SERMO 302
On the Birth of Saint Lawrence
Temporal benefits are bestowed by God through the prayers of the martyrs.
Today is the solemn day of the blessed martyr Lawrence. For this solemnity, appropriate holy readings have resounded. We have heard and sung, and have received the gospel reading with great attention. Therefore, let us follow in the footsteps of the martyrs by imitation, so that we do not celebrate their solemnities in vain. But who is ignorant of the merit of the mentioned martyr? Who has prayed there and not obtained? How many sick people have his merits even granted temporal benefits, which he himself despised. These are granted not so that the sickness of the supplicants remains, but that from the earthly granted, love may be made to desire better things. For sometimes a father grants small and trivial things to his little children, which they cry for if they do not receive. With benign and paternal indulgence, he bestows these, gives these, which he does not wish to remain in his children when they are grown, now progressing. Therefore, he gives nuts to the children, while preserving the inheritance. Paternal affection yields to those playing and amusing themselves with some trifles, lest the weakness of age fails. This is an indulgence of affection, not of edification. What the martyrs have built, what they could grasp, what they seized with a great heart, for which they shed their blood, you have heard in the Gospel: Your reward is great in heaven.
Two lives. The present life is so full of hardship, and yet greatly loved. Eternal life should be loved as much as this temporal one.
However, beloved, since there are two lives, one before death, the other after death; both of these lives have had and have their lovers. What is the need to describe how brief this life is? We have experienced how full of troubles, how full of complaints; surrounded by temptations, full of fears; burning with desires, subjected to accidents; suffering in adversities, swelling in prosperity; rejoicing in gains, tormented by losses. And in these very proceeds, it trembles with rejoicing, lest what it has acquired, it loses; lest on account of this it is sought, who was not sought before it was had. True unhappiness, mendacious happiness. The lowly desire to rise, the elevated fear to fall. He who does not have envies the one who has; he who has despises the one who does not have. And who can explain in words such great and so conspicuous foulness of this life? And yet this foulness has its lovers such that we wish to find very few, who love eternal life, which cannot be ended, as much as this life is loved, which both ends quickly, and if extended, is daily feared lest it be ended every single hour. What shall we do? What shall we undertake? What shall we say? What threats of warning, what fires of exhortation shall we apply to hard and sluggish hearts, and to those frozen by the ice of earthly stupor, that they may shake off the sluggishness of the world and burn for the eternal? What, I say, shall we do? What shall we say? It is at hand for me, and it presently comes to mind, because daily things admonish us and suggest what we should say. From the love of this temporal life, come, if it can be done, to love the eternal life, which the martyrs loved, who despised these temporal things. I ask, I beseech, I exhort, not only you, but with you also us, let us love the eternal life. I do not wish any longer, since it is greater, that we love it as the temporal is loved by its lovers, not as the temporal life was loved by the holy martyrs. For they either did not love it at all, or loved it minimally, and easily preferred the eternal to it. Therefore, I did not mean martyrs when I said: Let us love the eternal as the temporal is loved, but as the temporal is loved by its lovers, so let us love the eternal, the love for which the Christian professes.
We are Christians, not for temporal life, but for eternal life. What the cross of Christ on the forehead reminds us.
For indeed, we became Christians not for this temporal life. For how many immature Christians are taken away, and sacrilegious men persist in this life up to decrepit old age? But again, among them many die immature. Many losses of Christians and gains of the impious: and again many losses of the impious and gains of Christians. And many honors of the impious and renunciations of Christians: and again many honors of Christians and renunciations of the impious. Since, therefore, these good and bad things are common to both, brothers, did we become Christians to avoid these bad things or to obtain these good things, did we give our name to Christ, and subject our foreheads to such a great sign? You are a Christian; you bear the cross of Christ on your forehead. Your character teaches what you profess. When he hung on the cross - which cross you bear on your forehead; it is not the sign of the wood that delights you, but the sign of the one hanging - therefore, when he was hanging on the cross, he looked upon those raging, endured those insulting, prayed for his enemies. Even as the doctor was being killed, he healed the sick with his own blood. For he said: Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. Nor was that voice empty or in vain. And from them, later, thousands believed in him whom they had killed, to learn to suffer for him, who suffered for them and by them. Hence, therefore, it is understood, brothers, from this sign, from this character which the Christian takes on even when he becomes a catechumen, hence it is understood why we are Christians, because not for temporal and transient things, either good or bad, but to avoid evils that will not pass, and to obtain goods that will have no end.
Temporal life is greatly cherished, not so eternal life.
Nevertheless, as I began to say, brothers, what I had advised, what I had proposed, I beseech you, let us pay attention to how this temporal life is loved by its lovers. In how great a fear are men, lest they die, though they are destined to die! You see a man trembling, fleeing, seeking hiding places, pursuing defenses, begging, prostrating himself; if it can be done, he gives whatever he has for the gift of life, to live one more day, to extend always an uncertain age a little longer. Humans do so much: who does anything similar for eternal life? Let us address the lover of present life: What are you doing, what are you hastening, what are you trembling, what are you fleeing, what hiding places are you seeking? To live, he says. Surely to live? To live always destined to live? No. Therefore you are not striving to remove death, but to delay it. You who act so much that you may die a little later, do something so that you may never die.
Man gives what is necessary, so that he may live longer or miserably here; he does not give what is superfluous, so that he may reign forever with Christ.
How many do we find who say: Let the treasury take my possessions, so that I may die later; how rarely do we find someone who says: Let Christ take my possessions, so that I may never die. And yet, O lover of temporal life, if the treasury takes them, it strips you in this age; if Christ takes them, he keeps them for you in heaven. Because of this life, men wish to have the means to live, and for this reason, they wish to give up the means by which they live. What you keep for yourself to live on, you give so that you may live, perhaps about to perish from hunger. And yet, you say: Let it be taken, what is it to me? I want to beg. You give up the means by which you live, ready to beg so that you may live. You are prepared to beg in this world, even giving up necessities; and are you not prepared to reign with Christ, giving up superfluities? I ask, weigh it. If any scale of fairness is found in the chest of your heart, bring it out, and place these two things on it, and weigh: begging in this world, and reigning with Christ. There is nothing to weigh. For in comparison to that thing, this has no weight at all. If I were to say: reigning in this world, and reigning with Christ; there would be nothing to weigh. I regret having said: Weigh; there is absolutely nothing to weigh. What does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, but suffers the loss of his soul? But whoever does not suffer the loss of his soul, he himself reigns with Christ. Who then reigns securely in this world? Assume someone reigns securely: does he reign eternally?
It is undeserved to love this life so much.
Notice what I was proposing, what kind of lovers the present life has, the temporal life, the brief life, the vile life, what kind of lovers it has. Often a man becomes naked, a beggar, because of this life. You ask him why? He responds thus: so that I might live. What did you love, and what do you love? Where did you arrive? What will you say, badly enamored, perversely enamored? What will you say to this one you have loved? Speak, address, flatter, if you can. What will you say? To this nakedness your beauty has led me. It cries to you: I am vile, and you love? It cries: I am harsh, and you embrace? It cries: I am fleeting, and you try to follow? Behold, your beloved answers you: I will not stay with you; and if I am with you for a while, I will not remain with you; I could make you naked, I could not make you blessed.
Eternal life is God; present life, a vapor.
Therefore, because we are Christians, with the Lord our God invoked for assistance against the enticements of poorly loved things, let us love the beauty of that life which neither eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man. For indeed, God has prepared this for those who love Him; and this life itself is God. You have exclaimed, sighed. Let us love this strongly. May the Lord grant that we love. Let us pour forth tears for this, not only to attain it, but even to love it. What are we to counsel, what are we to demonstrate? Shall we recite books, to show how uncertain these things are, how fleeting, how almost nothing, how true is what is written: "What is indeed your life? It is a vapor appearing for a little time, then will vanish away." It was alive yesterday, today it is not; a little while ago it was seen, now there is no one who sees it. A man is led to the grave: the mourners return, soon forgetting. It is said: "How nothing is man," and man himself says this; and man does not correct himself, so that man may not be nothing, but something. Therefore lovers of this were martyrs, and acquirers of this life are martyrs. They have what they loved, they will have it more abundantly in the resurrection of the dead. Therefore, they paved this way for us with their great sufferings.
Laurentius presents to the persecutor seeking the wealth of the Church what kind they are.
Saint Lawrence was an archdeacon. The wealth of the Church was sought from him by the persecutor, as it is told; hence he suffered so much that it horrifies to hear. Placed on a gridiron, he was burned on all his limbs, tortured by the cruelest pains of the flames; yet conquering all the pains of the body with great strength of charity, aided by Him who had made him so. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. But in order to inflame the persecutor in anger, he did this not wanting him to be angry, but desiring to commend his faith to future generations, and to show how securely he died: "Let the vehicles go with me," he said, "in which I may bring the wealth of the church." The vehicles were sent, he loaded them with the poor, and ordered them to return, saying: "These are the wealth of the church." And it is true, brothers, that the needs of the poor are great wealth for Christians, if we understand where we ought to store what we have. The needy are before us; if we store there, we shall not lose. We do not fear that anyone may take it away: for He who gave it keeps it, nor can we find a better guardian, nor a more faithful promiser.
Martyrs to be imitated.
Therefore, considering this, let us energetically imitate the martyrs if we wish the solemnities we celebrate to benefit us. We have always reminded you of this, brothers, we have never ceased, we have never been silent. Eternal life must be loved, the present life must be despised. One must live well, one must hope for good. He who is bad must be changed; he who is changed must be instructed; he who is instructed must persevere. For he who perseveres to the end will be saved.
It is not permitted to rage against the wicked.
But they say: Many evil people, many evils. And what do you want? Good things from the evil ones? Do not seek grapes among thorns: you are forbidden. From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. If you are able, if you are no longer evil yourself, pray that the evil one may become good. Why do you rage against the evil ones? Because they are evil, you say. You join them by raging against them. I give you advice: does the evil one displease you? Do not let there be two. You reprimand, and you are joined to them: you increase the number of those you condemn. Do you wish to conquer evil with evil? To overcome malice with malice? There will be two malices, both to be conquered. Do you not hear the advice of your Lord through the Apostle: Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good? Perhaps he is worse: when you are also evil, there are still two evils. I would that even one were good. Finally, you rage up to death. What about after death, where the punishment no longer reaches that evil one, and only the malice of another evil is exercised? This is madness, not vengeance.
Each person ought to prohibit their subjects from harming the wicked.
What shall I say to you, my brothers, what shall I say to you? Such people should not please you. Shall I indeed think this about you, that such people please you? Far be it from us, that we should think this about you. But it is little that such people do not please you, it is little; there is something more that is required of you. Let no one say: And God knows that I did not do it, God knows that I did not do it, and God knows that I did not want it to be done. Behold, you have said two things: that you did not do it, and that you did not want it to be done. That is still little. It is indeed little if you did not want it, if you did not also prevent it. The wicked have their judges, they have their authorities, of whom the Apostle says: For he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is a revenger to execute wrath upon him that does evil. A revenger to execute wrath upon him that does evil. But if you do evil, he says, be afraid. For he does not bear the sword in vain. Do you not wish to be afraid of the power? Do good, and you will have praise from it.
He who does good, in what way does he deserve praise from authority.