Sermon for the Feast of St. Benedict. March 2ist

“ He shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit in due season.’’—Ps. i. 3.

My brethren, when I see “‘ you coming together into one place” (x Cor. xi. 20) to hear the words of salvation, a violent fear comes over me lest perhaps some amongst you may not receive them with due respect and as it is necessary to receive the words of God. For I am not ignorant that “the earth that drinketh in the rain which cometh often upon it,” and bringeth forth no fruit, shall be “ reprobate and very near unto a curse” (Heb. vi. 7, 8). For my part, indeed, I should prefer to bestow upon you, if I could, always blessings, never the contrary. Or rather I earnestly wish that your Heavenly Father’s blessing— not mine, although through His condescension you receive it from my mouth—may remain for you always a blessing and never be changed to a curse.

We celebrate to-day, dearest brethren, the entrance into immortal life of our glorious master, St. Benedict. Therefore, in accordance with my custom, I have to preach to you now a formal discourse in his honour and on the virtuous example he has left us. The most sweet name of Benedict ought to awaken in our souls sentiments of gladness and respect, because it is the name of our guide, our master, and our lawgiver. For myself, I find delight and consolation in the very thought of him, although I can never pronounce this blessed father’s name without a feeling of confusion.

Let me explain the reason. Following his example, I, with you, have renounced the world and embraced the monastic life; but I have also in common with him the title of abbot, in which you do not share. Benedict was an abbot and I too.am an abbot. But oh, what an abbot he was and what an abbot am I! The title is the same in both, but in one it is only “the shadow of a great name.” The ministry also is the same, but alas for me, how different are the ministers ! how different the administrations! Woe is me! O blessed Benedict, if in the world to come I shall be as far removed from thee as I find myself distant now from the model of thy holiness! But it is not necessary for me to dwell upon this point in addressing you, my brethren, who, as I cannot doubt, know me perfectly. I only ask you to lighten with your brotherly compassion my heavy burden of shame and fear. Since, nevertheless, this ministry has been entrusted to me, “and I have not what to set before you” (Luke xi. 6), I will ask of the blessed Benedict three loaves wherewith to nourish you. I will pray him to feed you with his sanctity, with his justice, and with his piety. Remember, most dearly beloved, that not all who took part in the procession of the Lord strewed their garments in the way before Him. In that procession, I say (which by God’s grace we shall soon be commemorating), when the multitude met the Lord, as He came to meet His passion, mounted upon an ass’s colt, not all spread their garments in the road: some were content with cutting branches from the trees (Matt. xxi. 8). This was nothing very great: they freely gave what they had freely received (Matt. x. 8). Nevertheless, even these were not quite useless, nor do we find that they were excluded from the procession. But you, my brethren, are each of you the Saviour’s pious beast of burden, and each of you can say with the Prophet, “ I am become as a beast before Thee, and I am always with Thee” (Ps. lxxii. 23) : it is upon you that Christ is seated, for “the soul of the just man is the seat of wisdom,” and the Apostle declares Christ to be “ the Power of God and the Wisdom of God” (x Cor. i. 24). And since I have no garments to spread before your feet, I will endeavour at least to cut branches from the trees, so that my ministry may contribute something, however small, to so great a procession.

A noble tree was the blessed Benedict, tall and fruit-bearing, and “like a tree which is planted near the running waters” (Ps. i. 3). Now, where do we find the running waters? In the valleys, undoubtedly, because, as the Psalmist sings, “ between the midst of the hills the waters shall pass”’ (Ps. ciii. 10). Who does not know that even the mountain torrents shun the heights and always flow down to the low-lying valleys between them? It is thus, my brethren, it is thus that “ God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble ” (James iv. 6). Here, then, thou canst safely set thy foot, whosoever thou art that art Christ’s beast of burden: tread upon this branch, walk along the way that winds through the valley. For “ the old serpent ” (Apoc. xx. 2) has fixed his seat on the mountain (Is. xiv. 13), where “ he biteth the horse’s heels that his mder may fall backward” (Gen. xlix. 17). Therefore, choose the valley to walk in, choose the valley to plant in. For we are not accustomed to select the mountains as the proper place even for planting trees, because they are usually dry and stony. But in the valleys is found fertility of soil: there our plants shall prosper, there we shall reap the “full ears” (Gen. xli. 26), there our seed shall yield fruit a hundredfold (Matt. xiii. 8), according to what is written, “ The valleys shall abound with corn ”? (Ps. Ixiv. 14). You ‘notice, my brethren, how the valley is everywhere praised, how humility is everywhere applauded. Let this, accordingly, be the place of your planting, where you shall find the “ running waters’’: that is to say, you shall there receive an abundance of spiritual grace, “and the waters that are above the heavens shall praise the name of the Lord” (Ps. cxlviii. 4, 5), that is, the divine benedictions shall cause you to bless His holy name. Dearest brethren, let us fix ourselves here in the soil of humility, and let us be as plants firmly rooted lest otherwise we should wither. Let no gust of wind, however strong, have power to remove us from our place, as it is written, “if the.spirit of him that hath power ascend upon thee, leave not thy place”’ (Eccles. x. 4). For no temptation can prevail against us so long as we do not “ walk in wonderful things above us” (Ps. cxxx. I) but remain firmly and irremovably “ rooted and founded ” (Ephes. iii. 17) in humility. Thus was this holy confessor of the Lord, whose feast we are celebrating, “planted near the running waters’? and so he “ brought forth his fruit in due season ” (Ps. i. 3).

My brethren, there are trees that bring forth no fruit at all, and there are trees that bring forth fruit indeed, but not their own fruit, and there are trees that bring forth their own fruit, yet not in due season. There are trees, I say, that do not bear any fruit, as, for instance, oaks and elms and other forest trees. But no one ever plants such trees in his garden, because they are not fruit-bearing ; or if they do yield some kind of fruit, it is a kind fit, not for human use, but only to be the food of swine. These worthless trees are a type of “the children of this world” (Luke xvi. 8) who spend their time “in rioting and drunkenness ” (Rom. xiii. 13), in gluttony, and in the pleasures of the table, and in the free indulgence of every evil desire and appetite. Such satisfactions are the food of swine, the flesh of which the true Jew, that is to say, the faithful Christian, is not allowed to eat, nor ought he to associate with these animals (Deut. xiv. 8). For just as swine’s flesh, when eaten, is united with our flesh so as to become “ one flesh ”?” (Matt. xix. 6) with us, so he who violates the precept of the Lord associates himself to the unclean spirit, and by cleaving to him becomes one devil with him. And this is the very reason why it was forbidden to offer swine in sacrifice to the Lord, because, namely, that animal is a type of the foul demons, who, repudiating all that is clean, and delighting in nothing but filthiness, are always glad to wallow in the slough of vice and sin. Hence we read in the Gospel that the accursed legion, when cast forth from the man they had possessed, begged to be sent into a herd of swine, as into animals allied to themselves, and they were not refused (Mark v. 9-13). It is for such spiritual swine that those unprofitable trees, to the root of which the axe seems to be already laid (Matt. iii. 10), bring forth their fruit, such as it is.

-As for the trees that bring forth fruit, but not their own fruit: they signify hypocrites, who, like Simon of Cyrene, carry a cross that is not their own. Having ee Re SNA io! a no religious intention in what they do or suffer, they .

require to be forced: they are compelled to submit to what they dislike by the love of vainglory which they ambition. By the words added, “ in due season,” is reproved the impatience of some who want to bring forth their fruit before the proper time. Is it not the case that when our fruit-trees bloom too early we are full of fear for the unseasonable blossoms? So are there some whose fruit does not ripen well because its appearance is premature. These, my brethren, are they who in the beginning of their conversion to God are so presumptuous as to desire to yield fruit at once for the benefit of others, hastening to do that which the law forbids in the words, “ Thou shalt not work with the firstling of a cow and thou shalt not shear the firstlings of thy sheep” (Deut. xv. 19). Do you wish to know with what solicitude our holy father avoided falling into this mistake? That branch also I will place before you. For three whole years the blessed Benedict lived concealed from men and known only to God. He brought forth fruit in abundance, as I need not tell you, but it was in due season. For he did not think it was then the time for bearing fruit when he was being assaulted by such grievous temptations of the flesh, that he was on the point of yielding and abandoning his vocation. Nor will I omit to offer you this branch as well, because although bristling, in a manner, with the thorns of the briers, amongst which Benedict, the beloved of the Lord, rolled himself, it is nevertheless extremely useful. It is useful for the Lord’s beast of burden, to guard him against the pitfalls of temptation, lest by consenting he plunge into them ; and to encourage him rather to resist, to “ do manfully and wait for the Lord” (Ps. xxvi. 14),-lest otherwise he should lose heart altogether. Here, therefore, O rational beast of Christ, thou oughtest to set thy foot; and learn from our holy father’s example never to yield to temptation, no matter what the violence of its onslaught may be, or to regard such a temptation as a sign that thou art abandoned by God: but remember what is written, “ Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify Me ” (Ps. xlix. 15).

The blessed Benedict, therefore, as I have said, did not consider that it was then the time for bringing forth fruit whilst he was still harassed by violent temptation. That time came, however, and “he brought forth his fruit in due season.” To this fruit belong the three things whereof I have already made mention: his sanctity, his justice, and his piety. His sanctity is proved by his miracles, his piety by his teaching, his justice by his life. Thou beholdest, O beast of burden of Christ, the branches verdant with foliage, blooming with blossoms, laden with fruit. Walk upon all these so that thou mayest “ make straight steps with thy feet” (Heb. xii. 13). But to what purpose do I place the holy man’s miracles before thee? Is it that thou mayest desire to emulate them? Most certainly not, but that thou mayest stand upon them for support, in other words, that thou mayest feel confidence and joy in the thought that thou art placed under the care of such a pastor and hast merited to have the assistance of so powerful a patron. Can it be doubted that he who had so much power upon earth is now very powerful in heaven, where he has been exalted to a sublimity of glory corresponding to the magnitude of his grace? For, as you know, the branches of a tree are in proportion to the greatness of its roots, and it is even said that a tree has the same number of branches to adorn it as it has of roots to support it. Thus, therefore, although we have not ourselves the power to work miracles, the miracles of our holy patron ought to be to us a source of great consolation. By his teaching, on the other hand, he enlightens us, and “ directs our feet into the way of peace” (Luke i. 79). Furthermore, by the justice of his life he fortifies and encourages us. For we feel the more animated to practise what he teaches because of our assurance that he only teaches what he practised himself. The good example of a teacher is indeed a sermon in itself, “ living and effectual ” (Heb. iv. 12) ; it renders his spoken exhortation irresistibly persuasive by demonstrating in his own conduct the practicability of what he counsels.

In this way, then, the sanctity of our blessed father consoles us, his piety enlightens us, and his justice strengthens us. Oh, how great was the piety of that holy man, who not only benefited those of his own time, but showed himself solicitous also for the generations to come! It was not alone for its contemporaries on earth that this spiritual tree brought forth its fruit : even to the present hour its fruit abides and increases. Surely we may call him “ beloved of God and men,” since not only was his presence “‘ in benediction ”’ whilst he lived amongst men, but his very memory is so still (Ecclus. xlv. 1) : unlike so many other saints who are now beloved of God alone, because known as yet to God alone. For to this hour, as a threefold profession of his love for his Lord, Benedict continues to feed the flock of the Lord with his threefold fruit (John xxi. 15-17). He feeds it by his life, he feeds it by his teaching, and he feeds it too by his intercession. Assisted continually by the prayers of so powerful an advocate, do you also, dearest brethren, render yourselves fruitful, because for this have you been “ appointed, that you should go and bring forth fruit” (John xv. 16). But whence are you to go? Out of yourselves, doubtless, according to what is written, “Turn away from thine own will” (Ecclus. xviii. 30). We likewise read of the Lord that He went out as a sower to sow His seed (Luke viii. 5). Notice how we have here “his own seed” (semen suum), just as in the other text we had “his own fruit” (fructum suum). Dearest brethren, let us imitate also the example of the Saviour, because unto this did He come: that He might furnish us with a model and mark out the way.

Perhaps the Lord Himself is likewise a tree from which I ought to cut down some branches to lay before your feet? Yet why do I say “ perhaps’’? For He certainly is a tree and a heavenly plant, although planted in the earth, according as it is written, “ Truth is sprung out of the earth, and justice hath looked down from heaven ” (Ps. lxxxiv. 12). From this tree, therefore, I offer you the branch of self-abasement : that as Christ “ emptied Himself ” so may you learn to banish from your minds all self-conceit and to entertain only humble sentiments of yourselves. However, it is not by me but rather by the Apostle you are offered this branch ; for in one of his epistles he thus addresses you : “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the like- — ness of men, and in habit found as a man”’ (Phil. ii. 5-7). Therefore, most dearly beloved, do you also empty yourselves, humble yourselves, sow yourselves, lose yourselves. Sow the “animal body” and “it shall rise a spiritual body” (x Cor. xv. 44). Lose your lives in this world, so that you may keep them unto life eternal (Matt. x. 39; John xii. 25). Would you like to know how the Apostle, who exhorts us to this self-annihilation, practised it himself? Listen to his own words: ‘‘ Whether we be transported in mind,” he says, “it is to God, or whether we be sober it is to you”’ (2 Cor. v. 13). What, then, O holy Apostle, art thou to thyself? He might answer me in the words of the Psalmist: “I am as a broken vessel” (Ps. xxx. 13)* Oh, how wisely he loses himself who never does anything from a selfish motive, but whose every desire and intention is directed exclusively to the good pleasure of God and the profit of his brethren! On the other hand, unhappy ‘‘he that soweth in the flesh” because “of the flesh also he shall reap corruption ’”’ (Gal. vi. 8). In another inspired passage we read, “ Blessed are ye that sow upon all waters ” (Is. xxxii. 20). But wherefore is it said, “‘ upon all waters”? ? Possibly in order to include those waters to which the Prophet refers in the psalm, “ And let all the waters that are above the heavens praise the name of the Lord” (Ps. cxlviii. 4, 5), and by which are meant the angelic powers and the citizens of everything placed in them flowed through at once to benefit his neighbour.—(Translator.)

paradise. But that by “ all waters ” (upon which we are encouraged to sow) are really signified all men and angels appears evident from the words of St. Paul, “ We are made a spectacle to the world, and to angels and to men”? (T Cor. iv. 9).

Consequently, let us, for the benefit of men, sow good example by visible works, and for the holy angels let us sow “ great joy”’ by secret aspirations and other such acts of piety as may be perceived by them alone: you know that there is “ great joy before the angels of God upon one sinner doing penance ” (Luke xv. I). Hence St. Paul says, “ We provide good things not only before God, but also before men”’ (2 Cor. viii. 21). For with regard to God Himself, He already knows us perfectly. So the Apostle uses the expression, ‘‘ before God ” : that is, in the sight of those who are always standing before His face. For they are filled with joy whenever they behold us praying in secret, or meditating on one of the psalms, or engaged in any other similar exercise of piety. It is thus, dearest brethren, that you ought to sow, it is thus you ought to bring forth fruit. Yes, you too ought to sow, because so many others have sown before you ; you ought to bear fruit, because it is for you these others have sown. O race of Adam, what numbers have sown in thee, and what precious seed! How miserably shalt thou perish, and how deservedly, if all that seed is lost in thee together with all the toil of the sowers! To what destruction shalt thou be delivered up by the Divine Husbandman if thou makest Him no return after so much expenditure of labour and seed! The whole Blessed Trinity has sown in thee; the holy angels and the apostles have sown in thee; the martyrs, the confessors, and

FOR THE FEAST OF ST. BENEDICT T the virgins have sown in thee. God the Father sowed in thee when His heart belched forth His Good Word (Ps. xliv. 1): “for the Lord gave Goodness and our earth yielded her Fruit” (Ps. Ixxxiv. 13). God the Son also sowed, for He is the Sower Who “ went forth to sow His seed.” The Father is nowhere said to have gone forth, but the Son tells us of Himself that He “came forth from the Father and hath come into the world” (John xvi. 28), so that He Who had been before the ‘‘ Thought of peace” (Jer. xxix. 11) in the heart of His Father, was made now even “ our peace ” itself (Ephes. ii. 14) in the womb of His Mother. And the Holy Spirit sowed too, because He also came forth and showed Himself to the disciples under the form of ‘‘ parted tongues as it were of fire” (Acts ii. 3). Thus the Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity have sown Each in His turn: the Father peace from heaven, the Son truth, the Holy Spirit charity.

The good angels likewise sowed for our benefit on the day when they stood firm, whilst their faithless companions were falling around them. The proud Lucifer, now no longer the “bearer of light” but of night and darkness,—that proud spirit said, “ I will sit in the mountain of the covenant... . I will be like the Most High” (Is. xiv. 13, 14). O most impudent and foolish! ‘‘ Thousands of thousands minister to Him and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stand before Him” (Dan. vii. 10): and wilt thou presume to seat thyself? The seraphim and the cherubim are represented as standing (Is. vi. 2, Ezech. x. 3), they do not dare to sit. What special labour hast thou gone through that thou wouldst sit already? All the heavenly spirits are

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“ ministering spirits, sent to minister for them who shall receive the inheritance of salvation ” (Heb. i. 14): and wilt thou sit? What hast thou sown that thou shouldst reap so soon? No, no, not for thee is that honour, but “ for them for whom it is prepared by the Father ” (Matt. xx. 23). Wherefore dost thou envy them? They shall sit, most certainly. Yes, those little worms of the earth shall one day sit in judgment, whilst thou not only shalt stand, but shalt stand to receive sentence from their mouth. “ Know you not,” says the Apostle, “that we shall judge angels?” (x Cor. vi. 3). Yes, of them is true what the Psalmist sings, “ Going they went and wept, casting their seeds, but coming they shall come with joyfulness, carrying their sheaves” (Ps. cxxv. 6, 7). Thou, O Lucifer, desirest to possess two sheaves, the sheaf of honour and the sheaf of repose. Thou art anxious to sit and to be exalted. But “not so, O impious, not so” (Ps. i. 4). Thou shalt not reap because thou hast not sown. They that have sown labour and humility shall reap at the same time honour and repose: “ for their double confusion and shame they shall receive double in their land ” (Is. Ixi. 7). This is what inspired the Psalmist to say to the Lord, “ See my abjection and my labour ” (Ps. xxiv. 18). And in the Gospel for to-day you have heard the Lord’s promise to His disciples, to whom He said, “ You shall sit on twelve seats judging the twelve tribes of Israel’’ (Matt. xix. 28). Here you have a promise of repose in the sitting, and of honour in the sitting to judge. Even the Lord Jesus Himself was unwilling to attain to this honour and this repose except through humility and labour. Therefore was He “ condemned to a most shameful death”

(Wisdom ii. 20), “ examined by outrages and torments ” (ibid. 19), and “saturated with reproaches” (Jer., Lam. iii. 30), so that the enemy might be “ clothed with confusion” (Ps. cxxxi. 18) and not only he, but with him all who follow in his footsteps and walk in his ways. It is He, O wicked one, it is He, I say, Who “ shall sit upon the seat of His majesty ” (Matt. xix. 28), “ like the Most High” and equally most high with His Father. The holy angels, doubtless, had this in mind when, at the fall of Lucifer, they refused to take part in his apostasy, thus leaving us an example, that as they elected to serve so might we do also (John xiii. 15). But as for those who now aspire to honour whilst doing what they can to shirk labour, let them know that they are following the example of the rebel angel, who also before the time sought honour and repose ; and if the thought of his sin is not enough to frighten them, at least let the remembrance of his chastisement inspire them with fear. For everything turned out contrary to his hopes and expectations, so that he has been made a butt for mockery (Ps. ciii. 26, juxta LXX), and everlasting fire has been prepared for his punishment (Matt. xxv. 41). To help us to avoid so terrible a doom, the holy angels sowed for us the virtue of prudence, of which they gave an illustrious example when so many of their brother-angels fell.

This same virtue of prudence the apostles likewise sowed for us, when, at the secession of those who followed “ the wisdom of this world ° which is “ foolishness with God ” (x Cor. iii. 19) and the “ prudence of the flesh” which worketh “ death” and “is an enemy to God ” (Rom. viii. 6, 7), they faithfully adhered to the Lord. For some were scandalised to hear Him speak of the Sacrament of His Flesh and Blood “ and walked no more with Him ” (John vi. 67). But when the apostles were asked as to whether they also wished to go away, they answered, ‘‘To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life’’ (John vi. 69). Dearest brethren, let us imitate this example of prudence, because many still follow Jesus until it comes to eating His Flesh and drinking His Blood, that is to say, participating in His sufferings—such is the sense of these words and the signification of the Sacrament itself *—then they take scandal and “ go back”’ complaining that “‘ this saying is hard” (ibid. 61). Let us be prudent like the apostles and exclaim, “ ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life’; “we depart not from Thee, Thou shalt quicken us’ (Ps. lxxix. 19); ‘not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God’ (Matt. iv. 4). It is not in the world alone that delight is to be found. What am I saying! No worldly delight can equal that which we taste in Thy words. Therefore hath one of Thy prophets said, “How sweet are Thy words to my palate! more than honey to my mouth’ (Ps. cxviii. 103). To whom, then, shall we go? Thou, O Lord, hast the words of eternal life, and they are more precious to us than aught that the world can give. For not only eternal life itself, but even the very promise of eternal life and ‘the expectation of the just is joy’ (Prov. x. 28), yea, joy so great that in comparison with it all else that the heart can desire is as nothing.”

In this way, therefore, the holy apostles sowed for us the seed of prudence. With respect to the martyrs, fortitude, as is clear, is the virtue sown by them. The confessors sowed the seed of that justice which they practised all their lives. Notice that there is the same difference between the martyrs and the confessors as between the Apostle Peter, who left all things at once, and the Patriarch Abraham, who expended the wealth of this world in works of piety. For whilst the former, “being made perfect in a short space, fulfilled a long time” (Wisdom iv. 13), the latter endured a life of lingering and varied martyrdoms. It is evident, finally, that the holy virgins sowed for us the seed of temperance by trampling their passions under their feet.