With what posture and affection the blessing is to be received. Wherefore again and again I ask, that since we, such as we are — though less worthy — are imitators of the Lord, and when you assemble at the church we invite you not to an earthly banquet, in which the food of men is served, but to a heavenly and spiritual one, in which the bread of Angels is set forth; do not be disdainful, do not despise the banquet of your Lord, so that He may not despise you in the blessedness of His kingdom. For you ought to fear that Gospel sentence, by which the Lord Himself declared those who had been invited to the wedding, and had despised to come, unworthy of His banquet, and commanded others to be invited (Matt. 22:8-9).
And it is to be considered not idly but with fear, that those who, because of the world's hindrances, were unwilling to come, were judged unworthy by the mouth of the Lord Himself. And therefore, lest this also may be said of us, as I have already entreated, let us show patience for the space of one or two hours, until on that spiritual table the food of souls is set forth, and the spiritual Sacraments are consecrated. And because, when the Lord's Prayer has been said, the blessing is given to you not from a man, but through a man, with a grateful and pious mind, with body humbled and heart contrite, receive the dew of the divine blessing; that according to the Lord's promise there may become in you a fountain of water springing up unto eternal life. 3. What keeps each one from remaining in the church.
In what manner they are to be reproved by each one. For that all cannot contain themselves in the church, diverse and various occupations bring about. Some are held by bodily infirmity, others by public necessity; others covetousness binds and drags along as though captives. How many at that time, in the streets or in the courtyards of the basilicas, either quarrel or busy themselves with business? How many in the porticoes of the basilicas, or in the sacristies, are occupied with detractions or idle talk — among whom the number of clergy, or of laymen, or of women, is not wont to be small? What profit will such men be able to have from the divine Scriptures, who do not even allow the very sound of Scripture to reach their ears?
but there is fulfilled in them that which is written, 'Like the deaf asp that stops up its ears, that it may not hear the voice of the charmers,' the voice of the Scriptures (Ps. 58:4-5). And therefore, you to whom God has deigned to grant both His fear and His love, and who perhaps assemble at the church with great compunction, correct most frequently those who up to now have been either unwilling or perhaps unable to come, admonishing them and giving them wholesome counsel, that they may fear that which is written: 'The hindrances of this world have made them wretched.'
For we do not say that they ought not to be solicitous about their food and clothing; but this we ask, that for the space of one or two hours, while the lessons are read or the divine Mysteries are celebrated, they should not leave the church; and that they strive to labor for their soul at least as much as for their flesh. And although they ought to provide much more for the soul than for the flesh — because that which was made in the image of God is better than that which was formed from the mud of the earth — yet for the present we counsel this, that they strive to provide even equally for what they need: let them prepare for the flesh what suffices for a short time in this world, and for the soul what is needful without end in eternity. 4. They are also to be instructed in what they hear in the sermons.
This obligation is shown from the Scriptures. And therefore I ask you, most beloved brethren, that what in these sermons — by the Lord's inspiration — you gladly receive, you may, wherever you shall be, report with great zeal, all that you have heard, to your neighbors or those nearest you, who either cannot come with you to the church, or — what is worse — perhaps are even unwilling, and who, when they come, quickly depart. For just as I shall be guilty if I do not tell you these things; so also you, if you do not so hold in memory what you have heard that you may also impart it to others, ought to fear, lest it be necessary for you to render an account for them.
And therefore, by the Lord's inspiration, strive to fulfill that which the Apostle says: 'If a man be overtaken in any fault, you who are spiritual instruct such a one in the spirit of meekness' (Gal. 6:1); and that which the same Apostle proclaims not only to the clergy, but also to laymen and women: 'Reprove the unruly, comfort the fainthearted, support the weak' (1 Thess. 5:14). For if you are willing to correct one another in charity in whatever sin, the enemy will be able either with difficulty or never to creep up on you;
or if he should creep in, the evil that has been done will quickly be amended and corrected, and there shall be fulfilled in you that which is written: 'A brother helping a brother shall be exalted' (Prov. 18:19); and that: 'He who shall make a sinner turn from the error of his way, shall save his soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins' (James 5:20). By the bounty of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom is honor and dominion with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen. SERMON 283. An admonition that one must pray attentively, and concerning idle talk. 1. He exhorts that one come earlier to the vigils, and not chatter then.
Although in many things, most beloved brethren, your manner of life, by God's favor, gladdens us, and we rejoice quite frequently in your progress; yet there are some matters concerning which your Charity ought to be admonished — receive them gladly, as you have been accustomed. I rejoice, most beloved brethren, and give thanks to God, that I see you running faithfully to the church to hear the divine lessons; but if you wish to complete both your progress and our joy in full, you ought to assemble earlier. For on nights so long, whoever is not held back by infirmity comes too late to the church not without guilt to his own soul.
I ask you, brethren: if cobblers, goldsmiths, smiths, or the rest of the craftsmen keep watch earlier, that they may provide the necessities of the body — ought we not to rise to the church before daylight, that we may deserve to receive pardon of our sins? If the trader is wont to keep watch for the gain of money — why should we not keep watch for the love of everlasting life? Sometimes men commit themselves to the winds and to storms, and sail from the East even to the West, and from the West even to the East, enduring many perils, sometimes even bearing hunger and thirst most bitterly; but all these things they suffer patiently for the sake of perishable substance:
and why should it irk you for the sake of eternal life? And therefore I ask you, both to come earlier, and, when you have come, to be eager rather to pray or chant psalms, than to occupy yourselves with idle or worldly tales. For whoever, coming to the church, wishes to be talkative, it were better for him not to have come; he neither chants himself, nor permits others to chant psalms or to hear the lessons. Such a man, even if he comes to the church with a small sin, returns to his own home with a greater one: for there he was eager to wound himself by talking, where, by chanting or praying, he might have provided remedies both for himself and for others. On praying. Above all, most beloved brethren — 2. How one ought to pray.
Above all, most beloved brethren, as often as we apply ourselves to prayer, we ought to entreat God with silence and quiet; for whoever wishes to pray with a loud voice seems to take away the fruit of prayer from all who stand near him. Let only sighings and sighs or groans be heard. For our prayer ought to be such as we read that of holy Anna, the mother of blessed Samuel, to have been. For thus it is written of her, that she prayed weeping, and only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard at all (1 Sam. 1:11, 13). Let all hear this and imitate it, especially those who so pray with loud garrulity, without any shame, with the din of their voice, that they do not permit others near them to pray.
Let us therefore pray, as I have said, with sighing, with a sighing or a groan, according to that prophetic word: 'I roared from the groaning of my heart' (Ps. 38:8). Let us pray, I say, not with a sounding voice, but with a conscience crying out to God. 3. Wanderings of the mind in prayer offend God most gravely. But while praying, most beloved brethren, let us labor as much as we can, with the Lord's help, that no extraneous thought may be able to creep up on us; lest perhaps we have one thing in the heart and utter another from the mouth: lest perhaps, while the tongue asks God, the thought, occupied in various matters, may depart in its perception from the prayer; and thence acquire sin from that whence it might have had a remedy.
For if before some powerful person you wished to plead some necessary case, and, suddenly turned away from him, breaking off in the middle of your address, you wished to occupy yourself with some buffooneries; what sort of injury do you think you would inflict upon that person with whom you were speaking? How would you stir up his anger against yourself? If, then, when speaking with a man, we labor with the whole intention of the mind, lest by thinking of something else we seem to do an injury to him with whom we speak; when speaking with God in prayer, and pleading before so great a Majesty the miseries of our sins, are we not ashamed, and do we not blush, to run hither and thither with captive senses, and to drag our unhappy mind away by many occupations from the sight of the divine Majesty?
And therefore let each one, before he prostrates himself in prayer, with God's help drive away all superfluous thoughts from the intention of his mind, so that our soul, kindled by the fervor of the Holy Spirit, may consume every vice with the fire of compunction or of prayer, and scatter far away wandering and flitting thoughts; that virtues alone and holy meditations may always find a place in our hearts. 4. For that is as it were adored, which is more attentively pondered. What one must uniquely ponder. If it is all too clear that things we could think of at another time creep up on us in prayer, what shall we say of unlawful thoughts?
For every man, most beloved brethren, that which he ponders more attentively at the time of prayer, this he sets up for himself in place of God, and this he will seem as it were to have as God and to adore as Lord. Wherefore, most beloved, it sometimes strikes into me an exceedingly intolerable grief and trembling, when in the very intention of prayer the mind is snatched away to the diverse occupations of the world: and while it seems to be doing one thing, it is found to depart far elsewhere in thought; as though there were something we ought to ponder more. When we speak with God, we ought to ponder nothing else, except that with the whole heart and the whole soul and the whole mind we should seek the pardon of our sins and the grace of God.
For example, whoever perhaps in prayer is stealthily led to think of the marketplace: if he thinks of the marketplace, he adores the marketplace. He is stealthily led to set before his eyes the house which he is building or repairing: what he has had before his eyes, this he adores. Perhaps he thinks of vineyards or a garden or something else: what he has set before the eyes of his heart, this he adores in that prayer. I am silent about evil and perhaps even shameful or unclean thoughts. Consider, most beloved brethren, I beg you, and see how hard is this captivity, that the tongue should as it were speak with God, and the whole intention of the mind be directed to the earth and to walls or stones.
And if it is all too hard that those things which we may lawfully think of or see at another time should creep up on us in prayer; consider, how great an evil it will be, if those things which are also thought of unlawfully at another time we should ponder while set in prayer; that is, if bowed to prayer we should set before the eyes of our heart covetousness, or hatred, or anger, or luxury, or adulteries and other things like these? Wherefore, most beloved brethren, with the whole marrow of our conscience let us beseech the Lord that He may deign to free us from this mockery of demons, and to grant us pardon of our sins. 5. For whom and what one must pray.
And therefore, most beloved brethren, again and again I ask: if it cannot come to pass that you should altogether escape these captivities of the soul; yet as much as we can, with the Lord's help, let us labor that we may seem to fall into them at least more rarely: lest perhaps through negligence, while praying we think of something offensive, we find there before God that whence, brethren, we might have been able to acquire grace. Let us pray, therefore, brethren, not only for ourselves, but also for all Christians, wherever they may be: nor let us beseech God's mercy only for friends, but also for enemies. And because the blessed Apostle says, 'We know not what we should pray for as we ought' (Rom. 8:26);
let us always entreat this both for ourselves and for all others, that God may deign to grant us that which He knows to be fitting for our soul. Above all, brethren, let us say the Lord's Prayer in our prayer: for without doubt He gladly hears that prayer which He Himself, out of His ineffable goodness, instituted. These things, therefore, most beloved brethren, if by God's inspiration you gladly receive, as you have been accustomed, you will both make us joy, and prepare for yourselves the kingdom: by the bounty of our Lord Jesus Christ, who reigns with the Father and with the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen. SERMON 284. Concerning a certain custom of chanting psalms, on the day of Epiphany. 1. On a new custom of chanting psalms.
The joy which the Lord has granted me because of your holy and faithful devotion I have not power enough to express in words. For many were the years in which my soul was aflame for this very thing, and with the whole intention of my heart I longed that the merciful Lord might inspire in you this custom of chanting the psalms. Wherefore I bless my Lord, and give Him unceasing thanks as great as I am able, who has deigned to fulfil my desire. For when I so greatly desired that you should chant the psalms in the very manner in which they are chanted in the other neighbouring cities, God so prepared your soul that, with the Lord's help, you may fulfil this even better.
What now, in the midst of these our joys, is fitting to do, except that with all our strength we entreat the Lord, that as He gave the beginning, He may also deign to grant the consummation; and that to those on whom He has bestowed so holy a devotion of psalmody, He may in His mercy grant also a most blessed perseverance? And since it is not he who has begun, but he who has persevered, that shall be saved; do you also, as much as you can, by unceasing prayer and by compunction of heart kindle within yourselves the fire of divine love, lest perchance the flame of charity, which has faithfully begun to glow in you, should through some negligence grow cold. 2. Let conduct chime with the tongue; let devout affections be in harmony with the voices.
And above all things strive after this, not only in prayers but also in holy thoughts, that what you chant with your lips you may fulfil in your deeds, and that the Holy Spirit, who sounds in your mouth, may also deign to dwell in your heart. It is indeed good and very acceptable to God when the tongue faithfully chants; but it is then truly good when the life is also in accord with the tongue. Let voices and conduct agree together, lest perchance good voices bear witness against evil conduct, and your very tongue convict you. For if one thing sounds in the mouth and another appears in the work, what the tongue seems to build up, evil manner of life begins to tear down.
But do you, brethren, let not only the sweetness of the voice keep you occupied, but also the meaning of the reading itself; so that, just as the sound of the voice delights the ears, so the power of that very reading may grow sweet in your hearts, according to that which is written: How sweet are Thy words to my palate, O Lord (Psalm 118:103)! and again: The words of the Lord are to be desired above gold and much precious stone, and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb (Psalm 18:11). For he who, when he chants, attends only to the sweetness of the voice and the composition of each sound, but does not attend to what ought to be understood in them, his ears receive a passing food, but the word of God does not reach his soul;
as if someone were, so to speak, to chew wax and taste nothing at all of the sweetness of the honey. 3. In what manner the psalms are to be taken to heart while chanting. But do you, brethren, as I have already suggested above, before all things attend inwardly to the virtues of the Psalms. When each one of you chants that little verse of the Psalm where it says, Let the proud be confounded, because they have unjustly done iniquity against me (Psalm 118:78), let him strive to flee pride, that he may deserve to escape eternal confusion. When we chant, Thou shalt destroy all that commit fornication against Thee (Psalm 72:27), let us strive to escape all evil concupiscences. When we chant that blessed is the man who shall meditate on the law of the Lord day and night (Psalm 1:2),
let us spit out, as if it were the devil's poison, superfluous occupations and biting jests, idle and lascivious talk; and let us either ourselves more frequently read again the divine reading, or, if we ourselves cannot read, let us gladly and frequently strive to hear those who read. As often as we chant, If I have rendered evil to them that repaid me evils, let me deservedly fall empty before my enemies: let the enemy pursue my soul, and take it, and tread down my life on the earth, and bring my glory down to the dust (Psalm 7:5-6): when we say these and other such things, lest we should seem to utter so hard a curse against ourselves, let us never render to any man evil for evil;
so that with a secure conscience we may say, Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors (Matthew 6:12). And since it would be long to recount all things, of what we have said concerning these three or four sins, that is, pride, fornication, or hatred, let us think the same concerning all the remaining vices. And whensoever in the Psalms sinners are cursed, let us strive to flee sin, lest we ourselves should seem with our own mouth to curse ourselves. As often as in the Psalms the just, the merciful, the sober, the chaste, or the humble are praised together, let us labour, with God's help, to be such; that the blessing which is directed to those may, by the divine gift, be pronounced upon us also.
Again and again I ask and entreat, that whensoever you chant, you would more attentively ponder what ought inwardly to be understood or observed in those very Psalms; so that while your tongue praises the Lord, the divine blessing may reach your soul: our Lord Jesus Christ granting it, who also reigns unto the ages of ages. Amen. SERMON 285. On the manner of chanting the psalms, etc. Let the knees be bent for prayer. Let the singing of the psalms follow this. I entreat, most beloved brethren, and with fatherly affection I admonish you, that whensoever prayer is announced, he who perhaps cannot bend his knees on account of some infirmity, let him not delay to bow his back or humble his neck.
What does it profit you that you faithfully chant, if after you cease to chant you are unwilling to make supplication to God? And therefore let each one, when he has ceased to chant, with all humility pray and beseech the Lord; that what he has brought forth in words from his mouth, he may, with God's help, deserve to fulfil in his deeds. To chant is, brethren, like sowing seed and then again by prayer to bury or cover it. For just as he who sows in the field, if he neglects by ploughing to cover it over, the birds will come and snatch away all that seemed to have been sown:
so he who has sown the word of God in the field of his heart, and has scattered it by chanting or reading, unless afterwards by prayer he stores it up in his heart and, so to speak, buries it, the birds will come, that is, the thoughts of this world, flighty, empty and vain, and will snatch away what had been sown in the heart. And therefore, where anyone has ceased to chant, let him not cease to pray, if he wishes the harvest of divine mercy to prosper in the field of his heart. 2. That prayer should not be made standing. I ask you, brethren, as often as prayer is made at the altar, do you also incline your heads; lest perchance, if you wish to pray standing, there should be fulfilled in you that which is written of the Pharisee who prayed standing:
for the Publican, who bowed down and accused his own sins, pleased God more than that Pharisee who standing praised his own merits. And observe this also, brethren, lest perchance while some pray, others should be occupied with idle chatter; lest they make wounds for themselves out of medicines, and lose themselves in the very place whence they might have delivered themselves. They who do these things shall render an evil account in the day of judgment, both for themselves and for others whom they hinder. And this I both admonish and ask at once, brethren: as often as it is proclaimed that you should humble yourselves for the blessing, let it not be burdensome to you to incline your heads; for you humble yourselves not to man, but to God. 3. He grieves over those who come late to vigils and neglect the word of God. The word of God is rain.
The word of God is light. And although, most beloved brethren, I greatly rejoice over your fervent devotion; yet because there are some who come rather late to the vigils, and, when the word of God has begun to be recited, quickly depart, I ask that you would admonish them, and by your holy and wholesome counsel provoke them to imitate you. How great a thing is this, my brethren, that we seem to keep them occupied? You yourselves see that it is scarcely the space of half an hour; whereas nevertheless, that we may not delay poor men or any craftsmen from their labours, whenever a sermon is to be given, we cause the fiftieth psalm to be said earlier, so that we may leave the church not later, but always at the accustomed hour.
And I ask you, brethren, if it does not irk us, amid so many occupations and intolerable labours, to run through the various volumes of the Scriptures, and with great diligence to provide spiritual medicines for you; why should it be laborious for any of you to receive them, when it is no trouble to us to dispense them? And since the sermon which is recited will be for a remedy to the obedient, but for judgment to the negligent, each one will do well if he gladly receives the rain of the word of God in the field of his heart: lest perchance, if he neglects to receive the remedy of salvation, it should afterwards be needful for him to seek a drop of refreshment amid the flames of hell.
That rain, most beloved brethren, I say, we ought to desire, of which Moses says, Let my speech be awaited as the rain (Deuteronomy 32:2). For it is certain, most beloved brethren, that just as this earthly harvest is, whenever it receives the rain either late or after many months, such is the soul that has been unwilling more frequently to hear the word of God. And since the law of God is not only rain, but also light, according to that which is written, Thy word, O Lord, is a lamp to my feet (Psalm 118:105); he who disdains to receive the light of the word of God, let him fear lest it be needful for him to endure eternal darkness.
But we trust in God's mercy, that through your holy admonition and your correction pleasing to God, even the negligent are to be roused to the fervour of your faith; so that we may have a twofold joy, both over your salvation and over theirs: our Lord Jesus Christ granting it, who with God the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns unto the ages of ages. Amen. SERMON 286. That the knees should be bent in prayer, and concerning the avoidance of idle words. 1. Let the knees be bent for prayers, or, in case of infirmity, let the back and head be inclined. Observing this, the Publican is heard; neglecting it, the Pharisee is despised.
I ask and admonish you, most beloved brethren, that whensoever prayer is made by the clergy beside the altar, or prayer is announced by the deacon proclaiming it, you should faithfully incline not only your hearts, but also your bodies. For while I frequently and diligently attend, as is fitting, when the deacon proclaims, Let us bend the knees, I behold the greater part standing erect like columns: which, while prayer is being made in church, is by no means either lawful or expedient for Christians; for the deacon proclaims not for our sake, but for yours. And therefore, since that voice is directed specially to you, or most of all to the negligent, it is just that it be faithfully fulfilled by you. Let that voice, then, be for a remedy to the obedient;
for to the disobedient it will be for a testimony, on account of that which is written, Cursed is he who does the work of God negligently (Jeremiah 48:10). But this also is to be feared, brethren, which the Apostle said and which is to be observed in every way, Continue instant in prayer, watching therein (Colossians 4:2); and again, Pray without ceasing, in all things give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18). And the Lord says, Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation (Matthew 26:41); and again, One ought always to pray and not to faint (Luke 18:1). And therefore, let him who on account of some infirmity cannot bend his knees or bow his back, not be loath to incline his head;
considering that through this humility that Publican obtained the mercy of God, who dared not lift his eyes to heaven, but with his head bowed to the earth beat his breast and, as a most severe judge, scourged the sins shut up within: and therefore he deserved that the Lord should deign to say of him, This Publican went down justified into his house rather than that Pharisee: for everyone that exalts himself shall be humbled; and he that humbles himself shall be exalted (Luke 18:14). The example of the Pharisee himself also is to be considered and feared; lest, because he prayed standing, he for that reason did not deserve to be heard. 2. He who denies that there is grave sin in himself. If a stain be feared on the garments, let it rather be feared in the soul.