Second Sermon for the First Sunday After the Octave of the Epiphany: On the Spiritual Espousals and the Spiritual Marriage

“And the wine failing, the Mother of Jesus saith to Him: They have no wine. And Jesus saith to her: Woman, what is tt to Me and to thee? My hour is not yet come. His Mother saith to the waiters : Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye. Now there were set there six water-pots of stone, according to the manner of purifying of the Jews, containing two or three measures apiece. Jesus saith to them: Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.”— John ii. 3-7.

With regard to the works of the Lord, my brethren, less penetrating minds can find nourishment in the contemplation of their exterior, whilst souls with faculties better developed by exercise discover beneath the surface a sweeter and more solid food, as it were, the fat and marrow of the grain. For even in their external show the works of Jesus are a source of delight, but a far greater source of delight in their intrinsic virtue : just as He is Himself “ beautiful in form above the sons of men ” (Ps. xliv. 3) even outwardly, whilst within He is the “ Brightness of Eternal Light” (Wisdom vii. 26), dazzling to the eyes of the very angels. Outwardly He appears to be a Man without offence, Flesh without sin, a Lamb without spot. Oh, “how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of Him That bringeth good tidings and That preacheth peace!”’ (Is. li. 7.) But greater beyond comparison is the beauty and the glory of His Head, since “ the

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Head of Christ is God ” (r Cor. ii. 3). It is doubtless a delight to behold a Man to Whom sin has no access, and blessed are the eyes so privileged : but much more “ blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God”’ (Matt. v. 8). Thus when the Apostle had penetrated to the kernel, he no longer regarded the shell, exceedingly beautiful though it was; for he said, “ And if we have known Christ according to the flesh, but now we know Him so no longer” (2 Cor. v. 16). This was in accordance with the prediction of the Lord Himself, Who had declared, “ It is the Spirit That quickeneth ; the Flesh profiteth nothing ” (John vi. 64). And it is that wisdom which St. Paul spoke “among the perfect” (1 Cor. ii. 6), not among those to whom, as we read, he spoke in this wise, “ I judged not myself to know anything among you but Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (ibid. 2). Everything, in truth, about Jesus is sweet, everything wholesome, everything delectable, for “He is all lovely,” according to the testimony of the Spouse in the Canticle (Cant. v. 16).

Now what I have shown to be true of Himself, you will find to be equally true of His works. For considered externally, in their outer surface, they appear to be surpassingly beautiful. But if one breaks the shell, so to speak, he will discover within what is far more sweet and delectable. You will not find it so with the events recorded in the histories of the fathers of the Old Dispensation. For although the mystical significance of their actions is always beautiful and pleasing, these actions, nevertheless, if viewed in themselves, will be sometimes found unworthy, as, for instance, Jacob’s deception of his father (Gen. xxvii.), and the crimes of King David (2 Kings xi.). The food offered us here is exceedingly precious, although the dishes wherein it is served are vile enough. And perhaps it was with reference to such actions of the patriarchs the Prophet sang, “ Dark are the waters in the clouds of the air” (Ps. xvii. 12), because they were indeed dark clouds. But he added immediately, speaking of the Lord, “ At the brightness that was before Him, the clouds passed away”’ (ibid. 13).

I think you have guessed my purpose in making these observations. For you have heard to-day of the miracle wrought at the marriage feast, the first of the Lord’s miracles, the history whereof is as admirable as its mystical signification is consoling. It was beyond doubt a splendid proof of Christ’s Divinity that at His word water was changed into wine. But more wonderful still is the “change of the right hand of the. Most High” (Ps. Ixxvi. II) which that transformation typified. For we are all invited to the spiritual nuptials in which Christ Our Lord is the Bridegroom. Hence we sing in the psalm, “ And He as a bridegroom coming out of his bride-chamber ” (Ps. xviii. 6). And the Bride? We ourselves, my brethren, are the Bride, incredible though it may seem to you; we are all, collectively, one same Bride of the one Christ, and, moreover, our several souls are, so to speak, several Brides. But when shall our fragility be able to believe this of our Lord God, that He loves us each and all as tenderly as a bride is loved by her bridegroom? For in our case the Bride is far inferior to the Bridegroom, inferior in nature, inferior in beauty, inferior in dignity. Nevertheless, for the sake of this Ethiopian Bride the Son of the Eternal Father came down hither from afar; and in order to

ON THE SPIRITUAL ESPOUSALS 45 espouse her to Himself, He hesitated not to die for her redemption. Moses indeed took an Ethiopian woman to wife (Exod. ii. 21), but he was not able to alter her colour ; whereas the Bride loved and wedded by Christ whilst as yet mean and ugly, He will hereafter “ present to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing” (Ephes. v. 27). What though Aaron should complain? What though Mary too should murmur? I do not mean the new Mary, but the old; not the Lord’s Mother, but the sister of Moses (Num. xii. 1). Not our own Mary, I > repeat, for she is rather solicitous lest anything should be lacking at the wedding-feast. But whilst the priests and the Synagogue murmur and complain, do you, my brethren, as is only right, devote yourselves to thanking God with all your heart for the singular favour He has shown you in choosing you for His Spouse.

For whence is this to thee, O human soul, whence is this to thee? To what dost thou owe a glory so inestimable as to be accounted worthy to become the Bride of Him “on Whom the angels desire to look ” (x Peter i. 12)? How hast thou merited to have Him for thy Bridegroom at Whose loveliness the sun and moon stand amazed, Whose commands change the course of the universe? Oh, “ what shalt thou render to the Lord for all the things which He hath rendered to thee?” (Ps. cxv. 3). For He hath made thee the partner of His table, the partner of His throne, the partner of His couch, yea, the King hath brought thee into His bed-chamber. See now what sentiments thou oughtest to entertain of thy God; see now how far thou mayest presume with Him ; see now with what arms of ‘vicarious charity, with what reciprocated affection, thou oughtest to embrace Him Who hath esteemed thee so highly, nay rather Who hath made thee worthy to be so highly esteemed. For He formed thee anew from His own Side when for thy sake He slept upon the cross, when He suffered the sleep of death to overpower Him (Gen. ii. 21). For thy sake “ He came forth from God,” His Father (John xiii. 3), and left the Synagogue, His mother, that so thou mightest cleave to Him and be made one spirit with Him (Gen. ii. 24, 1 Cor. vi. 17). Therefore, ‘‘ Hearken, O daughter, and see” (Ps. xliv. 11), and consider how great has been the divine condescension towards thee. “Forget thy people and thy father’s house” (ibid.), that is to say, renounce thy carnal affections, unlearn the manners and customs of the world, abstain from thy former sins, banish the memory of thy vicious habits. What thinkest thou? Would it be anything surprising to hear that “ the angel of the Lord waiteth with a sword to cut thee in two”’ (Dan. xiii. 59), if— which God forbid!—thou shouldst ever admit any lover besides Himself ?

For already thou hast been espoused to Him, the marriage breakfast has even now begun, and the marriage supper is being prepared in heaven, in the eternal hall above. Is there any cause to fear lest the wine shall fail at that wedding feast? God forbid! For there, as the Psalmist said, speaking to the Lord, “They shall be inebriated with the plenty of Thy house ; and Thou shalt make them drink of the torrent of Thy pleasure” (Ps. xxxv. 9). Oh, yes: a whole river of wine is prepared for that wedding supper, and of the wine which “ cheereth the heart of man ” (Ps. ciii. 15). For “the stream of the river maketh the

ON THE SPIRITUAL ESPOUSALS 47 city of God joyful” (Ps. xlv. 5). But in the mean-time, inasmuch as we “ have yet a great way to go” (3 Kings xix. 7), we are here below provided with breakfast, not unto satiety however, because satiety and fulness are reserved for the everlasting supper. Here, therefore, the wine inay sometimes fail, that is to say, the grace of devotion may be lost and the fervour of charity grow lukewarm. How often, my brethren, after listening to your tearful complaints, am I not obliged to beseech the Mother of mercy to represent to her most gracious Son that you have no wine! And I say to you, dearest children, if we devoutly call upon her, she will not be wanting to our necessity, because she is merciful and the Mother of mercy. For if she pitied the embarrassment of those that invited her to an earthly feast, much more will she have compassion on us, if only we invoke her with affection : because these nuptials of ours are more a cause of pleasure and concern to the Mother of Jesus than were those of Cana of Galilee, since it is from her womb as from His bridal chamber our heavenly Bridegroom has issued.

But, my brethren, which of us can help feeling painfully surprised at the answer given by the Lord at that wedding feast to His own most sweet and holy Mother : ‘‘ Woman, what is there in common between Me and thee?” Dost Thou ask, Lord, what there is in common between Thee and the Virgin? Is not all that in common between you which is common to a child and his mother? Dost Thou inquire in what manner Thou art related to her of whose immaculate womb Thou art the blessed Fruit ? (Luke i. 42), Is not she the same who conceived Thee without detriment to her virginity, ind brought Thee forth, remaining still a virgin inviolate? Is not she the same in whose womb Thou didst dwell for nine long months, at whose virginal breast Thou wast suckled, with whom, when Thou wast twelve years of age, Thou didst descend from Jerusalem, and wast subject to her? (Luke ii. 31). Now, therefore, O Lord, why art Thou troublesome to her, saying, ‘‘ Woman, what is there in common between Me and thee ? ” Surely there is “ much every way ” (Rom. iii. 2). But I now understand clearly that it was not as it were through anger, or with any desire to confound the tender modesty of Thy Virgin Mother, Thou didst say to her, “ Woman, what is there in common between Me and Thee?” For when the waiters came to Thee, according to Thy Mother’s instructions, Thou didst without delay that which she had suggested. Why, then, my brethren, did He first make her so strange an answer? It was doubtless for our instruction, to teach us that, after our conversion to the Lord, we should not allow ourselves to be seduced by solicitude for our parents according to the flesh, or to be distracted from our spiritual exercises by their temporal necessities. So long as we lived in the world, we were undoubtedly under obligations to our parents ; but when we renounced ourselves, we likewise, and much more, disengaged ourselves from all undue solicitude with regard to them. Hence the story told of a certain monk who lived in a desert solitude. Being visited one day by his brother according to the flesh, who came to solicit assistance, he told him to apply to their other brother who had died long before. ‘‘ But he is dead,” cried the visitor in amazement. “Not more dead than am I,” answered

ON THE SPIRITUAL ESPOUSALS 49 the hermit.* Therefore, my brethren, it was in order to make us clearly understand that we should not be more solicitous for our earthly relatives than religion requires : it was with this design, I say, that He said to His own Mother, and to such a Mother, “ Woman, what is there in common between Me and thee?” So, again, on another occasion, when informed by someone that she with His brethren were standing without, desiring to speak to Him, He replied, “ Who is My mother and who are My brethren ? ” (Matt. xii. 48). Where now are those religious who are accustomed to have as much vain and worldly concern for their carnal relations as if they still lived amongst them ?

But let us proceed to examine what follows. “ Now there were set there,” says the Evangelist, “ six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews.” From these words alone we can plainly see that the fulness is not yet, but only the preparation for the wedding feast, because, namely, there is still need of purification. Therefore, that which is here described for us is not the marriage festivities at all but only the espousals. God forbid that any one should expect to see vessels of purification at the final nuptials, when Christ shall “present to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing ” (Ephes. v. 27). For what need shall there be for purification where no spot shall be visible ? Now

II, 5 is the time for cleansing, now purifications are manifestly necessary, when no man is free from stain, not even the infant who has lived one day upon the earth.* At present, therefore, the Spouse is being cleansed, at present she is being purified, in order that, when the time comes for the celestial nuptials, she may be presented immaculate to her heavenly Bridegroom. Let us consequently look about for the six water-pots which are intended to serve for the purification of the Jews, that is to say, for the cleansing of them that confess their faults. For if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1 John i. 8)—the truth which alone can deliver us, which alone can save us, which alone can make us clean. But if we confess our sins, like true Jews,t then the water-pots shall not be lacking for our purification, because God is “ faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all our iniquity ” (ibid. 9).

It seems to me, my brethren, that by the six waterpots we are to understand six observances instituted by the holy fathers for purifying the hearts of those who confess their sins; and, if I mistake not, all the six can be found in this very monastery. Thus, the first of the spiritual water-pots is the practice of continence, whereby we wash away the stains contracted

• Cf. vol. i. of present series, p. 374, note.

ON THE SPIRITUAL ESPOUSALS 5I from sensual indulgence in the past. The second is fasting, for we employ abstinence from food as a means of cleansing what gluttony has defiled. By sloth also and by idleness, which is the enemy of the soul (Holy Rule of St. Benedict, c. xlviii.), we have contracted much defilement, eating our bread, not, as the Lord has commanded, in the sweat of our own brow (Gen. iii. 19) but in the sweat of our neighbour’s. We have therefore a third water-pot placed before us in manual labour, by which we can wash ourselves clean from the stains of sloth. Again, we have committed many sins through somnolency and the other works of the night and darkness. Hence there is another waterpot set before us, namely, the observance of regular vigils, whereby we rise in the night to confess to the Lord, and to redeem the many nights we may have spent in evil. But concerning the tongue, who does not know how much defilement we have each of us contracted from it through idle and untruthful words, through detraction and flattery, through malicious and boastful speeches? A fifth water-pot is plainly needed to cleanse us from this, and we have it in the observance of silence, which is the guardian of religious life and the source of our spiritual strength. The sixth water-pot is regular discipline, by which we no longer live according to our own will, but with dependence upon the will of another, in order to purify ourselves from the effects of our former license. These waterpots are stony in their hardness, nevertheless we have no choice but to wash in them, that is, unless we desire to receive a bill of divorce from the Lord because of our filthiness (Deut. xxiv. 1). However, it is not merely to indicate their hardness that they are described as of stone, but-also and more particularly to signify their durability ; for unless they continue firm and stable, they cannot render us pure.

Jesus then said to the waiters, “ Fill the water-pots with water.” What means this, O Lord? The waiters are troubled because the wine has failed, and dost Thou say to them, “ Fill the water-pots with water ? ” They are thinking of the banqueting cups, and dost Thou order them to fill the vessels set for purification? It was thus, my brethren, it was thus that of old, when Jacob was longing to embrace his dear Rachel, Lia, her sister, was secretly put in her place by their father, Laban (Gen. xxix. 22-24). We superiors are the waiters and the servants of the brotherhood ; and whenever the wine happens to fail, we are commanded by Christ to fill for you the water-pots. It is as if the Lord should say to us: “ The brethren desire devotion, they want wine, they are asking for fervour ; but My hour is not yet come: fill the water-pots with water.” For what is the water of wisdom, very salutary, but not too sweet, unless it be the fear of the Lord which is the fountain of life and the beginning of wisdom (Ps. cx. 10) ? Therefore, the order is given to the waiters: ““ Inspire them with wholesome fear; fill the vessels of their hearts with the spirit of fear, because they must begin with fear if they desire to attain to charity, so that they also may be able to say with the Prophet, ‘By Thy fear, O Lord, we have conceived and have brought forth the spirit of salvation’ (Is. xxvi. 18).” *

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But how are the water-pots to be filled? For the Evangelist has told us that they contain “two or three measures apiece.” What are we to understand by these two or three measures? Well, there are two kinds of fear common enough and familiar to all, and a third less common and less known. The first kind of fear is the fear of being condemned to the torments of hell; the second is the fear of being excluded from the vision of God and deprived of so inestimable a glory ; the third inspires the soul with the most anxious solicitude lest she should ever deserve to be abandoned by grace.

It is true, my brethren, that every species of the fear of the Lord extinguishes sinful concupiscence, even as water extinguishes fire. But this is especially the case with the last-mentioned fear, since it opposes itself to the first beginning of every temptation in order to prevent the loss of grace: the result of which loss would be that a man, left entirely to his own, resources, would fall daily lower and lower, from one grade of guilt to a deeper. So do we see many who being filthy, go on from day to day, growing filthier still (Apoc. xxii. 11). For in the face of this fear, the soul cannot flatter herself either with the thought that the sin is not very grievous, or with the hope of repenting later on. Such self-deception is wont to hinder the effect of the two other kinds of fear, at least to some extent. Therefore the Lord commands us to fill the water-pots with the water of these various species of fear. For the water-pots are sometimes empty or only filled with air. This happens whenever a man becomes so insane as to allow the love of vanity to render void of their eternal reward those observances whereof I have been speaking—which was the case with the foolish virgins whose vessels were found empty of oil (Matt. xxv). Sometimes too—and this is worse—the water-pots are full indeed, but only full of poison, that is to say, full of envy, of murmuring, of rancour, of detraction. Therefore, to prevent such things from entering the vessels when the wine happens to fail, we are told to fill them with water ; so that in the meantime, until fervour revives, the commandments of the Lord may be obeyed in fear. But this water shall be changed into wine when fear is cast out by perfect love (1 John iv. 18), and then all the vessels shall be filled up to the brim with spiritual fervour and joyous devotion.