HOMILY 37. Delivered to the people in the basilica of the blessed martyr Sebastian, on the day of his birth.
READING FROM THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE. At that time, Jesus said to the crowds: If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the costs that are necessary, whether he has enough to complete it, lest after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all who see it begin to mock him, saying: This man began to build and was not able to finish? Or what king, going to wage war against another king, does not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Otherwise, while the other is still far away, he sends an embassy and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, every one of you who does not renounce all that he possesses cannot be my disciple.
If we consider, dearest brothers, what and how great are the things promised to us in heaven, everything that is possessed on earth becomes worthless to the soul. For earthly substance, compared to heavenly happiness, is a burden, not a help. Temporal life, compared to eternal life, should be called death rather than life. For what is this daily failing of corruption itself other than a kind of prolongation of death? But what tongue can tell, or what understanding can grasp how great are the joys of that heavenly city: to be present among the choirs of angels, to stand with the most blessed spirits in the glory of the Creator, to behold the face of God present before us, to see the uncircumscribed light, to be affected by no fear of death, to rejoice in the gift of perpetual incorruption? But at hearing these things the soul is set ablaze, and already desires to stand there where it hopes to rejoice without end. But one cannot arrive at great rewards except through great labors. Hence Paul, that excellent preacher, says: No one will be crowned unless he has competed lawfully. Therefore let the greatness of the rewards delight the mind, but let not the struggle of labors deter it. Hence Truth says to those coming to him: If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own soul as well, he cannot be my disciple.
But it is fitting to inquire how we are commanded to hate our parents and blood relatives, when we are ordered to love even our enemies? And certainly the Truth says concerning a wife: What God has joined together, let not man separate. And Paul says: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church. Behold, the disciple preaches that a wife should be loved, while the Master says: He who does not hate his wife cannot be my disciple. Does the judge announce one thing while the herald proclaims another? Or can we both hate and love at the same time? But if we weigh the force of the precept, we are able to do both through discernment, so that those who are joined to us by kinship of the flesh, and whom we recognize as our neighbors, we may love, and those whom we suffer as adversaries in the way of God we may disregard by hating and fleeing from them. For one who thinks carnally is loved, as it were, through hatred, when he brings wicked things upon us and is not heard. Moreover, so that the Lord might demonstrate that this hatred toward our neighbors does not proceed from lack of affection but from charity, He added immediately, saying: And his own soul as well. Therefore we are commanded to hate our neighbors, and to hate our own soul. It is clear, then, that one ought to hate his neighbor by loving him, he who hates his neighbor just as he hates himself. For we truly hate our own soul well when we do not yield to its carnal desires, when we break its appetite, when we resist its pleasures. Therefore what is led to better things by being despised is loved, as it were, through hatred. Thus, thus indeed we ought to show the discernment of hatred toward our neighbors, so that we may both love in them what they are, and hold in hatred that by which they obstruct us on our journey to God.
Certainly, when Paul was going to Jerusalem, the prophet Agabus took hold of his belt and bound his own feet, saying: "The man whose belt this is, they will bind thus in Jerusalem." But what did he who perfectly hated his own soul say? "I am prepared not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, nor do I consider my soul more precious than myself." Behold how he hated his soul by loving it, or rather, by hating it he loved it, since he desired to hand it over to death for Jesus, so that he might raise it to life from the death of sin. Therefore, from this discernment of our hatred let us draw a pattern for hatred of our neighbor. Let anyone in this world be loved, even an adversary, but let not even a relative be loved who is opposed in the way of God. For whoever now desires eternal things, in the cause of God which he undertakes, must become estranged from father, from mother, from wife, from children, from relatives, from his very self, so that he may know God more truly the more he recognizes no one in God's cause. For the carnal affections greatly buffet the intention of the mind and obscure its vision; yet we do not suffer them as harmful if we hold them in check by suppressing them. Therefore, neighbors are to be loved, charity is to be extended to all, both relatives and strangers, yet for the sake of that same charity we must not be turned aside from love of God.
Now we know that when the ark of the Lord was returning from the land of the Philistines to the land of the Israelites, it was placed upon a cart, and cows were yoked to the cart, which are recorded to have been nursing mothers, whose calves they shut up at home. And it is written: "The cows went straight along the way that leads to Beth-shemesh, and they kept to one path, going and lowing, and they turned aside neither to the right nor to the left." What then do the cows signify but all the faithful in the Church, who while they consider the precepts of sacred Scripture, carry as it were the ark of the Lord placed upon them? Concerning these it should also be noted that they are recorded to have been nursing mothers, because there are many who, while inwardly set upon the way of God, are outwardly bound by carnal affections; yet they do not turn aside from the straight path, who carry the ark of God in their mind. For behold the cows proceed to Beth-shemesh. Beth-shemesh means "house of the sun"; and the Prophet says: "But unto you who fear the Lord shall the sun of righteousness arise." If therefore we are heading toward the dwelling of the eternal sun, it is surely fitting that we not turn aside from the way of God on account of carnal affections. For it must be considered with all our strength that the cows placed under God's cart proceed and groan: they give forth lowing from deep within, and yet they do not turn their steps from the path. Thus indeed ought the preachers of God, thus ought all the faithful within holy Church to be, that they may have compassion on their neighbors through charity, and yet not stray from the way of God through that compassion.
But how this very hatred of one's soul ought to be shown, Truth makes clear by adding: "He who does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple." For the cross is so called from torture. And we carry the Lord's cross in two ways: either when we afflict the flesh through abstinence, or when through compassion for our neighbor we consider his necessity as our own. For he who shows pain at another's necessity carries the cross in his mind. But it should be known that there are some who practice abstinence of the flesh not for God, but for vainglory. And there are many who bestow compassion on their neighbor not spiritually, but carnally, so that they favor him not toward virtue, but as if by pitying him toward sins. These therefore seem to carry a cross, but they do not follow the Lord. Hence this same Truth rightly says: "He who does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple." For to carry the cross and go after the Lord is to practice either abstinence of the flesh or compassion for one's neighbor out of zeal for eternal purpose. For whoever practices these things for a temporal purpose indeed carries the cross, but refuses to go after the Lord.
Because lofty precepts have been given, a comparison of building something lofty is immediately added, when it is said: "For which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the costs that are necessary, whether he has enough to complete it, lest after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all who see it begin to mock him, saying: 'This man began to build and could not finish'?" Everything we do, we ought to anticipate through careful consideration. For behold, according to the voice of Truth, he who builds a tower first prepares the costs of the building. If therefore we desire to construct a tower of humility, we must first prepare ourselves against the adversities of this world. For this is the difference between an earthly and a heavenly building: an earthly building is constructed by gathering expenses, but a heavenly building is constructed by dispersing expenses. For the former we make expenditures if we gather things not possessed; for the latter we make expenditures if we relinquish even what we possess. That rich man could not have these expenditures, who, possessing many properties, sought out the Master, saying: "Good Master, what shall I do to possess eternal life?" When he had heard the command to leave all things, he went away sad, and was made anxious in his mind from the very source by which he was outwardly richer in possessions. For because he loved in this life the expenditures of exaltation, in striving toward the eternal homeland he refused to have the expenditures of humility. But we must consider what is said: "All who see it begin to mock him," because, according to the voice of Paul, "We have been made a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men." And in everything we do, we ought to consider our hidden adversaries, who always press upon our works, who always rejoice at our failure. Beholding these, the Prophet says: "My God, in you I trust; I shall not be ashamed, nor let my enemies mock me." For when we are intent upon good works, unless we vigilantly watch against malign spirits, we suffer as mockers the very ones we have as persuaders to evil. But because a comparison has been given concerning the construction of a building, now a similitude is added from lesser to greater, so that greater things may be weighed from the smallest matters. For it follows: "Or what king, going to wage war against another king, does not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Otherwise, while the other is still far away, he sends an embassy and asks for terms of peace." A king comes to battle against another king on equal terms, and yet if he perceives that he cannot be sufficient, he sends an embassy and seeks terms of peace. With what tears, then, ought we to hope for pardon, we who in that dreadful judgment do not come to trial on equal terms with our King, whom our condition, weakness, and cause show to be inferior?
But perhaps we have already cut off the faults of evil works, we already outwardly avoid all wicked things; yet are we sufficient to render an account of our thoughts? For he is said to come with twenty thousand against whom he who comes with ten thousand is by no means sufficient. Ten thousand to twenty thousand is indeed as one to two. But if we make much progress, we barely keep our outward works in righteousness. For even if the lust of the flesh has been cut off, nevertheless it has not yet been cut off completely from the heart. But he who comes to judge examines both outward and inward things together, weighs deeds and thoughts equally. Therefore he comes with a double army against a single one, who examines us, scarcely prepared in works alone, concerning both our works and our thoughts at once. What then must be done, brothers, except that while we see that we with a single army cannot prevail against his double one, we send an embassy while he is still far off, and ask for terms of peace? For he is said to be far off because he is not yet seen as present through judgment. Let us send to him as our embassy our tears, let us send works of mercy, let us sacrifice upon his altar victims of propitiation, let us recognize that we cannot contend with him in judgment; let us weigh the power of his might, let us ask for terms of peace. This is our embassy, which appeases the coming king. Consider, brothers, how kind it is that he who has the power to crush us by his coming delays to come. Let us send to him, as we said, our embassy, by weeping, by giving, by offering sacred victims. For the victim of the sacred altar, offered with tears and kindness of mind, singularly avails for our absolution, because he who rising again from the dead dies no more, still through this mystery suffers again for us. For as often as we offer to him the victim of his passion, so often do we renew his passion for our absolution.
Many of you, most beloved brethren, as I believe, happened to know what I wish to recall to your memory by narrating it. It is reported to have happened not long before our times that a certain man was captured by enemies and carried off far away; and when he was held in chains for a long time, since his wife did not receive him back from that captivity, she thought him dead. On his behalf, as though he were already deceased, she took care to offer sacrifices every week. His chains were loosened in captivity as many times as sacrifices had been offered by his wife for the release of his soul. For returning after a long time, he told his wife with great wonder that on certain days, every week, his chains were loosened. When his wife examined those days and hours, she recognized that he had been released whenever she remembered that the sacrifice had been offered for him. From this, therefore, most beloved brethren, from this gather by certain consideration how much the sacred sacrifice offered by us is able to loose the bond of the heart in us, if offered by one person it was able to loose the chains of the body in another.
Many of you, dearest brothers, knew Cassius, bishop of the city of Narni, whose custom it was to offer daily sacrifices to God, so that scarcely any day of his life passed without his immolating a victim of propitiation to almighty God. His life also greatly accorded with his sacrifice. For giving all that he had in alms, when the hour for offering the sacrifice came, as if flowing entirely in tears, he would slay himself with great contrition of heart. I learned of both his life and his death from a certain deacon of venerable life who had been raised by him. For he said that on a certain night the Lord appeared in a vision to his priest, saying: "Go and tell the bishop: Do what you are doing, work what you are working, let not your foot cease, let not your hand cease; on the birthday of the apostles you will come to me, and I will give you your reward." The priest arose, but because the birthday of the apostles was near at hand, he was afraid to announce to the bishop the day of his death being so close. On another night the Lord returned, vehemently rebuked his disobedience, and repeated the same words of his command. Then the priest arose to go, but again weakness of heart became an obstacle to revealing the vision; and he became hardened against going even after the repeated admonition of the command, and neglected to make known what he had seen. But because great kindness, when despised, is usually followed by greater wrath of vengeance, the Lord appearing in a third vision now added blows to words, and he was beaten with such severe stripes that the wounds of his body softened the hardness of his heart. Therefore, instructed by the beating, he arose and went to the bishop, and found him already standing according to custom near the tomb of the blessed martyr Juvenal to offer the sacrifice. He asked for privacy from those standing around, and prostrated himself at his feet. When the bishop could scarcely raise him up as he wept profusely, he endeavored to learn the causes of his tears. But he, about to relate the order of the vision, first let his garment slip from his shoulders and revealed the wounds of his body, witnesses, so to speak, of truth and of fault, showing with what severity of punishment the blows received had furrowed his limbs with inflicted bruises. As soon as the bishop saw these, he was horrified, and with voices of great astonishment inquired who had presumed to do such things to him. But he replied that he had suffered these things on his behalf. Amazement grew with terror; but now the priest, adding no more delays to his inquiry, opened the secret of the revelation, and narrated to him the words of the Lord's command as he had heard them, saying: "Do what you are doing, work what you are working, let not your hand cease, let not your foot cease; on the birthday of the apostles you will come to me, and I will give you your reward." When he heard these things, the bishop prostrated himself in prayer with great contrition of heart, and he who had come at the third hour to offer the sacrifice prolonged it until the ninth hour because of the greatness of his extended prayer. And from that day the gains of his piety increased more and more; and he became as strong in work as he was certain of the reward, since he had already begun, from that promise, to have as his debtor the one to whom he himself had been indebted. Now it had been his custom to come to Rome each year on the birthday of the apostles; but now, suspicious because of this revelation, he was unwilling to come according to custom. Therefore at that time he was anxious, and in the second and third years as well he was held in suspense in expectation of his death; similarly in the fourth, fifth, and sixth years. He might have despaired of the truth of the revelation, if the blows had not given credence to the words. But behold, in the seventh year he arrived unharmed at the sacred vigils of the awaited birthday; but a mild fever touched him during the vigils, and on the very birthday itself he declined to perform the solemnities of Mass for his children who awaited him. But they, because they were equally suspicious about his departure, all came to him together, binding themselves unanimously that they would by no means consent to the solemnities of Mass being celebrated on that day unless their same bishop approached the Lord as intercessor for them. Then he, compelled, celebrated Mass in the oratory of the episcopal residence, and with his own hand gave the Lord's body and peace to all. When the entire ministry of the offered sacrifice was completed, he returned to his bed, and lying there, when he saw his priests and ministers standing around him, as if saying a last farewell, he admonished them about preserving the bond of charity, and proclaimed with what great concord they ought to be united among themselves. When suddenly, in the midst of those very words of holy exhortation, he cried out in a terrible voice, saying: "The hour has come." And immediately he gave to those assisting him with his own hands the linen cloth, which according to the custom for the dying was to be stretched over his face. When it was stretched out, he gave up his spirit, and thus that holy soul, arriving at eternal joys, was released from the corruption of the flesh. Whom, dearest brothers, whom did this man imitate in his death, if not him whom he had contemplated in his life? For saying "The hour has come," he departed from the body, because Jesus also, when all things were accomplished, when he had said "It is finished," bowing his head, gave up his spirit. What therefore the Lord did by his power, the servant did by his calling.
Behold how that embassy sent with daily sacrifices, almsgiving, and tears made so great a peace of grace with the coming King. Therefore let him who can abandon all things. But he who cannot abandon all things, while the King is still far off, let him send an embassy, let him offer the gifts of tears, alms, and sacrifices. For He who knows that He cannot be endured when angry wishes to be appeased by prayers. The reason He still delays His coming is that He awaits an embassy of peace. For He would have come already if He wished, and would have slain all His adversaries. But He both indicates how terrible He will be when He comes, and yet delays His coming, because He does not wish to find any whom He must punish. He announces to us the guilt of our contempt, saying: "So therefore, every one of you who does not renounce all that he possesses cannot be my disciple"; and yet He bestows the remedy of hoped-for salvation, because He who cannot be endured in His wrath wishes to be appeased through an embassy seeking peace. Wash therefore, dearest brothers, the stains of your sins with tears, wipe them away with alms, cleanse them with holy sacrifices. Do not possess through desire what you have not yet abandoned in practice. Fix your hope in the Redeemer alone, pass over in mind to the eternal homeland. For if you no longer possess anything in this world through love, you have abandoned all things even while possessing them. May He Himself grant us the joys we long for, He who has bestowed upon us the remedies of eternal peace, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, through all ages of ages. Amen.