Moralia in Job 1459 part 3/3

But we who have come at the eleventh hour do not murmur after our labor, and we receive the denarius, because after the coming of the Mediator, coming into this world, we are led to the kingdom as soon as we go forth from the body, and we receive without delay that which the ancient fathers merited to receive with great postponement. Whence also the same householder says: I will also give to this last even as to you. And because the very reception of the kingdom is the goodness of his will, he rightly adds: Or is it not lawful for me to do what I will? For a foolish question is a man's against the kindness of God. For it should not be complained of if he does not give what he does not owe, but if he did not give what he owed. Whence it is aptly added: Is your eye evil because I am good?

But let no one exalt himself over his work, no one over his time, since, this sentence being completed, Truth subsequently cries out: So shall the last be first, and the first last. For behold, even if we already know what or how great good things we have done, we still do not know with what subtlety the heavenly Judge examines these things. And indeed each one ought to rejoice supremely to be even the last in the kingdom of God. But after these things, very terrible is what follows: For many are called, but few are chosen, because both more come to the faith, and few are led to the heavenly kingdom. For behold, to today's festival how many of us have assembled, we fill the walls of the church, but yet who may know how few they are who are numbered in that flock of God's elect?

For behold, the voice of all cries out Christ, but the life of all does not cry out. Very many follow God with their voices, but flee him in their morals. Hence indeed Paul says: They confess that they know God, but in their deeds they deny him (Titus 1:16). Hence James says: Faith without works is dead (James 2:20, 26). Hence through the Psalmist the Lord says: I have announced and spoken; they are multiplied above number (Psalm 39:6). For, at the Lord's calling, we the faithful are multiplied above number, because sometimes even those come to the faith who do not attain to the number of the elect. For here they are mingled with the faithful through confession, but on account of a reprobate life they do not there merit to be numbered in the lot of the faithful.

This sheepfold of holy Church receives goats together with lambs; but, as the Gospel attests, when the Judge shall come, he separates the good from the evil, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:32). For those who here serve the pleasures of their flesh cannot there be numbered in the flock of the sheep. There the Judge separates from the lot of the humble those who here exalt themselves upon the horns of pride. They cannot receive the kingdom of heaven who here, even placed in the heavenly faith, seek the earth with all their desire. And you discern many such within the Church, dearest brethren, but you ought neither to imitate them nor to despair of them. For we behold what a man is today, but we know not what each one shall be tomorrow.

Very often even he who is seen to come after us outstrips us by the agility of good work, and we scarcely follow tomorrow him whom today we seemed to precede. Certainly when Stephen was dying for the faith, Saul kept the garments of those who stoned him. He therefore stoned by the hands of all the stoners, who made them all ready for stoning, and yet the same man himself preceded in holy Church in labors the very one whom by persecuting he had made a martyr. There are, then, two things which we ought carefully to weigh. For because many are called, but few are chosen, the first is that each one should presume least about himself, because even if he is already called to the faith, he knows not whether he is worthy of the eternal kingdom.

The second point is that no one should dare to despair of a neighbour whom he perhaps beholds lying in his vices, since he is ignorant of the riches of divine mercy. 7. I relate to you, brethren, a thing that lately came to pass, so that, if you perceive yourselves to be sinners in heart, you may love the more the mercy of almighty God. In the present year, in my monastery, which is situated beside the church of the blessed martyrs John and Paul, a certain brother came to conversion; he was received devoutly, but he himself lived still more devoutly (Dialogues, book IV, chapter 40). His own brother, by body and not by heart, had followed him to the monastery. For, greatly detesting the life and habit of conversion, he dwelt in the...

the monastery he dwelt as a guest, and, fleeing by his ways the life of the monks, yet he could not withdraw from dwelling in the monastery, because he had nothing to do and nothing whereby to live. His depravity was burdensome to all, yet all bore with him patiently for the love of his brother. For, proud and slippery, he knew not whether any life would follow after this world, and he even mocked if anyone wished to preach this to him. And so he lived in the monastery in worldly garb: light in words, unstable in his ways, swollen in mind, well arranged in dress, dissolute in conduct. But in the month of July lately past, he was struck by the ravage of this pestilence which you know; and coming to his end, he began to be pressed to yield up his soul.

And when the extreme part of his body had already died beforehand, the vital power remained only in his breast and tongue. The brethren were present, and, as far as they could by God's bounty, they guarded his passing with prayer. But he, suddenly beholding a dragon coming to devour him, began to cry out with a loud voice, saying: Behold, I am given over to the dragon to be devoured, but because of your presence he cannot devour me. Why do you make me delay? Give place, that it may be permitted him to devour me. And when the brethren admonished him to make the sign of the cross upon himself, he answered with what strength he could, saying: I wish to sign myself, but I cannot, because I am oppressed by the dragon. The foam of his mouth smears my face; my throat is choked by his mouth.

Behold, my arms are gripped by him who has already swallowed my head into his mouth. And while he, pale and trembling and dying, was saying this, the brethren began more vehemently to press on with prayers, and by their entreaties to aid him who was oppressed by the dragon's presence. Then, suddenly set free, he began to cry with a loud voice, saying: Thanks be to God! Behold, he has departed, behold, he has gone out; before your prayers the dragon has fled, who had taken hold of me. And presently he vowed that he would serve God and be a monk; and from that time until now he is pressed by fevers and wearied by pains. He has indeed been snatched from death, but he has not yet been more fully restored to life.

For because he was pressed down by long and lasting iniquities, he is wearied by long languor, and the fire of purgation the harder consumes his hard heart, since by divine dispensation it is brought about that a more prolonged sickness may burn away his more prolonged vices. Who would ever have believed that he would be preserved unto conversion? Who can suffice to consider so great a mercy of God? Behold, a wicked young man saw in death the dragon whom he had served in life, and he saw him not so that he might utterly lose his life, but that he might know him whom he had served, and by knowing resist him, and by resisting overcome him; and he saw afterward the one by whom, formerly not seeing, he was held, that he might not be held. What tongue then can suffice to tell the bowels of divine mercy? What spirit is not astounded at the riches of so great a tenderness?

The Psalmist considered these riches of divine tenderness when he said: My helper, to thee will I sing, for thou, O God, art my upholder, my God, my mercy (Ps. 58:18). Behold, pondering in what labours human life is set, he called God his helper; and because from the present tribulation he receives us into eternal rest, he calls him also his upholder. But considering that God beholds our evils and bears them, endures our faults, and yet through penance reserves us for rewards, he was not willing to call God merciful, but called him mercy itself, saying: My God, my mercy (ibid.).

Let us then recall before our eyes the things we have done, let us weigh out of how great a kindness of God we are borne with, let us consider what are the bowels of his tenderness, that he not only pardons our faults but even promises the heavenly kingdom to the penitent even after their faults. And from all the marrow of our heart let each one say, let us all say: My God, my mercy, thou who livest and reignest, three in unity and one in trinity, throughout the infinite ages of ages. Amen.