SERMO 361
On the Resurrection of the Dead
The beginning of the discussion is taken from certain words of the Apostle.
We observe, when the Epistle of the Apostle was read, your commendable movement of faith and charity, as you have shuddered at men, who, thinking this life alone is common with beasts, and that after death everything of man ends, and there is no hope of another better life, corrupting the itching of evil ears, say: Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. Hence, let the beginning of our discussion be taken from this, and let this be, as it were, the hinge of our discourse, to which the other things that the Lord has deigned to suggest will be referred.
Questions for debate are proposed.
For our hope is the resurrection of the dead; our faith is the resurrection of the dead. Our love, too, is inflamed and kindled with desire by the preaching of things not yet seen, by the greatness of which our hearts are made capable of the blessedness that is promised to come, as long as we believe what is not yet seen: therefore our love itself also ought not to be occupied with these temporary and visible things, so that we hope to have something such in the resurrection, of the same kind, if we despise it now, we live better and are better, namely carnal pleasures and delights. Therefore, with the faith of the resurrection of the dead taken away, all Christian teaching falls away. However, with the faith of the resurrection of the dead established, there is not immediately security concerning the Christian soul, unless that life which is to come is distinguished from this life which passes. Therefore it must be proposed thus: If the dead are not raised, we have no hope of future life; but if the dead are raised, indeed there will be a future life; but the second question is, what kind it will be. Thus, the first discussion is whether there will be a resurrection of the dead; the second discussion is what kind of life the saints will have in the resurrection.
Those who say the dead do not rise are not Christians.
Therefore, those who say that the dead do not rise are not Christians: but those who think that the dead, when they have risen, will live carnally are carnal Christians. Therefore, whatever disputation exists against the opinion of those who deny the resurrection of the dead is against those who are outside, from whose number I do not think anyone is present here. Hence, our discourse might seem superfluous if it lingers too long, as we attempt to teach that the dead rise again. For a Christian who already believes in Christ should be led by the weight of authority, who by no means thinks the Apostle is lying. Therefore, it suffices that this person hears: If the dead do not rise, our preaching is in vain, and your faith is also in vain. He says, If the dead do not rise, neither did Christ rise. But if Christ has risen, in whom is the salvation of Christians, then it is certainly not impossible for the dead to rise: because he who raised his Son, and he who raised his own flesh, showed an example in the head for the rest of the body, which is the Church. Thus, a disputation about the resurrection of the dead could have been superfluous, so that we might already accept the one that Christians usually have among themselves, concerning what we will be like when we have risen, how we will live, what our affairs will be, whether there will be any or none; if there will be none, we will live idly doing nothing; or if we will do something, what will we do: then, whether we will eat and drink, whether there will be unions of men and women, or some simple and incorrupt life in common; and if so, what kind of life will that be, what kind of activity, what kind of figure of the bodies themselves. These are disputations of Christians, with the faith in the resurrection preserved.
Concern about overly carnal brothers forces one to dwell on the issue.
To this discussion, therefore, as much as can be either undertaken or put forward by men for men, such as either we are, or you are, I would already proceed if a certain concern about our very carnal brothers, and almost pagans, did not compel me to dwell somewhat longer on that question where it is asked whether the dead rise at all. For I believe no one here now is pagan, but all are Christians. However, pagans and ridiculers of the resurrection daily do not cease to murmur into the ears of Christians: "Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die." And what the Apostle said, underlying his concern and annexing it to this statement: "Evil communications corrupt good manners"; fearing these evils and bearing concern for the infirm, not only with a paternal, but also with a certain maternal love, we will say something even on this, as much as might suffice for Christians, because today all those who have gathered have been drawn by a greater devotion to the Scriptures. For no festival celebration of any particular day has called even theatrical crowds to the church of God today. For some are accustomed to gather not out of piety, but out of festivity. This consideration has made us speak first about the resurrection of the dead; and then, if the Lord gives the opportunity, about what the future life of the just will be like.
Against those who decide to live here as if nothing remains after death.
The Apostle says, "I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve with his cunning, so your minds may be corrupted from the chastity which is in Christ." But their minds are corrupted by such conversations: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." Those who love these things, who pursue these things, who consider this life alone to be, who hope for nothing beyond, who either do not pray to God or pray to Him for these very things, for whom the discourse of diligence is burdensome, let them hear us say these things with great sadness. They want to eat and drink; for tomorrow they die. If only they truly thought that they would die tomorrow. For who is so mad and perverse, who is so much an enemy of his own soul, who, dying tomorrow, does not think that all things for which he labors will have ended? For it is written: "On that day all his thoughts will perish." Even if men take care in drawing up a will on the imminent day of their death for the sake of those they leave behind, how much more should they think of their own soul? Man considers whom he will leave behind, but he does not think of himself who leaves all these things behind. Behold, your children will have what you leave, you will have nothing, and all your thought is consumed in the legacy of those who will follow you, not where they will go after passing through. If only there were thought of death. But when the dead are carried out, death is thought about, and it is said: "Alas, poor man! He was such a person, he walked here yesterday;" or, "Seven days ago I saw him, he spoke with me about this and that; man is nothing." These things are murmured. But perhaps, when the dead are mourned, when the funeral is arranged, when the burial is prepared, when he is carried out, when the procession goes, when he is buried, these words thrive: but once the dead is buried, such thoughts are also buried. Those deadly cares return, he forgets whom he has buried, he thinks about the succession, he who is about to die; he returns to fraud, to plunder, to perjury, to drunkenness, to boundless pleasures of the body, I do not say when they will be exhausted, but as they are indulged, they perish; and, what is more pernicious, from the burial of the dead, the argument for the burial of the heart is assumed, and it is said: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."
Against those who object that no one has returned from the dead.
They also mock the faith of those who assert that the dead will rise, saying to themselves: Behold, this one has been placed in the tomb; let his voice be heard. But it cannot be: I hear the voice of my father, my grandfather, my great-grandfather. Who has risen from there? Who has indicated what happens in the underworld? Let us do good for ourselves while we live: but when we are dead, even if our parents, or loved ones, or relatives bring offerings to our tombs, they bring them for themselves, those who live, not for us, the dead. And this indeed Scripture also mocked, saying about some who do not feel the present goods: As if, it says, you set a feast before a dead man; and it is evident this does not pertain to the dead, and this custom belongs to the Pagans, not coming from the lineage and vein of the righteousness of our patriarchal fathers, for whom we read the rites were celebrated, but we do not read any offerings were made. This can also be observed in the customs of the Jews: for they did not retain the fruits of virtue from it, but they retained the antiquity of the custom in certain rites. And what some object from the Scriptures: Break your bread, and pour your wine over the tombs of the righteous, and do not give it to the unjust; it is indeed not to be discussed in this way, but I say that the faithful can understand what is being said. For it is known to the faithful how the faithful do these things religiously for the memories of their own; and because these things are not to be offered to the unjust, that is, the unfaithful, since: The righteous shall live by faith, this too is known to the faithful. Therefore let no one seek a remedy for the wound, and from the Scriptures attempt to twist a bond from which he ties a noose of death for his soul. It is clear how this is understood, and this celebration of the Christians is open and healthy.
Our faith must be aroused.
So then, as I began to say, let us consider this: because of people murmuring in the ears of the weak: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die"; because they say: "No one has risen from there, I have not heard the voice of anyone, since my grandfather was placed there, or my ancestor, or my father; I have not heard the voice of anyone." Answer, Christians, if you are Christians: lest perhaps while you wish to be drunk among the people, you are reluctant to respond to corrupters. You have something to respond with; but you waver in the desire for pleasures and want to be engulfed and buried alive. The desire for drunkenness rises, and like a certain wave it rushes upon the soul, driven by the breath of one who persuades badly. Therefore, you suffer a great storm, you do not wish to respond to the corrupter, while you favor the one who offers the drink; but the wave of desire rises too high and it wants to overwhelm your heart like a ship. Christian, Christ is sleeping in your ship: wake Him up; He will command the storms to be still. For at that time, when the disciples were in the ship and Christ was sleeping, they signified that Christians fluctuate when the Christian faith is asleep. For you see what the Apostle says: "That Christ may dwell," he says, "in your hearts through faith." For according to the presence of His beauty and divinity, He is always with the Father; according to the presence of His body, He is now above the heavens at the right hand of the Father; according to the presence of faith, He is in all Christians. And therefore you fluctuate because Christ sleeps: that is, you do not overcome those desires, which are aroused by the breath of those who persuade badly, because faith sleeps. What does it mean that faith sleeps? It is dormant. What does it mean that it is dormant? You have forgotten it. Therefore, what does it mean to wake Christ? To wake faith, to remember what you have believed. Therefore, remember your faith, wake Christ: your faith itself will command the waves, by which you are troubled, and the winds of the perverse persuaders: they will immediately depart, everything will immediately be calm; because even if the bad persuader does not cease speaking, he no longer moves the ship, does not raise a wave, does not sink the vessel in which you are carried.
By which testimonies faith is confirmed.
What then are you doing raising Christ? What had that evil conversationalist said to you? What had that corrupter, corrupting good morals through bad conversations, said? What had he said? Surely he had said this: No one has returned from there, I have not heard my father, nor my grandfather; let someone return from there, tell what is done there.
You, now with Christ awakened in your ship, recalling your faith, respond to him and say: Fool, if your father were to rise again, you would believe; the Lord of all has risen, and you do not believe? For what reason did he want to die and rise again, except that we all might believe in one, so that we might not be deceived by many? And what would your father do, if he were to rise and speak, only to die again? Consider with what great power he has risen, he who now dies no more, and death shall no longer have dominion over him. He showed himself to his disciples and faithful followers: the solidity of his body was touched, when it was not sufficient for some to see what they remembered unless they also touched what they saw. Faith was confirmed, not only in the hearts but also in the eyes of men. He, who demonstrated these things, ascended into heaven, sent the Holy Spirit to his disciples, and the Gospel was preached. If we lie about these things, ask the whole world. Many promises have been fulfilled; many hopes have been realized; the entire world flourishes in the Christian faith. Even those who do not yet believe in Christ do not dare to detract from Christ's resurrection. There is testimony in heaven, testimony on earth; testimony from angels, testimony from the dead. What remains that does not proclaim it? And you say: Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die!
But you have become sad about your dearly beloved who was buried, because you did not immediately hear his voice. He lived, he died; he used to eat, now he does not eat; he used to feel, now he does not feel; he does not partake in the joys and happiness of the living.
An example of resurrection drawn from seed.
Would you mourn the seed when you plow? If, therefore, there were someone so ignorant of things, who, when the seed is brought out into the field and cast into the ground, and the clod broken, is buried; if, therefore, there were anyone ignorant even of future things, who would mourn the wheat because he remembered summer and thought to himself, saying: "This grain, which is now buried, with how much labor was it reaped, carried in, threshed, cleaned, reserved in the barn, we saw its beauty and rejoiced; now it is taken away from our eyes; I see the plowed land, but I do not see the grain either in the barn or here": he would lament the wheat as if dead and buried, weep bitterly, looking at the clods and the land, not seeing the harvest: how he would be laughed at by anyone unlearned, but not in that matter; unskilled indeed in other things, but skilled in that matter which he unlearned mourner would lament disgracefully? And what would those who knew say to him, if by chance he was mourning because he knew none of these things? "Do not be sad; this which we have buried indeed is no longer in the barn, it is not in our hands: we will come to this field, and it will delight you to see the appearance of the crop, where now you mourn the nakedness of the plowing." He who knew what would come from the grain, would even rejoice in the very plowing: but he, indeed faithless or rather foolish, and, to speak more truthfully, inexperienced, would perhaps first mourn, but believing when experienced, would depart consoled, and would hope for the coming harvest with the experienced.
Every creature bears witness to the resurrection.
But the harvests are seen every year; however, there will be one final harvest of the human race at the end of the age. This cannot be shown to the eyes now; but an example was given of the one principal grain. The Lord himself says: "If the grain remains as it is, and is not put to death, it will remain alone," speaking of his own death, because the resurrection of those believing in him will be manifold. An example was given of one grain, but such an example as all might believe who would wish to be grains. Though indeed every creature speaks of the resurrection, if we are not deaf: from which we should infer what God will do with the human race at the end, since we see so many similar things daily. The resurrection of Christians will happen once, the sleep and awakening of animals is daily. To sleep is similar to death; to awaken is similar to resurrection. From what happens daily, believe what will happen once. The moon is born, grows, is perfected, wanes, is consumed, is renewed every month. What happens monthly with the moon, that is what will happen once in totality in the resurrection. Just as what happens daily with the sleeping, so with the moon monthly. From whence do the leaves go, from whence do they return to the trees? Into what secrets do they depart, from what secrets do they come? It is winter, certainly now trees appear similar to those dried-up, but in springtime they become green. Is this happening for the first time now, or was it the same last year? Indeed, it was the same last year. It is interrupted by autumn in winter, returns through spring in summer. Therefore, the year returns in its time, and men, made in the image of God, when they die will they perish?
Other certain examples.