Sermon LXXVI. On the Glory of Christ in Heaven, and on the Qualities Requisite in a Faithful Pastor of Souls

"In the streets and the broadways I will seek Him Whom my soul loveth. I sought Him and I found Him not. The watchmen who kept the city found me."

"In the streets and the broad ways I will seek Him Whom my soul loveth." The Spouse, my brethren, still thinks as a child. As it seems to me, she had anticipated that, after issuing from the tomb, her Bridegroom would immediately appear in public to instruct the people as before, to cure the sick, and to manifest His glory in Israel; if perchance those who said they would receive Him on condition that He descended from the cross, might be willing to receive Him now when He had risen from the sepulchre. But He had already accomplished the work which the Father had given Him to do, as she ought to have inferred from the words spoken whilst He hung upon the cross — I allude to what He said when just about to expire, "It is consummated." There was no longer any reason why He should trust Himself to the crowds, who perhaps would not even thus believe in Him. Besides, He was in haste to go to His Father, Who would say to Him, "Sit Thou at My Right Hand until I make Thy enemies Thy footstool." For when He was "lifted up from the earth "to the glory of heaven. He would then "draw all things "to Himself more powerfully and more divinely. Yet the Spouse, impatient to enjoy Him, but ignorant of the mystery, supposes that He is to be sought "in the streets and the broad ways."

II. 401 2 c Consequently she is once more disappointed, and compelled to say, "I sought Him and I found Him not." so "that the word might be fulfilled which He said," "A little while and you shall not see Me, because I go to the Father."

We may imagine her saying to herself something like this, "How then shall they believe in Him Whom they have not seen?" As if forsooth faith were from seeing and not from hearing. What great thing is it to believe what one has seen? "But if we hope for that which we see not, we wait for it with patience," and patience merits a reward. For it is written: "Blessed are they that have not seen and have believed." Therefore, in order to leave room for the virtue and the merit of faith, the Bridegroom has withdrawn from us His visible presence. Besides the hour had now come when He should return to His own place. Do you ask me, my brethren, what place is that? It is the Right Hand of the Father. For "being in the form of God, He thought it not robbery to be equal with God." Let this therefore be the place of the Only-Begotten, where He may rest secure, as beyond the reach of all that could injure Him. Let Him sit not below but beside the Father, so "that all men may honour the Son as they honour the Father." In this shall appear the indistinction of their Majesty if the Son is confessed to be neither inferior nor posterior but in all respects equal to the Father. But the Spouse can at present think of none of these things. Inebriated with an excess of divine love, she runs hither and thither, seeking with her eyes Him Who is no longer perceptible to sight but only to faith. For she believes that Christ ought not to have entered into His glory without first manifesting to the world the glory of His resurrection, so that the impious might be confounded, the faithful filled with joy, the disciples magnified, the people converted, and He Himself finally honoured by all, when the visible fact of His resurrection had demonstrated to every man the truth of His prediction. Thou art mistaken, O Spouse of Christ. These things must indeed come to pass, but in their proper season.

Consider now in the meantime whether it be not more becoming and more consonant vith the divine justice not to "give that which is holy to dogs" nor to "cast pearls before swine," but rather, according to the expression of the Holy Scripture, to take away the impious one that he "may not see the glory of the Lord"; to preserve its merit to faith which, as we know, appears then to best advantage when we believe what we see not; and to treasure up for the good in the same faith that which is concealed from the wicked, so that "he that is filthy may be filthy still and he that is just may be justified still," and may not "slumber through heaviness." Yea, let the heavens and the heaven of heavens pine away and be confounded in their expectation rather than that the Father Almighty should be any longer defrauded of the desire of His Heart, rather than that the Only-Begotten Son's entrance into His glory should be further delayed, even for the space of a moment, which in truth would be something supremely unworthy. Whatever of glory mortals could give Him, surely, O Spouse, thou canst not esteem it so great as to be able to hold Him back, even for a short time, from the glory which His Father has prepared for Him from all eternity? Moreover it would be quite unbecoming that the fulfilment of the Son's petition should be longer deferred. Dost thou ask me to what petition I allude? To that which is expressed in the words, "Father, glorify Thy Son." Nevertheless, as it seems to me, He uttered this rather as a prophecy than as a prayer. That is freely solicited which it is in power of the petitioner to take. Consequently, in making this petition, the Son is not consulting for any necessity of His own, but for our instruction and utility; since, with respect to whatever He receives from the Father, He is not only the Recipient but the Donor cJoo with the Father.

To this it is necessary to add the observation that not alone does the Father glorify the Son, but the Son also glorifies the Father. It is necessary, I say, lest anyone should suppose the Son to be less than the Father, for the reason that He is glorified by the Father. That He in turn glorifies His Father is manifest from His own words, "Father, glorify Thy Son that Thy Son may glorify Thee." However, it may still be supposed that the Son is inferior to the Father in this respect, that He appears to be devoid of glory until He has received of the Father the glory which He gives back to Him again. But listen to the Son Himself where He tells us that the case is not so, "Glorify Thou Me, O Father, with Thyself, with the glory which I had before the world was, with Thee." The glory of the Son, therefore, being from eternity, is not posterior to the glory of the Father, and hence They, the Father and the Son, equally glorify Each the Other. But if such be the case, in what has the Father the precedence? Glories that are co-eternal must surely be co-equal also. Yea, they must be not only co-equal but one and the same, just as the Father and the Son are in Nature one and the same. Therefore it seems to me that when the Son said in another place, "Father, glorify Thy name," He asked for nothing else than that He should Himself be glorified, in Whom and by Whom the Father's name would be most certainly glorified. And He received the answer, "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." This response from the Father was in itself no slight glorification of the Son. But, as we read in the Gospel, He was more abundantly and more singularly glorified on the bank of the Jordan by the testimony of the Baptist, by the descent of the heavenly Dove, and by the voice of the Father, saying, "This is My beloved Son." On the mountain also, in the presence of three of His disciples, He was most magnificently glorified, by the same paternal voice speaking once more from heaven, by the strange and admirable transfiguration of His Body, and by the attestation of the two Prophets who appeared conversing with Him.

It remained for Him, therefore, to be glorified once again, according to the promise of the Father. That was to be plenitude of glory, to which nothing further could be added. But where was He to receive this final benediction? Not certainly "in the streets and the broad ways," as the Spouse seems to have expected, unless indeed there is question of those streets whereof the Prophet said "Thy streets, O Jerusalem, shall be paved with pure gold and in all thy streets alleluia shall be sung."¹ For in these streets, it is true, the Son has received from His Father a glory to which nothing comparable can be found, even amongst the citizens of heaven. For "to which of the angels said He (the Father) at any time: Sit on my Right Hand until I make thy enemies thy footstool? "And not only amongst the choir of angels, but amongst the other and superior orders of blessed spirits also, has there been found none worthy to participate in this superexcellent glory. Not one of all those celestial creatures has ever been privileged to hear addressed to himself the words of incommunicable glory, "Sit on My Right Hand," not one has been given to experience in himself the efficacy of these words. All, no doubt, whether thrones, or dominations, or principalities, or powers, desire to gaze upon the glory of the Only-Begotten; but to raise themselves to an equality of glory they do not presume. Therefore to my Lord alone has the Lord given the invitation and the right to sit on the Right Hand of His glory as being co-equal with Himself in glory, consubstantial in Essence, identical in Nature by Sonship, one in Majesty, co-eternal in duration. There, there shall He be found by such as seek Him; and they shall see His glory, not a glory like the glory of creatures, but truly "the glory as it were of the Only Begotten of the Father."

What then art thou doing, O Spouse of Christ? Dost thou think that thou canst follow Him thither? Hast thou the boldness and hast thou the power to intrude thyself into a sanctuary so secret, into a mystery so sacred, that thou mayst contemplate the Son in the Father and the Father in the Son? Surely no. Where He is thou canst not come now, but thou shalt come hereafter. Meanwhile, however, desist not from following and seeking Him. Do not allow that inaccessible brightness, that unapproachable sublimity, to turn thee from thy quest or to deprive thee of the hope of finding. "If thou canst believe," says the Saviour "all things are possible to him that belie veth." And the Apostle tells thee, "The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart." Only believe and thou hast already found. For to believe is to have found. The faithful know that Christ dwelleth by faith in their hearts. What can be nearer? Seek Him therefore with security, seek Him with devotion. "The Lord is good to them that hope in Him, to the soul that seeketh Him." Seek Him by thy desires, follow Him by Thy actions, find Him by thy faith. What is there that faith cannot find? It attains to the inaccessible, it discovers the unknowable, it comprehends the immeasurable, it reaches forward to what is ultimate, it even includes eternity itself within the ample space of its own mystical bosom. I make bold to say it: the Blessed and Everlasting Trinity, though beyond my understanding, is accessible to my faith; and I hold by faith what escapes my intelligence.

But some one may say to me, "How shall the Spouse believe without a preacher, since faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of preaching?" God will provide for this. And behold they are already at hand from whom the newly betrothed Spouse, soon to become the Bride of the heavenly Bridegroom, shall receive information and instruction concerning aU things necessary, the knowledge of the faith, and the form and pattern of piety and religion. For listen to what she adds, "The watchmen who kept the city found me." Who, my brethren, are these watchmen? They are doubtless the same whom the Saviour in the Gospel pronounces blessed if, when He comes, He shall find them watching. And what good watchmen they are who keep guard over us whilst we slumber, as being obliged to render an account of our soul's welfare! What good keepers, who with vigilant minds spend their nights in prayer, who prudently find out the enemy's ambuscades, forestall the schemes of the malignant, discover their wiles, expose their snares, break their nets, and foil their cunning machinations! "These are lovers of their brethren and of the people (of Christ); these are they that pray much for the people and for all the holy city." These are they who, all solicitous for the sheep of the Lord committed to their charge, "give their hearts to resort early to the Lord That made them, and pray in the sight of the Most High." They continue praying as they watch, for they are conscious of their own insufficiency to guard the city, and that "unless the Lord keep the city, he watch eth in vain that keepeth it."

Furthermore, since the Lord Himself has given the command, "Watch ye and pray that you enter not into temptation," it clearly follows that without this twofold observance on the part of the faithful and this twofold exercise of zeal on the part of their keepers, there can be no security for the city, no security for the Spouse, no security for the flock. Do you wish me to explain the difference between these three, the city, the Spouse, and the flock? In reality they are one and the same. That which is called a city, on account of the multitude of souls which it embraces, is called a Spouse because of the tender love of which it is the object, and a flock by reason of the gentleness which characterises its members. Would you like to have proof that the Spouse and the city signify the same? Then listen to the Evangelist, "And I, John, saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." The identity of the Spouse and the flock shall also appear manifest to you if you recollect the first vicarious shepherd — I mean St. Peter — and how earnestly he was charged to watch over lovingly and to feed the flock at the time when the sheep were first entrusted to his care. Now Christ in His wisdom would never have been at such pains in this matter had He not realised from the testimony of His own Heart and conscience that He was truly a Bridegroom no less than a Shepherd. Attend to this, ye friends of the Bridegroom, if yet you be in truth His friends. But it is not enough for the shepherds or keepers of His flock to be only the friends of the Bridegroom: they who are honoured with the privilege of such intimate familiarity with the Bridegroom ought to be inflamed with the most ardent love for Him. Not without special significance did the Lord, when appointing Peter chief pastor of the sheep, say to him three times, "Peter lovest thou Me?" It seems to me that by the repeated question Jesus wished to signify the same as if He had said, "Unless thy conscience bears thee witness that thou lovest Me and that thou lovest Me strongly and perfectly, that is to say, more than thy possessions, more than thy friends, more even than thyself, so as by this threefold preference to satisfy My threefold interrogation — unless such be the case, thou oughtest not by any means to undertake this responsibility or to have anything to do with those sheep of Mine for whose salvation My Blood has been shed." Awful words these, my brethren, and well calculated to strike terror into the hearts of even the most insensible of tyrants.

Attend to yourselves, therefore, all you who have been called to the labour of the ministry, attend to yourselves, I say, and to the precious charge entrusted to your care. It is a city: be vigilant therefore to defend it from enemies without and to preserve its peace within. It is a Spouse: see to her adornment. It is also a flock: take care to provide it with suitable pasture. And perhaps it would not be entirely fanciful to suppose that this threefold solicitude also corresponds to the Lord's threefold question. Moreover, the defence of the city, if it is to be adequate, must also be threefold, namely, against the power of ten:ants, against the wiles of heretics, and against the temptations of the demons. The adornment of the Spouse likewise embraces three elements, which are good works, good morals and regular institutions. As for the flock, it is commonly fed in the pastures of Holy Scripture, as in the Lord's inheritance. Yet in these pastures there are distinctions to be observed. For they contain the precepts which are imposed on stubborn and carnal souls as a law of life and discipline. They also contain the delicate viands {olera) of dispensations which are provided out of compassion for the weak and the pusillanimous. And lastly, they comprise the strong and solid food of the counsels which, produced from the heart of wisdom, is set before healthy souls and such as have their faculties sufficiently disciplined for discriminating between good and evil. As for the little ones, these, like lambkins, require to be fed with the milk of gentle exhortation rather than with the meat of the strong. In addition to all this, faithful and zealous pastors will never cease to improve the condition of their flocks by means of good and encouraging examples, presented rather in their own lives than in the lives of others. For examples of virtue, if taken from the lives of others instead of being exhibited in their own, would only put themselves to shame and would not have the same influence with the people. For instance, were I, who seem to hold the office of pastor in this community, to set before you as a model the meekness of Moses, the patience of Job, the clemency of Samuel, the sanctity of David, and other such illustrious examples of virtue, whilst at the same time showing myself harsh and impatient and unfeeling and the very opposite of holy, my words, as I fear, would come forth with little unction and would be received by you with but little relish. However, I leave this to the care of the Divine Goodness that He may supply that in which I am wanting to you, and may put right that which I put wrong. But the good pastor will also see to it that, agreeably to the injunction of Christ in the Gospel, he be found to have salt in himself. For he knows well that a sermon seasoned with this mystical salt is as salutary to the soul as it is pleasant to the ear and the mind. I have now said all that is at present necessary regarding the defence of the city, the adornment of the Spouse, and the pasturing of the flock.

Yet I desire to repeat some of the things I have been saying in language still more explicit, for the benefit of those who, whilst gaping after honours and dignities with excessive avidity, thoughtlessly undertake the gravest responsibilities and expose their salvation to danger. I want them to realise their position and to ask each of them, in the words of the Lord, "Friend, whereto art thou come?" As regards the mere defence of the city, that, unless I mistake, shall be sufficiently provided for if the keeper be a man of fortitude, of spirituality, and of fidelity,— of fortitude that he may repel the assaults of the enemy, of spirituality that he may be able to discover their wiles, and of fidelity that he may not seek the things that are his own. But with respect to the amendment and purification of morals, which appertains to the adornment of the Spouse, is it not manifest to all how absolutely necessary is a censorship of discipline exercised with the most constant diligence? For this reason, everyone appointed to the government of souls ought to be inflamed with the same zeal as that which consumed that most jealous guardian of the Spouse of the Lord, who exclaimed, "I am jealous of you with the jealousy of God. For I have espoused you to one Husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." Again, how shall a shepherd who is without learning lead forth the flock of the Lord safely into the pastures of the divine Scriptures? On the other hand, if the pastor be learned yet not also virtuous, there is reason to fear that the flock shall be less benefited by the abundance of his doctrine than injured by the barrenness of his life. It is consequently a perilous thing to assume the ofiice of pastor of souls without the essential qualifications of knowledge and virtue. But behold, I am warned to break off here, though much against my will, and when the discourse is still far from its conclusion, I am summoned away to a different occupation, which is altogether unworthy to have the preference over this.² I am straitened on every side; and I know not which grieves me the more, to be torn from my present employment or to be dragged to that which awaits me — unless that both together are more grievous than either taken singly. O servitude! O slavery! "I do not that which I will, but what I hate that I do." Note, however, the point where we leave off, so that as soon as I am at liberty to return, I may resume thence, in the name of the Bridegroom of the Church, Jesus Christ Our Lord, Who is over all things, God blessed for ever. Amen.

Footnotes

1. "Plateae tuae, Jerusalem, sternentur auro mundo et per omnes vicos tuos alleluia cantabitur" (Tob. xiii. 22). The Vulgate reading is somewhat different, "Ex lapide can dido et mundo omnes plateae ejus sternentur et per vicos ejus alleluia cantabitur. ' ' — (Translator.) ↩

2. Sermons III. and XXIV. were similarly interrupted, the former by the announcement of visitors, the latter by a summons from the ecclesiastical authorities. The interruption of the present discourse may have been the signal for the community repast. — ( Translator. ) ↩