For he came to announce Him who deigned to appear in lowliness to overthrow the powers of the air. Concerning whom it is said through the Psalmist: 'Lift up your gates, O you princes, and be lifted up, O eternal gates, and the King of glory shall enter in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle' (Ps. 23:9-10). And again: 'The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory' (ibid.). Therefore He was to be announced through 'the strength of God' who, being the Lord of hosts and mighty in battle, came to wage war against the powers of the air. Raphael also is interpreted, as we said, 'The medicine of God,' because indeed, when he touched the eyes of Tobias as if by the office of healing (Tob. 11:13ff.), he wiped away the darkness of his blindness.
He therefore who is sent to heal, it was surely fitting that he should be called 'the medicine of God.' But since we have touched briefly on the names of the angels by interpreting them, it now remains that we should briefly pursue the very words denoting their offices. The Virtues indeed are those spirits called through whom signs and miracles are more frequently done. Powers also are called those who have received this more potently than the rest in their order, so that the adverse powers are subjected to their dominion, by whose power they are restrained lest they prevail to tempt the hearts of men as much as they wish. Principalities also are called those who preside even over the good angelic spirits themselves, who, while they dispose what things are to be done by the others subjected to them, take the lead among them for the fulfilling of the divine ministries.
But Dominions are called those who by a lofty dissimilarity transcend even the powers and principalities. For to hold principality is to be foremost among the rest, but to hold dominion is even to possess all the subjected ones. Therefore those ranks of angels which by wondrous power stand preeminent, in that the rest are subjected to them for obedience, are called Dominions. Thrones also are those ranks called, over which Almighty God ever presides for the exercising of judgment. For because in the Latin tongue we call thrones 'seats,' those are called thrones of God who are filled with such grace of divinity that the Lord sits in them and through them decrees his judgments. Whence also it is said through the Psalmist: 'You who sit upon the throne, and judge equity' (Ps.
9:5). The Cherubim also are called 'fullness of knowledge.' And those more sublime ranks are for this reason called Cherubim, because they are filled with a knowledge so much more perfect as they contemplate the brightness of God more nearly; so that, according to the measure of the creature, they fully know all things in proportion as by the merit of their dignity they draw near to the vision of their Creator. Seraphim also are called those ranks of holy spirits which, by their singular nearness to their Creator, burn with an incomparable love. For Seraphim are called 'burning' or 'kindling.' And because they are so joined to God that no other spirits come between these and God, they burn all the more as they see him more nearly.
Whose flame is surely love, because the more subtly they behold the brightness of his divinity, the more strongly they blaze in his love. But what does it profit us to touch briefly upon these things concerning the angelic spirits, if we do not strive to draw them also, by fitting consideration, to our own advancement? For because that supernal City consists of angels and men, to which we believe only as much of the human race to ascend as it befell of the elect angels to remain there, as it is written: 'He set the bounds of the nations according to the number of the angels of God' (Deut.
32:8), we too ought to draw something from those distinctions of the supernal citizens to the use of our own manner of life, and to inflame ourselves by good pursuits toward the increase of virtues. For because so great a multitude of men is believed to be about to ascend thither as the multitude of angels that remained, it remains that men themselves who return to the heavenly homeland should, in returning thither, imitate something from those ranks. For distinctly the manners of individual men correspond to the orders of the several ranks, and are allotted to their portion through the likeness of their manner of life. For there are very many who grasp small things, yet do not cease piously to announce these same small things to the brethren. These therefore run into the number of the angels.
And there are some who, endowed by the gift of the divine bounty, prevail both to grasp and to announce the highest of the heavenly secrets. Whither then are these reckoned, if not among the number of the archangels? And there are others who do marvelous things, who work signs mightily. Whither then do these correspond, if not to the portion and number of the supernal Virtues? And there are some who even drive out malignant spirits from possessed bodies, and cast them out by the power of prayer and by the force of received authority. Whither then do these obtain their merit, if not among the number of the heavenly Powers? And there are some who, having received virtues, even transcend the merits of elect men; and since they are better than the good, they take the lead even over their elect brethren.
Whither then have these received their portion, if not among the numbers of the Principalities? And there are some sons who so rule within themselves over all vices and all desires, that by the very right of purity they are called gods among men; whence also to Moses it is said: 'Behold, I have appointed you the god of Pharaoh' (Exod. 7:1). Whither then do these run, if not among the numbers of the Dominions? And there are some who, while with vigilant care they hold dominion over their very selves, and while with anxious intention they examine themselves, ever cleaving to the divine fear, receive this in the gift of virtue, that they can rightly judge others also.
To whose minds indeed, while divine contemplation is at hand, the Lord, presiding in them as upon his own throne, examines the deeds of others, and wondrously dispenses all things from his seat. What then are these but the thrones of their Creator? Or whither are they ascribed, if not to the numbers of the supernal Seats? Through whom, while holy Church is governed, very often even the elect are judged concerning certain of their own infirm acts. And there are some who are so full of the love of God and neighbor that they are rightly named Cherubim.
For because, as we have said before, Cherubim means 'fullness of knowledge,' and we have learned from Paul's saying that 'the fullness of the law is charity' (Rom. 13:10), all who are more fully filled than the rest with the charity of God and neighbor have received the portion of their merits among the numbers of the Cherubim. And there are some who, kindled by the torches of supernal contemplation, pant with desire for their Creator alone, no longer desire anything in this world, feed on the love of eternity alone, cast away all earthly things, transcend in mind all things temporal, love and burn, and in their very ardor find rest; loving they burn, speaking they kindle others also, and those whom they touch with a word they at once make to burn in the love of God.
What then shall I call these but Seraphim, whose heart, turned into fire, shines and burns, because they both illuminate the eyes of minds toward things supernal, and by pricking to compunction purge in tears the rust of vices? Those therefore who are so inflamed to the love of their Creator—whither have they received the portion of their calling, if not among the number of the Seraphim? But these things, dearest brethren, while I am speaking, turn yourselves inward to your own selves; examine the merits and thoughts of your secret places. See whether you are already doing any good within you; see whether you find the portion of your calling among the number of these ranks which we have briefly touched upon in passing.
But woe to the soul that recognizes in itself nothing at all of those good things which we have enumerated; and a worse woe yet threatens it, if it both understands itself to be deprived of these gifts, and yet by no means groans. Whoever therefore is such, my brethren, is greatly to be groaned over, because he does not groan. Let us therefore weigh the gifts received by the elect, and with all the virtue we can, let us pant toward the love of so great a portion. Let him who recognizes in himself nothing of the grace of gifts groan. But let him who recognizes in himself lesser things not envy others greater, because those supernal distinctions of the blessed spirits are so constituted that some are set above others. Now Dionysius the Areopagite, that most ancient and venerable Father, is reported to say (On the Celestial Hierarchy, ch. 7,
9, 13) that from the lesser ranks of the angels some are sent forth, either visibly or invisibly, to fulfill a ministry—namely, because it is as angels or archangels that they come to human consolation. For those higher ranks never withdraw from the innermost things, since those which are preeminent by no means have the exercise of an exterior ministry. To which matter that seems to be contrary which Isaiah says: 'And one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand a live coal, which he had taken with tongs from the altar, and he touched my mouth' (Isa. 6:6-7). But in this saying of the prophet he wishes it to be understood that those spirits who are sent receive the name of those whose office they perform.
For he who, in order to burn away the sins of speech, carries a coal from the altar—an angel—is called a seraph, which means 'burning.' And to this sense that also is believed not unfittingly to lend support which is said through Daniel: 'Thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before him' (Dan. 7:10). For it is one thing to minister, another to stand before; because those minister to him who go forth to announce things to us also, but those stand before who so fully enjoy the innermost contemplation that they are by no means sent forth to fulfill works abroad.
But because we have learned that in certain passages of Scripture some things are done through the cherubim, some indeed through the seraphim, whether they do this by themselves, or are enacted through subordinate ranks—which, as is said, in that they come from the greater, are allotted the names of the greater—we do not wish to affirm what we do not prove by open testimonies. This, however, we know most certainly: that for the fulfilling of ministry from on high, some spirits send others, as the prophet Zechariah testifies, who says: 'Behold, the angel that spoke in me went forth; and behold, another angel went forth to meet him, and said to him: Run, and speak to this young man, saying: Jerusalem shall be inhabited without walls' (Zech. 2:3-4).
For when an angel says to an angel, 'Run and speak,' there is no doubt that one sends another. But lesser are those which are sent, greater those which send. But this also we hold as certain concerning those very ranks which are sent: that even when they come to us, they so fulfill the exterior ministry that yet they are never lacking within, through contemplation. And so they are both sent and stand before, because although the angelic spirit is circumscribed, the highest Spirit himself, who is God, is not circumscribed. The angels therefore are both sent and are before him, because wherever they come being sent, they run within him. It should also be known that very often the very orders of the blessed spirits are allotted the names of the orders near to them.
For thrones, that is, the seats of God, we have called a special order of the blessed spirits; and yet it is said through the Psalmist: 'You who sit upon the cherubim, appear' (Ps. 79:2), because indeed, since in those very distinctions of the ranks the cherubim are joined to the thrones, the Lord is said to sit even upon the cherubim by reason of the equality of the neighboring rank. For thus in that highest City certain things are proper to individuals, so that yet they are common to all; and what each one has in part, this he possesses whole in another order. But for this reason they are not commonly designated by one and the same name, that that order ought to be called by the private name of each thing, which has received it more fully in gift.
For Seraphim we have said means 'burning,' and yet all together burn with the love of the Creator. Cherubim indeed means 'fullness of knowledge,' and yet who is there ignorant of anything, where all together see the very fountain of knowledge, God? The thrones also are called those ranks over which the Creator presides, but who can be blessed unless his Creator preside over his mind? Those things therefore which are held in part by all, have been given as a private name to those who have received them more fully in gift. For even if there are things which some so possess that they cannot at all be possessed by others—as by a special name the dominions and principalities are called—yet all things there belong to individuals, because through the charity of the Spirit they are held by one in the others.
But behold, while we search out the secrets of the heavenly citizens, we have strayed far from the order of our exposition. Let us therefore sigh toward those of whom we speak, but let us return to ourselves. For we ought to remember that we are flesh. Let us for the time be silent about the secrets of heaven, but before the eyes of the Creator let us wipe away the stains of our dust with the hand of penitence. Behold, the divine mercy itself promises, saying: 'There shall be joy in heaven over one sinner doing penance'; and yet through the prophet the Lord says: 'For in whatsoever day the just man shall sin, all his justices shall be in oblivion before me' (Ezek. 33:13). Let us weigh, if we can, the dispensation of the supernal loving-kindness. To those who stand, if they fall, he threatens punishment;
But to those who have fallen He promises mercy, that they may long to rise again. He terrifies the one lest he presume upon his good deeds; the other He cherishes anew, lest he despair in his evils. Are you righteous? Fear His wrath, lest you fall. Are you a sinner? Presume upon His mercy, that you may rise. But behold, we have already fallen; we were by no means able to stand; we lie prostrate in our depraved desires. Yet He who created us upright still waits, and calls us to rise. He opens the bosom of His tender love, and seeks to receive us back to Himself through penance. But we cannot do penance worthily unless we also understand the manner of that same penance. For to do penance is both to bewail the evils we have committed, and not to commit those things that are to be bewailed.
For he who bewails one thing in such a way that he yet commits another, either dissembles or is ignorant of what it is still to do penance. What does it profit, if one weeps over the sins of lust, and yet still burns with the fever of avarice? Or what does it profit, if he now laments the faults of anger, and yet still wastes away in the flames of envy? But it is a very small thing that we say, that he who bewails his sins should not commit those things to be wept over, and that he who mourns his vices should fear to perpetrate vile deeds.
For it must be pondered with the utmost care, that he who remembers having committed unlawful things should strive to abstain even from certain lawful ones, so that thereby he may make satisfaction to his Creator; that he who has committed forbidden things should cut off from himself even the things that are allowed, and that he should reprove himself in the least matters who remembers that he has offended in the greatest. Excessive are the things I say, if I do not confirm them from the testimonies of Sacred Scripture. The Law of the Old Testament certainly forbids coveting another's wife (Exod. 20:17), but it does not penally forbid brave deeds being commanded to soldiers by a king, or water being desired. And we all know that David, pierced by the sword of concupiscence, both coveted and took away another man's wife (2 Kings 11:4).
Fitting blows followed his fault, and by the laments of penance he corrected the evil which he had perpetrated. Long afterward, when he was encamped against the ranks of the enemy, out of desire he wished to drink water from the cistern of Bethlehem (2 Kings 23:14 ff.). His chosen soldiers, bursting through the midst of the enemy hosts, brought back unharmed the water which the king had desired. But the man, instructed by scourgings, at once reproved himself for having desired water at the peril of his soldiers, and pouring it out he offered it as a libation to the Lord, as it is written there: He poured it out to the Lord (2 Kings 23:17; 1 Chron. 11:18). For the water, poured out, was turned into a sacrifice to the Lord, because he slew the fault of concupiscence through the penance of his self-reproof.
He therefore who once by no means feared to covet another's wife, afterward even took fright because he had coveted water. For because he remembered that he had committed unlawful things, being now stern against his own self, he abstained even from lawful ones. Thus, thus do we do penance, if we perfectly bewail the things we have committed. Let us weigh the supreme riches of our Creator. He saw us sin, and He bore it. He who forbade us to sin before our fault, does not cease even after our fault to wait for our forgiveness. Behold, He whom we have despised is calling us. We have turned away from Him, and yet He does not turn away. Whence it is well said through Isaiah: And your eyes shall see your Teacher, and your ears shall hear the word warning you behind your back (Isa. 30:20-21).
He was warned, as it were, to his face today, when, created for righteousness, he received the precepts of uprightness. But when he despised these very precepts, he turned, as it were, the back of his mind toward the face of his Creator. Yet behold, He still follows behind and warns, because though He is already despised by us, He nevertheless does not cease still to call us. As it were, we have given Him the back to His face, whose words we despise, whose precepts we trample; but standing behind our back He calls us back, we who have turned away — He who both sees that He is despised, and yet cries out through His precepts, and waits through His patience.
Consider therefore, most beloved brethren: if the servant of any one of you were suddenly to grow proud while his master was speaking, and were to turn his back to his master's face, would not that despised master strike his pride, and inflict the wounds of stern chastisement? Behold, we by sinning have given our backs to the face of our Maker, and yet we are borne with. He kindly calls back those who have proudly turned away, and He who could have struck us as we turned away, promises gifts that we may return. May then so great a mercy of our Creator soften the hardness of our guilt, and may the man who, being struck, could have experienced the evil he did, at least, being awaited, blush for shame.
I shall briefly relate a matter, brethren, which I came to know as narrated to me by the venerable man Maximianus, at that time the father of my monastery and a presbyter, but now the bishop of Syracuse. If therefore you listen to it attentively, I believe it will be of no small profit to your charity. In our own times there was a certain Victorinus, who was also called by another name, Aemilianus, not lacking in means for a moderate way of life; but because for the most part the sin of the flesh reigns amid abundance of possessions, he fell into a certain crime which he ought greatly to have dreaded, and to have pondered the monstrousness of his own death. Therefore, stung by consideration of his guilt, he rose up against himself, forsook all the things of this world, and sought a monastery.
In which monastery indeed he was of such humility and of such severity toward himself, that all the brethren who had there grown up in the love of the Divinity were compelled to despise their own life when they beheld his penance. For he strove with the whole effort of his mind to torment his flesh, to break his own wills, to seek out secret prayers, to wash himself with daily tears, to seek his own contempt, to fear the veneration offered by the brethren. And so he was accustomed to anticipate the nightly vigils of the brethren;
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and because the mountain on which the monastery was situated jutted out on one side in a more secluded part, he had made it his custom to go out there before the vigils, so that each day he might slay himself in the weeping of penance the more freely, the more secretly. For he contemplated the sternness of his coming Judge, and, already in accord with that same Judge, he punished in tears the guilt of his crime. But on a certain night the abbot of the monastery, keeping watch, caught sight of him going out secretly, and with slow step followed him out of doors.
And when he beheld him prostrate in prayer on the secluded side of the mountain, he wished to wait until he should rise, so that he might explore the very perseverance of his prayer, when suddenly a light sent from heaven was poured out over him who lay prostrate in prayer; and so great a brightness spread itself in that place, that a whole part of that region gleamed white from that same light. When the abbot saw it, he trembled and fled. And when, after a long space of an hour, the same brother had returned to the monastery, his abbot, in order to learn whether he had perceived the outpouring of so great a light over himself, took care to question him, saying: Where have you been, brother? But he, believing that he could remain hidden, answered that he had been in the monastery.
When he denied it, the abbot was compelled to say what he had seen. But he, seeing himself to be found out, disclosed also this which had been hidden from the abbot, adding: When you saw the light descending from heaven upon me, a voice also came at the same time, saying: Your sin is forgiven. And indeed almighty God could have loosed his sin in silence; but by speaking through a voice, by shining through a light, He willed to strike our hearts to penance by an example of His mercy. We marvel, most beloved brethren, that the Lord cast down His persecutor Saul from heaven, and addressed him from heaven. Behold, in our times too a sinner and penitent has heard a voice from the heavens. To that one it was said: Why do you persecute me? (Acts
9:4). But this one deserved to hear: Your sin is forgiven. Far inferior in merits is this penitent sinner than Paul. But since we are still speaking on this subject of Saul, breathing out the cruelty of slaughter, let it be permitted to say boldly that Saul heard the voice of rebuke on account of his pride, but this one heard the voice of consolation on account of his humility. This one, because humility had cast him down, divine tenderness was raising up; that one, because pride had lifted him up, divine severity was humbling. Have confidence therefore, my brethren, in the mercy of our Creator; think on what you have done, reflect on what you have done. Behold the bounty of the supernal tenderness, and come with tears to the merciful Judge, while He still waits.
For considering that He is just, do not neglect your sins; but considering that He is loving, do not despair. God become man affords man confidence before God. We penitents have great hope, because our Advocate has become our Judge — who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen. At that time Jesus said to His disciples: When you shall hear of wars and seditions, do not be terrified; these things must first come to pass, but the end is not yet at once. Then He said to them: Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be great earthquakes in various places, and pestilences and famines, and terrors from heaven; and there shall be great signs.
But before all these things they shall lay their hands upon you, and shall persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into custody, dragging you before kings and governors for my name's sake. And this shall befall you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts not to premeditate how you shall answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist and gainsay. And you shall be betrayed by your parents and brethren, and kinsfolk and friends, and some of you they shall put to death. And you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake; but a hair of your head shall not perish. In your patience you shall possess your souls.
Since we have wandered rather far from the city, lest the lateness of the hour hinder us from returning, it is necessary that a briefer sermon run through the exposition of the holy Gospel. Our Lord and Redeemer announces the calamities that run before the perishing world, so that they may disturb the less when they come, the more they have been foreknown. For darts strike less when they are foreseen; and we bear the evils of the world more tolerably, if we fortify ourselves against them by the shield of foreknowledge. For behold He says: When you shall hear of wars and seditions, do not be terrified; for these things must first come to pass, but the end is not yet at once. The words of our Redeemer are to be weighed, by which He announces that we shall suffer one thing inwardly, another outwardly.
For wars pertain to enemies, seditions to citizens. Therefore, in order to indicate to us that we shall be troubled both inwardly and outwardly, He confesses that we shall suffer one thing from enemies, another from brethren. But lest, when these evils come before, we suppose that the end at once follows, He adds: Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be great earthquakes in various places, and pestilences and famines, and terrors from heaven — or, as is found in certain manuscripts, And terrors from heaven and tempests. And afterward is subjoined: And there shall be great signs. The final tribulation is preceded by many tribulations, and through the frequent evils that come before, the perpetual evils that will follow are foreshown.
And therefore after wars and seditions the end is not yet at once, because many evils must run before, so that they may be able to announce the evil that is without end. But since so many signs of disturbance have been named, it is fitting that we briefly touch on the consideration of them one by one, because it is necessary that we suffer some things from heaven, others from the seasons, others from the elements, others from men. For He says: Nation shall rise against nation — behold the disturbance of men; there shall be great earthquakes in various places — behold the regard of wrath from above; there shall be pestilences — behold the disorder of bodies; there shall be famine — behold the barrenness of the earth; and terrors from heaven and tempests — behold the disorder of the air. Because therefore all things are to be consummated, before the consummation all things are thrown into disorder;
and we who have offended in all things are struck in all things, that what is said may be fulfilled: And the whole world shall fight with Him against the senseless (Wis. 5:21). For all the things we have received for the use of life, we have turned to the use of sin; but all the things we have bent to the use of depravity are turned for us to the use of retribution. For the tranquillity of human peace we have turned to the use of vain security; we have loved the wandering exile of earth in place of the dwelling of our homeland; we have reduced the health of our bodies to the use of vices; the abundance of plenty we have twisted not to the need of the flesh, but to the perversity of pleasure; the very serene charms of the air we have compelled to serve us for the love of earthly delight.