Second Sermon for the Feast of St. Victor

“ The just wait for me until Thou reward me.’’—Ps. cxli. 8.

“ Rejoice in the Lord”? (Phil. iv. 2), most dearly beloved, Who, amongst the other priceless gifts which His goodness is constantly showering upon us, willed also to bless the world with the birth of a man whose example He designed to be for many the means of salvation. “ Again I say, rejoice’’ (ibid.), because Victor has been withdrawn from the world and united to God, so that many more may be saved through his intercession. Our ‘‘ compassionate and merciful Lord ” (Ps. cii. 8) has now from amongst men one for whose sake He may condone the sins of men, and our compassionate and merciful advocate has found a suitable time and place for interceding in our behalf, a place of peace and a time of repose. ‘‘He was seen upon earth and conversed with men”’ (Bar. iii. 38), in order to give us an example; he was raised up to heaven in order to afford us protection. Here he taught us the way of life, there he invites us to glory. Having on earth exhorted men to the practice of virtue, he has now become their mediator, through whom they hope to obtain the crown. A good mediator is Victor, who, having nothing more to ask for himself, has no desire but for our happiness, pleads solely for us, and transfers to us all the fruit of his supplication. For what should he seek for himself, since he has now need of nothing? “The Lord preserveth him, and giveth him life, and

IIO

FOR THE TRASE-OF-ST, VICTOR MI maketh him blessed ” (Ps. xl. 3) in glory. ‘‘ He wanteth nothing,” because the Lord Who ruleth him “ hath set him in the place of pasture” (Ps. xxii. 1, 2). This, brethren, is the day of his glorious exaltation, this is “ the day of the joy of his heart ’’ (Cant. iii. 11) : “ let us beglad and rejoice therein”? (Ps. cxvii. 24). He has “‘ entered into the powers of the Lord ” (Ps. lxx. 16) : let us again rejoice, because he now possesses more power to save us.

To-day Victor, having laid aside the body of flesh, by which alone he seemed to have been prevented hitherto from entering into bliss, with equal delight and liberty has penetrated into the holy of holies “made like to the saints in glory” (Ecclus. xlv. 2). To-day, at the invitation of the supreme Father of the family, from the last and lowest place which, following the Saviour’s counsel, he had chosen for ` himself on earth, this true friend has gone “ up higher,” and has had “ glory before them that sit at table with him” (Luke xiv. 10). To-day, having despised the world and vanquished “the prince of this world” (John xiv. 30), our victorious Victor has mounted above the world to receive “a crown of glory from the hand of the Lord” (Is. lxii. 3). But he has mounted carrying with him an immense store of merits, illustrious for his triumphs, resplendent with his miracles. To-day the soldier emeritus has begun to rest from the conflict, and after the hardships and fatigues of the holy war, he has been summoned to the land of immortal joys and crowned with glory and honour. Henceforth and for ever “ his soul shall dwell in good things ” (Ps. xxiv. 13). Do you ask me, where? “ With Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. viii. 11). Yes, my brethren, such is the society and such the place in which Victor’s soul is now seated, glorious and exalted, full of giadness and of the praise of God. There she sits, full of sweetness and “as a bride adorned with her jewels” (Is. lxi. 10), “ stayed up with flowers, compassed about with apples” (Cant. ii.). There, I say, she is seated free from solicitude, ‘‘ flowing with delights ” (Cant. viii. 5), and with plenty of leisure and repose to occupy herself with wisdom (Ecclus. xxxviii. 25). She that formerly “ sat and wept upon the rivers of Babylon” (Ps. cxxxvi. I) is now seated at the fountain of life, and her days are passed beside the “ torrent of pleasure ” (Ps. xxxv. 9) whose “ stream maketh the city of God joyful” (Ps. xlv. 5). She has discovered for herself “the fountain of gardens, the well of living waters’’ (Cant. iv. 15), and with the Samaritan woman she “is given the water of wholesome wisdom to drink” (Ecclus. xv. 3) so that she “ may not thirst for ever ” (John iv. 13). There is “ given to her of the fruit of her hands, and her works praise her in the gates” (Provi xxxi. 31), and she rejoices in the testimony of a good conscience (2 Cor. i. 12): I mean the testimony, not of another’s conscience, but of her own. She has her seat amongst the holy angels, of whose society she is well worthy, since she burns with the same fervent desire that consumes them, and shines with the same innocence and purity wherewith they are adorned. Amongst the apostles, too, our Victor sits enthroned ; neither is there any reason why he should not associate with the company of the prophets, since Whom they foretold he “ glorified and bore in his body ” (x Cor. vi. 20). Nor does he who, by a bitter and long-enduring martyrdom, immolated the living victim of his own body, consider himself alien to the victorious choirs of the martyrs. Yes, most dearly beloved, the veteran soldier of Christ is resting now, enjoying in security the sweetness of his well-earned repose. He is now set free from all solicitude with regard to himself, yet not also with regard to us. For he has not put off the bowels of compassion at the same time with the rottenness of the flesh, nor has he put on, together with the “‘robe of glory” (Ecclus. vi. 32), forgetfulness both of his own mercy and of our misery. No “land of oblivion”’ (Ps. lxxxvii. 13) is that where the soul of Victor abides, neither is it a land of labour, where toil would engross his attention : his home is no longer upon earth but in heaven. Are we to believe that the heavenly habitation hardens the souls admitted within its bounds, or robs them of their memory, or despoils them of their mercy? Dearest brethren, the case is quite the contrary. Hearts dilate instead of contracting in the amplitude of heaven, minds are filled with gladness, but do not change their sentiments, affections are widened rather than narrowed. The light of God’s countenance tranquillises, but does not obscure the memory: we shall not forget what we know in that light, on the contrary, what we do not know we shall learn. Those celestial spirits who have lived with God from the beginning of the world: do they, for the reason that they have their home in heaven, despise the earth and do not rather visit it frequently ? Does the fact that they “‘ always see the face of the Father ” (Matt. xviii. 10) prevent them from exercising the ministry of mercy? Most, certainly not. For the Apostle assures us that “they are all ministering

III 9 spirits, sent to minister for them who shall receive the inheritance of salvation ” (Heb. i. 14). What then? The holy angels busy themselves about and willingly succour mortals, and can we believe that the blessed of our own race are ignorant of our concerns and do not know how to compassionate us in the midst of the evils to which they themselves have been likewise exposed? That they who have never had any experience of suffering pity us in ours, whereas “ they that are come out of great tribulation ”?” (Apoc. vii. 14) have no longer any remembrance of the miseries of their earthly life? But I know who it is that said to the Lord, “ The just wait for me until Thou reward me”’ (Ps. cxli. 8). Now Victor is one of the just, therefore we cannot doubt that he is waiting to see us, as himself, rewarded. He is not like that butler of King Pharao, who, having been restored to favour with his lord, used his influence for his own advantage exclusively and remembered no more the imprisoned Prophet. No, Victor is the minister of Christ and walks in the footsteps of his Master (John xii. 26). Christ did not forget His promise, nor did He refuse a participation in His glory to them that participated in His passion. Now, the disciple does not contradict his Master. Victor cannot do anything of himself but what he seeth (his Master) doing, and “ what things soever He doth,” the disciple “ also doth in like manner” (John v. 19).* Our Victor has entered now into the abode of the blessed, which, even whilst he lived here below, lay open to his happy eyes ; now in truth he “ beholds the glory of the Lord with open face ” (2 Cor. iii. 18). But absorbed though he is in divine contemplation, he nevertheless “ hath not forgotten the cry of the poor” (Ps. ix. 13). O happy vision, by which Victor is now “ transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord ” (2 Cor. iii. 18)! He was already a great victor when as yet but a little warrior, for even before he was born he put the devils to flight ; then, living “‘ among sinners ” and daily advancing in virtue and merit, at length “ he was translated” to glory (Wisdom iv. 10). O man of singular holiness, who was a saint before he saw the light and was victor in fact before he was Victor in name! For whilst still enclosed in his mother’s womb he triumphed over the demon. O sanctity admirable in the eyes of the-very angels, which, with equal ardour though with opposite dispositions, the good spirits approach and the bad spirits fly from! And it is not easy to decide which is the better proof of the holiness of our saint, the favour of the former or the fear of the latter. Dwelling on the earth in body, and in heaven in thought and affection, he used often to hear with emotions of inexpressible delight the sweet voices of the supernal spirits at one time announcing to him familiarly some secret from above, at another chanting their celestial songs. Verily, O Victor, thine own spirit was one of those jewels wherewith thou didst see the cross adorned. For it was then truly fastened to the cross when it was admitted to the divine glory and began to shine with the reflexion of the light it contemplated. He Who animated thee with His own Spirit in the combat opened His arms to receive thee when the victory was won. O victorious soul that, flying away like a sparrow (Ps. x. 2), hast thus escaped the snares of the world :

look down, I implore thee, look down upon our incautious souls perilously entangled in these snares, and deliver us by thy protection.

O soldier emeritus, who hast now exchanged the toils and hardships of the Christian warfare for the happiness and repose of the blessed: turn thine eyes towards us, thy weak and inexperienced brothers-inarms, who in the midst of hostile swords and “ the spirits of wickedness ’’ (Ephes. vi. 12) are occupied in celebrating thy praises. O illustrious Victor, who hast triumphed most gloriously over heaven and earth, with noble pride disdaining the glory of the one and bearing away with holy violence the kingdom of the other (Matt. xi. 12); look down from thy throne on high upon us in bondage here, and let it be the consummation of thy victory to have made us feel that thou hast finally conquered for us also. For if thou owest thy name to the victories thou hast won, that name will only find its complete justification in our deliverance. Certainly there will be something wanting to its perfect realisation so long as we, who are thine, have not yet been emancipated. How pious, how sweet, how consoling it is, O Victor, in this “‘ place of affliction” (Ps. xliii. 20) and in “the body of this death” (Rom. vii, 24), to sing to thee, to worship thee, to invoke thee! “Thy name and thy remembrance ” (Is. xxvi. 8) “ are as a dropping honeycomb ” (Cant. iv. I) on the lips of us, poor captives; they are as “ honey and milk under the tongue” (ibid.) of them that delight in the thought of thee. Therefore, O noble athlete, O sweet patron, O faithful advocate, “arise to help us”’ (Ps. xxxiv. 2), so that we may rejoice at our deliverance and thou mayest glory in

FOR THE FEAST OF ST. VICTOR LIZ, the consummation of thy triumph. Almighty Father, » we have sinned against Thee and become as “ alien children ” (Ps. xvii. 46) ; but we have drawn nigh to Thee again in the person of Victor. Oh, may he who conquered his own passions, conquer also Thine anger, justly enkindled against us, and reconcile us once more to Thy grace! O victorious Jesus, we glorify Thee in our Victor, as knowing that it is Thou Who hast conquered in him. Grant us, most merciful Jesus, so to glory in the victory Victor has won in Thee that he may never forget our necessities. Son of God, inspire him with the will to remember us always in Thy sight, and to take it upon himself to plead our cause at Thine awful tribunal, Thou Who with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest one God for ever and ever. Amen.