Chapter 7. On the Prize.

HAVING explained a few of the parables which are to be found in the gospel, there now only remains the explanation of those names which are used in St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians; these are the "Prize" and "Crown." Of the former the Apostle thus speaks : " Know you not that they that run in the race, all run indeed, but one receive th the prize ; so run that you may obtain." (chap. ix. 24.) The same Apostle in his Epistle to the Corin thians teaches, that by the "prize" eternal,

happiness is signified; he says, " But one thing I do, forgetting the things that are behind, and stretching forth myself to those that are before, I press towards the mark, to the prize of the supernal vocation of God in Christ Jesus/' (chap. iii. 13, 14. Where fore the prize is in heaven, and to it the Almighty invites us ^by His Son Christ Jesus. The prize which the kings of this world offer us, is no very valuable object ; but our " heavenly prize" is in every way most glorious, whether we consider God who promises it, a Prince of infinite power and glory, of whom the prophet sings, " Thy magnificence is elevated above the hea vens ;" or whether we remember, that the combatants are His children and the bro thers of Christ, whom the^ King their Father, would not certainly invite to run in the race, unless the prize was so great that it might justly be desired, even by the sons of God.

But it is more important for us to know, what is the meaning of running for the prize, and by what art we may so run as to be able to gain it. To run for the prize means nothing more, than faithfully to ob serve all the commandments of the Lord our God. That the " race7' signifies the law of the Lord, David testifies where he says, " Blessed are the undefiled in the

way, who walk in the law of the Lord I have run the way of thy commandments, when thou didst enlarge my heart." (Psalm

cxviii.) Wherefore, they who run "the way" of the commandments, run in the race for the prize. Now the art of so running that we may gain the prize, includes three points : First, we must not go out of the course, for they who do so, however quickly they may run, will never reach the

foal, because they run not for the prize, ut ' ' at an uncertainty. ' ' This the Apostle tells us he carefully avoided; " I therefore so run, not as at an uncertainty." What is it to run out of the race, except not to run in the way of the commandments, and to turn aside to the right or to the left ? For example : the law says, " Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself;" he that does this, runs in the race and for the prize. But he who loves his neighbour with so great a love as not to fear offending God for his sake, he turns aside to the right and runs out of the race ; he runs not for the prize, but at an uncertainty. And the more benefits he bestows upon that individual who becomes an "idol" to him, the more does he wander, and the farther does he depart from the prize. But on the other hand, he that loves not his neighbour as much as he ought to do, and when he sees him in want, and " shuts up his bowels from him," as St. John expresses it, then he turns aside to the left, and neither runs in the race nor for the prize, even though he should appear to perform many good works. We must, therefore, love our neighbours as

ourselves, neither more nor less ; _ that is, we ought so to act towards our neighbour, as to do to him, what we should wish to be done to ourselves. This is the explanation given by Christ our teacher, who gave the commandment. What I have said concerning the love of our neighbour, which is the positive command, may also be said of the negative commands. For he that steals, declines to the right of the commandment, " Thou shalt not steal/' and thus turns aside from the course ; he however that steals not, but squanders away his own substance, declines to the left, and in like manner turns aside from the course. But the just man, who alone remains in the course, would no less depart from it if he stole, than if he squandered his goods, because liberality, which relates to justice, has two opposite vices, avarice and prodi gality. The conclusion is, that he who wishes to remain in the race, must be entirely free from mortal sin.

The second condition is, that he who wishes to gain the prize, must run quickly and with perseverance. He runs quickly, who observes the "commandments" with a fervent will, according to the words of the Psalmist, " Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, in His commands he delights exceedingly;" and the Apostle says, "Fer vent in spirit serving the Lord." He runs with perseverance, who is never fatigued nor ceases running, knowing what is writ-

ten, " He only that perseveres to the end shall be saved/' But to run quickly, not to be fatigued, nor to interrupt our course — • these seem almost contrary to one another, or at least very difficult ; for he that runs quickly, is soon fatigued and ceases run ning ; whilst he that wishes not to be tired, goes slowly and perseveres on his course at a moderate pace. These remarks are true, and therefore few arrive at the prize. It is, however, absolutely necessary for him that wishes to gain the prize, to run both quickly and with perseverance, because the time is short and the way is long. But if Chris tians wish to imitate those that run for a corruptible crown, they can easily run — quickly and without intermission— for " an incorruptible crown." What do those do who contend for the corruptible prize? They carry nothing burthensome, they cast off their garments, that so they may run free and unencumbered. This, therefore, should Christians do ; they should cast off the burthens of worldly cares, and the garments of carnal desires, or at least every inordinate affection to earthly goods. And when this is done, they must glory not in their own strength, but place all their hope in God ; then they will not be fatigued by running quickly in the race. This is not my doctrine, but that of Isaias and St. Paul ; the former thus speaks : "But they that hope in the Lord shall renew their strength They shall run and not be

weary, they shall walk and not faint." (chap. xl. 31.) And the Apostle writes: " This therefore I say brethren, the time is short; it remaineth, that they also who have wives, be as if they had none. And they that weep, as though they wept not ; and they that rejoice, as if they rejoiced not ; and they that buy, as though they possessed not. And they that used this world, as if they used it not; for the fashion of this world passeth away." (1 Epist. to Corinth, vii. 29, <fcc.) By these words, the Apostle does not forbid Christians from marrying, nor from weeping in adversity, nor rejoicing in prosperity, nor purchasing necessary things, or using the goods of this world ; but he admonishes us, in all these things to use that moderation, and to be as little attached to them, as if they did not belong to us.

The devout Melania is an example for us in this respect; she was a noble Roman lady, of whom St. Jerome thus speaks in his Epitaph on Blosilla : " St.. Melania is a pattern of true nobility among the Chris tians of our time ; for whilst the corpse of her husband was still warm, not yet being buried, she lost her two sons together. I am^about to relate a thing almost incredible, but Christ is my witness it is not false. Who would not suppose that she would tear her hair, her garments, and strike her breast, like one mad ? but not one tear did she shed, she stood unmoved, and throwing

herself at the feet of Christ, as if she ac tually embraced Him, she smiled saying, " More freely shall I now serve thee, 0 Lord, because thou hast delivered me from so great a burthen/' Thus St. Jerome, who by this example shows us who those are that have wives, and children, and other goods of this world, as if they had them not, in order that they might run for the prize more freely. But we have a still more moving example in holy Job, who in one day lost all his sons and daughters, as well as his whole substance ; and thus he lay full of ulcers on a dunghill, who a little while before, was esteemed most happy among all the Orientals. And yet, as if all these misfortunes did not concern him, he uttered these words so full of wisdom: " Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither ; the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away ; as it hath pleased the Lord, so is it done ; blessed be the name of the Lord." (chap. i. 21.) In fine, St. Peter and the other Apos tles who first folio wed^ Christ in running for the prize, that they might teach us what is required in the same race, thus speak: ''' Behold we have left all things, and have followed thee; what therefore shall we have ?" our Lord approving what they had clone, thus answers, clearly promising them the prize : " Amen, I say to you, that you who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the seat of

his majesty, you also shall sit on twelve seats, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (St. Matthew xix. 28.)

The third condition is, that he who wishes for the prize, must be united with Christ. For as the Apostle saith, " All run indeed, but one receiveth the prize;" now this <f one" is doubtless our Saviour, who " hath rejoiced as a giant to run the way ;" and of Him St. John speaks : " And no man hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven." (chap. iii. 13.) But Christ hath not ascended alone, but with all those who were " one" with Him ; that is, who were true and living members of His body, of which He is the head. Wherefore all who run labour in vain, even though they should give all their goods to the poor, and deliver their body to be burned, unless they are joined to Christ by faith and charity, and become one with Him, as He says in St. John, " That they may be one, as we also are one, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one." (chap, xvii. 22.)

But there is also another way of being united with Christ, which in a wonderful manner helps us to run quickly and with perseverance. Christ as man ran for the prize, although as God He is the "prize" itself; He is " true God and life eternal," as St. John testifies; and this also our Saviour himself tells us, " I am the way,

and the truth, and the life.'5 As the truth, He guides us ; as the way, He leads us after Him; as the life, He brings us to Himself. In order to obtain the prize then, nothing is more useful than, for us never to turn away our eyes from Him, but to exclaim with the prophet : " My eyes are ever towards the Lord/' He that keeps the eye of his soul united with his prize, neither sees nor hears what his neighbours say or do, whether they smile or mock at him ; he heeds not the opinions of others, whether they praise or dispraise him ; but he says with David, " And I became as a man that heareth not;3' and with the Apostle, "But to me it is a very small thing to be judged by you, or by man's day." The nearer he approaches the prize, the more does he see the greatness of it; and this greatness gives him additional strength, and induces him though wearied and faint ing, not to interrupt his course. Wherefore, whoever aspires ^ after this heavenly prize, must not turn aside from the course of the divine commands, he must run quickly and with perseverance; and being joined to Christ with true faith and charity, he must never turn away his eyes from the prize.