HOMILY 20. Delivered to the people in the basilica of Saint John the Baptist, on the Saturday of the Four Seasons before the Nativity of Christ.
A READING FROM THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE. In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governing Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, under the high priests Annas and Caiaphas, the word of the Lord came upon John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. And he went into all the region of the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low. And the crooked shall become straight, and the rough ways shall become smooth. And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Therefore he said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him: Offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance; and do not begin to say: We have Abraham as our father. For I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. For even now the axe is laid at the root of the tree. Therefore every tree not bearing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. And the crowds asked him, saying: What then shall we do? And he answered and said to them: He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none, and he who has food, let him do likewise.
The time when the precursor of our Redeemer received the word of preaching is indicated by mention of the prince of the Roman commonwealth and the kings of Judea, when it is said: "In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, under the high priests Annas and Caiaphas, the word of the Lord came upon John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness." For since he was coming to preach him who would redeem some from Judea and many from the Gentiles, the times of his preaching are indicated by the king of the Gentiles and the rulers of the Jews. Moreover, because the Gentiles were to be gathered in and Judea was to be scattered on account of the guilt of faithlessness, the very description of earthly rule shows that one man is described as having been in charge of the Roman commonwealth, while in the kingdom of Judea very many ruled over a fourth part each. For by the voice of our Redeemer it is said: "Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste." It is clear, therefore, that Judea had come to the end of its kingdom, since it lay subject to so many kings by whom it was divided. It is also fittingly demonstrated not only under which kings but also under which priests this took place; because John the Baptist was preaching him who would be both king and priest at the same time, Luke the Evangelist indicated the times of his preaching through both the kingdom and the priesthood.
And he came into all the region of Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. It is clear to all readers that John not only preached the baptism of repentance, but also gave it to some, yet nevertheless he was not able to give his baptism for the remission of sins. For the remission of sins is granted to us only in the baptism of Christ. Therefore it must be noted what is said: Preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, because the baptism that would loose sins, since he was not able to give it, he preached: so that just as he preceded the incarnate Word of the Father with the word of preaching, so he might precede the baptism of repentance, by which sins are loosed, with his own baptism, by which sins cannot be loosed; so that because his speech preceded the presence of the Redeemer, his baptism also by preceding might become a shadow of the truth. There follows:
As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Indeed, the same John the Baptist, when asked who he was, answered, saying: I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. He, as was said by us before, was called a voice by the prophet because he preceded the Word. But what he cried out is revealed when it is added: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Everyone who preaches right faith and good works, what else does he do but prepare a way for the coming Lord into the hearts of his hearers? So that the power of grace may penetrate, so that the light of truth may illuminate, so that he may make straight paths for God, while he forms pure thoughts in the mind through the word of good preaching. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low. What is designated by the name of valleys in this place except the humble, what by mountains and hills except proud people? At the coming of the Redeemer, therefore, valleys were filled, but mountains and hills were brought low, because according to his voice: Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and everyone who humbles himself will be exalted. For a valley that is filled grows, but a mountain and hill that is brought low decreases, because indeed in the faith of the Mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus, the Gentiles received the fullness of grace, while Judea through the error of unbelief lost that by which it was puffed up. For every valley shall be filled, because the hearts of the humble will be filled with the grace of virtues through the eloquence of sacred teaching, according to what is written: He sends forth springs in the valleys. And from which again it is said: And the valleys shall abound with grain. For water flows down from mountains; because the teaching of truth abandons proud minds. But springs rise in the valleys, because humble minds receive the word of preaching. Already we see, already we perceive that the valleys abound with grain, because their mouths are filled with the food of truth who, being meek and simple, seemed despicable to this world.
The people, seeing that John the Baptist himself was endowed with wonderful holiness, believed him to be that singularly lofty and solid mountain of which it is written: "In the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared on the top of the mountains." For they thought he was Christ, as it is said through the Gospel: "And as the people were in expectation, and all were reasoning in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he might be the Christ," whom they also sought out saying: "Are you the Christ?" But unless John had been a valley within himself, he would not have been filled with the spirit of grace. To show what he was, he said: "There comes one mightier than I after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to loose." And again he said: "He who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears him rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. This my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease." Behold, although he was such through his wonderful working of virtues that he was believed to be Christ, he not only answered that he was not Christ, but also declared that he was not worthy to loose the strap of his sandal, that is, to scrutinize the mystery of his incarnation. Those who thought John was Christ believed the Church to be his bride. But he said: "He who has the bride is the bridegroom." As if to say: I am not the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom. Nor did he declare that he rejoiced because of his own voice, but in the voice of the bridegroom, because he did not rejoice in his heart because he was humbly heard by the people when he spoke, but because he himself heard the voice of truth within so that he might speak outwardly. He rightly says his joy was fulfilled, because whoever rejoices in his own voice does not have full joy. And he adds: "He must increase, but I must decrease." 5. In this matter we must ask in what way Christ increased and in what way John decreased, unless it be that the people, seeing John's abstinence and observing that he was withdrawn from men, thought he was Christ; but seeing Christ eating with tax collectors and walking among sinners, they believed he was not Christ but a prophet. But as time passed, Christ who was thought to be a prophet was recognized as Christ, and John who was believed to be Christ became known to be a prophet, and thus was fulfilled what his forerunner predicted about Christ: "He must increase, but I must decrease." Indeed, in the estimation of the people Christ increased because he was recognized as what he was; and John decreased because he ceased to be called what he was not. Therefore, since John persisted in holiness because he persevered in humility of heart, and many fell because they swelled up with proud thoughts within themselves, let it rightly be said: "Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low," because the humble receive the gift which the hearts of the proud repel from themselves.
The text continues: "And the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth." The crooked are made straight when the hearts of the wicked, twisted by injustice, are directed to the rule of justice. And the rough are changed into smooth ways when harsh and wrathful minds, through the infusion of heavenly grace, return to the gentleness of meekness. For when the word of truth is not received by a wrathful mind, the roughness of the path, as it were, repels the step of one journeying. But when a wrathful mind, through the received grace of meekness, accepts the word of correction or exhortation, there the preacher finds a smooth way where previously, because of the roughness of the path, he was unable to proceed—that is, to set the step of preaching.
There follows: "And all flesh shall see the salvation of God." Because by "all flesh" is meant every person, not every person was able to see the salvation of God, namely Christ, in this life. Where then does the prophet direct the eye of prophecy in this statement except to the day of the last judgment? When, with the heavens opened, angels ministering, apostles seated alongside, Christ shall appear on the throne of His majesty, all—both the elect and the reprobate alike—will see Him, so that the just may rejoice without end in the gift of recompense, and the unjust may groan perpetually in the vengeance of punishment. For because this statement aims at this—that He will be seen by all flesh at the final examination—it is rightly added: "He said therefore to the crowds that went out to be baptized by him: You offspring of vipers, who has shown you to flee from the wrath to come?" For the wrath to come is the punishment of final vengeance, which the sinner cannot then escape who does not now have recourse to the laments of penance. And it should be noted that evil offspring, imitating the actions of evil parents, are called offspring of vipers, because by envying the good and persecuting them, by returning evil to some, by seeking injuries against their neighbors—since in all these things they follow the ways of their carnal forebears—they are as if venomous children born from venomous parents.
But because we have already sinned, because we are entangled by the habit of evil custom, let him say what we must do in order to be able to flee from the wrath to come. There follows: "Therefore bring forth fruits worthy of repentance." In these words it should be noted that the friend of the bridegroom admonishes that not only fruits of repentance should be brought forth, but fruits worthy of repentance. For it is one thing to bring forth a fruit of repentance, another to bring forth a fruit worthy of repentance. For to speak according to fruits worthy of repentance, it must be known that whoever has committed no unlawful things, to him it is rightly granted to use lawful things; and so let him do works of piety, yet if he does not wish, he need not abandon the things that are of the world. But if anyone has fallen into the sin of fornication, or perhaps, what is more serious, into adultery, he ought to cut off from himself lawful things to the same degree that he remembers having perpetrated unlawful things. For the fruit of good work ought not to be equal for him who has sinned less and him who has sinned more, or for him who has fallen into no crimes and him who has fallen into some crimes, and him who has fallen into many. Therefore by what is said, "Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance," the conscience of each person is addressed, so that one may seek greater gains of good works through repentance to the same degree that one has brought upon oneself greater losses through sin.
But the Jews, glorying in the nobility of their lineage, were unwilling to acknowledge themselves as sinners for this reason: that they had descended from the stock of Abraham. To them it is rightly said: "And do not begin to say, 'We have Abraham as our father'; for I say to you that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham." For what were the stones but the hearts of the Gentiles, insensible to the understanding of Almighty God? As it is also said to certain ones among the Jews: "I will take away the heart of stone from your flesh." Nor is it undeserved that the Gentiles were signified by the name of stones, because they worshipped stones. Whence it is written: "Let those who make them become like them, and all who trust in them." From these stones, indeed, children of Abraham were raised up, because when the hard hearts of the Gentiles believed in the seed of Abraham, that is, in Christ, they became children of him to whose seed they were united. Whence also it is said to these same Gentiles through the outstanding preacher: "But if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed." If therefore we, through faith in Christ, are now the seed of Abraham, the Jews on account of their unbelief have ceased to be children of Abraham. That indeed on that day of the dreadful judgment good parents cannot benefit wicked children, the prophet testifies who says: "If Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the midst of them, as I live, says the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter, but they themselves shall deliver their own souls by their righteousness." And again, that good children profit wicked parents nothing, but rather the goodness of children increases the guilt of wicked parents, the Truth Himself says to the unbelieving Jews: "If I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges."
There follows: "For now the axe is laid to the root of the tree. For every tree not producing good fruit will be cut down and cast into the fire." The tree of this world is the entire human race. The axe, however, is our Redeemer, who is held as if by a handle and iron through His humanity, but cuts through His divinity. This axe is now laid to the root of the tree because, although He waits through patience, it is nevertheless seen what He is about to do. "For every tree not producing good fruit will be cut down and cast into the fire," because every perverse person more quickly finds the prepared burning of Gehenna who scorns to produce the fruit of good work here. And it should be noted that he says the axe is laid not beside the branches, but to the root. For when the children of the wicked are taken away, what else is done but the branches of an unfruitful tree are cut off? But when an entire lineage together with the parent is taken away, the unfruitful tree is cut off from the root, so that nothing may remain from which a wicked offspring might grow again. From these words of John the Baptist it is clear that the hearts of the hearers were disturbed, since it is immediately added: "And the crowds asked him, saying: 'What then shall we do?'" For they had been struck with terror who were seeking counsel.
It follows: "But he answered and said to them: He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise." By the fact that a tunic is more necessary for our use than a cloak, it pertains to fruit worthy of repentance that we ought to share with our neighbors not only whatever external and less necessary things we have, but even those things that are very necessary to us—namely, either the food by which we live bodily, or the tunic by which we are clothed. For since it is written in the law: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," he is proven to love his neighbor less who does not share with him even those things necessary to himself in his neighbor's time of need. Therefore the precept is given about dividing two tunics with one's neighbor, because this could not be said of one tunic, since if one is divided, no one is clothed. For with half a tunic, both he who receives remains naked and he who gave remains naked. But amid these things it should be known how greatly works of mercy avail, since for fruits worthy of repentance these are commanded above all others. Hence Truth also says through itself: "Give alms, and behold, all things are clean to you." Hence again he says: "Give, and it shall be given to you." Hence it is written: "Water extinguishes a burning fire, and almsgiving resists sins." Hence again it is said: "Store up almsgiving in the bosom of the poor, and it will pray for you." Hence a good father admonishes his innocent son, saying: "If you have much, give abundantly; if you have little, take care to impart even that little willingly."
But so that our Redeemer might show how great is the virtue in continence and in receiving the needy, he says: "He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward." In these words it should be noted that he does not say "a reward from the prophet" or "a reward from the righteous man," but "he shall receive a prophet's reward" and "a righteous man's reward." For a reward from the prophet is one thing, and the prophet's reward is another; and a reward from the righteous man is one thing, and the righteous man's reward is another. For what does it mean to say "He shall receive a prophet's reward," except that he who sustains a prophet by his generosity, even though he himself does not have the gift of prophecy, will nevertheless have the rewards of prophecy before the almighty Lord? For perhaps this man is righteous, and the less he possesses in this world, the greater confidence he has in speaking for justice. When he who possesses something in this world sustains this man, and perhaps does not yet presume to speak freely for justice, he makes himself a sharer in that man's freedom of justice, so that he may receive equally with him the rewards of justice—he whom he helped by sustaining him, so that he might be able to speak that same justice freely. That man is full of the spirit of prophecy, but nevertheless needs bodily nourishment. And if the body is not refreshed, it is certain that the voice itself is diminished. Therefore, he who provides food to the prophet because he is a prophet gives strength to that man's prophecy for speaking. He will therefore receive a prophet's reward along with the prophet, because even if he was not full of the spirit of prophecy, he nevertheless displayed before God's eyes what he assisted. Hence it is said to Gaius through John concerning certain traveling brothers: "For they went forth for the name of Christ, taking nothing from the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such persons, that we may be fellow workers for the truth." For he who provides temporal assistance to those who have spiritual gifts becomes a fellow worker in those very spiritual gifts. For since few are those who receive spiritual gifts, and many are those who abound in temporal things, through this the rich insert themselves into the virtues of the poor: by providing comfort to those same holy poor from their riches. Hence when the Lord promised to the abandoned Gentile world, that is, to the holy Church, the merits of spiritual virtues through the voice of Isaiah, as if promising trees to a desert, he also promised the elm at the same time, saying: "I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the pathless land into streams of water; I will place in the wilderness the cedar and the thorn, the myrtle and the olive tree; I will set in the desert the fir, the elm, and the box tree together, that they may see and know, and consider and understand together."
The Lord indeed turned the desert into pools of water and the pathless land into streams of water, because to the Gentile world, which previously through the dryness of its mind bore no fruits of good works, he gave the streams of holy preaching, and it, to which previously because of the harshness of its dryness no way lay open to preachers, afterward poured forth rivers of doctrine. To this is still promised from a great gift: "I will give in the wilderness the cedar and the thorn." The cedar, because it is of great fragrance and incorruptible nature, we rightly accept in the promise. But concerning the thorn, since it was said to sinning man, "Your land shall bring forth thorns and thistles for you," what wonder is it if what is multiplied as punishment for sinning man is promised to the holy Church? But by the name of cedars are signified those who display virtues and signs in their work, who are able to say with Paul: "We are a good fragrance of Christ to God." Their hearts are so solidified in eternal love that no rot of earthly love any longer corrupts them. By the thorn are signified men of spiritual teaching who, while they discourse on sins and virtues, now threatening eternal punishments, now promising the joys of the heavenly kingdom, pierce the hearts of their hearers. And thus they pierce through the mind with the pain of compunction, so that from their eyes, as if a kind of blood of the soul, tears flow down. The myrtle indeed is of tempering virtue, so that it restrains loosened limbs by tempering. What therefore is signified by the myrtle except those who know how to suffer with the afflictions of their neighbors and temper their tribulation through compassion? According to what is written: "Thanks be to God, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any distress." For when they bring a word or work of consolation to afflicted neighbors, they undoubtedly restrain them to a state of uprightness, lest they be dissolved into despair by immoderate tribulation. Whom do we understand by the olive except the merciful? For in Greek mercy is called ἔλεος, and the fruit of mercy shines before the eyes of almighty God like the liquid of the olive. To this is still added in the promise: "I will set in the desert the fir, the elm, and the box tree together." By the fir, which by growing greatly rises up to the heights of the air, who are designated except those who, placed within the holy Church still in earthly bodies, already contemplate heavenly things? And although by being born they came forth from the earth, yet by contemplating they already raise up the summit of their mind near the heavens. And what is expressed by the elm except the minds of worldly people? For while they still serve earthly cares, they bear no fruit of spiritual virtues. But although the elm does not have its own fruit, it is accustomed nevertheless to carry the vine with its fruit, because worldly men within the holy Church, although they do not have the gifts of spiritual virtues, yet when they sustain holy men full of spiritual gifts by their generosity, what else do they carry but the vine with its clusters? And whom else does the box tree designate, which does not grow to height and although it has no fruit nevertheless has greenness, except those who within the holy Church still cannot bear good works because of the weakness of their age, but nevertheless, following the belief of their faithful parents, hold the faith of perpetual greenness? After all these things it is fittingly added: "That they may see and know, and consider and understand together." For the cedar is placed in the Church so that whoever draws the fragrance of spiritual virtues from a neighbor may not himself grow sluggish in the love of eternal life, but may be set ablaze with desires for heavenly goods. The thorn is placed so that whoever has been pierced by the word of its preaching may himself also learn by that example to pierce the hearts of his followers with the word of preaching. The myrtle is placed so that whoever in the heat of tribulation has received the tempering of consolation from the mouth or work of a compassionate neighbor may himself also learn how to bring forth the tempering of his consolation to afflicted neighbors. The olive is placed so that whoever knows the works of another's mercy may learn how he himself ought to show mercy to a needy neighbor. The fir is placed so that whoever has recognized its power of contemplation may himself also be set ablaze to contemplate eternal rewards. The elm is placed so that whoever has observed him who cannot have the fruit of spiritual virtues but nevertheless sustains those who are full of spiritual gifts may himself also serve the life of the saints with whatever generosity he can, and may bear by sustaining the clusters of heavenly goods that he cannot bear by producing. The box tree is placed so that whoever considers that many still placed in weakness have the greenness of true faith may himself also be ashamed to be faithless. Therefore, after the trees have been described first, it is well said: "That they may see and know, and consider and understand." Where it is also fittingly added "together," because since within the holy Church the different characters of people are different orders, it is necessary that all learn together, while in it spiritual men of diverse quality, age, and order are seen together for imitation. But behold, while we seek to show the elm, we have wandered rather far through many trees. Let us therefore return to that for which we brought forth the testimony of the prophet. "He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward," because even if the elm has no fruit, yet carrying the vine with its fruits, it makes its own what it sustains well from another.
But because John admonishes us to great works, saying: "Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance." And again: "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise"; now it is clearly given to understand what Truth means when it says: "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent seize it." These words of the heavenly pronouncement must be thoroughly examined by us. For it must be asked how the kingdom of heaven can suffer violence. For who inflicts violence upon heaven? And again it must be asked, if the kingdom of heaven can suffer violence, why it endured that same violence from the days of John the Baptist, and not also before. But since the law says: "If anyone does this or that, let him die the death," it is clear to all who read that it struck all sinners with the punishment of its severity, but did not lead them back to life through repentance. But when John the Baptist, preceding the grace of the Redeemer, preaches repentance, so that the sinner who is dead from guilt may live through conversion, surely from the days of John the Baptist the kingdom of heaven suffers violence. But what is the kingdom of heaven, if not the place of the just? For the rewards of the heavenly homeland are owed only to the just, so that the humble, the chaste, the meek, and the merciful may arrive at the joys above. But when someone swollen with pride, or defiled by a sin of the flesh, or inflamed by anger, or impious through cruelty, returns to repentance after his faults and receives eternal life, the sinner enters, as it were, into a place not his own. Therefore from the days of John the Baptist the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent seize it, because he who proclaimed repentance to sinners—what else did he teach but that violence should be done to the kingdom of heaven?
Let us therefore reflect, dearly beloved brethren, on the evils we have done, and let us wear ourselves down with constant lamentations. The inheritance of the righteous, which we did not hold through our life, let us seize through repentance. Almighty God wills to suffer such violence from us. For the kingdom of heaven wills to be seized by our tears, since it is not owed to our merits. Therefore let no quality, no quantity of our evils break us from the certainty of hope. That venerable thief provides great confidence in pardon—venerable not because he was a thief, for he was a thief from cruelty, but venerable from his confession. Think therefore, think how incomprehensible are the depths of mercy in Almighty God. This thief, dragged away with bloody hands from the throat of the road, was hung on the gibbet of the cross; there he confessed, there he was healed, there he deserved to hear: "Today you will be with me in paradise." What is this? Who would be sufficient to speak of, who to estimate such goodness of God? From the very punishment of his crime he arrived at the rewards of virtue. For this reason Almighty God permitted His elect to fall in certain lapses, so that He might restore hope of pardon to others lying in fault, if they rise up to Him with their whole heart, and open to them through the laments of repentance the way of His mercy. Let us therefore exercise ourselves in lamentations, let us extinguish with tears and worthy fruits of repentance the faults we have committed; let not the time granted us for forgiveness perish, because when we see many already healed from their iniquities, what else do we hold but a pledge of heavenly mercy?