HOMILY XIV. ON THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
JOHN. I, MATT. III, MARK. I, LUKE III. At that time, John saw Jesus coming to him and said: Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world, etc.
John the Baptist, the forerunner of our Lord and Savior, whom he had long predicted by word to the people as coming, now, as you heard from the reading of the holy Gospel, brothers, as it was being read, immediately pointed out with his finger, saying:
Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world. Behold the Lamb of God, behold the innocent one and free from all sin, as indeed the bone from the bones of Adam and flesh from the flesh of Adam, but who took not any stain of guilt from sinful flesh. Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world, behold Him who is righteous among sinners, meek among the impious, that is, appearing as a lamb among wolves, who has the power to justify even sinners and wicked. And how He takes away the sins of the world, in what order He justifies the ungodly, the apostle Peter shows, who says: You were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Peter 1). And in the Apocalypse, the apostle John, whose Gospel this is: Who loved us, he says, and washed us from our sins in His own blood (Rev. 1). Not only did He wash us from our sins in His blood, when He gave His blood on the cross for us, or when each of us was washed in the water of Baptism by the mystery of His sacred passion, but He also takes away the sins of the world daily. He therefore washes us from our sins daily in His blood when the memory of His blessed passion is repeated at the altar, when the creation of bread and wine is transferred into the Sacrament of His body and blood by an ineffable sanctification of the Spirit: and thus His body and blood are not poured out and slain by the hands of infidels to their own destruction, but are taken by the mouth of the faithful to their salvation. The paschal lamb in the law rightly showed the figure of this, who, having once liberated the people from the Egyptian bondage, through the annual sacrifice in memory of that same liberation, used to sanctify the same people, until He came to whom such a witness was given by this sacrifice, and offered to the Father for us as a sacrifice and a sweet-smelling savor, transferring the mystery of His passion into the creation of bread and wine by being offered as a lamb, made a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
John, bearing witness about the Lord, says, "This is he of whom I said: After me comes a man who ranks before me because he was before me." After me comes a man, born after me in the world, who will begin to preach to the world after me, who was made before me, who surpasses me in the majesty of power as much as the sun outshines the morning star, though appearing after, because he was before me, because 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' After me comes a man, understand the time of human birth in which he comes later than John. Who was made before me, consider the primacy of royal power, in which he also presides over angels. Because he was before me, understand the eternity of divine majesty, in which he is equal to the Father. After me comes a man who was made before me, because he was before me. After me comes in humanity, who therefore surpasses me in dignity, because he was before me in divinity.
And I did not know him, he says. It is certain that John knew the Lord, to whom he was sent to bear witness, whom he proclaimed coming as the judge of all, saying: "His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly clear his threshing floor" (Mt. III); he testified that the Holy Spirit would be given by him, saying, "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit," from whom he desired to be cleansed, saying: "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" How then does he say: "And I did not know him," unless it be that he whom he had known before he recognized more perfectly when he was baptized? Whom he had known as the Savior and judge of the world, he recognized more deeply the power of his majesty when the Holy Spirit descended upon him. For it is not to be doubted that blessed John, when he deserved to see the Holy Spirit in bodily form, when he deserved to hear the voice of the Father sounding corporally, gained much from this vision and hearing, and received much of the excellence of divine power revealed to the eyes of his mind from heavenly knowledge from God, so that in comparison with the understanding with which he began to be illuminated, it seemed to him that he had altogether been ignorant of how great he was before. Bearing witness to the Lord diligently, he adds:
"But that it might be made manifest in Israel, therefore I came baptizing in water. Which is to say openly: I did not come baptizing in water because I could take away the sins of the world by baptizing, but that by baptizing and preaching I might make manifest to the people of Israel him who baptizes in the Holy Spirit for the taking away of sins not only of Israel but of the whole world, if they are willing to believe in him, who baptizes in repentance, that by thus baptizing I might prepare the way for him who baptizes in the remission of sins.
And John bore testimony, saying: Because I saw the Spirit descending like a dove from heaven, and it remained upon him. Well did the Spirit descend in the form of a dove upon the Lord, so that the faithful might learn that they cannot otherwise be filled with his Spirit unless they are simple, unless they have true peace with their brothers, which the kisses of the doves signify. Yet ravens also kiss, but they wound, which the dove never does: signifying those who speak peace with their neighbor, but evil is in their hearts. The nature of the dove, which is innocent of wounding, well fits those innocent ones who follow peace with all and holiness, being careful to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. And therefore the Spirit descending as a dove not only denotes his own innocence and simplicity, or that of him upon whom he descended, but also equally of those who in goodness feel of him, and in simplicity of heart seek him. The Lord himself, praising such unanimous piety and gentleness bestowed by spiritual grace, speaks: My dove is one, my perfect one, unique to her mother, elect to her who bore her (Cant. VI). For the Spirit calls the mother and parent of the Church by grace, by which she was inspired to rightly also be called a dove. Finally, in the Hebrew language in which the holy Scripture was written, spirit is called by a feminine gender. Therefore it is fitting that the Church, one dove of Christ, is called chosen for her mother and parent: because evidently, just as it is gathered into the unity of the Christian faith from many peoples, just as it rejoices in mutual dove-like peace, just as it is blessed among the elect, it has not of its own merit, but received it as a gift of spiritual grace."
And I, he says, did not know him. One understands as subtly as the Spirit descending upon him, I recognized.
But he who sent me to baptize with water, he said to me: Upon whom you will see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. The Lord baptizes with the Holy Spirit by the grace of the Holy Spirit, forgiving sins. For whether he himself first baptized some of his disciples with water, through whom the river of the Baptist would flow to other faithful ones, he also baptized them with the Spirit, forgiving their sins and bestowing the gifts of the Spirit, or whether his faithful ones, invoking his name, baptized the chosen ones with water, and anointed them with sacred chrism, he nonetheless baptizes the same with the Holy Spirit because no one besides him can loosen the bonds of sins or bestow the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Hence, the evangelist John, after saying: The Pharisees heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John, immediately added: (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but his disciples), clearly saying [or explaining] that even if Jesus' disciples baptize with water in his name, he is to be understood as the one who truly baptizes, who forgives sins. Moreover, the Lord baptizes with the Holy Spirit when, through the inspiration of the same Spirit, he enkindles the hearts of his faithful with the fervor of his [or their] brotherly love. For love, he says, is diffused in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. He baptizes with the Holy Spirit when he gives to any of the chosen ones the manifestation of the Spirit unto the profit of working virtues. Thus, before his ascension into heaven, he said to his disciples: But you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence (Acts I). However, it is worth contemplating carefully because when he said: Upon whom you will see the Spirit descending, he added, And remaining on him; for indeed the Spirit descends upon his saints. But because, as long as they are in the body, they cannot be free from sin, because they cannot always fix the eye of their mind on heavenly contemplation but often turn it to the care of earthly conversation, undoubtedly the Spirit comes to and leaves their hearts at times. Hence it is said: The Spirit breathes where he wills, and you hear his voice, but you do not know where he comes from or where he goes (John III). For indeed the Spirit comes to and goes from the saints so that, not being able to have him always, they may be refreshed by the frequent light of his returning presence. However, in the only mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, the Spirit truly and perpetually remains, in whom he finds no stain of impure thought that he would avoid. Moreover, he remained entirely in him not only from the time when John saw him descending upon him but from the time he began to be conceived through his ministry and work. Hence, he has the power of giving the Spirit to men no less than the Father himself, as attested by him who says: But the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things (John XIV). And in another place, he shows that he himself sends him, saying: For if I do not go, the Paraclete will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you (John XVI). For indeed, one is the substance in divinity, the inseparable operation of the Father, and the Son, and the same Holy Spirit. For concerning the Holy Spirit himself, that he comes where he wills at his own will and operates what he wills by his own power, the Son bears witness when he says, as I mentioned above: The Spirit breathes where he wills. Moreover, all these things, says the Apostle, are worked by one and the same Spirit, distributing to each one individually as he wills (I Cor. XII). Therefore, the Spirit is shown to descend upon him who is always to remain in him at baptism, so that both the Baptist himself might now recognize him more clearly whom he proclaimed [or predicted], and he might give a sign to the believers that they could not merit the martyr without being baptized by the same Spirit. Meanwhile, it must be examined how it could be a special sign of recognizing the Son of God that the Spirit descended and remained upon him, when he even promises to the disciples, saying: And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete, to remain with you forever, the Spirit of truth (John XIV). And shortly thereafter: For he will remain with you and will be in you. If indeed he remains with God's chosen servants and will be in them, what great thing is it for the Son of God that the Spirit is affirmed to remain in him? And it should be noted that the Holy Spirit always remained in the Lord, but in holy men, as long as they bear the mortal body, he remains partly forever, partly withdrawing to return. For he indeed remains with them so that they may persist in good deeds, love voluntary poverty, acquire meekness, mourn for eternal desire, hunger and thirst for righteousness, embrace mercy, purity of heart, and the tranquillity of peace: and also they do not fear to suffer persecution for the sake of observing justice, desiring to persist in almsgiving, prayers, and fastings, and other fruits of the Spirit. However, he withdraws for a time, so they may not always have the power to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, or even prophesy. He remains always so they may have the virtue to live marvellously; he comes for a time so that through signs of miracles he may shine forth to others as such within.
And I saw, he said, and I bore witness that this is the Son of God. Above he said, After me comes a man who was made before me, now he bears witness that this is the Son of God, clearly indicating the truth of both natures, namely human and divine, in one and the same person of Christ. Let the Manichean blush hearing, A man comes; let Photinus be silent hearing, This is the Son of God. Let the meek hear and rejoice, for a man comes after John stronger than John, who baptizes in the Holy Spirit, and because this is the Son of God. For because we humans withdrew from God through pride, the Son of God through mercy was made man, so that in the same person he might be suitable both to the Father through divinity, and to us through humanity: through humanity like us, to fight for us against the enemy, through divinity consubstantial to the Father to worthily recreate us to the image and likeness of God, which we lost by sinning: to destroy through the death of our fragility him who had the power of death, and through the impassible power of his divinity to reconcile us to God the Father, with whom he lives and reigns as God in the unity of the Holy Spirit, through all ages of ages. Amen.