After the resurrection, he said to his disciples: "Did you not know that it was necessary for all that was written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms to be fulfilled?" Then, the Evangelist follows and says: "Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and he said to them: 'Thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day.'" Behold, the bridegroom, whom Peter confessed, that is, the Son of the living God, had to suffer and rise on the third day. And it had happened: they saw it fulfilled, they held onto the head, they sought the body. What is the head? Christ himself: he suffered, rose on the third day: he is the head of the Church. What is the body? The Church itself. So the disciples saw the head, but did not see the body. Therefore, for those who did not see the body, let the head teach them. Speak, Lord Jesus; speak, holy bridegroom, instruct us about your body, your bride, your beloved, your dove, whom you endowed with your blood, say: "It was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day." Behold the bridegroom: speak about the bride, complete the marriage documents. Listen to the bride: "And preaching is necessary," he says. That follows, indeed. "It was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and for repentance and forgiveness of sins to be preached in his name to all nations." Where are you hiding? To all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. So it happened. We read the promise, we see it fulfilled. Behold my light; where is your darkness? Therefore, Christ is the bridegroom of this Church, which is preached to all nations, and sprouts and grows to the ends of the earth, starting from Jerusalem: Christ is the bridegroom of this [Church]. What do you say? Of whose bride is Christ? Of the party of Donatus? It is not he, it is not he. Good man, it is not he: rather, bad man, it is not he. We come to the wedding, let us read the documents, and not quarrel. Therefore, if you say: "Christ is the bridegroom of the party of Donatus;" I read the documents and find that Christ is the bridegroom of the Church spread throughout the whole world. If you say: "He is, and he is not," you deny that Christ has come in the flesh.
Pelagian.
Pelagian remains, not from all heresies, but from those which I briefly mentioned. For I already said: Who counts so many plagues? What do you say, Pelagian? Listen to what he says. He seems to confess that Christ came in the flesh, but upon examination, he is found to deny it. For Christ came in the flesh, which would be the likeness of sinful flesh, it was not sinful flesh. These are the words of the Apostle: God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh. Not in the likeness of flesh as if the flesh was not flesh; but in the likeness of sinful flesh, because it was flesh, but not sinful flesh. However, this Pelagius tries to equate the flesh of every infant to the flesh of Christ. It is not, dearest. The likeness of sinful flesh would not be highly commended in Christ unless all other flesh was sinful flesh. What then does it profit, because you say that Christ came in the flesh, and you try to equate Him with the flesh of all infants? And I say to you what I say to the Donatists: He is not. Behold, I see the Church, a mother giving testimony through her very breasts. Mothers rush up with their young children, they urge them to the Savior to be saved, not to Pelagius to be condemned. Any woman as a mother running with piety with her young child says: "Let him be baptized, so that he may be saved." Pelagius, on the other hand, says: "What is there to save? There is nothing in him that needs to be saved; he has no fault, he has drawn nothing from the transmission of damnation." If he is equal to Christ, why does he seek Christ? Behold, I say to you: The Son of God, the Bridegroom, who came in the flesh, is the savior of both the greater and the lesser, the savior of both the elders and the infants, and He is Christ; but you say that Christ is the savior of the elders, not the lesser: He is not. If He is not, you too deny that Christ came in the flesh.
It is common to heretics and bad Catholics to deny the incarnation of Christ.
And if we discuss all heresies, we find that they deny that Christ came in the flesh. All heretics deny that Christ came in the flesh. Why are you amazed if pagans deny that Christ came in the flesh? Why are you amazed if Jews deny that Christ came in the flesh? Why are you amazed if the Manichaeans most openly deny that Christ came in the flesh? But I say to your Charity, even all bad Catholics confess with their words that Christ came in the flesh; however, they deny it with their deeds. Therefore, do not be so secure concerning the faith. Join right living to right faith, so that you may confess Christ came in the flesh, both by speaking the truth with your words and by living well with your deeds. For if you confess with your words and deny with your deeds; the faith of such evil people is close to the faith of demons. Listen to me, dearest ones, listen to me, so that my sweat here does not testify against you; listen to me. The Apostle James, when he spoke about faith and works against those who thought that faith alone was sufficient and did not want to have good works, said: "You believe that there is one God; you do well: even the demons believe, and tremble." Will the demons be freed from eternal fire because they believe and tremble? Behold now what you have heard in the Gospel, what Peter said: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God"; read and you will find that the demons said: "We know who you are, the Son of God." Nevertheless, Peter is praised, and the demon is restrained. One voice, different actions. Whence are these two confessions separated? Love is praised, fear is condemned. For the demons did not say this out of love: "You are the Son of God." They said this out of fear, not love. Hence they said in confession: "What have we to do with you?" But Peter said: "I am with you unto death."
Both true faith and a good life are from God.
But also Peter himself, whence, my brothers, whence does he speak from love: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God? Whence does he? From his own? Far from it. Well, that very chapter of the Gospel demonstrates both what Peter has from God, and what he has from himself. You have both there: read, there is no need to wait to hear it from me. I bring up the Gospel: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And the Lord to him: Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah. Why? Blessed from your own? No. Because flesh and blood has not revealed this to you; for this is what you are. Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And he continues and says other things which are long to recall. Shortly after, the Lord there, after these words of his, by which he approved the faith of Peter, and showed that he was that rock, began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and scribes and priests, and be killed, and on the third day rise again. There Peter out of his own fear was terrified, and dreaded the death of Christ; the sick man feared his remedy. God forbid it, Lord, he said: may it be far from you, let this not happen. And where is: I have the power to lay down my life, and I have the power to take it up again? Have you forgotten, Peter? Have you forgotten: Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends? You have forgotten. That forgetfulness is from himself; the anxiety, the horror and fear of death, all from Peter: rather from Simon, not from Peter. And the Lord: Get behind me, Satan. Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah: Get behind me, Satan. Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah; but from God. Get behind me, Satan; whence? Recall whence blessed. I already said: because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. Whence Satan? Let the Lord say: For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.
And by believing and by living well, we ought to confess that Christ has come in the flesh.
Hope in the Lord, and conjoin good deeds with true faith. Confess that Christ has come in the flesh, both by believing and by living well, and hold that both are received from Him, and hope that they will be increased and perfected by Him. For cursed is everyone who puts their hope in man. And it is good for a man that he who glories, glories in the Lord.
Turned towards the Lord God, the Almighty Father, with a pure heart, as much as our smallness can, let us give Him the greatest and truest thanks; praying with our whole soul for His singular gentleness, that He may deign to hear our prayers in His good pleasure; may He also expel the enemy from our actions and thoughts by His power; may He multiply our faith, govern our mind, grant us spiritual thoughts, and lead us to His blessedness; through Jesus Christ His Son. Amen.