Sermon for the Feast of St. Clement. November 23rd

“When thou shalt sit to eat with a prince consider diligently what is set before thy face, for it is necessary that thou shouldst prepare the like.’’—Prov. xxiii. 1, juxta LXX.

“ Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints ’’ (Ps. cxv. 15). Let“ the sinner hear and be angry,” let him “ gnash his teeth and pine away ” (Ps. cxi. 10). He has been caught in his own craftiness (Job v. 13), “ he has fallen into the pit he made.” (Ps. vii. 16), he has entangled himself in the snare which he hath set for us (Ecclus. xxvii. 29). For it was “ by the envy of the devil death came into the world ”?” (Wisdom ii. 24), and now, behold : “ precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” Listen, therefore, thou enemy of life; thou author of death give ear. What has thy craft profited thee ? or how have we been hurt by thy cunning ? Nay, rather, we have benefited, that thou mayest be tormented the more, because “‘ to them that love God all things work together unto good, to such as according to His purpose _ are called to besaints” (Rom. viii. 28). For it was no otherwise than by his bodily death—which is thy handiwork—that the holy Martyr whose festival we are keeping to-day triumphed over thee. He made a virtue out of necessity, he changed what was the penalty of sin into a title to eternal glory: he proved himself faithful in a little thing in order that he might be found worthy to be placed over many things (Matt.

xxv. 21). For whatever that blessed soul had already received was little in truth and very little as compared with the glory which has been the reward of the martyr’ssufferings. All the delights that could be found in this world, and all the glory that it has to give, and all that may appear in it in any way desirable, ought surely to be regarded as little in comparison with the felicity, the glory, the beatitude of the blessed: if indeed such transitory things deserve to becalled even little and not rather nothingness and smoke that vanishes almost as soon as it appears. The blessed Clement enjoyed the temporal advantages of illustrious descent, ample possessions, a rich patrimony, and such vast erudition that he was reputed one of the most eminent philosophers of his time. All these things he had received of the Lord. For the goods of nature and fortune are the gifts of God, quite as much as the goods of grace. Therefore, he proved himself faithful to the Benefactor to Whom he owed everything by despising everything for His love, and by “counting all things to be but loss and esteeming them as dung that he might gain Christ’’ (Phil. i. 8).

But perhaps the enemy is not satisfied even yet, and begins to murmur, “ Skin for skin and all that a man hath he will give for his life’ (Job ii. 4). What then ? Deemest thou that when there is question of sacrificing his bodily life he will be found unfaithful to the Lord from Whom he received it, so as to prefer at least that to His love? “ Behold he is in thy hand ” (ibid. 6). Command thy satellites to rush upon him and to reduce him to such straits that he shall be under the necessity of either renouncing his allegiance to the Lord or of losing his corporal life. Devise various and

FOR THE FEAST OF ST. CLEMENT a cruel kinds of torture: but remember that thou art only fashioning crowns for our Martyr. Fer just as he has already despised the ornaments and the supports of this earthly existence, so does he now despise that existence itself. He offers thee his body to kill, he flouts thee to thy face, with his sacred lips he denounces thine idols, and even in the midst of his torments he openly proclaims and generously confesses the Lord his God. He shall becrowned, consequently, because he has “ lawfully striven ”? (2 Tim. ii. 5), because he has faithfully conquered, because neither the pleasures of this world nor the fear of death could separate him from the charity of Christ (Rom. viii. 35). Come, tell us now, I beseech thee, O blessed soul, that didst thus abandon thy body to torments, tell us, I pray thee, hadst thou or hadst thou not any affection for that body? “ Yes, indeed,” she replies, “ I loved it truly; ‘for no man ever hated his own flesh’ (Ephes. v. 29). I loved my body, therefore, but not supremely: I loved it as my slave; I loved it far less than I loved my Lord and God. And since the sincerity of love is only proved by deeds, I gladly sacrificed even the life of my flesh to His glory.” What say we to this, brethren? We felicitate the martyr on his triumph, but the thought of his glory `. ought to cover us with confusion. For the blessed Clement “ was a man passible like unto us” (James v. 17), “ encompassed with infirmity ” (Heb. v. 2) like unto. us, and like unto us attached to his body by the bonds of natural affection. Therefore, if he thus glorified Christ in his body (1 Cor. vi. 20) and took the ‘chalice of salvation (Ps. cxv. 13), it is pertinent to ask : what have we rendered to the Lord for all the things that He hath rendered to us (ibid. 12)? He has stamped His image upon us as upon Clement, He has redeemed us with the same Blood, He has called us to the same inheritance, “ an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that cannot fade, reserved in heaven ”’ (x Peter i. 4). Why, then, cannot we, like holy Clement, drink the chalice of Christ (Matt. Xx. 23)? But perchance some here would answer me: ‘“‘ Yes, we could drink of that chalice, but we are not given the opportunity ; for the days of persecution have gone by.” Now, to be candid, I should not give much credit to persons speaking thus. Why should I? You daily show that you cannot endure to be pricked with the point of a needle, and do you think you would prove more courageous at the point of the sword? Let your conduct in the small combats that belong to every day prove to us with what courage you would behave in more serious encounters. It is true, no one says to us now, “ Sacrifice to idols and you shall live ; refuse, and you shall be put to death with divers torments.” But the reason is that the Lord “ knoweth our frame ”’ (Ps. cii. 14), and refuses to expose us to so difficult a trial. He did expose Clement to that dangerous ordeal in order that he might triumph over the wicked one and to let him “ know that wisdom is mightier than all”’ (Wisdom x. 12).

But for ourselves, brethren, what kind of conflict have we to engage in? Let me tell you. Every day we can each one of us hear in his heart the voice of the tempter whispering, “ Sow discord amongst thy brethren, murmur against authority, speak ill of thy neighbour, grow lax in thy observance of rule, sham sickness, give vent to thy feelings by replying to him who may happen to reprove thee somewhat harshly.” He does not now say to anyone, “ Unless thou wilt do this, thou shalt die,” but at the most, “ It will be too difficult and painful for thee to resist thine inclinations,” or, “Who would be willing to bear such a burden?” It is words like these we are wont to hear uttered in the depths of our hearts, and the same we give in answer to the exhortations addressed to us either externally by a human superior or internally by the Holy Ghost. Now, if we are often in danger of defeat, even in such slight combats, if we offer but a feeble resistance, if we sometimes give way entirely : what would become of us if exposed to the dread ordeal of martyrdom? If the stroke of a reed is too much for our weakness, what stand should we make before death-dealing darts? You see, my brethren, how we are “ brought to nothing” (Ps. lxxii. 22), and how, like women and children, we can only applaud those who are fighting, being unable to fight ourselves. But what are we to do? For, as you know, we have all been invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Apoc. xix. 9), and it is not lawful for any to appear empty-handed before Him (Deut. xvi. 16). Let us, therefore, “‘ consider diligently what is set before our face, because it is necessary for us to prepare the like” (Prov. xxiii. juxta LXX). Thus the blessed Clement took notice that wine was set before him at the table of the Lord, and so he also, as being a rich man, brought wine to the wedding feast by the effusion of his own blood. But as for us we are poor, O Lord, and we have no wine. “ Fill the water-pots with water” (John ii. 7), He makes answer. Are we then to understand that this water will be accepted if we bring it? Most assuredly. For he shall find water as well as wine set before him, whosoever, according to the counsel of the Wise Man, ‘considers diligently what is set before his face” by Him, that is, Who came “not by water only but by water and blood” (x John v. 6). “ He that saw it hath given testimony ”’ (John xix. 35) to the fact that, when the soldier opened the side of the Lord as He slumbered on the cross, “ immediately there came out Blood and water” (ibid. 34).

For ourselves, therefore, dearest brethren, in order to show that we are faithful to our God, as we have not the martyrdom or testimony—these words mean the same—of blood, let us endeavour to have at least the testimony of water, for not even that will the Lord disdain. “ There are three that give testimony on earth, the Spirit, the water, and the blood ” (1 John v. 8). Happy the man who can boast of the triple testimony! For “ a threefold cord is not easily broken ” (Eccles. iv. 12). We have not the testimony of the blood : let us try at any rate to have the Spirit and the water. And observe that without the Spirit neither the blood nor the water will suffice us ; whilst, on the other hand, if the Spirit should be found in us without either the blood or the water, His testimony alone will be quite enough. For He is the “ Spirit of truth” (John xiv. 17), and the water and the blood of themselves avail nothing, but it is the Spirit That giveth testimony in them. Nevertheless, it is my opinion that the Spirit can very seldom, if indeed at all, be found without either the water or the blood. Consequently, most dearly beloved, let us who lack the blood, strive to have at least the water. And since I have just made mention of the water-pots, let us seek those two or three measures which the water-pots are said to contain (John ii. 6). For Christ also has set before us three measures of water, and whosoever amongst us imitates Him in this, that is, in providing the threefold measure, shall be perfect (Matt. x. 25). The reason on. account of which it is said disjunctively “ two or three measures ” I take to be this : that we may understand that two measures at least are absolutely necessary, but that the third shall not be required of all.

Let me now explain what are the three measures of water which the Saviour has set before us. He wept over Lazarus and over the city of Jerusalem: behold the first measure of water. When the hour of His passion was at hand, perspiration broke out from Him: this is the water of the second measure, flowing forth not merely from His eyes but from His whole Body. But it has a ruddy hue, resembling the colour of blood, according to what is written, “ And His sweat became as drops of blood trickling down upon the ground ” (Luke xxii. 44). With regard to the third measure, that is the water which, as I said awhile ago, issued forth from His side together with the Blood. Therefore, thou also, my brother, hast the first measure, if with thy tears thou waterest the couch of thy conscience (Ps. vi. 7) and with the sorrow of holy compunction washest out the stains of thy past sins. And thou hast the second as well, if in the sweat of thy brow thou eatest thy bread (Gen. iii. 19), if thou chastisest thy body by penitential toil, and restrainest the motions of carnal concupiscence. This water will be found to have a sanguine tint, whether on account of the labour that produces it, or because of the fire of passion which it serves to extinguish. If now, after attaining thus far, thou canst proceed a step further, even to the grace of devotion, thou shalt be “ given the water of wholesome wisdom to drink’’ (Ecclus. xv. 3), and the Spirit of Christ, “ sweet above honey ”’ (Ecclus. xxiv. 27), shall become in thee “ a fountain of water springing up into life everlasting’ (John iv. 14). And remember this is the water which issued from the Heart of the dead-Christ, and flowed out without any sense of pain. Therefore, whoso would experience the delight of this crowning grace must already have died to the world. In conclusion I will repeat in a few words what I have been saying about these waters : the first measure cleanses the conscience from the sins of the past, the second protects from future sins by extinguishing the fire of concupiscence, the third refreshes the thirsting souls of such as deserve to receive it.