Sermons 280

The third Sunday of Advent. The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 11: 'At that time, when John had heard in his chains the works of Christ, sending two of his disciples, he said to Him: Art Thou He that is to come, or do we look for another?' And the rest of the same reading of blessed Maximus the bishop. A paper codex of the Chigi library, marked with the letters A vi 181, of the sixteenth century, in small folio, written in most elegant characters but faulty in not a few places, furnished us with three homilies, which we have placed at the end of this appendix. That Maximus is not the author of these, anyone who attends to the style will easily recognize. Saint John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Lord and Savior, was put in chains by Herod for the sake of truth.

When he had heard the works and miracles of Christ, as the Gospel reading makes clear, sending two of his disciples to Christ, who were to question their master—because they still doubted in faith—so that these disciples, seeing the signs which the Lord did, might likewise believe both the prophecy of their master and the utterance of Christ. And blessed John said to them: 'Go, say to Him: Art Thou He that is to come, or do we look for another?' In this way is to be understood that which St. John charged Christ, saying: 'I know that Thou wast born for all, but I do not know whether Thou wilt deign to die for all.'

'So that I may know, when I am slain by Herod and descend into hell, whether I may announce to the dead in hell that Thou wilt come for their redemption, as I announced Thy coming to the living, and whether Thou hast disposed to send to fulfill these mysteries.' Our Lord answered to that which He had been asked; but He rebuked the faithlessness of the messengers, saying: 'Going, report to John the things which you have heard and seen: the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and blessed is he who shall not have been scandalized in Me.' Saying this: 'You see Me doing so many miracles; yet know this, that I die for all. But he shall be blessed who is not scandalized in Me; that is, who does not believe Me to be a mere and simple man when he sees Me dead.'

This which the Lord says—'the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed'—is to be understood spiritually thus. Assuredly all men were blind before the coming of Christ, and were in darkness, who did not see the light of truth. They were lame who daily ran after the devil; they were lepers who were full of the various open sores of sins. They were deaf who did not have their ears open to hear the word of God. They were dead, because they always lay in many sins and vices; they were poor, because they were strangers to good works. But after the Lord, in His mercy, deigned to come into this world, He enlightened all who were blind. He made the lame walk, because He commanded all the elect to follow His footsteps.

He cleansed the lepers, He who purged the human race from many evils. He made the deaf hear, because He opened the ears of men to hear the word of God. He raised the dead, because He caused sinners, who lay in their sins, to be converted to true penance. He evangelized the poor, because He taught the doctrine of life to those who were strangers to true penance. They were dead in their sins. And as these departed, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: 'What went you out into the desert to see? A reed shaken by the wind?' A reed is a cane, and it has three peculiarities. First, that it grows in green places, or in watery ones. Second, that by whatever breeze it is touched, it bends to the other side.

Third, that it is beautiful outside and empty within. For by the reed is signified the carnal mind, which rejoices too much when it has prosperity, and when it has adversity is too greatly saddened, like the cane which bends to whatever side by whatever breeze. But St. John was not such; for he was born of chaste parents, and loved chastity, held to it, and had in his heart the sanctity which he displayed in his garb; and he did not delight in prosperity or in praises, nor did he fear adversity. In whose praise the Lord still says: 'What went you out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Behold, they that are clothed in soft garments are in the houses of kings.' St. John was not

clothed in delicate garments, but his garments were made of camels' hair. For a rough hair-shirt is made of camels' hair. Certainly, brethren, if it were no sin to have delicate garments, the Lord would not have praised John for the roughness of his garment. Those who have delicate garments serve an earthly king, who are unwilling to endure hardships for God, but rather pursue the riches and pleasures of the age, and for the love of praise, or for the fear of persecution, they chastise sinners, that they may acquire goods from this world. 'But what went you out to see? A prophet? Behold, I say to you, more than a prophet.' The office indeed of a prophet is to foretell things to come, not also to point them out with the finger. But John was more than a prophet;

because him whom he foretold he pointed out with his finger as coming to baptism, saying (John 1): 'Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who taketh away the sins of the world.' But after the Lord had shown St. John to be more than a prophet, He added, saying: 'For this is he of whom it is written: Behold, I send My angel before Thy face, who shall prepare Thy way before Thee' (Mark 1). For 'angel' in Greek is called 'messenger' in Latin. Rightly is he called an angel who is sent to announce the supernal Judge. For all who preach Christ and announce the word of God, or who are reckoned by the name of priest, can be called angels; as the prophet Malachi says (chap. 2):

'The lips of the priests keep knowledge, and they seek the law from his mouth, and he is of the Lord of hosts.' But nevertheless, dearest brethren, if you will, you also can merit the loftiness of this name. For each one of you, inasmuch as he has received so great a grace of the divine dispensation, has most certainly proved himself worthy, if he first calls himself back from wickedness, and if he takes care to exhort his brother to good working as much as he is able, and if he denounces to the one who errs the eternal kingdom or eternal punishment. Therefore, my brethren, if you are striving toward God, see that you do not come to Him alone; raise up your neighbors together with you to eternal joys, and turn idle conversations to the zeal for reading.

Consider how suddenly the days of this life flee away, and heed how the strict Judge is coming to judge the whole world. Certainly, if according to your strength you announce the Lord by words and by good works, you will receive eternal joy with the holy angels, which may He Himself deign to grant.