Sermon XII. On the Ointment of Piety

"Smelling sweet of the best ointments."

I have already explained to you, my brethren, two of the precious ointments which perfume the breasts of the Spouse, that of Contrition, which "covereth a multitude of sins" and that of Devotion, which embraces a multitude of benefits. Both are saluta^, although not both sweet. The first exhales a pungent odour, because the bitter remembrance of sin excites to compunction and sorrow. The second is more soothing, since the contemplation of the divine goodness is a source of consolation and moderates grief. But there remains a third ointment, which far excels both of these. I have called this the unguent of Piety, because it is extracted from the necessities of the poor, the anxieties of the oppressed, the sorrows of the sad, the sins of the guilty, in a word, from all the miseries of all the miserable, even of those who are our enemies. These elements appear to be contemptible. Yet the ointment produced from them surpasses in value all aromatic spices. It is a healing ointment, since "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy." Therefore, the materials, from which are produced those "best ointments," worthy of the breasts of the Spouse, and sweet to the smell of her Beloved, are nothing else than many miseries collected together, and contemplated with the eye of piety. Happy the soul that is

IOO careful to enrich and strengthen herself with a goodly store of such aromatic elements, moistening them with the oil of mercy and compounding them into an ointment by means of the fire of charity! Who, think you, is the "acceptable man, that sheweth mercy and lendeth," that is easily moved to compassion, prompt to succour, "judging it more blessed to give than to receive," that is quick to forgive and slow to anger, never harbouring resentment, and in everything looking as much to his neighbour's necessities as to his own? O whosoever thou art that art such, so saturated with the dew of mercy, so abounding in the bowels of piety, so making thyself all things to all, so become to thyself as "a broken vessel" in order to be ready always and everywhere to run to the help and relief of others, in short, so dead to thyself that thou mayst live to all beside — thou assuredly art the happy possessor of this third and most precious ointment! Thy hands have distilled this liquor containing all manner of sweetness! It shall not be dried up in the evil time; neither shall the heat of persecution exhaust it. But God shall be always "mindful of all thy sacrifices and thy whole burnt- offering" shall "be made fat."

There are men of spiritual wealth in the city of the Lord of virtues. I wish to know if any amongst them are possessed of this ointment. And here, as everywhere else, the first name that occurs to me is the name of St. Paul, the "Vessel of election," truly a vessel of fragrant spices, a vessel of perfumes, a vessel filled with odoriferous substances of all kinds. He was, indeed, "the good odour of Christ unto God," in every place. Far and wide did that great heart of his, oppressed as it was by "solicitude for all the churches," scatter the fragrance of delicious sweetness. See what manner of spices and aromatic elements he gathered together for himself: "I die daily, I protest by your glory," he says. Again, "Who is weak and I am not weak? Who is scandalised and I am not on fire?" Vast stores of such precious material, exhibited in places known to you all, my brethren, did this wealthy man possess, to be used in connecting the "best ointments." For it was fitting that those breasts should be redolent of the purest and most excellent unguents; those breasts, I say, which suckled the mystical members of Christ, to whom St. Paul was certainly a mother, being in travail once and a second time, until Christ had been formed in them, and the members brought into conformity with the Head.

I will tell you also of another spiritually rich man, and how he kept a supply of select spices from which to produce these "best ointments." "The stranger," says holy Job, "did not stay without, my door was open to the traveller." And again, "I was an eye to the blind, and a foot to the lame. I was the father of the poor. I broke the jaws of the wicked man, and out of his teeth I took awaj' the prey. If I have denied to the poor what they desired, and have made the eyes of the widow wait; if I have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof; if I have despised him that was perishing for want of clothing, and the poor man that had no covering; if his sides have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep." With what a sweet perfume this man by his works must have filled the earth! sJ His every act was an aromatic spice. He heaped up his soul with such odoriferous elements in order that the fragrant exhalations of internal sweetness might temper the stench of his rotting flesh.

When Joseph had caused the whole of Egypt to run after him to the odour of his ointments, he also permitted their fragrance to reach even to those who had sold him into slavery. He did, indeed, use words of reproof, and he looked with an angry countenance. Yet the tears which burst forth from the softness of his heart were indicative, not of wrath, but of mercy. Samuel mourned for Saul who was seeking to kill him. His heart, melted within by the fire of that charity which warmed his breast, flowed out in tears of piety through the channels of his eyes. Regarding the pleasant odour of good fame which he scattered on every side, Holy Scripture bears this testimony: "And all Israel, from Dan to Bersabee, knew that Samuel was a faithful prophet of the Lord." What shall I say of Moses? With what fatness and richness did not he also replenish his soul! Not even that "exasperating house," in which he lived for a time, with all its murmuring, with all its madness, was able to rub off the oil wherewith his spirit had been anointed once and for all. Hence, amidst constant disputes and daily wranglings, he persevered unmoved in his meekness. Justly, therefore, does the inspired author testify of him that he "was exceeding meek above all men that dwelt upon earth," for even "with them that hated peace he was peaceful." So meek, in fact, was he, that not only did he not get angry with an ungrateful and rebellious people, but he even, by his intervention, appeased the anger of God enkindled against them. So it is written: "And He said He would destroy them, had not Moses, His chosen, stood before Him in the breach, to turn away His wrath, lest He should destroy them." Again, we read of him saying to God, "Either forgive them this trespass, or, if Thou do not, strike me out of the Book of Life which Thou hast written. "Behold a man truly anointed with the unction of mercy! He speaks verily with the affection of a mother who can be contented with no happiness which her children do not share. Suppose, for instance, that a person of wealth said to a poor woman, "Come to my house and have dinner with me, but leave behind that infant which thou bearest in thy arms, lest it should begin to cry and cause us annoyance." Think you, my brethren, she would accept such an invitation? Would she not rather choose to suffer hunger than, abandoning her beloved child, to dine alone with her rich benefactor? So, neither would Moses be satisfied to "enter into the joy of his Lord," whilst the people remained without; for, inconstant though they were and ungrateful, yet he clung to them as would a mother to the child of her womb, and with a truly maternal affection. His heart, which they bitterly grieved, was more willing to endure this suffering than to bear the sorrow of seeing them torn from it.

Where shall we find a better model of meekness than David, who lamented the death of Saul, of the man, I say, who had always thirsted for his? What greater charity than thus to mourn for one whose removal brought himself to the throne? He was almost inconsolable at the loss of a parricidal son. What an abundance of the "best ointment" is revealed in such an affection! No wonder, then, he could pray with confidence, saying, "O Lord, remember David and all his meekness."¹ Therefore, all these possessed those "best ointments," of which they are redolent even to-day throughout the universal Church. And not only they, but also eveiy one who in this life shows himself so benevolent and beneficent, who tries to converse with such kindness amongst men, that instead of keeping for himself the graces he receives, he devotes them all, without exception, to the common use, considering himself, as St. Paul, a debtor alike to friends and enemies, "to the wise and the unwise." Because persons of this description are useful to all, and humble in all, therefore are they loved above all both by God and man, and the fragrance of their virtues "shall be in benediction." Those, I repeat, whose lives have been such, have perfumed with their precious ointments, not only the times in which they Jived, but even all subsequent ages. Thou also, my brother, if thou willingly sharest with us, thy companions, the gifts thou hast received from above; if thou showest thyself everywhere amongst us obliging, affectionate, grateful, obedient, and humble: thou, also, shalt receive testimony of all that thou art redolent of the "best ointments."Yes, every individual amongst you, brethren, who not only supports with patience the corporal and spiritual infirmities of his brother, but, so far as he is permitted and has the power, assists him by kind offices, comforts him by his words, and directs him by his counsels, or, if the Rule will not allow of this, consoles the weakling, at least by his fervent and incessant prayer — every such person, I say, exhales a good odour in his community, and" smells sweet ox the best ointments."As balsam in the mouth, so is such a religious in a monastery. His brothers point him out and say of him, ■' This is a lover of his brethren and of the people of Israel. This is he that prayeth much for the people and for all the holy city."

But let us now turn to the New Testament, and see if we can find there any reference to these "best ointments." We read in St. Mark that "Mary Magdalen, and Mary, the mother of James, and Salome bought sweet spices that coming they might anoint Jesus." What were those ointments, so precious that they were purchased and prepared especially for the Body of Christ, and so abundant that they were sufficient for the anointing of every part of It! We nowhere find in the Gospel that any of the other two kinds of ointments were either procured or compounded for the special purpose of anointing the Lord, or that they were poured out over the whole of His Body. But a woman is suddenly introduced, in one place kissing His Feet and dropping unguent upon Them; in another, whether the same person or a different,² emptying out upon His sacred Head an alabaster box of precious oil. Yet here it is said, "they bought sweet spices that coming they might anoint Jesus." They did not buy the ointment, but the sweet spices. The perfume for the holy Body was not obtained ready made; it was freshly extracted by themselves from the aromatic elements. Neither was it applied to some particular part only, for instance, to the Head or the Feet. But, as it is written, "that coming they might anoint Jesus."

What embraces the whole must not be restricted to a part.

Do you, also, my brethren, put on the bowels of mercy; show yourselves generous and kind, not alone to parents and relatives, not alone to those from whom you have received or hope to receive benefits, for even 604) gave the opinion in favour of their identity a preponderance which it still retains. St. Bernard, although he here speaks doubtfully, has adopted the latter view in his third sermon on the Assumption and elsewhere. MacEvilly calls it "the more probable opinion, yet still warmly disputed."³ the heathens do this, but, according to the counsel of the Apostle, study to do good to all, so that, for God's sake, you will not refuse or withhold, even in the case of an enemy, any service you can render to body or soul. So shall it be manifest that you too abound with the "best ointments," and have purposed to perfume, as far as depends on you, not merely the Lord's Head or Feet, but His entire mystical Body, which is the Church. Perhaps the reason why the Lord Jesus would not have the ointment which had been prepared for Him, to be poured upon His dead Body, was that it might be reserved for His living Body. For the Church is living and eats of "the living Bread That came down from heaven." It is the Body which Christ loves best, which He will not suffer to taste death, whereas His natural Body was delivered up to death, as every Christian knows. It is His mystical Body that He wants us to anoint and to cherish; and He desires us to apply the more special and efficacious medicaments to its weak members. For this, therefore, He would keep the precious ointment, when, anticipating the hour and hastening the glory of His Resurrection, He thus enlightened rather than refused the devotion of the holy women. If He was unwilling to be anointed, it was as sparing the unction, not as spurning it. He did not decline the service, but postponed it to a time when it would be a greater benefit. I am not now referring to any benefit from the material and corporal unction, but to the spiritual benefit symbolised by that. For this reason, therefore, He, the Master of piety, refused for Himself the best ointments of piety, because He wished they should be reserved for relieving the necessities, both corporal and spiritual, of His own indigent members. When, a little earlier, ointment was poured on His Head and even on His Feet, and precious ointment too, did He forbid it? On the contrary, He reprimanded those that were presuming to do so. To Simon, who was angry that He should allow Himself to be touched by a sinner, He administered a reproof in the form of a lengthy parable. And when the disciples complained of the waste of ointment, He said to them, "Why are you troublesome to this woman?"

Sometimes (if I may here digress a little) when prostrate and in tears at the Feet of my Jesus, offering Him, at the thought of my sins, the "sacrifice of an afflicted spirit," or when standing at His Head (a grace more rare with me) and exulting in the memory of His benefits, I also have heard people complain and ask, "To what purpose is this waste?" They complained, I mean, that I was living for myself alone, when I might, as they supposed, be assisting many. "For this," they said, "could have been sold for much and given to the poor." But it would be an unprofitable traffic for me, if I gained the whole world and lost myself and my own soul. Hence, understanding such expressions of discontent to be the"dead flies," mentioned in Scripture, which destroy the fragrance of the ointment, I remembered the words of God: "O My people! they that bless thee, the same deceive thee." But let those who accuse me of taking my ease hear the Lord excusing me and answering for me. "Why," He asks, "are you troublesome to this woman?" That is to say, "You look on the face, and, therefore, you judge according to the face. He is not a man, as you suppose, who is able to stretch forth his hand to hard things, but only a weak woman. Why would you lay a burden on him to which I see he is unequal? He is doing ' a good work upon Me.' Let him continue in this good, until he gets strength to do better. If ever he changes from a woman to a man, and to a perfect man, then he may also be employed in a manly and perfect work."

My brethren, let us look upon bishops with honour, and upon their labours with fear. We should never aspire to the episcopal dignity, if we considered the toil it involves. Let us, then, acknowledge the inadequacy of our powers, and let us not imagine that the soft and feeble shoulders of women such as we are, can support with ease the burdens of strong men. It is our duty to honour these men, and not to scrutinise their conduct with a critical eye. It would be intolerable that you should censure the work of those whose responsibilities you refuse to undertake,⁴ just as it would be impertinence in a woman spinning at home to rebuke her warrior husband returning from battle. So, if a religious in his cloister should occasionally observe a secular cleric, who toils amongst the people, carrying himself with too much freedom or too little circumspection, for instance, sinning by excess in eating, in speaking, in sleeping, in hilarity, in anger, or in censure, let him not at once hasten to condemn, but let him remember what is written, "Better is the iniquity of a man, than a woman doing a good turn." For the monk, indeed, does well in keeping a watchful guard over himse)t. But he who labours for the good of the people performs a more excellent and more manly work. And if this cannot be done without some degree of "iniquity," that is, without slight departures from strict regularity of life and conversation, we must bear in mind that "charity covereth a multitude of sins." So much with regard to those two temptations by which the devil incites religious persons either to ambition the dignity of bishops, or rashly to condemn them for their failings.

But we must now return to the ointments of the Spouse. Do you not perceive how much the ointment of Piety is to be preferred to those of Contrition and Devotion, from the fact that it alone is not allowed to be wasted? Indeed, so little is waste tolerated in the case of this "best ointment," that even the gift of a cup of cold water is not permitted to go unrequited. Precious, nevertheless, is the unguent of Contrition, which is extracted from the recollection of sin, and is poured upon the Lord's Feet, because "a contrite and humble heart God will not despise." Far more precious still is what I have named the ointment of Devotion, which is produced from the thought of the divine benefits, and is deemed worthy to be applied to the Saviour's Head. Hence God Himself says of it, "The sacrifice of praise shall glorify Me." But, as I have just remarked, superior to both is the unction of Piety, which is confected out of a sympathetic regard for the miserable, and which spreads its fragrance over the whole Body of Christ. I speak not of that Body Which hung upon the Cross, but of that mystical Body which He acquired by His Passion. This third ointment is indeed so excellent, that in comparison with it God declares the others to be unworthy of His notice, where He says, "I will have mercy and not sacrifice." In my judgment, therefore, the perfume of this virtue of mercy or piety is exhaled in a degree beyond all others from the breasts of the Spouse, who is doubtless anxious to conform herself in all things to the will of her Beloved. Did not Tabitha,⁵ even in death, give forth the sweet fragrance of mercy? And therefore it was that she so quickly revived, because the odour of life in her prevailed over death.

Now, listen to an "abbreviated word," that is, a recapitulation of this subject. Whoever inebriates his neighbour with his words and perfumes him with his benefits, the same may consider as addressed to himself the eulogium, "For thy breasts are better than wine, smelling sweet of the best ointments." But who is sufficient for this? Which of us can spend even a single hour so justly and perfectly as not sometimes to grow unfruitful in speech or remiss in action? Yet there is one who can make such a boast with all truth and justice. I mean the Church, to which, in her universality, the means are never lacking both for inebriating and for perfuming. For what she wants in one of her members she possesses in another, according to the measure of the gift of Christ and the distribution of the Holy Spirit, "dividing to everyone as He willeth." In those who make unto themselves "friends of the mammon of iniquity," the Church exhales an odour of sweetness. She inebriates in the persons of her preachers, who pour out the wine of spiritual joy over the whole earth, intoxicate the nations therewith, and "bring forth fruit in patience." Thus she may confidently and securely call herself the Spouse, inasmuch as she possesses the "breasts better than wine, smelling sweet of the best ointments." But although none of us, my brethren, will be so presumptuous as to dare to call his soul the spouse of Christ, nevertheless, as we are members of the Church which rightly glories in this title, and in the reality corresponding to the title, we at least may each justly claim a participation in that high prerogative. What we possess all collectively in a:complete and perfect manner, without doubt we also possess individually by participation. Thanks to Thee, Lord Jesus, Who hast vouchsafed to number us amongst the members of Thy Church, not alone that we might be Thy faithful servants, but also that, as spouses of Thine, we might be united to Thee in the sweet and chaste and everlasting embrace of love, and admitted to contemplate the glory of Thy unveiled Countenance, which glory is common to Thee with the Father and the Holy Ghost for ever and ever. Amen.

Footnotes

1. Ps. cxxxi. 1. Concerning the authorship of this psalm there is some uncertainty. Cardinal Bellarmin writes, "Either it was composed by Solomon after the building of the Temple when the ark of the Lord was brought into the place prepared for it; or, at any rate, it was then sung by him, although David may have written it for that occasion, and given it to his son." — (Translator.) ↩

2. The question as to whether the sinful woman mentioned in Luke vii. 36-50, Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus, and Mary Magdalen are one and the same, or two, or even three different persons has been keenly controverted from the earliest ages of the Church. Down to the beginning of the seventh century, the majority of writers seem to have distinguished between the three. But the authority of Pope St. Gregory (590- ↩

3. Another matter in dispute is the number of anointings. Is the anointing of the Saviour's Feet by the sinful woman, spoken of in Luke vii., the same as that mentioned in John xii.? St. Bernard evidently thinks so, and hence identifies Mary, the sister of Martha, with the "woman who was a sinner." But it is now generally believed that, although performed by the same person, the anointings were really distinct. As a matter of fact, there is much more reason for identifying the anointing described in Mark xiv. with that of John xii., which, however, St. Bernard assumes to be different, if not by different persons. Both took place at Bethany, the native village of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus; on both occasions the disciples complained of the waste; and on both our Lord answered them in the same words. True, St. Mark tells us it was the Head that was anointed, whilst according to St. John it was the Feet. But these statements are easily reconciled by supposing both narratives to be but partial accounts of the same event, and supplementary of each other. — (Translator.) ↩

4. St. Bernard had already refused several episcopal and archiepiscopal sees, such as those of Rheims, Genoa, and Milan. — (Translator.) ↩

5. Acts ix. 36-42. ↩