Second Sermon for the Feast of SS. Peter and Paul

“ Thy friends, O God, are made exceedingly honourable, their principality is exceedingly strengthened.” —Ps. cxxxviii. 17.

Brethren, the two apostles, the memory of whose glorious martyrdom is honoured to-day, have left us abundant matter and no lack of motives for a sermon on their feast. There is only one thing I am afraid of. It is that hearing so often the words of salvation, you may begin to have a disgust for them as being only words. The word of man indeed, is a volatile thing, with no mass, no weight, no worth, no solidity. It beats (verberat) the air—from which fact it is called in Latin “verbum” ; it is as “a leaf that is carried away with the wind ” (Job xiii. 25), which is blown about and attracts no observation. Dearest brethren let none of you receive the word of God with such carelessness, or rather with such contempt. For I say to you: he that does so, it were better for that man if he had never heard it (Matt. xxvi. 24). The words of God are the fruits of life, not the mere useless leaves : but if you insist on calling them leaves, let them be at any rate golden leaves. Therefore, they should not be treated as of small account, they should not be suffered to slip by and escape. You ought even to “ gather up the fragments that remain, lest they be lost ” (John vi. 12). Remember that “ the earth that drinketh in the rain which cometh often upon it, and bringeth forth ”? no fruit “ is reprobate, and very near unto a

FOR THE FEAST OF SS. PETER AND PAUL 2or curse ” (Heb. v. 7, 8). And that fig-tree, likewise, of which we read in the Gospel (Luke xiii. 6, 7), if it was found still barren after “the dresser of the vineyard ”’ had “ digged about it and dunged it” : was not the axe to be laid at once to the root of that tree? (Matt. iii. Io).

Believe me, brethren, even should the Lord find less = good in worldlings than in our community, He will have more patience with them than with us, for whom He hath “ set aside the free rain ° (Ps. Ixvii. 10) of His heavenly consolations, to whom has been wanting neither the hoe of discipline nor the dung of poverty and abjection. What but dung are “ the abominations of the Egyptians ’”’ which “ we sacrifice to the Lord our God ” ? (Exod. viii. 27). Dung, my brethren, although not very attractive to the eye, is nevertheless very useful for fructification ; nor should he be repelled by its ugliness who desires to make his farm fruitful: because it is out of that ugly heap of dung when carted to the field, shall spring up the beautiful sheaves of corn which you will see carried home to the farmyard. Consequently, we must never feel disgust for the precious vileness of our state. Rather ought we to “ esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of the Egyptians ” (Heb. xi. 26). But the rain of heaven also is not wanting to the dwellers on this earthly dunghill, for you are given devotion in prayer, joy in the chanting of the psalms, the sweetness of meditation, and “ the comfort of the Scriptures ” (Rom. xv. 4). And in addition to this, there is the rain of spiritual consolation which you receive through my lips, if ever any small drops from the river whose stream “‘ maketh the city of God joyful” (Ps. xlv. 5), or from “ the torrent of His pleasure” (Ps. xxxv. 9) happen to fall upon your hearts whilst I am discoursing on these things. But inasmuch as “ they have made me keeper in the vineyards ” (Cant. i. 5) and dresser of the vines, I am occasionally obliged to “ dig about ” certain trees and to “ dung them.” Alas forme! ‘‘ My own vineyard I have not kept” (ibid.) or cultivated; never- — theless, so long as I hold my present position, it is necessary that I should sometimes be found digging about and dunging in the other vineyards committed to my care. This certainly is an unpleasant task, yet one which I dare not neglect; because I am not ignorant that the unfruitful tree shall suffer much more from the axe than from the spade, that it has less to fear from the dung than from the fire. Accordingly, I am sometimes compelled to reprove and to scold. But I know that reproachful and upbraiding words are like dung, and soil him who utters them without the excuse of necessity. But how is it, brethren, that, whilst some are improved by this kind of dung, we see others rendered stony and obdurate? Hence it is written, “ The sluggard shall be made stony * with the dung of oxen”’ (Ecclus. xxii. 2). Is he not improved and spiritually fattened who, when reprimanded, receives the correction with good grace, answers gently, and labours cheerfully to rid him of his fault ? Such fatness is undoubtedly both wholesome and fruitful; so that the Psalmist had good reason to say, “ The just man shall correct me in mercy, and shall reprove stones,” the Saint’s interpretation is purely accommodative. — (Translator.)

me : but let not the oil of the sinner fatten my head ” (Ps. xlv. 5). For out of the fatness produced by “ the oil of the sinner ” the old “ thorns and thistles ” (Gen. iii. 18) shall spring in greater abundance, and the old “root of bitterness ” (Heb. xii. 15) shall more generously sprout forth.

‘He, therefore, who calls the correction of the just man a mercy, clearly indicates how we ought to receive it, with what willingness and devotion of mind, and with what gratitude to him who offers it. For so it shall become for us a wholesome fatness, prolific—not of vice, as “ the oil of the sinner,” but—of that fruit which, as the Apostle says, we “ have unto sanctification’ (Rom. vi. 22). But what shall I do with thee, O sluggard, whom this mercy rather irritates and exasperates ? Did I not spread good manure in thy field? Whence, then, hath it stones? (Matt. xiii. 27). It is thou, O man, who art thine own enemy—for “he that loveth iniquity, hateth his own soul” (Ps. x. 6)—it is thou, I say, that hast done this (Matt. xiii. 27, 28). By continuing to excuse thy sloth instead of shaking it off, thou art changing into stones what has been given thee as dung, and what was meant to fatten thee has only hardened thee the more. I have spoken to you in this way, dearest brethren, in order to make you understand how willingly we ought to hear, how devoutly we ought to embrace, and how diligently we ought to guard whatever appertains to the salvation of our souls, regarding it not as the word of man, but as the word of God—which it truly is—whether it be consoling, or admonitory, or even reprehensive, Pardon me, brethren: I have wandered from my theme and f almost lost sight of the solemnity we are celebrating. However, I do not think the time will have passed without profit if what I have been saying has sunk into your souls.

Let me now at last endeavour to say something— though it must be short—on the subject of the feast. To-day, then, we keep the festival of the two glorious apostles of Christ, St. Peter and St. Paul. Now, although I am aware that it is our duty to render these the highest honour, I very much doubt whether it is in our power to render them any real honour at all. Listen to what the Psalmist says, “Thy friends, O God, are made exceedingly honourable, their principality is exceedingly strengthened ” (Ps. cxxxvill. 17). And consider, brethren : if whilst sojourning still on earth they were able to do all things, not indeed by their own power but in Christ (Phil. iv. 13): what shall we suppose impossible to them to-day, when they live and reign with Christ in everlasting felicity ? Whilst as yet they were mortal and destined for dissolution like other mortals, they seemed to have authority over life and death, for with a word they could take life from the living and restore it to the dead (Acts v. 5-10, ix. 40) : how much more now, when they “ are made exceedingly honourable ” and “their principality exceedingly strengthened ” ? But what think you? Has the present festival in honour of the holy apostles been instituted as a solemn commemoration of their birth, or of their conversion, or of their life and miracles ? No, certainly not. The feast we celebrate to-day is not kept in honour of a human nativity, just as not long ago we celebrated the birthday of St. John the

Baptist : he is honoured at his birth, because he was born sanctified. John, my brethren, is the only martyr whose nativity is more illustrious than his martyrdom ; for although he died for Christ, inasmuch as he died a martyr to justice and truth, it is nevertheless more manifest that he was born for Christ, being “ a man sent from God” (John i. 6), who “ for this was born and for this came he into the world: that he might give testimony to the truth ” (John xviii. 37). Neither do we commemorate to-day the conversion of the apostles, or their miracles; for we have two other festivals on which the Church brings back to our thought with exultant joy the conversion of the one and the deliverance of the other from prison by the hand of an angel.* What we honour more particularly on this feast is rather their death, than which nothing inspires more horror amongst men who estimate things according to human standards.

But consider, my brethren, the judgment of holy Church, which, as the Saviour recommends (John Vii. 24), judges according to the truth of faith, “ not according to the appearance.” For on this their principal solemnity, she commemorates the death of the blessed apostles. To-day is the anniversary of Peter’s crucifixion and of Paul’s decapitation. This is the cause of the present festivity, this is the motive of our rejoicing to-day. Now in keeping the anniversary of such events as a day of joy and exultation, the Church proves beyond doubt that she has the Spirit of her Bridegroom, the Spirit of the Lord, “ in Whose sight,” as the Psalmist sings, ‘‘ precious is the death of His saints ” (Ps. cxv. 13). There were many, as we may suppose, amongst the witnesses of the apostles’ martyrdom who by no means envied them their precious death. For “in the sight of the unwise they seemed to die, and this departure was taken for misery, and their going away for utter destruction’ (Wisdom iii: 2, 3). “ But to me,” exclaims the Prophet, ‘‘ Thy friends, O God, are made exceedingly honourable, their principality is exceedingly strengthened.” My brethren, the friends of God “in the eyes of the unwise seem to die,” but in the eyes of the prudent they seem only to slumber. So Lazarus slept, because he was the friend of Christ (John xi. 11). And it is said in the psalm, ‘‘ when He shall give sleep to His beloved, behold the inheritance of the Lord ” (Ps. cxxvi. 2, 3).

Dearest brethren, let us endeavour to live like the saints, but let us bestill more solicitous to die like the saints. For wisdom “ preferreth the latter end of the just ” (Wisdom ii. 16), and she judgeth us according as she findeth us there. It is an absolute necessity that the end of our present existence shall cohere with the beginning of the future ; nor is it possible to have here any deformity. For, just as if a person wanted to sew or to tie together two girdles, however careless he might be about the other parts, he would endeavour at all events to have conformity in the extremities to be united, so as to facilitate their union : in the same way, I assure you, we must adjust the end of our temporal life to the commencement of our eternal. For no matter how spiritual the rest of our life may have been, if the consummation thereof be carnal (Gal. iii. 3), it cannot now cohere with the spiritual life of heaven, since as it is written, “ flesh and blood cannot possess the kingdom of God” (x Cor. xv. 50). ` My son,” says the Wise Man, “ in all thy works remember thy last end, and thou shalt never sin ” (Ecclus. vii. 40). Yes, because the recollection of that more than anything else makes a man fearful, and fear drives out sin from the soul and is incompatible with negligence.

Here, my brethren, you have the reason why Moses exclaimed, with reference to certain men, ‘“‘ Oh, that they would be wise and would understand, and would provide for their last endl!” (Deut. xxxii: 29). In these words I observe three things commended to us, namely, wisdom, understanding, and providence of the future ; which, as I think, can be referred to the three different parts of time, in such a manner that they seem to form in us a kind of image of eternity,* wisdom governing things present, understanding pronouncing on things past, and providence cautiously making provision for “ the last things.” This is, in fact, the sum total of the spiritual life, this is the one way to practise spirituality : to dispose the present wisely, to “ recount all the years of the past in bitterness of soul” (Is. xxxviii. 15), and to make careful provision for the time to come. ‘‘ We should live soberly, and justly, and piously in this world,” says the Apostle (Titus ii. 12). That is, we ought to practise sobriety in the present ; we ought to redeem the past (which has gone by without yielding us any fruits of salvation) by adequate atonement, we ought to oppose the buckler of piety to the dangers that menace us in the future ; for piety— which consists in the humble and fervent worship of God—and piety alone “ is profitable to all things ”

(x Tim. iv. 8). With respect to our “‘last end” we cannot otherwise provide for that than by pondering in diligent meditation all the perils which appear to threaten us, to learn to have no reliance at all on our own industry, and especially on our own merits, but to commit ourselves exclusively to the divine protection with a certain devout affection of the heart, and a pious turning of our thoughts towards Him from Whom is the best gift and the perfect gift (Jamesi. 17) : a death “ precious in the sight of the Lord” and a happy consummation.

We find the same three things in the Gospel, recommended to us by the Lord Himself in His sermon on the mount: “ Blessed are the poor in spirit,” He said, “blessed are the meek, blessed are they that mourn ” (Matt. v. 3-5). That is, blessed are they that relish the good things in store and from the desire of the goods of heaven reject with the interior palate of the mind the goods of this world ; blessed are they that ‘‘ provide for their last end,” they that “ with meekness receive the ingrafted word which is able to save their souls ”’ (James i. 21), and with pious affection of heart tend towards the promised inheritance ; blessed are they that, understanding the errors of the past, water their couches with their penitent tears (Ps. vi. 7). Do you not see now what it is the holy man prays for, what he desires to obtain for those for whom he intercedes ? “ Oh, that they would be wise,” he exclaims, ‘‘ and would understand, and would provide for their last end!” As if he should say in plainer language: “ Would to God they had the spirit of wisdom, and the spirit of understanding, and the spirit of counsel ” ! And would to God we ourselves, dearest brethren, had the same, so that by wisdom we might in the present “ order all things sweetly ’’ (Wisdom viii. 1), by understanding condemn ourselves for the sins of the past, and by counsel make provision for the future. Would to God we had wisdom to direct us in the present, understanding to repair the past, and counsel with a devout trust in God whereby, through His mercy, we might so provide as to have at length a happy consummation. For this is the “‘ triple cord” (Eccles. iv. 12) by which we are drawn to salvation : a well-regulated life, sound judgment, and a confidence full of devotion, ur 15