Moralia in Job 1448

A homily delivered to the people in the basilica of the holy martyr Felicitas, on the day of her birth (into heaven). At that time, as Jesus was speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and His brethren stood outside, seeking to speak to Him. And a certain man said to Him: 'Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand outside, seeking thee.' But He, answering him that spoke to Him, said: 'Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?' And stretching forth His hands toward His disciples, He said: 'Behold my mother and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.' The reading recited from the holy Gospel, dearest brethren, is short, but heavy with the great weights of mysteries. For Jesus, our Creator and Redeemer, ...

... makes as though He knows not His mother, and designates who is His mother, and who His kinsmen, not by kinship of the flesh, but by the joining of the spirit, saying: 'Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.' By which words what else does He signify to us, save that He gathers to Himself many from the Gentiles who obey His commands, and does not acknowledge Judea, of whose flesh He was born?

Whence also His mother, when she is as it were not acknowledged, is reported to stand outside, because, namely, the Synagogue is for this reason not recognized by its Author: because, holding to the observance of the law, it lost the spiritual understanding, and fixed itself outside upon the keeping of the letter. But when he who does the will of the Father is called the sister and brother of the Lord, it is no wonder on account of either sex which is gathered unto the faith; but it is greatly to be wondered at how He is also called mother. For He deigned to call the faithful disciples brethren, saying: 'Go, tell my brethren' (Matt. 28:10). He, then, who could become the brother of the Lord by coming to the faith—it must be asked how he can also be a mother?

But we must know that he who is Christ's brother and sister by believing, is made a mother by preaching. For he as it were gives birth to the Lord, whom he pours into the heart of the hearer. And he becomes His mother, if by his voice the love of the Lord is begotten in the mind of his neighbour. And to confirm this matter fittingly for us, there is at hand blessed Felicitas, whose birthday (into heaven) we celebrate today, who by believing became a handmaid of Christ, and by preaching was made a mother of Christ. For seven sons, as is read in the more accurate accounts of her, she so feared to leave behind her alive in the flesh, as carnal parents are wont to fear lest they send them on before them dead.

For, being caught in the toil of persecution, she strengthened the hearts of her sons by preaching in the love of the heavenly fatherland, and brought forth in the spirit those whom she had borne in the flesh, so that by preaching she might bear to God those whom she had borne in the flesh to the world. Consider, dearest brethren, in a woman's body a manly breast. She stood undaunted unto death. She feared to lose the light of truth in her sons, had she not been bereaved of them. Shall I then call this woman a martyr? Nay, more than a martyr. Surely the Lord, when He spoke of John, said: 'What went ye out into the desert to see? A prophet? Yea, I say to you, and more than a prophet' (Matt. 11:7,9). And John himself, when questioned, answered, saying: 'I am not a prophet' (John 1:21).

For he who knew himself to be more than a prophet denied that he was a prophet. He is therefore called more than a prophet, because it is the office of a prophet to foretell things to come, not also to point them out. But John is more than a prophet, because Him whom he foretold in word he pointed out with his finger. Not, then, this woman a martyr, but more than a martyr would I call her, who, with seven pledges sent on before her to the kingdom, having so many times died before her own death, came first to the torments, but arrived eighth. The mother beheld the death of her sons, both tortured and undaunted; she joined the joy of hope to the grief of nature. She feared for them living, she rejoiced over them dying. She desired to leave none behind her, lest, if she had any survivor, she might not be able to have him as a fellow-heir.

Let none of you therefore, dearest brethren, suppose that her heart was in no way struck also by carnal affection when her sons were dying. For neither could she see dying without grief the sons whom she knew to be her own flesh; but there was an inner force of love that overcame the grief of the flesh. Whence also it is said to Peter, who was to suffer: 'When thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and lead thee whither thou wouldst not' (John 21:18). For neither, if Peter had most fully been unwilling, could he have suffered for Christ; but the martyrdom which through the weakness of the flesh he was unwilling for, through the strength of the spirit he loved. And while through the flesh he trembles at the torments, through the spirit he exults toward glory; and it came to pass that, by being unwilling, he willed the torment of martyrdom.

So we too, when we seek the joy of salvation, take the bitter cup of purgation. The bitterness in the cup indeed displeases, but the health to be restored through bitterness pleases. Felicitas therefore loved her sons according to the flesh, but for the love of the heavenly fatherland she willed even before her own eyes that those she loved should die. She received their very wounds, but she herself grew greater in the same sons going before her to the kingdom. Rightly, then, would I call this woman beyond a martyr, who, so many times longingly slain in her sons, while she obtained a manifold martyrdom, surpassed even the very palm of martyrdom. It is reported that among the ancients there was a custom that whoever became consul should hold the place of his honour according to the order of times;

but if anyone, coming later to the consulship, should be made consul not once, but perhaps twice or three times, he would surpass in praise and honour even those who had been consuls not more than once. Blessed Felicitas therefore overcame the martyrs, who, with so many of her sons dying before her, frequently died for Christ, because her own single death alone did not suffice for her love of Him. Let us consider, brethren, this woman; let us consider ourselves, who are men in the members of the body, and reckon what we shall be esteemed in comparison with her. For often we propose to do some good deeds, but if one even most trifling word bursts from the mouth of a mocker against us, broken from the intention of our action, we straightway recoil, confounded.

Behold, words very often call us back from a good work. But not even torments could break Felicitas from her holy intention. We dash ourselves against the altar of cursing; she went forth to the kingdom even through the sword, and reckoned that whatever opposed her was nothing. We are unwilling to bestow even our superfluities upon the Lord's commands; she not only gave her substance to God, but even gave her own flesh for Him. We, when by divine command we lose our children, mourn without consolation; she would have bewailed them as dead, had she not offered them up. When, therefore, the stern Judge shall come to that terrible examination, what shall we men say, when we shall have seen the glory of this woman?

What excuse concerning the weakness of their mind will there then be for men, when this woman shall be shown forth, who conquered both the world and her sex? Let us therefore follow, dearest brethren, the stern and rough way of the Redeemer; for by the practice of virtues it has now been made so smooth, that it pleases even women to walk along it. Let us despise all present things, for they are nothing that can pass away. Let it be shameful to love what is known to perish more quickly. Let not the love of earthly things overcome us, let not pride puff us up, let not anger tear us, let not luxury defile us, let not envy consume us. For love of us, dearest brethren, our Redeemer died, and let us learn for love of Him to overcome our very selves.

For if we do this perfectly, we shall not only escape the impending punishments, but shall be rewarded with glory together with the martyrs. For although occasion of persecution be lacking, yet our peace too has its own martyrdom, because, even if we do not submit the necks of the flesh to the sword, nonetheless with the spiritual sword we slay carnal desires in the mind, He Himself helping us, and so forth. A homily delivered to the people in the basilica of the holy martyr Stephen, concerning the apostles. At that time, Jesus sent His twelve disciples, charging them, saying: 'Go ye not into the way of the Gentiles, and into the cities of the Samaritans enter ye not; but go rather to the sheep that are lost of the house of Israel. And going, preach, saying that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

'Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely have you received, freely give. Possess not gold, nor silver, nor money in your purses; no scrip for the way, nor two coats, nor shoes, nor staff. For the workman is worthy of his food' (Matt. 10:6-10). Since it is agreed among all, dearest brethren, that our Redeemer came into the world for the redemption of the Gentiles, since we behold Samaritans daily called to the faith, what is it that, when sending His disciples to preach, He says: 'Go ye not into the way of the Gentiles, and into the cities of the Samaritans enter ye not, but go rather to the sheep that are lost of the house of Israel'?

Save that we gather from the outcome of the deed that He willed first to be preached to Judea alone, and afterward to all the nations, so that, while she, being called, refused to be converted, the holy preachers might come in due order to the calling of the Gentiles; so that the preaching of our Redeemer, repelled by His own, might seek the Gentile peoples as though strangers; and that what befell the Jews for a testimony might be for the Gentiles the increase of grace. For there were then those from Judea who were to be called, and those from the Gentiles who were not to be called. For also in the Acts of the Apostles, as Peter preached, we read that first three thousand of the Hebrews, and afterward five thousand, believed (Acts 2:41; 4:4).

And when the apostles had wished to preach to the Gentiles in Asia, they are recorded to have been forbidden by the Spirit (Acts 16:6); and yet that same Spirit which first forbade the preaching afterward poured it into the hearts of the Asians. For it is long since all Asia already believed. Therefore He first forbade what He afterward did, because there were then in that land those who were not to be saved. There were then in it those who did not yet deserve to be restored to life, nor yet to be judged the more grievously for the preaching despised. By a subtle and hidden judgment, therefore, holy preaching is withdrawn from the ears of certain men, because they do not deserve to be raised up through grace.

Whence it is necessary, dearest brethren, that in all we do we fear the hidden counsels of Almighty God above us, lest, while our mind, poured out upon outward things, does not recall itself from its own pleasure, within, the Judge terribly dispose adverse things against it. This the Psalmist, well perceiving, says: 'Come and see the works of the Lord, how terrible He is in His counsels over the sons of men' (Ps. 45:9; Ps. 65:5). For he saw that one is called in mercy, another is repelled at the demand of justice. And because the Lord disposes some things by sparing, others by being angry, he was awe-struck at what he could not penetrate. And Him whom he saw to be not only unsearchable, but also in certain of His sentences inflexible, he recorded to be terrible in His counsels.

But now that the preachers are sent, let us hear what is commanded. 'Going, preach, saying that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.' This now, dearest brethren, even if the Gospel were silent, the world cries out. For its very ruins are its voices. For he who, worn down by so many blows, has fallen from his glory, as it were shows us another kingdom close at hand which follows. It is now bitter even to those by whom it is loved. Its very ruins proclaim that it is not to be loved. For if a shaken house were threatening its own ruin, whoever dwelt in it would flee; and he who had loved it while it stood would hasten to withdraw as quickly as possible from it as it fell.

If, therefore, the world is falling, and we embrace it in our love, we choose to be crushed rather than to dwell in it, for no reasoning separates us from its ruin whom love binds to its sufferings. It is easy now, then, when we see all things laid waste, to detach our mind from love of it. But in that former time this was most difficult, when men were being sent to preach the invisible kingdom of heaven, while far and wide they saw all the kingdoms of the earth in flower. And so miracles were joined to the holy preachers, that the power displayed might lend credence to their words, and that they who preached new things might also do new things, as is added in this same reading: 'Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.'

When the world flourished, when the human race was increasing, when flesh long endured in this life, when abundance of goods overflowed—who, hearing that there was another life, would have believed it? Who would have preferred things invisible to things visible? But when the sick were restored to health, when the dead rose to life, when lepers received the cleanness of their flesh, when the demon-possessed were snatched from the power of unclean spirits, when so many visible miracles were wrought—who would not believe what he heard concerning things invisible? For to this end do visible miracles flash forth: that they may draw the hearts of those who behold them to faith in things invisible, that through the marvel wrought outwardly, that which is within may be perceived as far more marvelous.

Hence even now, when the number of the faithful has grown, there are many within holy Church who hold the life of the virtues but do not possess the signs of virtues; for a miracle is displayed outwardly in vain if that which it works within is lacking. For according to the words of the Teacher of the Gentiles: 'Tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to unbelievers' (1 Cor. 14:22). Hence too that same distinguished preacher, when amid the words of his preaching Eutychus fell asleep and fell from the window and was utterly deprived of life, raised him up again by prayer in the sight of all the unbelievers (Acts 20:9ff.). Coming to Malta, and knowing the island to be full of unbelievers, he healed by prayer the father of Publius, who was afflicted with dysentery and fevers (Acts 28:8).

But Timothy, the companion of his pilgrimage and helper in holy preaching, when he grew faint from an infirmity of the stomach, he cures not by a word but restores by the healing art, saying: 'Use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities' (1 Tim. 5:23). He therefore who by a single prayer saves a sick unbeliever, why does he not by prayer strengthen even his ailing companion? Because indeed that man needed to be healed outwardly by a miracle, who was not inwardly alive, so that by the outer power being displayed, the inner power might quicken him to life. But to his ailing faithful companion, outward signs need not be shown, since he was living wholesomely within.

But now that the power of preaching has been granted, and miracles of virtues bestowed, let us hear what our Redeemer adds: 'Freely you have received, freely give.' For He foreknew that some would bend this very gift, received from the Spirit, to the use of commerce, and would divert the signs of miracles to the service of avarice. Hence it is that Simon Magus, beholding the miracles wrought through the laying on of the hand, wished to purchase the gift of the Holy Spirit with money (Acts 8:18ff.)—namely, that he might sell for the worse what he had wickedly procured. Hence our Redeemer, making a scourge of little cords, drove the crowds from the temple and overturned the seats of them that sold doves (John 2:15).

To sell doves is to give the laying on of the hand, by which the Holy Spirit is received, not for the merit of life but for a reward. But there are some who indeed do not accept payment in coin for their ordination, and yet bestow sacred orders for the sake of human favor, and from that very lavishing seek only the recompense of praise. These men assuredly do not give freely what was freely received, since for the office of holiness expended they demand the coin of favor. Hence rightly, when the prophet described the just man, he said: 'Who shaketh his hands from every gift' (Isa. 33:15). For he did not say:

'Who shaketh his hands from a gift,' but he added 'from every gift,' because one thing is a gift from service, another a gift from the hand, another a gift from the tongue. For a gift from service is subjection improperly rendered; a gift from the hand is money; a gift from the tongue is favor. He therefore who bestows sacred orders then shakes his hands from every gift, when in divine matters he requires not only no money, but not even human favor. But you, dearest brethren, whom the secular habit holds fast, when you learn what things are ours, recall the eyes of your mind to your own affairs. Do all things among yourselves mutually and freely. Do not seek recompense for your work in this world, which you now see to have failed with such swiftness.

As you wish evil deeds to be hidden, lest God see them, so beware lest good deeds appear for human praise. Do neither evil in any manner, nor good for the sake of temporal recompense. Seek the very witness of your work to be the one whom you await as judge. Let Him see your good deeds to be hidden now, that at the time of His retribution He may display them in public. As you provide food daily for your flesh, lest it fail, so let good works be the daily nourishment of your mind. The body is fed with food; let the spirit be nourished by pious work. What you grant to flesh that shall die, do not deny to the soul that shall live forever.

For if at any time a sudden fire consumes a dwelling, whoever is its owner snatches what he can and flees, and he counts it gain if he carries anything away with him out of the flames. Behold, the flame of tribulations is consuming the world, and the end now near lays waste, like a fire, all that seemed beautiful in it. Count it therefore the greatest gain, dearest brethren, if you snatch something of it away with you, if you carry off anything as you flee, if by giving away that which by remaining could perish you preserve it for your eternal reward. For by keeping all earthly things we lose them, but by giving them away well we keep them. With swiftness the times are fleeing away.

Therefore, since we are driven with great urgency to behold our Judge the sooner, let us prepare ourselves for Him with haste by good deeds, our Lord granting it, and so forth.