Fourth Sermon on Psalm XC: On What is Meant by the Shoulders of God, and on the Four Benefits We Receive Under Them

“ He will overshadow thee with His shoulders: and under His wings thou shalt trust.”

To the soul that humbly confesses and devoutly returns thanks for favours received, greater benefits are deservedly promised. For does not the Lord say that he who “hath been faithful over a few things ” shall be placed “ over many things” ? On the contrary, he is unworthy of obtaining anything more who proves himself ungrateful for what he has already received. Therefore, to the thankful acknowledgment contained in the preceding verse, the Spirit now replies : “Not only hath thy God delivered thee from the snare of the hunters and from the sharp word, but He will even overshadow thee with His shoulders.” It is my opinion that by the two shoulders of God we are to understand a twofold promise, namely, “ the promise of the life which now is and of that which is to come.” For had God only promised the kingdom, and left us without the succour which we require on the way, men would have cause to complain and to say, “ Great indeed is that which is offered us, but the means of reaching it have been withheld.” Consequently, He Who has promised us a blissful immortality in the life to come, in His provident mercy offers us a hundred-fold even in this. Now, O man, what excuse remains to thee? Surely now “the mouth is stopped of them that speak wicked things.” What more is left the enemy wherewith to tempt thee, except the possibility that thy life on earth shall belong? But even if “ thou hast still a great way to go,” wherefore shouldst thou fear, since thou hast been given the bread of the strong so that thou canst not fail on the road? An angel brought food to the Prophet Elias. It was only bread and water, the vilest food used by men. And yet from this food the holy man derived so much strength that he was able to walk for forty days without experiencing either fatigue or hunger. Dost thou desire to receive such nourishing food from angelic hands ? It would be passing strange if thou didst not.

But if thou feelest a hunger for this heavenly bread, delay not to solicit the angelic ministrations, not proudly, however, but with humble entreaty ; and remember what is written of the Lord: how, when the devil tempted and urged Him to change stones into bread, He refused and made answer, “ Not in bread alone doth man live, but inevery word that proceedeth from the mouth of God,” and how, after He had vanquished the temptations and put the tempter to flight, “ angels came and ministered to Him.” Therefore do thou also shun the consolations of the world and resist the suggestions of the demon, if thou desirest that the angels should minister to thee. Thy soul must refuse all comfort from others, if thou wouldst delight in the presence of the Lord. When thou art hungry, the devil will tell thee to run for bread : but attend rather to Christ, Who has said, “ Not in bread alone doth man live.” Wherefore then dost thou distract thyself with such a variety of cares (instead of being content with what is barely necessary for the life of the body), so that now thou art solicitous as to what thou shalt eat, now as to what thou shalt drink, at one time thinking of what thou shalt put on, at another of where thou shalt sleep—why such manifold solicitude, since thou canst discover all these things in one, that is to say, in the word of God? For the word of God is manna “having in it all that is delicious and the sweetness of every taste,” as well as the fragrance of every odour. It is repose also, true and perfect, pleasing and salutary, holy and sweet.

This, my brethren, is the promise of the present life. But who shall explain to us the promise of the life to come? If even “the expectation of the just is joy,” and joy so great that there is nothing amongst the desirable things of this world worthy to be compared with it, what shall be the realisation? Hence the words of the Prophet Isaias, “‘ The eye hath not seen, O God, besides Thee, what things Thou hast prepared for them that love Thee.” Such, then, are the “‘ shoulders ” of the Lord, and under these shoulders four benefits are conferred upon us. For under them we have a place of concealment ; under them we are protected from the attacks of the spiritual hawks and kites, that is, from the aerial powers ; under them we find acooling shade which defends us from the scorching heat of the sun; under them lastly, we are fostered and fed. In another psalm the Royal Prophet says, “ He hath hidden me in His tabernacle, in the day of evils,” that is, whilst as yet the days are evil and we sojourn in a foreign land, which is given into the hands of the impious, which is not the kingdom of peace, nor has the God of peace reigning in it. For if God already reigns in this world, why do we say in the Lord’s Prayer, “ Thy kingdom come” ? It is therefore necessary to conceal during our earthly life whatever of good we possess, because “ the kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure, which a man having found hid it.” This is the reason why we hide ourselves, even bodily, in these woods and cloisters. And if you desire to know how much we gain by such concealment, I give it to you as my firm belief, that there is not a single person listening to me, who would not be venerated as a saint, aye, reputed as an angel, were he to do in the world the fourth part of what he is doing here, where he obtains no better recognition than daily reproofs and reproaches for his negligence. Does this seem to you, my brethren, a slight advantage, that you are not esteemed as saints before you are saints in truth? * Are you not apprehensive lest, if you obtain here the worthless wage of human esteem, you shall have no reward in the life to come? It is necessary, therefore, that you should be concealed, not only from the eyes of others, but much more from your own. This is what the Lord recommended when He said to His disciples, ‘‘So you also, when you have done all these things that are commanded you, say: we are unprofitable servants ; we have done that which we ought to do.” For woe to us if we have not fulfilled our obligations! It is beyond doubt high virtue and great security to live holily, and nevertheless to attend more to what is yet wanting to one than to what one seems to have already acquired, and “ forgetting the ce things that are behind”’ to “stretch oneself forth to those that are before.” This, therefore, is the kind of concealment which is prepared for us, as I have said, under the shoulders of God. And perhaps it was a similar shelter, or overshadowing, the Holy Spirit gave to Mary in order to hide the incomprehensible mystery of the Lord’s incarnation.

Concerning the divine protection also the Psalmist sings in another place, “O Lord, Lord, the Strength of my salvation: Thou hast overshadowed my head in the day of battle.” For,as the mother-bird, on observing the approach of a hawk, spreads out her wings in order that her young ones may enter under them and there find a safe asylum ; so does the infinite and ineffable loving-kindness of our Lord prepare itself to shelter us, expanding its bosom, as it were, and opening wide its arms. Hence, in a preceding verse, it is said, “Thou art my Protector and my Refuge.” But it is not alone protection from our enemies we find under the shoulders of God : we find also a wholesome shade. The corporeal sun which shines in the heavens is very useful and very necessary. Yet unless its heat is tempered it will injure our weak heads, and its light needs to be moderated or it will hurt our delicate eyes. This is no fault of the sun’s, but is due to our own fragility. It is the same with the Sun of justice. Therefore it is said, “ Be not over just.” Not that justice is not good in itself, but because it is necessary for us, in our present weak condition, that even our virtues should be tempered with grace, lest perhaps we should otherwise fall into the vice of indiscretion or vainglory. For how comes it that, in spite of our unceasing prayers and supplications, we cannot attain to that abundance of devotion which we long for so eagerly ? Do you think it is because God has become either niggardly or poor, either impotent or inexorable? Away with such a thought! No, my brethren, but He remembers our weakness and overshadows us with His wings. Nevertheless, we must not therefore desist from petitioning Him ; because although we shall not obtain all we desire, we certainly shall receive as much as we have need of; the Lord, whilst protecting us from excessive (and therefore noxious) heat, will foster us like a mother, and communicate to us the warmth of His own Bosom. And this is the fourth benefit which I said we obtain under the shoulders of God, namely, that we are warmed and cherished there, as young birds under the wings of their mother, lest, if we wandered abroad, charity should grow cold, and thus we should suffer a spiritual death. For “‘ the charity of God is (not) poured forth in our hearts (except) by the Holy Ghost Who is given to us.” Under these wings of His, therefore, “ thou shalt trust ” securely, because the bestowal of present gifts is a sure pledge of future favours.