and did not reach me? God says to you. You seek a powerful friend and you do so by the mediation of others. Love me, and you will not have to seek me through others, because love itself will bring me to you. 6. Love, man's final end: Listen to me. Does any one of you seek gold ? Do not make it your last end. Pass it by like pilgrims. Seek a resting-place, not a permanent dwelling. If you love money then you are already in the net of avarice. It will be like a stocks on your feet—you will not be able to advance one step. Pass over all that; seek your last end. Do you search for bodily health ? Don’t rest there either. What is this health of the body r It ends with death in any case and is weakened by sickness. Health by all means, provided you under­ stand that it is mortal and passing; it is a good thing that you should seek it in that way, so that it does not impede vour good works. Do you look for honours? Perhaps with the idea of doinc some­ thing great, of finishing something you have started, for the glory of God? Very well; but do not love dignity for its own sake?do not THE FATHERS 263 rest there. If you seek your own glory, that is a bad thing; if you seek that of God, it is good. If you arc praised, then make sure that it is in the Lord.. . . You say something which is worthy of praise; make sure that it is not praised because it is yours, because that is not the end of life. If you fix your end there, then it is you who are finished. And you do not finish by preaching perfection, but condemnation. 7. To love God is to love all men—charity has no limits: Spread out your charity to the whole world if you wish to love Christ our Lord, since the members of Christ are scattered over the whole world. If you love only a part, you are divided, you are not in the body; and if you.are not in the body you are not under the Head. Of what use is your faith if at the same time you blaspheme ? You adore him in the head and you blaspheme against his body. He loves his body. Just because you cut yourself off from his body he is not going to do the same. In vain do you honour me, he cries out, as the head of that body, in vain do you honour me. It is as if someone were to kiss you on the cheek and stamp on your feet. Would you not cry out: What are you doing, you are hurting my feet! . . . 8. Christ lives in all men: See how far he wishes to extend his body. You shall be witness to me in Jerusalem, in all Judaea and Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth. See where I am, I who ascend into heaven. I ascend it is true, because I am the Head; but my body remains. And how far does it extend ? To the whole earth. Be careful not to wound it, not to violate or tread on it ! These are the last words of Christ when he was about to ascend into heaven. Imagine someone on their death bed, worn out by illness, near the very moment of death, his soul on the point of leaving his body. Suddenly he remembers something which he loves ; he calls his heirs and says to them: I beg of you that you do this or that. It is almost as though such a one were clutching on to his soul so that it would not leave his body until he had time to arrange this matter. No sooner has he said these words than he dies, and they carry his body to the tomb. How his heirs would remember those last words! If someone should say to them: Do not do it, what would they answer ? What, not fulfil my father’s last wishes ? The last thing that rang in my ears before he died? Anything else I might pass over, but not his last words, they seem to have a greater binding force. I did not see him or hear him speak again. If the last words of a father who is then carried to the tomb are so precious to his heirs, what must the last words of Christ mean to his heirs ? Words of one who does not go down to the tomb, but who ascends into heaven! . . . What will be the fate of those who do not pay attention to the last words of him who is now seated in heaven, he who, from above, can see if his words are ignored or carried out ? 264 SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST He who said. Saul, Saul, w hy persccutcst thou me ? Fie who reserves rill the day of judgement all those things which his members have to suffer on earth ? (Sermo to and Sermo 6). SECTION IV. A THEOLOGIAN ST THOMAS AQUINAS Patience and perseverance 1. Patience: The moral virtues are directed to the good, inasmuch as they safeguard the good of reason against the impulse of the passions. Now among the passions sorrow is strong to hinder the good of reason. . . . Hence the necessity for a virtue to safeguard the good of reason against sorrow, lest reason give way to sorrow' ; and this is what patience does. Wherefore Augustine says: A man’s patience it is whereby he bears evil with an equal mind, i.e. without being disturbed by sorrow’, lest he abandon with an unequal mind the goods whereby he may advance to better things. It is therefore evident that patience is a virtue (2-2. q.-136. a. 1. c). Patience is not the greatest of the virtues, but falls short, not only of the theological virtues, and of prudence and justice which directly establish man in good, but also of fortitude and temperance which withdraw him from greater obstacles to good (ibid. art. 2. c). It is evident that patience is caused by charity, according to 1 Cor. 13. 4, Charity is patient. But it is manifest that it is impossible to have charity save through grace, according to Rom. 5. 5,The charity of God is poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Ghost w'ho is given to us. Therefore it is clearly impossible to have patience without the help of grace (ibid. art. 3. c). 2. Perseverance: (a) A virtue: According to the philosopher, virtue is about the difficult and the good; and so where there is a special kind of difficulty or goodness, there is a special virtue. Now a virtuous deed may involve goodness or difficulty on two counts. First from the act’s very species, which is considered in respect of the proper object of that act: secondly from the length of rime, since to persist long in something good until it is accomplished belongs to a special virtue. Accordingly, just as temperance and fortitude are special virtues for the reason that the one moderates pleasures of touch (which is of itself a difficult thing) w hile the other moderates fear and daring in connection with dangers of death (which is also something difficult U?.'·' J·*· ST THOMAS AQUINAS 265 in itself) so perseverance is a special virtue, since it consists in enduring delays in the above or other virtuous deeds, so far as necessity requires (2-2. q. 137. a. 1. c). (b) Act and habit: The term perseverance is sometimes used to denote the habit whereby one chooses to persevere, sometimes for the act of persever­ ing; and sometimes one who has the habit of perseverance chooses to persevere and begins to carry out his choice by persisting for a time, yet completes not the act, through not persisting to the end. Now, the end is twofold ; one is the end of the work, the other is the end of human life. Properly speaking it belongs to perseverance to persevere to the end of the virtuous work, for instance that a soldier persevere to the end of the fight and a magnanimous man until the end of his work be accomplished. There are, however, some virtues whose acts must endure throughout the whole of life, such as faith, hope and charity, since they regard the last end of the entire life of man. Wherefore, as regards these which are the principal virtues, the act of perseverance is not accomplished until the end of life {ibid}. I (c) Part of fortitude: Now the endurance of difficulty arising from delay in accomplish­ ing a good work gives perseverance its claim to praise; nor is this so difficult as to endure dangers of death. Therefore perseverance is annexed to fortitude, as secondary to principal virtue {ibid. art. 2. c). I (d) Its relation to constancy: Perseverance and constancy agree as to end, since it belongs to both of them to persist firmly in some good ; but they differ as to those things which make it difficult to persist in good. Because the virtue of perseverance properly makes a man persist firmly in good against the difficulty that arises from the very continuance of the act; whereas constancy makes him persist firmly in good against difficulties arising from any other external hindrances. Hence perseverance takes precedence of constancy as a part of fortitude, because the difficulty arising from continuance of an act is more intrinsic to the act of virtue than that which arises from external obstacles {ibid. art. 3. c). (c) Its relation to grace: Perseverance has a twofold signification. First, it denotes the habit of perseverance considered as a virtue. In this way it needs the gift of habitual grace, even as the other infused virtues. Secondly, it may be taken to denote the act of perseverance enduring until death; and in this sense it needs not only habitual grace, but also the gratuitous help of God sustaining man in good until the end of life.... 9 il · > · «5 S? I 266 SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Because, since the free will is changeable by its very nature, which changeableness is not taken away from it by the habitual grace bestowed in the present life, it is not in the power of the free will, albeit repaired by grace, to abide unchangeably in good, though it is in its power to choose this; for it is often in our power to choose but not to accomplish {ibid. art. 4. c). Man is able by himself to fall into sin, but he cannot by himself arise from sin without the help of grace. Hence by falling into sin, so far as he is concerned man makes himself to be persevering in sin, unless he be delivered by God’s grace. On the other hand, by doing good he does not make himself to be persevering in good, because he is able, by himself, to sin; wherefore he needs the help of grace for that end {ibid. art. 4. c. et ad ÿum). SECTION V. SPIRITUAL WRITERS I. DOM COLUMBA MARMION Love one another The day so ardently desired by our Lord has come. ... He has eaten the Jewish Pasch with his disciples; but he has replaced the figures and symbols by a Divine reality; he has just instituted the Sacrament of union and given his apostles the power of perpetuating it. And now it is that, before his death, he opened his Sacred Heart to reveal its secrets to his friends; it is like the last will and testament of Christ. A new commandment I give unto you, he says, that you love one another as I have loved you ; and at the end of his discourse, he renews his precept: This is my commandment, that you love one another. . . . And he holds so much to the observance of this com­ mandment that he asks his Father to bring about this mutual love in his disciples : Holy Father, keep them in thy name, whom thou hast given me; that they may be one, as we also are. ... I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. Jesus did not make this prayer only for his disciples, but for us all : And not for them only do I pray, he says, but for them also who believe in me; that they may be all one, as thou, Father, in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us. So this commandment of the love of our brethren is the supreme wish of Christ; it is so much his desire that he makes of it, not a counsel, but a commandment, his commandment, and he makes the fulfilment of it the infallible sign by which his disciples shall be recognized. ... It is a sign all can understand, none other is given* cognoscent omnes: no one can be mistaken as to it; the supernatural love you have for one another will be the unequivocal proof that you <<< SPIRITUAL WRITERS 267 truly belong to me. And, in fact, in the first centuries the pagans recognized the Christians by this sign: See, they would say, how they love one another. For our Lord himself, it will be the sign he will use in the day of judgement to distinguish the elect from the reprobate; he himself says so; let us listen to him, for he is the infallible truth. After the resurrection of the dead, the Son of Man will be seated on die throne of his majesty; the nations will be gathered together before him; he will place the good on his right hand and the wicked on his left. And speaking to the good he will say: Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. And what reason will he give for this? I was hungry and you gave me to eat ; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked, and you covered me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me. And the just will wonder, for never have they seen Christ in these necessities. But he will answer them: Amen, I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren you did it to me. He will then speak after the same manner to the wicked. He will separate them for ever from himself. He will curse them. Why ? Because they have not loved him in the person of his brethren. Thus, from the mouth of Jesus himself, we know that the sentence which will decide our eternal lot will be founded on the love we have for Jesus Christ in the person of our brethren. When we appear before Christ on the last day, he will not ask us if we have fasted a great deal, if we have passed our life in penance, if we have given many hours to prayer; no, but if we have loved and helped our brethren. Are the other commandments, then, to be put aside? Certainly not, but our observance of them will have served for nothing if we have not kept this precept of loving one another— this precept which is so dear to our Lord, since it is his command ment... Hear what St Teresa says likewise on this subject; the text is a little long, but it is very explicit. God asks of you only two things, the one is to love him, and the other is to love our neighbour. That is, there­ fore, what we have to do and to strive for; in accomplishing this perfectly we shall be doing his will and shall be united to him. . . . That is the aim, but are we sure of attaining it ? The most certain sign by which we may know if we are faithfully practising these two commandments, says the Saint, is in my opinion, if we have a true and genuine love for our neighbour. For we cannot know for certain to what extent we love God, although there are many signs by which we may judge of this; but we shall see much more clearly where the love of our neighbour is concerned. It is then extremely important to consider carefully the disposition of our soul and our outward behaviour towards our neighbour. If, both interiorly and exteriorly, 268 SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST all is perfect, then we can be well assured, for, considering the depravity of our nature, we could never love our neighbour per­ fectly unless we had within us a great love for God. . . . There are souls that seek God in Jesus Christ and accept the humanity of Christ, but stop there. That is not sufficient; we must accept the Incarnation with all the consequences it involves; we must not let the gift of ourselves stop at Christ’s own humanity but extend it to his Mystical Body. That is why—never forget this, for it is one of the most important points of the supernatural life—to abandon the least of our brethren is to abandon Christ himself; to succour one of them, is to succour Christ in person. . . . Christ has become our neighbour, or rather our neighbour is Christ, presenting himself to us under such or such a form. He presents himself to us suffering in the sick, in the needy, in those who are in want, a prisoner in those in captivity, sad in those who mourn. But it is faith that shows him thus in his members, and if we do not see him in them, it is because our faith is weak, our love imperfect.... I have already said, in speaking of the Church, that there is some­ thing remarkable in the divine economy such as it has been mani­ fested to us since the Incarnation, and this is the large place held by men, like to ourselves, in the distribution of grace. If we would know the authentic doctrine of Christ, we have not to ask it directly of God, nor seek it ourselves in the inspired Books, interpreting them by our own judgement ; but we have to ask it of the pastors constituted to govern the Church. But these are men, you will say; men like ourselves. That does not matter, it is to them we must go ; they represent Christ, it is Christ we must see in them. He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me. In the same way, in order to receive the Sacraments, we must receive them by the hand of men appointed by Christ; in baptism, penance, etc., it is Christ who confers the sacraments upon us, but by the hands of men. It is the same with charity. Do you wish to love God ? Do you wish to love Jesus Christ ? And we ought to do so, because it is the greatest and the first commandment. Love your neighbour, love those with whom you live; love them because God destines all, as he destines you, to the same eternal beatitude merited by Christ, our one and only head, because it is under the form of our neighbour that God presents himself to us here below. . . . I am sure that many souls will find here the reason of the difficul­ ties, the sadness, the want of expansion in their inner life; they do not give themselves enough to Christ in the person of his members; they hold themselves back too much. If they would but give, it would be given to them abundantly; for JesusjChrist will not let himself be outdone in love; if they would overcome their selfishness SPIRITUAL WRITERS 269 and give themselves generously to their neighbour for God’s sake, Christ would give himself to them in his fullness; if they would forget themselves, Christ would take the care of them upon himself, and who better than he can lead us to beatitude ? It is not a small thing to love our neighbour always and unfailingly; it needs a strong and generous love. Although the love of God is in itself, on account of the transcendence of its object, more perfect than the love of our neighbour, yet as the motive ought to be the same in the love we bear to God and that we bear to our neighbour, often the act of love towards the neighbour requires more intensity and gains more merit. Why is this? Because God, being himself goodness and beauty, and having shown infinite love towards us, grace urges us to love him; while, as for our neighbour, there is always the probability of meeting in him—or in ourselves—with obstacles resulting from the differences of interest that arise between us. These difficulties require from the soul more fervour, more generosity, more forgetfulness of self and one’s own feelings and personal desires ; that is why, if love towards our neighbour is to be maintained, there is more need of effort. ... Let us, then, endeavour first of all to love God by keeping united to our Lord; then from this divine love, as from a glowing furnace whence a thousand rays shine forth to give light and warmth, our charity will be extended to all around us and so much the further according as the furnace is the more ardent. . . . Let us never forget the principle that should guide us in this path—we are all one in Christ; and it is charity that preserves this unity. We only go to the Father by Christ; but we must accept Christ entirely, in himself and in his members; there lies the secret of the true divine life within us (Christ, the Life ofthe Soul, chap. xii). Π. GERARD GILLEMAN, S.J. (Some extracts from the Introduction to his book The Primacy of Charity in Moral Theology, Burns & Oates, i960.) In order to understand the meaning of moral life, it is necessary to penetrate the mystery of man himself, for action follows being. The philosophers had long tried to build an ethics patterned on what man could know about himself by studying his own nature; at best this would be an ethics based on the notion of a creature depending on a personal God known as perfect Being. . . . In fact, until the moment of the Incarnation, man remained for himself a baffling mystery, mainly because of the inheritance of egoism which he carried within himself since the original fall. When God himself revealed what man is in virtue of divine election, and what the exigencies of his supernatural moral life were, it was for Il h 270 ι»ί SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST human consciousness as novel and striking as new wine breaking old bottles, or as a blinding light in the darkness. It was the very structure of this morality that was new, for it contained the germ of an ontology of man and his actions of which philosophers could never dream. The core of the ‘good news’ was this: God is charity, and we are no longer merely his creatures or participations, but we are really his sons, invited in Filio to communion with the Father. \\ ith this the whole world was renewed ; man could no longer live as before. It was only a matter of time before the message would be spread throughout the universe and leaven it. No wonder that it aroused opposition, for it touched on human egoism as a hot poker on an open wound. It was a fire and had to burn; a light, and had to shine before all; but the darkness would not receive it; egoism felt the challenge and hugged the dark. The first preachers of the message of love were condemned to death as Christ himself, just as he had predicted. The early Christians lived so close to the generosity of Christ’s sacrifice that martyrdom was their ideal. What is more, this new spirit found in each convert something to destroy and mortify; the old inheritance of human egoism. To follow the new gospel is to carry one’s cross each day; it is dying to the old, in order to live to the new. A new man, reborn, must replace the old man, and they will war against one another. One must test one’s own sincerity, just as a man who desires to build must decide whether he is willing to pay the price, to take it or leave it; one cannot adhere to, and at the same time reject, the gospel of charity. Only he that shall lose his old life shall find the new. To pay the full price of the treasure-field, one must sell all his goods; he must even pluck out his eye to save this new life. How terribly exacting are the require­ ments of the gospel! That is why the gospel for the early Christians was real news. Though dramatic, it was nevertheless good news, a message of joy so overwhelming that it entails a duty of continuous joy, and makes him exult who realizes his good fortune. What, then, is this novelty which so takes hold of a man that he is willing to die for it and can smile even in the face of death : We have already pointed out that it is the revelation of love. St John insists that God is Agapè. But, after all, is there anything astonishing in this revelation ? Is not love an essential attribute of the Supreme Being, just as wisdom and goodness ? But we learn from the gospel that God possesses his own essence in the intimate com­ munications of a Trinitarian life. This is, then, a revelation of a radically new kind of love. If God should decide, liberrimo consilio, to bring into being a spiritual creature, it would evidently be necessary that its nature should be a certain participation of the divinity and that, right from the beginning, love be its very fabric. What else could it be since SPIRITUAL WRITERS there was nothing but love—that is, Being—to be participated ? More than that, God elevated our diluted love to the gratuitous communication of the Agape wherein man partakes of the intimate life of the Trinity. . . . It follows, therefore, that Christian action will necessarily consist in transferring this particular way of being—which is loving—into second act. Adopting this perspective, we see at once all the com­ mandments and, in fact, the whole of gospel morals converging towards charity. God being love, his greatest and first commandment will be the obligation of loving; everything is contained in this one point, for it recapitulates every precept whatsoever; it is the link of perfection, binding in one bundle all the virtues. Though each virtue retains its proper character, we must not forget that virtue is the ordering of love, as St Augustine puts it. To love is a way more sublime than all charisms; it is the beginning of eternal life. Now, whom must we love ? Obviously enough, God. But the same movement of love must attain all those who are related to God; did he not include us all in himself, loving us all right from the beginning, so that his own love is now loving in us and through us ? In other words, Christian society is nothing less than a society pervaded by Trinitarian love. That is why the distinctive mark of Christians is charity towards others considered as concrete images of Christ and of God invisible. Taken as a society, the Church is, in a certain sense, a witness ; the mutual union of her members is a living testi­ mony of the intimate unity of the divine Persons. m. DAVID GREENSTOCK (Some extracts from chapter IX of Be Ye Perfect, concerning charity as the bond of perfection.) When we seek an answer to this same problem of the preponder­ ance of the love motive in our spiritual lives, from reason illuminated by faith, we receive exactly the same answer. St Thomas leads us gently to the solution by providing us first of all with the general principles from which that solution follows naturally. The main­ spring of all activity, especially in those creatures endowed with any kind of sensation, is desire for something or other. This is especially true of man. We act because we >vish to attain some end by means of our actions; if there wrere no object to be attained we would not act. If we consider especially the more intimate human relationships, we shall find that love is particularly the bond of union between the lover and the beloved. Christ is, then, the principal element in all Christian perfection, because it is essentially the bond which joins us to the one we love. No other virtue can effect this union in quite the same intimate fashion. The other virtues can, it is true, prepare :.