HOMILY XXXIV. Delivered to the people in the basilica of the blessed John and Paul, on the third Sunday after Pentecost.
READING FROM THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE. At that time, tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to Jesus to hear him. And the Pharisees and Scribes were murmuring, saying: "This man receives sinners and eats with them." And he spoke this parable to them, saying: "What man among you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does he not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that was lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing; and coming home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them: 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' I say to you that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner doing penance than over ninety-nine righteous who have no need of penance. Or what woman, having ten drachmas, if she loses one drachma, does she not light a lamp and sweep the house and search diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying: 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma that I had lost.' So I say to you, there will be joy before the angels of God over one sinner doing penance."
The summer season, which is very harmful to my body, prevented me from speaking about the exposition of the Gospel for a long intervening period. But did charity cease to burn because the tongue was silent? For I say what each one of you recognizes in himself. Often charity, hindered by certain occupations, burns undiminished in the heart and yet is not shown in outward action, because the sun too, when covered by a cloud, is not seen on earth, yet still burns in the sky. So it is that charity is often occupied thus, and exerts the force of its ardor within, while outwardly it does not show the flames of its work. But since now the time for speaking has returned, your eagerness kindles me, so that it pleases me to speak all the more, the more desirously your minds await this.
You have heard in the Gospel reading, my brothers, that sinners and tax collectors approached our Redeemer; and they were received not only for conversation, but also for dining together. When the Pharisees saw this, they were indignant. From this matter, understand that true justice has compassion, while false justice has disdain, although even the just are accustomed to be rightly indignant at sinners. But it is one thing that is done from the swelling of pride, another from zeal for discipline. For they show disdain, but without being disdainful; they despair, but without being despairing; they stir up persecution, but lovingly, because although outwardly they intensify rebukes through discipline, inwardly they preserve sweetness through charity. They often place before themselves in their minds the very ones whom they correct, and they consider as better even those whom they judge. By doing this, they guard their subjects through discipline and themselves through humility. But on the contrary, those who are accustomed to taking pride in false justice look down on all others, show no mercy in condescending to the weak; and because they do not believe themselves to be sinners, they become sinners all the more grievously. The Pharisees certainly belonged to this number, who, judging the Lord because he received sinners, with their dry hearts criticized the very fountain of mercy.
But because they were sick in such a way that they did not know they were sick, the heavenly physician heals them with gentle remedies so that they might recognize what they were; he presents a kind parable and presses upon the swelling of the wound in their heart. For he says: "Which of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does he not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the one that was lost?" Behold, with wonderful dispensation of mercy, the Truth gave a similitude which man might recognize in himself, and yet which pertained especially to the very author of mankind. For since one hundred is a perfect number, he himself had a hundred sheep when he created the substance of angels and men. But one sheep was lost when man, by sinning, abandoned the pastures of life. He left the ninety-nine sheep in the desert because he left those supreme choirs of angels in heaven. But why is heaven called a desert, unless because desert means abandoned? For man abandoned heaven when he sinned. The ninety-nine sheep remained in the desert while the Lord was seeking one on earth, because the number of rational creatures, namely of angels and men, which had been created to see God, was diminished by the perishing of man, and so that the perfect sum of sheep might be made whole in heaven, lost man was being sought on earth. For what this evangelist calls "in the desert," another says "in the mountains," to signify in the heights, because indeed the sheep that had not perished stood in the lofty places. And when he finds the sheep, he lays it on his shoulders rejoicing. He placed the sheep on his shoulders because by taking on human nature he himself bore our sins. And coming home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them: "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost." Having found the sheep, he returns home because our Shepherd, having restored man, returned to the heavenly kingdom. There he finds friends and neighbors, namely those choirs of angels who are his friends because they continuously guard his will in their steadfastness. They are also his neighbors because they perpetually enjoy the brightness of his vision through their constant presence. And it should be noted that he does not say "Rejoice with the sheep that was found," but "with me," because indeed our life is his joy, and when we are led back to heaven, we fulfill the celebration of his gladness.
I tell you that thus there will be joy in heaven over one sinner doing penance, more than over ninety-nine just who have no need of penance. We must consider, my brothers, why the Lord declares there is more joy in heaven over converted sinners than over the just who stand firm, unless it is what we ourselves know through daily experience of observation: that very often those who know themselves weighed down by no burden of sins do indeed stand in the way of justice, commit no unlawful acts, yet do not anxiously long for the heavenly homeland, and grant themselves as much use of lawful things as they remember having committed no unlawful ones. And very often they remain sluggish in practicing the highest goods, because they are quite secure in themselves that they have committed no graver evils. But on the contrary, sometimes those who remember having done certain unlawful things, pierced with compunction by their very grief, burn ardently with love of God, and exercise themselves in great virtues, seek out all the difficulties of holy struggle, abandon all worldly things, flee honors, rejoice when insults are received, burn with desire, long for the heavenly homeland; and because they consider that they have strayed from God, they compensate for preceding losses with subsequent gains. Therefore there is greater joy in heaven over a converted sinner than over a just person standing firm, because a commander in battle also loves more that soldier who, returning after flight, vigorously presses the enemy, than the one who never showed his back, and never performed any deed of valor. So too the farmer loves more that land which after thorns brings forth abundant crops, than that which never had thorns and never produces a fertile harvest.
But amid these things it must be known that there are many righteous persons in whose life there is such joy that no repentance of sinners can in any way be preferred to them. For many are conscious of no evils in themselves, and yet they exert themselves in such ardent affliction as if they were constrained by all sins. They reject even all lawful things, they gird themselves nobly for contempt of the world, they refuse to allow themselves anything whatsoever, they cut off from themselves even permitted goods, they despise visible things, they are inflamed by invisible things, they rejoice in lamentations, they humble themselves in all things; and just as some bewail sins of deeds, so these bewail sins of thoughts. What then shall I call these, except both righteous and penitent, who humble themselves in repentance for sins of thought, and always persevere upright in deed? From this therefore it must be gathered how great a joy the righteous person makes for God when he humbly mourns, if the unrighteous person makes joy in heaven when he condemns through repentance what he has done wickedly.
There follows: "Or what woman having ten drachmas, if she loses one drachma, does she not light a lamp, and sweep the house, and search diligently until she finds the drachma she had lost?" He who is signified by the shepherd is also signified by the woman. For He Himself is God, He Himself is also the wisdom of God. And because an image is imprinted on a drachma, the woman lost a drachma when man, who had been created in the image of God, by sinning departed from the likeness of his Creator. But the woman lit a lamp, because the wisdom of God appeared in humanity. For a lamp is a light in an earthen vessel: and a light in an earthen vessel is divinity in flesh. Concerning which earthen vessel of His body, Wisdom Himself says: "My strength is dried up like a potsherd." For because a potsherd is hardened in fire, His strength dried up like a potsherd, because He strengthened the flesh He had assumed unto the glory of resurrection through the tribulation of His passion. And when the lamp was lit, she swept the house, because as soon as His divinity shone forth through the flesh, our whole conscience was shaken. For the house is swept when the human conscience is disturbed by consideration of its own guilt. This word "swept" does not disagree with what is read in other manuscripts as "cleansed," because indeed a wicked mind, unless it is first overturned through fear, is not cleansed of its accustomed vices. Therefore, with the house swept, the drachma is found, because when the conscience of man is disturbed, the likeness of the Creator is restored in man. "And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying: Rejoice with me, because I have found the drachma which I had lost." Who are these friends or neighbors except those heavenly powers already mentioned above? They are so close to the supreme Wisdom because they approach Him through the grace of continual vision. But among these things we should by no means carelessly overlook why this woman, through whom the wisdom of God is figured, is said to have had ten drachmas, of which she lost one, which she found when she searched for it. For the Lord created the nature of angels and men to know Him, and when He willed it to endure unto eternity, He without doubt created it in His own likeness. The woman had ten drachmas because there are nine orders of angels. But so that the number of the elect might be completed, man was created as the tenth, who did not perish from his Creator even after his sin, because eternal Wisdom, flashing with miracles through the flesh, restored him by the light of the earthen vessel.
We have said there are nine orders of angels, because we know from the testimony of sacred Scripture that there are angels, archangels, virtues, powers, principalities, dominations, thrones, cherubim, and seraphim. For nearly all pages of sacred Scripture testify that there are angels and archangels. The books of the prophets frequently speak, as is well known, of cherubim and seraphim. The apostle Paul also enumerates the names of four orders to the Ephesians, saying: "Above every principality, and power, and virtue, and domination." Writing again to the Colossians, he says: "Whether thrones, or powers, or principalities, or dominations." He had already described dominations, principalities, and powers when speaking to the Ephesians; but when about to say these things also to the Colossians, he added thrones, about which he had not yet said anything to the Ephesians. Therefore, when thrones are joined to those four which he mentioned to the Ephesians—that is, principalities, powers, virtues, and dominations—there are five orders that are specifically expressed. When angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim are added to these, without doubt nine orders of angels are found to exist. Hence also it is said through the prophet to that angel who was created first: "You are the seal of likeness, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty; you were in the delights of the paradise of God." Here it should be noted that he is not said to be made in the likeness of God, but the seal of likeness, so that because his nature is more subtle, the image of God is understood to be expressed in him more similarly. In that passage it is soon added: "Every precious stone was your covering: sardius, topaz, and jasper, chrysolite, onyx, and beryl, sapphire, carbuncle, and emerald." Behold, he named nine kinds of stones, because indeed there are nine orders of angels. That first angel stood adorned and covered with these orders because, since he was placed over all the hosts of angels, he was more glorious by comparison with them.
But why have we touched upon these choirs of persevering angels by enumeration, if we do not also explain their ministries with some precision? For in the Greek language, angels are called messengers, and archangels are called chief messengers. It should also be known that the word "angel" is a name of office, not of nature. For those holy spirits of the heavenly homeland are indeed always spirits, but they cannot always be called angels, since they are angels only when something is announced through them; hence it is said through the Psalmist: "Who makes His angels spirits." As if he were saying plainly: He who always has them as spirits also makes them angels when He wills. Moreover, those who announce lesser things are called angels, while those who announce the greatest things are called archangels. This is why not just any angel, but the archangel Gabriel, was sent to the Virgin Mary. For it was fitting that the highest angel should come for this ministry, since he was announcing the highest of all things. They are also designated by their own personal names so that their names might indicate what they are capable of in their work. For in that holy city, which perfect knowledge from the vision of almighty God completes, they are not given their own names because their persons could not be known without names; rather, when they come to minister something to us, they also take their names among us from their ministries.
Michael indeed means "Who is like God"; Gabriel, "the strength of God"; and Raphael is called "the medicine of God." And whenever something of wondrous power is accomplished, Michael is said to be sent, so that from the act itself and the name it may be understood that no one can do what God is able to do. Hence that ancient enemy, who through pride desired to be like God, saying: "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of heaven, I will sit on the mountain of the covenant, on the sides of the north, I will ascend above the height of the clouds, I will be like the Most High," when at the end of the world he is left to his own power to be destroyed by the final punishment, is said to be about to fight with the archangel Michael, as it is said through John: "There was a battle with the archangel Michael," so that he who proudly raised himself to the likeness of God, slain by Michael, might learn that no one rises to the likeness of God through pride. Gabriel, who is called the strength of God, is also sent to Mary (Luke 1:26). For he came to announce him who deigned to appear humble to conquer the powers of the air. Of whom it is said through the Psalmist: "Lift up your gates, O princes, and be lifted up, eternal gates, and the King of glory shall enter. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle." And again: "The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory." Therefore, he who was the Lord of hosts and mighty in battle, coming to wage war against the powers of the air, was to be announced through the strength of God. Raphael also, as we said, is interpreted as the medicine of God, because when he touched the eyes of Tobias as if through the office of healing, he wiped away the darkness of his blindness. He therefore who is sent to heal was fittingly called the medicine of God. But since we have briefly touched upon the names of angels by interpretation, it now remains for us to briefly explain the very terms of their offices.
For indeed those spirits are called Virtues through whom signs and miracles are performed more frequently. Powers also are called those who have received this more powerfully than others in their order, so that the adverse powers are subject to their authority, by whose power they are restrained lest they prevail to tempt the hearts of men as much as they wish. Principalities also are called those who preside over the good spirits of angels themselves, who, while they arrange what things are to be done by others subject to them, act as rulers over them for carrying out the divine ministries. Dominions, however, are called those who transcend even the powers of the principalities by a lofty dissimilarity. For to rule as a prince is to stand first among the rest, but to dominate is to possess even all those who are subject. Those hosts of angels, therefore, which are preeminent with wondrous power, are called Dominions because the rest are subject to them for obedience. Thrones also are those hosts which are so called because Almighty God always presides over them for exercising judgment. For since in Latin speech we call thrones "seats," those are called thrones of God who are filled with such great grace of divinity that the Lord sits in them and through them decrees His judgments. Whence it is also said through the Psalmist: "You sit upon the throne, you who judge equity." Cherubim also means fullness of knowledge. And those more sublime hosts are therefore called Cherubim because they are filled with knowledge so much more perfect as they contemplate the brightness of God more closely; so that, according to the measure of the creature, they know all things fully in proportion as they approach the vision of their Creator through the merit of their dignity. Seraphim also are called those hosts of holy spirits which burn with incomparable love from the singular nearness of their Creator. For Seraphim are called burning or kindling. Because they are so joined to God that no other spirits stand between them and God, they burn so much more as they see Him more closely. Their flame indeed is love, because the more subtly they behold the brightness of His divinity, the more powerfully they are inflamed in love of Him.
But what does it profit us to touch briefly upon these matters concerning the angelic spirits, if we do not strive to apply them also to our own advancement through suitable reflection? For since that heavenly city consists of angels and men, to which we believe the human race ascends in such number as equals the elect angels who remained there, as it is written: "He set the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the angels of God," we too ought to draw something from those distinctions of the heavenly citizens for the use of our own way of life, and inflame ourselves with good pursuits toward growth in virtues. For since such a multitude of men is believed to ascend there as equals the multitude of angels that remained, it follows that those men who return to the heavenly homeland should imitate something from those hosts as they return there. For the different ways of life of men correspond distinctly to the orders of individual hosts, and they are assigned to their lot through similarity of life. For there are many who grasp small things, yet do not cease to announce piously these same small things to their brethren. These therefore run to be numbered among the angels. And there are some who, refreshed by the gift of divine generosity, are able both to grasp and to announce the highest secrets of heaven. Where then are these assigned except among the number of archangels? And there are others who do wondrous things and powerfully work signs. Where then do these belong except to the lot and number of the heavenly Virtues? And there are some who even drive malign spirits from possessed bodies and cast them out by the power of prayer and the force of received authority. Where then do these obtain their reward except among the number of the heavenly Powers? And there are some who through received virtues even transcend the merits of elect men, and since they are better than the good, they also rule over their elect brethren. Where then have these received their lot except among the numbers of Principalities? And there are some who so dominate all vices and all desires within themselves that by the very right of their purity they are called gods among men; whence also it is said to Moses: "Behold, I have made you a god to Pharaoh." Where then do these run except among the numbers of Dominations? And there are some who, while they rule themselves with watchful care, and while they examine themselves with anxious attention, always clinging to divine fear, receive this as a gift of virtue: that they can rightly judge others as well. While divine contemplation is indeed present to their minds, the Lord, presiding in them as on His throne, examines the deeds of others and wonderfully dispenses all things from His seat. What then are these except thrones of their Creator? Or where are they enrolled except among the numbers of the heavenly Seats? While the holy Church is governed through them, often even the elect are judged concerning certain of their weak actions. And there are some who are so full of love for God and neighbor that they may rightly be called Cherubim. For since, as we said before, Cherubim means fullness of knowledge, and we have learned from Paul's saying that love is the fullness of the law, all who are more fully filled than others with love of God and neighbor have received the lot of their merits among the numbers of the Cherubim. And there are some who, kindled by the flames of heavenly contemplation, pant only for desire of their Creator, desire nothing more in this world, are fed solely on love of eternity, cast aside all earthly things, transcend in mind all temporal things, love and burn, and rest in their very burning; by loving they burn, by speaking they kindle others also, and those whom they touch with their word they immediately cause to burn with love of God. What then should I call these except Seraphim, whose heart, turned into fire, both shines and burns, because they both illuminate the eyes of minds toward heavenly things and, by causing compunction, purge the rust of vices in tears? Those therefore who are thus inflamed with love of their Creator—where have they received the lot of their calling except among the number of the Seraphim? But as I speak these things, dearest brethren, turn yourselves inward to yourselves, examine the merits and thoughts of your secret hearts. See whether you already do anything good within yourselves, see whether you find the lot of your calling among the number of these hosts that we have briefly touched upon. But woe to the soul that recognizes nothing in itself of these good things we have enumerated, and a yet worse woe threatens it if it both understands itself to be deprived of gifts and does not groan at all. Whoever therefore is such, my brethren, is greatly to be lamented, because he does not lament. Let us therefore consider the received gifts of the elect, and with what virtue we can, let us pant for love of so great a lot. Let him who does not recognize in himself the grace of gifts groan. But let him who recognizes lesser things in himself not envy others their greater things, because those heavenly distinctions of blessed spirits are so established that some are set over others. Indeed, Dionysius the Areopagite, that ancient and venerable Father, is said to declare that from the lesser hosts of angels some are sent forth to fulfill their ministry either visibly or invisibly, namely because angels or archangels come for human consolation. For those higher hosts never withdraw from the inner places, since those who are preeminent have no function of external ministry. This seems to be contradicted by what Isaiah says: "And one of the Seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a coal which he had taken with tongs from the altar, and he touched my mouth." But in this statement of the prophet, he wants it understood that the spirits who are sent receive the name of those whose office they perform. For the angel who carries a coal from the altar to burn up the sins of speech is called a Seraphim, which means burning. This interpretation is also believed to be supported not unsuitably by what is said through Daniel: "Thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before him." For ministering is one thing, and standing before is another, because those minister to God who also go out to us announcing; but those stand before who so enjoy inward contemplation that they are not at all sent forth to accomplish external works.
But because in certain passages of Scripture we have learned that some things are done through the cherubim, and other things through the seraphim, whether they do these things by themselves, or whether they are done through the hosts subject to them, which, as is said, receive the names of the greater ones because they come from the greater ones, we do not wish to affirm what we do not prove by clear testimonies. This, however, we know most certainly, that to carry out service from above, some spirits send others, as the prophet Zechariah testifies, who says: Behold, the angel who was speaking in me went forth; and behold, another angel went forth to meet him, and he said to him: Run, and speak to this young man, saying: Jerusalem shall be inhabited without walls. For when an angel says to an angel "Run and speak," there is no doubt that one sends another. Those who are sent are lesser, those who send are greater. But this too we hold as certain concerning those very hosts that are sent, that even when they come to us, they so fulfill their ministry externally that they are never absent internally through contemplation. Therefore they are both sent and stand before him, because although the angelic spirit is circumscribed, yet the supreme spirit himself, who is God, is not circumscribed. And so the angels, even when sent, are before him, because wherever they go when sent, they run within him.
It should also be known that often the very orders of blessed spirits take on the names of orders neighboring them. For we have said that the Thrones, that is, the seats of God, are a special order of blessed spirits, and yet it is said by the Psalmist: "You who sit upon the cherubim, appear," because, evidently, since in those very distinctions of hosts the cherubim are joined to the thrones, the Lord is said to sit even upon the cherubim by equality with the neighboring host. For thus in that highest city certain things are special to each, yet they are common to all; and what each one has in part within himself, this he possesses fully in another order. But they are not commonly reckoned by one and the same name for this reason: that order ought to be called by the private name of each thing which has received this more fully as a gift. For we have said that seraphim means burning, and yet all burn equally with love of the Creator. Cherubim indeed means fullness of knowledge, and yet who there is ignorant of anything where all together see God himself, the fountain of knowledge? Those hosts also over which the Creator presides are called thrones, but who can be blessed unless his Creator presides over his mind? Therefore what are possessed in part by all have been given as a private name to those who have received these more fully as a gift. For even if some things there are possessed by some in such a way that they cannot be possessed by others, just as dominations and principalities are called by a special name, all things there belong to each, because through the love of the Spirit what belongs to one is possessed by others.
But behold, while we search out the secrets of the heavenly citizens, we have digressed far from the order of our exposition. Let us therefore sigh toward those of whom we speak, but let us return to ourselves. For we ought to remember that we are flesh. Let us be silent meanwhile about the secrets of heaven, but before the eyes of our Creator let us wipe away the stains of our dust with the hand of repentance. Behold, divine mercy itself promises, saying: There shall be joy in heaven over one sinner doing penance; and yet through the prophet the Lord says: In whatever day the just man shall sin, all his righteousnesses shall be in oblivion before me. Let us consider, if we can, the dispensation of heavenly loving-kindness. To those who stand, if they should fall, he threatens punishment; but to the fallen, that they might desire to rise, he promises mercy. He terrifies those, lest they presume upon their good works; he comforts these, lest they despair in their evils. You are just—fear wrath, lest you fall; you are a sinner—trust in mercy, that you may rise. But behold, we have already fallen, we have been utterly unable to stand, we lie in our wicked desires. But he who struck us down when we were upright still waits, and urges us to rise. He opens the bosom of his loving-kindness, and seeks to receive us back to himself through repentance. But we cannot do penance worthily unless we also know the manner of that same penance. For to do penance is both to bewail the evils committed, and not to commit things that must be bewailed. For he who so deplores some sins while yet committing others, still either pretends to do penance or does not know what it is. For what does it profit if someone weeps for sins of lust, and yet still pants with the burning heat of avarice? Or what does it profit if he now mourns the faults of anger, and yet still wastes away with the torches of envy? But what we say is far too little, that he who deplores sins should by no means commit things to be deplored, and that he who bewails vices should fear to perpetrate vices. 16. For one must consider most carefully that he who remembers having committed unlawful things should strive to abstain even from certain lawful things, so that through this he may make satisfaction to his Creator, that he who has committed forbidden things ought to cut off from himself even permitted things, and should reproach himself in the least matters who remembers having sinned in the greatest. What I say is excessive, unless I confirm these things from testimonies of sacred Scripture. The Law of the Old Testament certainly forbids coveting another's wife, but it does not punish a king for commanding brave deeds of soldiers, or for desiring water. And we all know that David, pierced by the sword of concupiscence, both coveted and took away another man's wife. Fitting scourges followed his fault, and he corrected the evil he had perpetrated through the lamentations of penance. When long afterward he sat against the battle lines of enemies, he wished from desire to drink water from the cistern of Bethlehem. His chosen soldiers, breaking through the midst of the opposing forces, brought back unharmed the water the king had desired. But the man instructed by scourges immediately reproached himself for having desired water at the peril of his soldiers, and pouring it out, he offered it to the Lord, as it is written there: He poured it out to the Lord. For the water poured out was turned into a sacrifice to the Lord, because he slew the fault of concupiscence through the penance of his self-reproach. He therefore who once did not at all fear to covet another's wife, afterward was even afraid because he had coveted water. For since he remembered having perpetrated unlawful things, now stern against himself, he abstained even from lawful things. Thus, thus do we do penance, if we perfectly bewail what we have committed. Let us consider the heavenly riches of our Creator. He saw us sin, and bore with us.
He who forbade us to sin before our fault does not cease even after our fault to wait for us to seek pardon. Behold, He whom we despised calls us. We have turned away from Him, and yet He does not turn away. Whence it is well said through Isaiah: And your eyes shall see your teacher, and your ears shall hear the voice of one warning from behind your back. Man was warned as if to his face when, created for righteousness, he received the precepts of rectitude. But when he despised these same precepts, he turned, as it were, the back of his mind to his Creator's face. But behold, He still follows behind and warns, because even though He has been despised by us, yet He does not cease to call us. We have turned our back to His face, as it were, whose words we despise, whose precepts we trample underfoot; but standing behind our back He calls us back though we are turned away, He who both sees that He is despised and yet cries out through His precepts, waits through His patience. Consider therefore, dearest brothers, if any servant of yours were suddenly to become proud while you were speaking to him, and were to turn his back to your face, would not his master, being despised, strike his pride and inflict wounds of severe punishment? Behold, by sinning we have turned our backs to the face of our Creator, and yet we are endured. He graciously calls back those who have proudly turned away, and He who could strike us as we turn away instead promises rewards if we return. Therefore let such great mercy of our Creator soften the hardness of our guilt, and let man, who could have experienced the evil he did by being struck, at least blush with shame at being waited for.
I briefly relate a matter, brothers, which I learned from the account of the venerable man Maximian, then the father and priest of my monastery, but now bishop of Syracuse. If you listen to this attentively, I believe it will greatly benefit your charity. In our own times there was a certain Victorinus, who was also called by another name, Aemilianus, not lacking in substance according to a moderate way of life; but because the sin of the flesh often reigns amid abundance of possessions, he fell into a certain crime, which he ought greatly to have feared, and to have thought about the enormity of his own death. Therefore, struck with compunction by consideration of his guilt, he rose up against himself, abandoned all things of this world, and sought a monastery. In that monastery, indeed, he showed himself of such great humility and such great strictness toward himself, that all the brothers who had grown there in the love of God were compelled to despise their own lives when they saw his penance. For he strove with the whole effort of his mind to crucify his flesh, to break his own will, to seek secret prayers, to wash himself daily with tears, to desire contempt of himself, and to fear veneration offered by the brothers. He had been accustomed to anticipate the nightly vigils of the brothers; and because the mountain on which the monastery was situated jutted out on one side in a more secluded area, he had made it his custom to go out there before the vigils, so that he might slay himself daily in the weeping of penance, the more secretly, the more freely. For he contemplated the severity of his coming Judge, and, already in harmony with that same Judge, he punished in tears the guilt of his crime. One night, however, the abbot of the monastery, being awake, observed him secretly going out and followed him outside with slow step. When he saw him prostrate in prayer on the secluded side of the mountain, he wished to wait until he arose, so that he might also observe the very perseverance of his prayer, when suddenly a light sent from heaven was poured out over him who lay prostrate in prayer; and such great brightness spread in that place that the whole part of that region grew white from the same light. When the abbot saw this, he trembled and fled. And when after a long space of time that same brother had returned to the monastery, his abbot, in order to learn whether he had recognized the outpouring of so great a light upon himself, endeavored to question him, saying: "Where were you, brother?" But he, believing he could remain hidden, answered that he had been in the monastery. When he denied it, the abbot was compelled to say what he had seen. But he, seeing that he had been discovered, also revealed what had been hidden from the abbot, adding: "When you saw the light descending upon me from heaven, a voice also came at the same time, saying: 'Your sin is forgiven.'" And indeed Almighty God could have pardoned his sin in silence; but by speaking through a voice, by shining through light, He wished to strike our hearts to penance by the example of His mercy. We marvel, dearest brothers, that the Lord struck down His persecutor Saul from heaven, spoke to him from heaven. Behold, in our times also a sinner doing penance heard a voice from the heavens. To him it was said: "Why do you persecute me?" But this man merited to hear: "Your sin is forgiven." Far inferior in merits is this penitent sinner compared to Paul. But because we are still speaking here of Saul breathing the cruelty of slaughter, let it be permitted to say boldly that Saul on account of pride heard a voice of rebuke, but this man on account of humility heard a voice of consolation. Because humility had cast him down, divine mercy raised him up; because pride had exalted the other, divine severity humbled him. Therefore have confidence, my brothers, in the mercy of our Creator; consider what you do, reconsider what you have done. Look upon the generosity of heavenly mercy, and come with tears to the merciful Judge while He still waits. For considering that He is just, do not neglect your sins; but considering that He is merciful, do not despair. God made man gives man confidence before God. There is great hope for us who do penance, because our advocate has become our judge. Who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.