Sermons 221

The Benedictine monks of the congregation of Saint Maur, editors of the works of Saint Ambrose, although in open words they indicated that this sermon is not to be ascribed to Ambrose, nevertheless placed it at the end of his sermons, number 63; wherefore we feared to bring it over into our collection, until with our own eyes we saw it related under the name of Saint Maximus, number 94, in codex 99 of Holy Cross in Jerusalem, and also the judgment of the most learned cardinal Besutius. He therefore writes: The last sermon, which I judge to be Saint Maximus's, is on the centurion's servant in the Gospel; at the dedication of a basilica, whose beginning is:

'We read in the holy Gospel,' and so forth—which indeed is not for the feast of the Dedication of a church, as we now have it in custom, but is a sermon delivered to the people, when a basilica had been newly constructed by a count, who was there called by the emperor's name and title of count. It also praises therein two men, Vitalian and Majanus, who, although of middling station in the world and slender in fortune, nevertheless caused the tabernacle of the basilica to be built. There is added also the testimony of the Sangallensis codex, number 75. We read in the holy

We read in the Gospel that when a certain centurion's servant, who was more precious to him, was suffering from a grave sickness of paralysis, and that centurion begged the Savior through the elders of the Jews that He would heal his sufferings (for he was, as the Scripture says, about to die), among other things, for the greater favor of commendation, the speech of the Jews said to the Lord: 'It is fitting that Thou grant him this: for he loves our nation, and he himself has built us a synagogue' (Luke 7 and following). If then he is commended to the Lord who built a synagogue, how much more commended is he who built a church? And if he merits grace who furnished a receptacle of impiety, how much greater grace does he merit who prepared a dwelling for religion?

And if he is visited by heavenly mercy who built a place where Christ is always denied, how much more is he to be visited who caused to be built a tabernacle where Christ is daily preached? For in the centurion the Lord approved not what work he had done, but with what mind he had worked. For he who at that time, when they were not yet Christians, carefully built a synagogue—it is understood that, had they by all means been Christians, he would have built a church far more carefully. And yet, although he builds a synagogue, he preaches Christ; for in the very work he admonishes the Pharisees that they ought to receive the Savior, and he shows that he added a larger tabernacle for this purpose, that in manifold ways they might there speak the glory of the Lord.

For if the builder of the synagogue believes in Christ, much more ought the dweller in that synagogue to believe. Therefore the centurion, if he was justified on account of a frail or earthly work, our most illustrious and most provident count is plainly to be justified on account of a work so lasting and heavenly: this count, as he is superior to the centurion in dignity, so also ought he to be more devoted in faith. A wise man and a religious count, who, as much as he serves the emperor in war, so much serves the Savior, and as much as he hastens to rescue captives from the hands of enemies, so much the more does he hasten to free himself from the sacrilege of the devil. There he slays the enemies of the earthly king, here he pursues the adversaries of the heavenly Lord; there he conquers barbarians, here demons.

Wise, I say, is he who, as he is the emperor's count, so desires to be also Christ's count. For by acting well and religiously in every way, he desires his dignity to be perpetual, according to what is written in the prophet: 'And you, O good kings, make good your ways and your endeavors, and hear the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will repent of the evil which He has spoken against you' (Prov. 26). Therefore when the centurion begged the Lord to rescue his sick servant from death, and the Lord willed to go to the centurion's house, in which the little servant lay, the centurion said: 'Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof.' The centurion therefore excused himself, and said that he was unworthy that the Lord should enter under his roof.

Behold, worthy is our count, under whose roof the Savior enters today. Let us see what grace the centurion's very excuse has; for he says: 'Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed' (Matt. 8). O Christian faith, which with humility hast been wont to obtain everything! Behold, the religious centurion becomes more worthy to receive health, while he professes himself unworthy; and while he thinks his house injurious to the Lord, he rather makes it honorable and pleasing. For a man of great and perfect faith was he, who understood Christ to be the Lord of heaven, while he feared lest the narrow bounds of his lodging should not receive Him. Therefore, the centurion demurring, the Lord does not go to the house.

The Lord does not go, but the Lord's medicine goes; the Savior does not visit the sick man, but the Savior's health visits him. But concerning our brethren, the holy men Vitalian and Majanus, what shall I say? I know that they seek glory not from men, but from God alone: yet nevertheless, even if I keep silent, their very works speak of them; for whatever we praised in others a little before pertains to their praise. For this tabernacle, although very many built it, these however built with one accord at their own expense. And with what expense at last, since they are of middling and slender means in the world? With that expense, of course, of which the Apostle says, 'the abundance of faith and the riches of simplicity' (2 Cor. 8). For to holy men their very poverty is always rich.

Whence I believe that these blessed men built this church no less by prayers than by outlays; for so it was fitting that the work of Christ should grow more by prayers than by mortar. For they spent their whole substance also on the making of this work, and yet certainly nothing is lacking to them. Plainly it is, as we said, a rich and wealthy poverty, which spends all things and possesses all things. But this is blessed by God, like that widow of whom the Lord says in the Gospel (Mark 12): 'This poor widow has cast in more than all; for all these have cast into the offerings of God out of their abundance, but she has cast in all the living that she had.'