Sermons & Letters 20

Chapter 1. — On all days indeed, dearly beloved, and at all times, to the minds of the faithful meditating on divine things there occurs the birth of our Lord and Savior from the Virgin Mother, so that the mind, raised up to the confession of its Author—whether it be engaged in the groaning of supplication, or in the exultation of praise, or in the offering of sacrifice—may attain by spiritual gaze nothing more frequently and nothing more confidently than that God the Son of God, begotten of the coeternal Father, was Himself also born by a human birth. But this nativity, to be adored in heaven and on earth, no day more than this present one impresses upon us, and, with a new light also shining in the elements, it sets before our senses the brightness of a wondrous mystery.

For not only into memory, but in a manner into our very sight, there returns the colloquy of the angel Gabriel with astonished Mary, and the conception by the Holy Spirit as wondrously promised as it was believed. For today the Author of the world was brought forth from a virginal womb, and He who founded all natures became the Son of her whom He created. Today the Word of God appeared clothed with flesh, and that which was never visible to human eyes began to be tangible also to hands. Today the shepherds learned by the voices of angels that the Savior was born in the substance of our flesh and soul; and among the leaders of the Lord's flocks the form of evangelizing has today been established beforehand, that we too may say with the host of the heavenly army:

'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will' (Luke 2:14). Chapter 2. — Although therefore that infancy, which the majesty of the Son of God did not disdain, was advanced by the addition of years into a perfect man, and, with the triumph of passion and resurrection consummated, all the actions of the lowliness taken up for us have passed away, yet today's festivity renews for us the sacred beginnings of Jesus born of the Virgin Mary; and while we adore the birth of our Savior, we find that we are celebrating our own beginning. For the generation of Christ is the origin of the Christian people, and the birthday of the Head is the birthday of the body. Although each individual of those called has his own order,

and all the sons of the Church are distinguished by the succession of times, yet the whole sum of the faithful, sprung from the font of baptism, just as crucified with Christ in the passion, raised again in the resurrection, placed at the right hand of the Father in the ascension, so also are born together with Him in this nativity. For whoever of believing men in any part of the world is regenerated in Christ, the path of original oldness being cut off, passes over into a new man by being reborn; and is no longer reckoned in the offspring of a carnal father, but in the germ of the Savior, who therefore was made the Son of man, that we might be able to be the sons of God.

For unless He had descended to us in this humility, no one would have come to Him by any merits of his own. Let earthly wisdom bring no darkness into the hearts of those who are called, nor let the dust of earthly thoughts, soon to return to the depths, raise itself against the height of the grace of God. That has been fulfilled in the end of the ages which was ordained before eternal times; and under the presence of realities, the signs of figures ceasing, the law and prophecy has become truth: that Abraham might be made the father of all nations, and in his seed the promised blessing might be given to the world; and that not only those should be Israelites whom blood and flesh had begotten, but that the whole company of adoption might enter into the possession of the inheritance of faith prepared for the sons.

Nor let the calumnies of foolish questionings creep in, nor let human reasoning discuss the effect of the divine work; we, with Abraham, believe God, nor do we waver through distrust (Rom. 4:20), but most fully know that what the Lord has promised, He is able to perform. Chapter 3. — The Savior is born, therefore, dearly beloved, not of the seed of flesh, but of the Holy Spirit, whom the condemnation of the first transgression could not hold. Whence the very greatness of the conferred gift demands from us a reverence worthy of its splendor. For therefore, as the blessed Apostle teaches, we have received not the spirit of this world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we may know the things that are given to us by God (1 Cor. 2:12):

He is not otherwise worshipped with true devotion, unless there be offered back to Him that very thing which He Himself has bestowed. And what, in the treasury of the Lord's bounty, so fitting for the goods of the present feast can we find as peace, which at the Lord's Nativity was the first thing proclaimed by the angelic chorus? For it is peace that gives birth to the children of God, the nurse of love and the mother of unity; the rest of the blessed and the dwelling of eternity; whose proper work and special benefit it is to join to God those whom it separates from the world. Whence the Apostle rouses us to this good, saying: 'Being justified therefore by faith, let us have peace with God' (Romans v, 1). In the brevity of this sentence is contained the fulfilment of nearly all the commandments:

for where there is the truth of peace, there nothing of virtue can be lacking. But what is it, most beloved, to have peace with God, except to will what He commands and to reject what He forbids? For if human friendships seek out kindred minds and like wills, and diversity of manners can never arrive at firm concord, how can he be a partaker of the divine peace, who is pleased with the things that displease God, and desires to delight in those things by which he knows Him to be offended? This is not the mind of the children of God, nor does adopted nobility receive such wisdom. Let the chosen and royal race answer to the dignity of its regeneration; let it love what the Father loves, and in nothing dissent from its Author, lest again the Lord should say:

'I have begotten and exalted sons, but they have despised me. The ox knows its owner, and the ass its master's crib; but Israel has not known me, and my people has not understood me' (Isaiah i, 2, 3). Great, most beloved, is the mystery of this gift, and this gift surpasses all gifts, that God should call man a son, and man should name God a Father: for through these appellations is perceived and learned to what a height that affection ascends. For if, in a carnal lineage and earthly stock, those born of illustrious parents are darkened by the vices of an evil manner of life, and the unworthy offspring is put to shame by the very glory of its forefathers;

to what an end shall they come, who for love of the world do not fear to be disowned from the generation of Christ? But if it pertains to human praise that the glory of the fathers should shine again in the offspring, how much more glorious is it for those born of God to be resplendent in the image of their Author, and to display in themselves Him who begot them, as the Lord says: 'So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven' (Matthew v, 16); and, while the devil and his angels lie in wait, this is laboured at by countless temptations, that the man striving toward things above may be either terrified by adversities or corrupted by prosperities;

but greater is He who is in us than he who is against us; and for those who have peace with God, and who always say to the Father with their whole heart, 'Thy will be done' (Matthew vi, 10), no contests can prevail, no conflicts can harm. For accusing ourselves in our confessions, and denying the assent of the soul to the concupiscences of the flesh, we indeed stir up against ourselves the enmity of him who is the author of sin, but we establish an unconquerable peace with God by serving His grace, so that we may be subjected to our King not only by obedience, but also joined to Him in judgement.

For if we are of the same mind, if we will what He wills and disapprove what He disapproves, He Himself will now finish all our wars for us; He who gave the willing will also grant the being able: so that we may be fellow-workers of His works, and may say that prophetic word with the exultation of faith: 'The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defender of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?' (Psalm xxvi, 1). Therefore let those who were born not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John i, 13), offer to the Father the concord of peaceable sons, and let all the members of adoption run together into the firstborn of the new creation, who came to do not His own will, but the will of Him who sent Him:

since the grace of the Father adopted as heirs not those who are discordant nor unlike, but those who think one thing and love one thing. Those reformed to one image ought to have a soul conformed to it. The Birthday of the Lord is the birthday of peace: for so says the Apostle: 'He is our peace, who made both one' (Ephesians ii, 14); since whether Jew or Gentile, through Him we have access in one Spirit to the Father (ibid., 18); who, before the day of His passion, chosen beforehand by voluntary disposition, formed His disciples especially by this teaching, saying: 'My peace I give to you, my peace I leave with you' (John xiv, 27). And lest under the general name the quality of His peace should lie hidden, He added: 'Not as the world gives do I give to you.'

The world, He says, has its friendships, and makes many perverse men agreed in love. There are those who are equal even in vices, and likeness of desires begets equality of affection. And if perhaps some are found to whom depraved and dishonourable things are not pleasing, and who exclude unlawful compacts from the covenant of their charity, yet even such men, if they are either Jews, or heretics, or pagans, belong not to the friendship of God, but to the peace of the world. But the peace of the spiritual and the catholic, coming from things above and leading to things above, wills that we be mingled in no fellowship with the lovers of the world, but resist all obstacles, and fly away from pernicious delights to true joys, as the Lord says:

'Where your treasure is, there also will be your heart' (Matthew vi, 21): that is, if the things you love are below, you will descend to the depths; if the things you love are above, you will attain to the heights: whither may the Spirit of peace lead and bring us who will one thing, think one thing, and are agreed in faith, hope, and charity: since whosoever are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God (Romans viii, 14), who reigns with the Son and the Holy Spirit unto the ages of ages. Amen.