Sermons & Letters 35

Among all the days, beloved, which Christian devotion holds honourable in many ways, none is more excellent than the paschal festivity, through which in the Church of God the dignity of all the solemnities is consecrated. For even the Lord's very generation from His mother was expended upon this sacrament; nor was there any other cause of birth for the Son of God than that He might be able to be affixed to the cross. For in the womb of the Virgin mortal flesh was assumed; in mortal flesh the dispensation of the Passion was completed; and it was brought about, by the ineffable counsel of God's mercy, that there might be for us a sacrifice of redemption, an abolition of sin, and a beginning of rising again unto eternal life.

But considering what the whole universe of the world has obtained through the Lord's cross, we recognize that we are with good reason prepared by a forty days' fast for the celebration of the Pasch, that we may be worthy to take part in the divine mysteries. For not only the highest prelates, nor the priests of the second order, nor the ministers of the sacraments alone, but the whole body of the Church and the entire number of the faithful must be purged from all defilements, so that the temple of God, whose foundation is the Founder Himself, may be beautiful in all its stones and radiant in its every part.

For if the palaces of kings and the mansions of the loftier powers are reasonably adorned with every embellishment, so that the dwellings of those whose merits are more ample may be more excellent, with how great labour must it be built, with how great honour must the dwelling-place of the Godhead itself be adorned! Which, though it cannot be begun and perfected without its own Author, yet has this granted by its Builder, that it may seek increase even by its own toil. For living and rational material is taken up for the construction of this temple; and through the Spirit of grace it is incited to fit together voluntarily into one framework. Which was loved and sought for this reason, that it too, from not seeking, might become a seeker, and from not loving, a lover, as blessed John the apostle says:

'Let us therefore love one another, because God first loved us' (1 John 4:19). Since, then, both all together and each of the faithful singly are one and the same temple of God, as it is perfect in all, so it ought to be perfect in each: for although the beauty of all the members is not the same, nor, in so great a variety of parts, can there be an equality of merits, yet the bond of charity obtains a communion of comeliness. For those who share in holy love, even if they do not enjoy the same benefits of grace, yet rejoice mutually in one another's goods, and what they love cannot be foreign to them, because they grow rich by their own increase who rejoice in another's advancement.

In this unity of the saints, beloved, where the same thing is loved, the same chosen, and the same felt, there is place neither for the proud, nor the envious, nor the avaricious, and whatever it be by which either vanity boasts, or anger rages, or luxury runs riot, is reckoned not in the covenant of Christ but on the devil's side, and is excluded far from the seats of piety. The adversary of innocence and the enemy of peace rages therefore, and because he himself did not stand in the truth (John 8:44) and lost all the glory of his nature while he grew proud, he grieves that man is restored by the mercy of God and introduced into those good things which he himself lost. Nor is it a wonder if the author of sin is tormented by the probity of those who act rightly, and is racked by the steadfastness of those whom he cannot cast down:

since even among men there are found those who imitate the works of this malignity. For many — which is to be lamented — are consumed with envy at others' progress, and because they know that vices are displeasing to the virtues, they arm themselves in hatred of those whose example they do not follow. But the servants of God and disciples of truth love even those unlike themselves, and declare war on vices rather than on men, rendering to no one evil for evil (Rom. 12:17), but ever desiring the correction of sinners. For it is a very beautiful thing, and to be compared to the divine benevolence, that each should remember himself in another, and love his own nature even in an enemy.

For we know that very many have passed over from the worst characters into the best — from drunkards to sober men, from cruel to merciful, from rapacious to generous, from incontinent to chaste, from ferocious made to be tranquil. And since the Lord says: 'I came not to call the just, but sinners' (Matt. 9:13), no Christian is permitted to hate anyone, since no one is saved except in the remission of sins; and those whom carnal wisdom has made vile, we know not how precious spiritual grace may make them. Let the people of God, therefore, be holy, be kind: holy, that they may decline what is forbidden; kind, that they may do what is commanded.

For although it is a great thing to have right faith and sound doctrine, and although the circumcision of gluttony, the gentleness of meekness, and the purity of chastity are worthy of much praise, yet all virtues are naked without charity, nor can anything be called fruitful, in whatever excellence of morals, which the offspring of love has not brought forth. Hence in John's Gospel the Lord says: 'By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another' (John 13:35); and in the same apostle's Epistle it is read: 'Beloved, let us love one another, for charity is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God; and he who does not love, does not know God, for God is charity' (1 John 4:7-8).

Let the minds of the faithful therefore examine themselves, and with a true scrutiny pass judgment on the inmost affections of their heart; and if they find anything laid up in their consciences from the fruits of charity, let them not doubt that God is within them, and, that they may be the more and more capable of so great a Guest, let them become more abundant in works of persevering mercy. For if love is God, charity ought to have no limit, since the Godhead can be enclosed by no boundary. To exercise the good of charity, then, beloved, although every time is fitting, yet the present days more especially exhort us:

that those who desire to receive the Lord's Pasch with sanctification of soul and body may strive above all to acquire this grace, by which the sum of all virtues is contained, and by which a multitude of sins is covered. And so, being about to celebrate that sacrament eminent above all others, by which the blood of Jesus Christ has abolished our iniquities, let us first of all prepare the victims of mercy; that what the goodness of God has bestowed upon us, we too may render to those who have sinned against us. Let injuries be given over to oblivion, let punishment know nothing of the fault, and let the offences of all subordinates be absolved from the fear of vengeance. Let no penal prison confine anyone, nor let the sad groans of the accused persist in dark dungeons.

If anyone holds such persons liable for some offence, let him not doubt that he himself is a sinner; and that he himself may receive indulgence, let him rejoice to have found someone to spare, so that, when according to God's teaching we say: 'Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors' (Matt. 6:12), we may not be in doubt that through the form of our prayer we obtain the divine clemency. Let a more generous bounty now also be exerted toward the poor and toward those hindered by various infirmities, that thanks may be rendered to God by the voices of many, and that the refreshment of the needy may support our fasts.

For with no devotion of the faithful is the Lord more delighted than with that which is bestowed upon His poor, and where He finds the care of mercy, there He recognizes the image of His own piety. Let no failing of resources be feared in these expenditures, since kindness itself is a great substance, nor can matter for generosity be lacking where Christ both feeds and is fed. In all this work that hand intervenes which, in breaking bread, increases it, and in giving it out, multiplies it. Let the distributor of alms be secure and cheerful, for then will he have the greatest gain, when he has reserved for himself the least, as the blessed apostle Paul says:

Now he who supplies seed to the sower will also furnish bread for eating, and will multiply your seed, and will increase the growth of the fruits of your righteousness (2 Cor. 9:10); in Christ Jesus our Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit unto the ages of ages. Amen.