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← Kazania Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross Sermons)/Book 1 · Kazania świętokrzyskie
Chapter 4KazSwiet.1.4

Kazanie na Święto Trzech Króli

The Seeking of the King

The sermon introduces the Magi's search for the newborn King and the threefold effect of their encounter.

Where is he who has been born King of the Jews?1 The holy evangelist highlights three remarkable effects in these three pagan kings: their eager question about the royal child born of a virgin, their faithful recognition of the Prince of Peace;✦✦23 . . and their swift and generous bestowal of gifts on the mighty King.4 . .

The Triple Excellence of Christ

The preacher contrasts the earthly kingship of the Jewish people with the superior mercy, strength, and generosity of the newborn Prince.

And under the figure of the three pagan kings, the holy evangelist says: Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?✦ For Scripture, in three places, calls that royal child born of a virgin the king of the Jewish people: in his wondrous birth; in his joyful working of great miracles; and in his hard suffering.5 And the evangelist shows that this king and heavenly prince surpasses all other kings in three outstanding ways: he is more merciful, he is stronger, and he is more generous.67 Those three pagan kings recognized the prince and merciful king born of a poor virgin in Bethlehem.✦8 Without delay, when they saw the star, they immediately intended to offer him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.✦✦9 . .] They hurried because he is the more merciful king; they knelt before him because he is the stronger king; they gave him gifts because he is the more generous king.✦10

The Mercy of the Heavenly King

The sermon explores the mercy of Christ through his drawing of the Magi and the spiritual significance of their gifts.

And the holy evangelist shows us that this king is more merciful, and that in a threefold way: in sweet drawing, so that we would faithfully do penance; in long waiting, so that we would eagerly hurry to him; in swift forgiveness, so that we would not despair of his love.1112 Oh, how sweetly he drew those kings, revealing a new star to them so that, without any delay, they set out on the road as soon as they saw it, didn't put off the journey, and gladly heeded the Son of God.1314 . . So eagerly did the Son of God wait there for these kings that for thirteen days from the birth1516 . . …to imitate, and this more merciful King will gift a person with his gold—that is, with a merciful deed; with incense—that is, with devout prayer; with myrrh—that is, with the mortification of the body; and through these gifts one can obtain the love of the virgin-born Son.✦1718

The Power and Dominion of the King

The preacher concludes by highlighting the power, victory, and dominion of the heavenly King, inviting the faithful to be settled in his grace.

Second, the holy evangelist shows that this king and heavenly prince is more powerful, as he points out three things that mark a more powerful king: continual victory, strong dominion, and great wealth.1920 Continual victory. . . Second, honorable and strong dominion demonstrates the power of a great king.21 . . …so that through these gifts they might settle us with the heavenly king.✦22

Read the original Latin

[Ubi est, qui] natus est rex Judeorum? Święty [ewanjelista] trojaki skutek znamienity pokazuje w tych we trzech krolech pogańskich: jich żądne krolewica dziewicą porodzonego pytanie, jich wierne księżyca pokojnego poznanie;. . . a jich rychłe [i szczo]dre króla mocnego odarowanie. . .

I mówi ewanjelista święty pod obrazem trzy krolew pogańskich: gdzie jeść tet, jenże się narodził krol żydowski? Bo pismo togo krolewica dziewicą porodzonego w trojakiem mieście pisma nazywa królem luda żydowskiego: w jego dziwnem narodzeni; w jego uciesznem wielikich cud czynieni; a w jego trudnem umęczeni. I pokazuje ewanjelista, iże tet to kroi i krolewic niebieski w trojakiej rzeczy znamienitej ine wszytki króle zmija, a to w tem, iż [jeść miłościwiej]szy, iż jeść mocniejszy, iż jeść szczodrzejszy. Uzna[li oni trze] krole pogańscy krolewica i krola miłościwego [w Bctleem ubo]gą dziewicą porodzonego. Niczs nie mieszkając, [gdy gwiazdę] uźrzeli, nagle dary: złoto, kadzidło a mirrę [wzdać mu. . .] pośpieszyli, bo krol miłościwiejszy; przed nim poklękli, [bo krol mocniejszy;] dary jemu wzdali, bo krol szczodrzejszy.

I pokazuje nam ewanjelista święty, iż tet to krol jeść miłościwiejszy, a to w rzeczy trojakiej: w miłem wabieni, iżbychom pokutę wiernie czynili; w długiem czakani, izbychom się k'niemu żądnie pośpieszyli; w rychłem otpuszczeni, iżbychom w jego miłości nie rozpaczyli. O kako jeść ty to krole mile powabił, iż jim nową gwiazdę pokazał i zjawił, tako iże niczs nie mieszkając, uźrzewszy gwiaz[dę, w drogę są] wstąpili, drogi są nie otłożyli, czem radzi Syna Bożego słuszali. . . Tako tych krolew [Syn Boży zadnie tam] o czakał, iże za trzynadzieście dni ot narodzenia jich. . . scy naśladować i [tet to kroi miłościwiejszy człowieka swojim zło]tem, to je miłosirdnym skutkiem; kadzidłem, to je nabożnym modlenim; mirrą, to je ciała udręczenim będzie darować, i przez ty dary miłość syna dziewiczego może otrzymać.

A wtóre ewanjelista święty pokazuje, iże tet to krol i krolewic [niebieski] jeść mocniejszy, bo trojaka rzecz króla mocniejszego pokazuje: ustawiczne wiciężstwo, mocne [włodycz] stwo, wielikie bogatstwo. Ustawiczne wiciężstwo. . . wtóre króla wielikiego moc pokazuje czsne i mocne włodyczs[two]. . . aby nas przez ty dary króla niebieskiego domieścili.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Isa.7.14 — Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: Look, the young woman will conceive and bear a son, and she will call his name Immanuel.
  2. ↩Isa.9.6 — For the increase of his government and for peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
  3. ↩Matt.2.2 — Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and we have come to worship him.
  4. ↩Matt.2.1-Matt.2.11 — Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, Matt.2.2 — Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and we have come to worship him. Matt.2.3 — But when King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Matt.2.4 — And having gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ is born. Matt.2.5 — But they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: Matt.2.6 — And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. Matt.2.7 — Then Herod secretly called the magi and carefully ascertained from them the time the star had appeared. Matt.2.8 — And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the child, and when you have found him, report to me so that I too may come and worship him." Matt.2.9 — After they had heard the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen in the east went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. Matt.2.10 — Seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. Matt.2.11 — And entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they worshiped him, and opening their treasures they offered him gifts: gold and frankincense and myrrh.
  5. ↩Matt.2.11 — And entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they worshiped him, and opening their treasures they offered him gifts: gold and frankincense and myrrh.
  6. ↩Matt.2.2 — Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and we have come to worship him.
  7. ↩Matt.2.11 — And entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they worshiped him, and opening their treasures they offered him gifts: gold and frankincense and myrrh.
  8. ↩Matt.2.11 — And entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they worshiped him, and opening their treasures they offered him gifts: gold and frankincense and myrrh.
  9. ↩Matt.2.11 — And entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they worshiped him, and opening their treasures they offered him gifts: gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Opening words restored from manuscript brackets: [Ubi est, qui]. The sentence is the Magi’s Latin Gospel question (Mt 2:2), embedded in the Polish sermon.
  2. 2 ↩Old Polish 'księżyca pokojnego' read as 'księcia pokojnego' (Prince of Peace), not 'księżyca' as moon; fits the Magi triad and the Isaianic royal title.
  3. 3 ↩'ewanjelista' is bracket-restored in the source; 'krolewica dziewicą porodzonego' = the virgin-born royal child/prince.
  4. 4 ↩Bracketed restoration '[i szczo]dre' read as 'i szczodre' (and generous).
  5. 5 ↩'w trojakiem mieście pisma' is taken as 'in a threefold place of Scripture' / 'in three places in Scripture' (Old Polish miejsce = place).
  6. 6 ↩Verb 'zmija' is lexically uncertain in the Old Polish witness; sense is fixed by the following triad (more merciful / stronger / more generous) and rendered as 'surpasses'.
  7. 7 ↩Bracketed reconstruction '[jeść miłościwiej]szy' restored as 'is more merciful' from neighboring context and the section's threefold comparison.
  8. 8 ↩Damaged spans restored from brackets: 'Uzna[li oni trze]' → 'those three recognized'; '[w Bctleem ubo]gą' → 'of a poor [virgin] in Bethlehem'.
  9. 9 ↩Sentence is open-ended in the witness ('[wzdać mu.'); finite action continues after lacunae in s8. Bracketed '[gdy gwiazdę]' restored as 'when [they saw] the star'.
  10. 10 ↩Bracketed causal clause '[bo krol mocniejszy;]' restored as 'because he is the stronger king,' completing the threefold parallel with s3.
  11. 11 ↩miłościwiejszy: comparative of merciful/loving-kind; rendered 'more merciful' to match the sermon’s royal-virtue triad (merciful / stronger / more generous).
  12. 12 ↩wabieni: drawing/attracting/inviting (from wabić); 'sweet drawing' keeps the pastoral lure sense without modern 'bait' connotations. otpuszczeni: forgiveness/absolution (odpuszczenie).
  13. 13 ↩Bracketed reconstruction gwiaz[dę, w drogę są] accepted in the normalized reading; sense is Magi seeing the star and taking the road at once.
  14. 14 ↩niczs nie mieszkając: 'without delaying at all' (Old Polish mieszkać = linger/delay). słuszali: heeded/obeyed (słuchać).
  15. 15 ↩Bracketed reconstruction [Syn Boży zadnie tam] accepted; zadnie read as żądnie 'eagerly'. Sentence is incomplete before following lacunae.
  16. 16 ↩ot narodzenia jich: gen. pl. 'their birth' is awkward; traditional Epiphany chronology is thirteen days from Christ's birth. Rendering keeps the surface ('the birth') without inventing a lost object; likely continues into the lacuna.
  17. 17 ↩Opening 'scy' is a damaged word-ending (likely from a form meaning 'to imitate' / 'who would imitate'); bracketed [tet to kroi miłościwiejszy człowieka swojim zło]tem accepted. Ellipsis marks the lost onset.
  18. 18 ↩Allegorical gift triad: gold = merciful deed (miłosirdny skutek); incense = devout prayer (nabożne modlenie); myrrh = bodily affliction/mortification (ciała udręczenie).
  19. 19 ↩Bracketed reconstructions accepted from the normalized reading: [niebieski] with krolewic; [włodycz]stwo = dominion/lordship (from włodyka, lord).
  20. 20 ↩wiciężstwo = zwycięstwo (victory); włodyczstwo = lordship/dominion; bogatstwo = wealth. The triad continues the sermon's royal-virtue series after the prior 'more merciful' section.
  21. 21 ↩czsne read as czesne/czesny, 'honorable' / 'worthy of honor.' włodyczs[two] restored as włodyczstwo, dominion/lordship.
  22. 22 ↩domieścili from domieścić: to settle, lodge, place in a home. Rendered 'settle us with' for the sense of being housed/received under the heavenly king; subject of the 3pl verb is lost with the preceding lacuna.

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