The collection of the homilies of St. Maximus being completed, I approach another, that of the sermons. I have already said that homily and sermon signify the same thing, and are a discourse on sacred matters delivered to the people; but such terms are used interchangeably by editors and by copyists. Yet two things are to be inquired into: one, who is the author of this sermon; the other, what its title is. The first is established by the consensus of very many manuscripts; since, together with the older Sangallensis and Taurinensis codices, there agree in favor of St. Maximus the codices 99 of Holy Cross in Jerusalem, Casinensis 103, the Neapolitan of the library of Monte Oliveto, the Ambrosian of the Archive of the imperial basilica, and two Beneventan codices, to omit the others. Although the monks of St.
Maur edited this sermon among the works of Ambrose, nevertheless they advised that it were better ascribed to St. Maximus, in volume II of the Paris edition of 1690, page 392, both because Erasmus judged the same, and also because the style savors more of Maximus than of Ambrose. As to the title, I see the older codices indicate in plain words that the sermon was delivered Before the Nativity of the Lord, in preparation for the same. Thus it is read in the Sangallensis as number 32: To be spoken before the Nativity of the Lord; but in the Taurinensis codex, since this sermon follows the first homily, which begins: How great is the joy, and how great the concourse, and whose title is: Here begins what is said before the Nativity of the Lord; to this sermon is prefixed: Likewise also concerning that.
Another title is presented by the codices of Holy Cross in Jerusalem, 99 number 26, and the Beneventan ones, to which the aforementioned Paris edition conforms, that is: On the coming Nativity of the Lord. Finally other codices written after the tenth century, such as the Casinensis, the Milanese 146, and the Neapolitan, have: On the third Sunday of Advent, or On the Advent. The above-praised Benedictine monks note excellently that, from the fact that in some manuscripts it is headed: Following, concerning the Nativity of the Lord, it is to be argued that it was a most ancient custom of the Church to rouse the faithful to anticipate the natal solemnity of the Lord with holy works and dispositions; which we have already said is clear from this sermon and from the first homily of St. Maximus.
We have adopted the inscription Before the Nativity of the Lord from the Sangallensis and Taurinensis codices, which we judge to be of greater authority. I believe I have said abundantly enough on the preceding second Sunday, in what manner, adorned or bright, we ought to receive the Nativity of the Lord, and to retain it with earnest desire when its festivity comes. To retain it, I say, so that even though the day of the solemnity passes, yet the blessedness of its sanctification may remain with us. For this is the grace of the Nativity of the Lord and Saviour, that it passes over into the future toward the predestined, and remains in the past toward the devout. It behooves us, therefore, to be pure in holiness, chaste in modesty, bright in honesty, so that the nearer we perceive the feast day approaching, the more carefully we may walk.
For if little women, when about to keep some feast days, are wont to wash out the stains of their garments with water, why should we not rather, being about to receive the Nativity of the Lord, wash away the stains of our souls? And if their garments are so infected and darkened with filth that water does not cleanse the stains, they add the softness of oil, and also the sharpness of soap: we too, if we have so grievous a sin that it is by no means washed away by tears alone, let us add the oil of mercy, the sharpness of fasting. For no offense is so grievous that it is not purged by abstinence, extinguished by almsgiving; for the holy prophet says: As water extinguishes fire, so almsgiving extinguishes sin (Ecclus. 3).
Great, therefore, is almsgiving, which cools the burning masses of crimes with the fount of its benevolence, and, as with a certain watering of generosity, overwhelms the fires of offenses; so that although God is offended, although provoked by crimes, He is compelled to free by almsgiving the one whom He had determined to punish for sins. For He is in a manner compelled by us, while He is constrained to change His sentence on account of our deeds, and in one and the same man now to be moved by the severity of a judge, now to be gentle with the tenderness of a father. For God is a Father to us when we do well, and our Judge when we sin. The Lord, then, is compelled by our works to bestow His mercy on us; and therefore He Himself says in the holy Gospel:
From the days of John the Baptist the kingdom of heaven is forced (Matt. 11). Let us see what meaning this saying has. The kingdom of heaven is none other than Christ the Lord, who reigns in heaven. Now the word 'forced' is wont to be used when some rather rare thing is thickened by assiduous working. Therefore from the time when John the Baptist announced the coming of the Saviour, from that time the kingdom of heaven, which had lain fluid and slack in John's day, began to be thickened by the assiduity of believing peoples, and all that rarity of the kingdom to be made solid by the frequency of preachings. For the kingdom was so rare among the Jews that it passed over to the nations; so fluid that it remained for the peoples.
But this kingdom is forced by so great a density of believers that it remains solid without end, as Scripture says: And of His kingdom there shall be no end (Luke 1). For we force the kingdom of heaven, and in a manner do violence to it, as the evangelical lesson says: And the violent seize it (Matt. 11). We do violence, I say, to the Lord not by compelling, but by weeping; not by provoking with injuries, but by entreating with tears; not by blaspheming through pride, but by mourning through humility. O blessed violence! which is not struck with indignation, but is pardoned with mercy: blessed, I say, is that violence, which draws goodness from the one who suffers it, and grants profit to the one who inflicts it. An evil thing is admitted, and no one complains of the injury;
violence is admitted, and religion is propagated. For whoever is more violent toward Christ will be held the more religious by Christ. We attack, then, the Lord on the way, since He Himself is the way (John 14:6), and after the manner of robbers we strive to strip Him of His own garments. We desire to take from Him His kingdom, His treasures, and His life; but He is so rich and generous that He does not refuse, does not resist; and though He has given all things, none the less He Himself possesses all things. We attack Him, I say, not with sword, not with club, not with stone, but with meekness, good works, chastity. These indeed are the arms of our faith, with which we do battle in the encounter.
But that we may be able to use these arms in inflicting violence, let us first in a manner do violence to our own bodies, and vanquish the vices of our members, that we may attain the rewards of the virtues; for we must first reign in ourselves, that we may be able to seize the kingdom of the Saviour. The Gospel therefore says: And the violent seize it. We are therefore plunderers; but plunderers do nothing except carry off what belongs to others. I acknowledge the saying to be true: for the Church plundered Christ from the Synagogue, and by doing violence possessed the kingdom of an alien nation. For the Saviour, sent under the law, born in the law, nourished according to the law (Gal. 4), while He is neglected by the Jews, is taken up by the Gentiles (Acts 13); and while He is lost by the priests, is found by sinners; as He Himself says:
The publicans and sinners shall go before you into the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 21). We are therefore plunderers. It is no wonder, since we descend from such an author. For it is written of our patriarch Benjamin: A ravening wolf (Gen. 49); for he seizes what is not his own. So we too, as it were sons of the ravening wolf, snatch away by our intent the Shepherd of another's sheep, as He Himself says: I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matt. 15). And so Christ is plundered, when He is dismissed by the Jews and preached by others. Christ is plundered, when He is killed by the Jews and buried by us. Christ is plundered by watchful disciples, and lost by sleeping Pharisees:
as they themselves confessed by lying, when they set guards at the sepulchre, saying after the resurrection of the Lord: That His disciples came by night and stole Him away, while we were sleeping (Matt. 28). Whence we understand spiritually that all who sleep lose Christ, and the watchful find Him; and therefore the Apostle says: Rise, thou who sleepest, and Christ shall enlighten thee (Eph. 5). You see, then, that he is dead who so sleeps that he does not guard the Saviour, and therefore those Pharisees, as dead men, could not keep the Living One. Wherefore, brethren, let us not sleep, but let us watch about our very Lord and Saviour, so that, with guards continually set, no one may carry Him away from the sepulchre of our heart:
They came, and, while we slept, stole Him away. For we have enemies who strive to carry off Christ from our hearts, if we fall asleep. Wherefore with ever-watchful care let us keep Him in the sepulchre of our souls; there let Him rest, there let Him sleep, there, when He wills, let Him also rise again. Therefore, brethren, being about to receive the Nativity of the Lord, let us cleanse our consciences from all dross; let us make ready not with silken garments, but with precious works. For bright garments can cover the members, but cannot adorn the conscience; save that it is of greater shame to walk bright in members, and to walk polluted in the senses.
Let us therefore first adorn the disposition of the inner man, so that the outer man's clothing also may be adorned; let us wash away our spiritual stains, that carnal garments may shine in us. For where the conscience is dark, the whole body is somewhat obscure. But we have wherewith to wash away the stains of the conscience; as it is written: Give alms, and all things are clean to you (Luke 11). Good is the commandment of almsgiving, through which we work with our hands and are cleansed in heart; our Lord Jesus Christ granting it, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns unto the ages of ages. Amen.