De reversione Apostolorum , ac missione et revei-sione septuaginta duorum discipulorum

De reversione Apostolorum , ac missione et revei-sione septuaginta duorum discipulorum

The Apostles, in returning to Jesus, teach us that after preaching, one must give oneself to contemplation. And the Apostles, gathering together—that is, returning from their preaching to Jesus—reported to Him what they had taught by preaching and what miracles they had performed by working, showing that they had faithfully carried out His command and giving thanks for all they had received. The Apostles come to Jesus, therefore, as streams to their source; they return to the place from which the rivers flow, so that they may flow again. The living creatures moved from the quiet of contemplation to the labor of action, and then returned to the quiet of contemplation. And having compassion on them for their labors, He led them apart into a desert place so that, after their work, they might rest a little, separated from the tumult of the crowds, and so that they might collect themselves in prayer, just as they had been dispersed in preaching; for they did not even have time to eat because of the crowds that were coming and going. Hence Bede says: "What great happiness there was in that time, shown by the zeal in the labor of both those who taught and those who learned! I wish it would return in our own age, so that such a great crowd of faithful listeners might press upon the ministers of the Word that it wouldn't even grant them free time to care for their bodies!" For those who are denied the time necessary to care for their bodies, there is less opportunity to pursue the enticements of their own soul and flesh. Rather, for those from whom the word of faith and the saving mystery is demanded in season and out of season, their spirit is constantly kindled to do and think of heavenly things, so that they don't contradict in their actions what they teach in their words: thus Bede. Mystically, however, according to Jerome, the Lord leads those He has chosen apart so that, while living among the wicked, they don't pay attention to wicked things. It's well said that they rested for a little while, because here on earth, rest for the saints is small, while labor is great; but later it will be said to them: "That they may rest from their labors; for their deeds follow them." Gregory says that the rest will be greater then, in proportion to how little rest there was now, for the love of their Creator. And conversely, understand this, you lazy soul: the rest you'll have then will be smaller in proportion to how much rest you took now for the love of the flesh. So, to enjoy the sweetness of rest then, don't shrink from tasting the bitterness of labor now, keeping in mind the words of Boethius: "The labor of the bees is sweeter if a bad taste has first touched the mouth." Christ therefore makes his disciples rest so that everyone—especially those in charge—might learn that those who labor in word and deed earn their rest. This also shows that preachers, after the busyness of preaching, must return to the secret place of contemplation to examine their works before God and weigh them carefully, so that they may give thanks for the good and ask for mercy for their failings. We are reminded here by the Lord's actions that we must sometimes rest from activity and move into the secret place of contemplation, because in outward activity we have no space to contemplate. This contemplation is rightly called a desert here, because it is deserted by many and inhabited by few; in it we rest for a little while, because in our frailty we cannot cling to the divine vision for long, nor can we neglect the care of our neighbor for long. Be silent, then, for a time from the edification of your neighbors, so that by being silent you may learn how to speak usefully in its proper time; yet pray to God that he himself may supply what is needed to the hearts of your neighbors by inspiring them inwardly, while you abstain from speaking to them for a time, taming your tongue through silence. As Gregory says: "No one should, for the sake of contemplating God, entirely set aside the needs of a neighbor, nor for the sake of a neighbor's needs, despise the contemplation of God." For what good is it if, while loving ourselves, we abandon our neighbors? Or, again, what good is it if, while loving or being zealous for our neighbors, we abandon ourselves? The election of the seventy-two disciples, who are also sent out in pairs to preach. After this, the Lord Jesus designated—that is, he pointedly chose and set apart from others—and appointed seventy-two other disciples, in addition to the twelve already mentioned, as a sign that after Christ's resurrection and ascension into heaven, the faith of Christ was to be preached to the Gentiles of the seventy-two languages, just as it had been preached before to the twelve tribes, according to the number of the Apostles. The first language among all was therefore Hebrew, which was later divided into seventy-two. And just as the Apostles demonstrated the form of bishops—that is, of the first order and the greater priests—so these also bore the figure of presbyters, that is, of the second order and the lesser priests, namely, those with pastoral care. In the earliest times of the Church, however, both were called presbyters, and both were called bishops. If those who succeed the Apostles take pride in their apostolic honor, they ought to match them in their labor. The seventy also arise from multiplying ten by seven; they signify the fulfillment of the Decalogue through the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. The addition of the binary number signifies, above all, the twofold charity—that of God and neighbor—which ought to be in every preacher of the Gospel. He sent them out in pairs; just so, according to Origen, the twelve were also counted in pairs, as Matthew shows in their list. He sent them out in pairs for seven reasons: first, for the two peoples to be converted, namely Jews and Gentiles; second, for the twofold salvation to be worked, namely of body and soul; third, for the twofold commandment of charity, namely of God and neighbor, which ought to be in a preacher of the Gospel; fourth, for the twofold perfection, namely of life and knowledge, necessary for a preacher; fifth, for mutual preservation and security, so that one might guard the other's chastity and other goods; sixth, for mutual consolation and the benefit of companionship; seventh, for the confirmation of the truth they preached, and for its testimony, so that in the mouth of two witnesses every word might stand. He sent them, therefore, in pairs before His face—that is, before His presence—so that the coming of Christ would not be hidden, and so that they might prepare for Him a way and a lodging in the hearts of men in every city and place. Christ and His disciples preached indiscriminately in cities and places, both small and great, where He Himself was to come, namely into Judea. Yet after the Lord's resurrection and ascension, they were sent to preach even to the Gentiles. According to Gregory, preaching goes before, and thus the Lord comes to the dwelling place of the mind, because the words of exhortation run ahead, through which truth is received in the mind. And He said to them: 'The harvest is indeed great, but the laborers are few.' These points, along with many others regarding how the disciples preached and lived, were already covered in the section on the Apostles' mission, so there's no need to repeat them here. Once their mission was finished, the seventy-two disciples returned, rejoicing both in the fruit of their preaching, through which they had built up the people, and in the miracles they performed, because they had cast out demons; they boasted and said to Him, "Lord, in Your name and by the invocation of Christ's name, not only sicknesses and infirmities, not only wicked men, but even demons are subject to us," even though these are of such power that no earthly power can be compared to them. Bede says of this: "They rightly professed that they were offering honor to the name of Christ, but their faith was still weak: they were rejoicing in the miracles." And because the Lord saw that the disciples were puffed up by the working of signs, and were boasting too much in this, as if they were weak and imperfect, their glory was checked when He added: "And He said to them: I saw Satan falling like lightning from heaven," because He was present when he fell; in fact, He was the one who cast him down. For lightning falls quickly and visibly, with a stench and heat; so the demons fell from the empyrean heaven in an instant, in the sight of the holy angels, and with the stench of their own sin, prepared to inflame men through temptation. The cause of this ruin was elation, or pride in their own excellence. It was as if the Savior were saying to His disciples: "You must be diligent to take care, lest you be too lifted up by elation and the power granted over demons, and so fall." Therefore, they are deterred by the example of Satan and called back to humility, so that those who remembered that he was cast out of heaven because of pride might be much more afraid of being humbled themselves if they should become proud; so that they might avoid their own fall by this example: "Whoever thinks he stands, let him see that he does not fall." And if he fell from heaven because of pride, a much less proud person will ascend there, because as it has been said by someone: "A guest is cast out more shamefully than he is not admitted." Hence Gregory says: "The Lord, in a wonderful way, in order to suppress elation in the hearts of the disciples, recounted the judgment of the ruin that the master of elation himself received, so that in the author of pride they might learn what to fear regarding the vice of elation." They should fear the vice. Isidore says: "Whoever has begun to be better than they once were should be careful not to be puffed up by the virtues they have received, lest they fall more heavily through vanity than they previously lay through the collapse of their vices." Therefore, don't put your trust in the dignity of your nature; don't be proud of your wisdom, your honor, or your status. Don't be proud of your power, because an angel's nature exceeds yours in every way, yet it fell through pride, was cast out of heaven, and was subjected to your feet. For as Augustine says: "A humble confession of evil deeds is better than a proud boasting in good ones; and God is more pleased by humility in evil deeds than by pride in good ones." Yet, it isn't only the humility that comes from a conscience of sins that is praised; the humility that descends from virtue is also dear to God. Therefore, a person shouldn't boast in grace given freely, which is sometimes conferred upon the evil and the unjust, but in the grace that makes one pleasing, by which one is inscribed in the book of life; and in all things, one should give thanks with humility. That is why the Lord says: ... I have given you power. This means the power to tread, with a spiritual foot, upon serpents and scorpions, and over every force and the many spiritual injuries of the enemy; to cast out every kind of unclean spirit from possessed bodies; and nothing will harm you. According to Bede, serpents cause harm with their teeth, and scorpions with their tails; for serpents pour out poison through the bite of their mouths, and scorpions through the sting of their tails. Therefore, serpents represent those who rage openly, while scorpions represent those who plot in secret, whether they are people or demons. Alternatively, serpents are those who inject the poison of perverse persuasion into virtues that are just beginning; scorpions are those who intend to undermine virtues that have reached their end. According to Theophylact, serpents are those who cause visible harm, such as the demon of fornication and murder; those who cause invisible harm are called scorpions, as in the case of spiritual vices. Furthermore, to trample on the serpent is to subject your sensuality to reason—which, according to Augustine, is what the serpent signifies; to trample on scorpions is to detest the detractor; and to trample on all the enemy's power is to cast off every occasion of mortal sin. However, don't rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you in your weakness. For it's sometimes granted even to wicked men to restrain evil spirits and perform other signs, not for their own sake, but to confirm the faith of Christ preached through them. Sometimes this isn't because of the merit of those who perform them, but is granted instead through the invocation of Christ's name—either for the greater condemnation of those who call upon it, or for the benefit of those who see and hear, in which God is always honored, through whose name miracles occur, even if those who perform them are despised. Hence Chrysostom says: "To cast out demons is a work common to both the ministers of God and the ministers of the devil; to confess the truth and to do justice is a private work belonging only to the saints. Therefore, if you see someone casting out demons, if there is no confession of truth in his mouth, nor justice in his hands, he isn't a man of God." If, however, you see someone confessing the truth and doing justice, even if he doesn't cast out demons, he is a man of God. And again: "Don't seek signs, but the health of the soul; if, however, you wish to perform signs, be delivered from sins and fulfill all things. For sin is a great demon; and if you take it away, you've performed greater things than those who drive out ten thousand demons. For signs have often benefited others, but have harmed the one performing them, by leading to pride and vain glory, or in some other way." In good works, however, there's nothing of this to fear; rather, they benefit both those who participate in them and many others. Let us therefore perform these things with great diligence. For if you have been changed from inhumanity to charity, you have extended a hand that was withered. If you have stopped going to spectacles and have gone to church, you have corrected a limping foot. If, however, you have turned your eyes away from a prostitute and from the beauty of another, you have opened eyes that were blind. If, instead of satanic ways, you have learned spiritual psalms, you have spoken while being mute. These, therefore, are the greatest miracles; these are the signs that are beyond expectation. If we perform these signs, we ourselves will indeed be great and wonderful through them, and we will draw all who are destructive toward virtue, and we will enjoy the life to come: so says Chrysostom. You also have this above, near the end of the Lord's Sermon on the Mount. If, therefore, you shouldn't rejoice in the subjection of spirits, you should rejoice much less in the subjection of people, and even less in the subjection of temporal things—things that many people, even those who seem spiritual and devout, still take joy in. That is why he adds: 'Rejoice, however, that your names are written and handed down in memory without being forgotten in heaven'—that is, in the book of life—even if they are erased like something evil and cast out on earth and in the reputation of men. On the contrary, the names of the wicked are written and magnified on earth, and therefore not in heaven. The names of some are said to be written in the book of life in two ways: in one way, according to present righteousness, which is a writing that can be erased; in another way, according to eternal predestination, which is a writing that cannot be erased. In both ways, their names were written in heaven because they were predestined and, along with this, possessed the grace of God; for that boasting they had over the subjection of demons was not a mortal sin. If, however, you want your name to be written in heaven, strive to do good and not evil; for your name is inscribed in letters according to the kind of works you do, and from these letters judgment will be drawn, because it is said in the Apocalypse: 'The dead were judged from those things which were written in the books, according to their works.' Hence Bede says: 'It should be understood in a healthy way that whether a person has performed heavenly or earthly works, they are, through these, as if marked in letters and eternally affixed in the memory of God.' There are, however, some things that are indeed written not in the book of life, but, according to Jerome, on earth, so that a certain twofold writing is understood: one for life, the other for perdition. What is said about the book of the living is understood of those who were considered worthy to be written in the book of God. And according to this, a change of writing is said to occur when we slip from virtue into sin, or the other way around—so says Bede. Christ’s disciples should rejoice, not in the humiliation of the demons who lost their seat in heaven through pride, but in their own exaltation, because they have been chosen to take their place, so that where those fell through pride, these might ascend through humility. That joy is vain and temporary; this, however, is useful and eternal. The former looks toward vain glory; the latter looks toward eternal glory. Both the wicked and the good can possess the former at the same time, but only the good can possess the latter. Christ rejoices and gives thanks for the calling of the little ones to wisdom. And because the disciples returned rejoicing in two things—first, that those to whom they had been sent received their preaching; second, that the demons were subject to them—pride was repressed in the disciples. Having heard of their faith and the faith of those to whom they had preached the word of salvation, the Lord Jesus rejoiced in that very hour in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and gave thanks to God the Father for the salvation of men. Hence Theophilus says: “Just as a kind father... ...rejoices to see his children guided, so Christ rejoices that the disciples were made worthy of such great blessings.” Cyril notes: 'Through the working of the Spirit—which He handed on to the Apostles—He looked at the gathering of many.' And so, He is said to have rejoiced in the Holy Spirit—that is, in the effects that come through the Holy Spirit. As a lover of humanity, He considered the conversion of those who were wandering to be a cause for joy, and for this He gave thanks—so says Cyril. He gave thanks, therefore, saying: 'I confess to You'—that is, I give thanks and praise You, Father, through the eternal generation, Lord of heaven and earth, of things invisible and visible, through the temporal creation; 'because You have hidden' through justice these things—namely, the mysteries of faith and the secrets of Your wisdom, which were fulfilled in the coming of the Son—'from the wise and prudent,' according to their own estimation and in their own eyes, namely the Scribes and Pharisees and other proud men who were wise in divine things, as in the Law and the Prophets, and prudent in worldly or human affairs; or wise according to human philosophy, of which the Apostle says: 'God has made foolish the wisdom of this world.' This is threefold: earthly, because of an attachment to earthly greed; animal, because of an attachment to carnal pleasure; and diabolical, because of an attachment to worldly status. The earthly is found in the greedy and the avaricious; the animal, in the voluptuous and the lustful; the diabolical, in the proud and the ambitious. 'And You have revealed them to little ones'—that is, to the humble and those who take their intellect captive in obedience to the faith, namely the fishermen and other simple people who don't know how to exalt themselves—so that the humble may come to You and the proud may depart from You. Christ, in that He is God, is equal to the Father; in that He is man, He confesses—that is, He gives thanks to God the Father, or rather, to the undivided Trinity. He wisely set aside the wise and the prudent—not for the foolish or the dull, but for the 'little ones,' that is, the humble—so that, according to Gregory, He might prove that He condemns fear and pride, not sharpness of intellect and wisdom; and according to Chrysostom, so that He might instruct us in every way to be stripped of arrogance and to be zealous for humility. This is a great honor for the truly humble, because they are part of the secret counsel of the Most High King, called and admitted to the knowledge of the truth. For as Bede says: 'Humility is the key to the conscience, by which one may arrive at the knowledge of the truth of Christ.' Where Chrysostom says: 'He gives thanks because rustic and simple men have been enlightened, who attribute all the good they do to the Author, not like the wise men of the Jews who previously seemed wise in the words of God, though they were not wise: for wisdom is not knowing the words of God, but living according to the words of God.' You, however, may extend this discussion to whomever you wish; for God always hides the mystery of truth from all the wise who are wise according to the sense of the flesh and not according to the spirit of the heart, and He reveals it to the little ones. Thus, what the Jews, meditating daily on the law of God, could not find, the fishermen and rustic men found while handling their nets with their hands: so says Chrysostom. The Lord does not rejoice because it was hidden from the wise, but because it was revealed to the humble: for the latter is worthy of joy, but the former of sadness. Whence the same Chrysostom: 'Why, then, does He rejoice in their destruction?' And why didn't they learn this? Not at all. It’s a cause for joy that it has been revealed to these; but it’s a cause for tears, not joy, that it is hidden from those. In the end, he even did this while weeping over the city. He doesn't rejoice and give thanks because the mysteries of God were hidden from the scribes and Pharisees—for that wasn't a cause for gladness, but for sorrow—but because the humble have known what the wise did not know: so says Chrysostom. Therefore, 'confession' is taken here to mean giving thanks and praise, because, as Jerome says, confession doesn't always mean repentance, but also signifies giving thanks. Hence Augustine also says: 'Confession belongs not only to the sinner, but sometimes also to the one who praises.' We confess, therefore, either by praising God or by accusing ourselves: so says Augustine. 7? And so it's clear that the reason on the part of the believers was their humility, which disposed them toward wisdom, because, as it's said in Proverbs: 'Where there is humility, there is wisdom.' And, as the philosopher Ptolemy says: 'The more humble someone is among the wise, the wiser they are.' On the part of the non-believers, however, it was their pride, which blinds the intellect. On God's part, the reason is simply the divine will, which is why he adds: 'Yes, Father, for that is what pleased you'—that is, in your sight, before whom nothing unjust can ever be pleasing. The Son did not wish to give any other reason why the Father rejected some and chose others, except for the Father's own good pleasure; this is an example for us, so that we don't argue about the secrets of God, and a confusion for those who want to demand a reason for God's secrets. Hence Gregory says: 'From these words of the Lord we receive examples of humility, so that we don't presume to rashly discuss the heavenly counsels regarding the calling of some and the rejection of others.' When he had set both before them, he didn't immediately give a reason; instead, he said it was pleasing to God, intending by this that what has pleased the Just One cannot be unjust. In all things that God arranges externally, the cause is open to reason, but the judgments of His will remain hidden. Therefore, Chrysostom says: 'He doesn't state the reason why it pleased Him so, but only gives thanks to the Father because it pleased Him so.' You, too, should never argue about God's plans in His works, asking what He did or why He did it; instead, in whatever way He has willed to order His affairs, give Him thanks. It's enough for you to have the very nature of God as your witness, because God does nothing without reason and without justice. For He did not create you for your own questioning, but for His honor; nor did He want you to be a judge of His actions, but a servant of His commandments. It belongs to a good Lord to provide everything that benefits the servant; but it belongs to a good servant to work faithfully and not to question the acts of his Lord, as Chrysostom says. Hence Augustine also says: 'Why He draws this one and does not draw that one, do not wish to judge, if you do not wish to err.' But as Prosper says: 'God does not draw the one who resists, nor does He compel the unwilling; but from an unwilling person, He makes a willing one, and He inclines the infidelity of the one who resists, so that the heart of the one who hears may rise up in obedience, born of the delight within him, where he was once pressed down; and he may wish for what he once did not wish for.' So says Prosper. Although the reason why He chooses one and passes over another cannot be specified in particular, except for His simple will, the cause for why some are chosen and others are rejected can well be assigned in general, on the part of God, so that God's mercy may appear in the chosen. In others, however, His justice appears; because just as it belongs to the glory of a king and the dignity of his kingdom not only to have a hall where noble knights are honored, but also a gallows where criminals are punished, so it belongs to the glory of God not only to reward the good, but also to punish the wicked. Since we have spoken about the calling of the humble, we now turn to the means of this calling. Christ is the mediator between God and humanity, and the proper order is for movement to proceed from one extreme to the other through a middle point; therefore, all grace flows to us through Christ. This is what He means when He says, "All things have been handed over to me by my Father," because according to His divine nature, Christ has His being from the Father, and consequently His power, even though He possesses the same being and power as the Father. Thus, all things were handed over to Him by the Father from eternity. According to His human nature, all things were placed under the authority of Christ and the Lord by God the Father. This happened in one way regarding authority, and so they were handed over to Him from the moment of His conception, because the very fact that human nature was united to the Word meant that all created things were handed over to Him. In another way, it concerns the effect, and so at the final judgment, all things will be placed under His feet, because then His will shall be perfectly fulfilled in all things. And because He is the same as the Father according to His divine nature, He adds: "No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son." Yet, this doesn't exclude the Holy Spirit, because the distinction is in essence, not in person; the Holy Spirit isn't of a different essence than the Father. And because Christ is the mediator between God and humanity, the knowledge of divine things flows to us through Christ. That is why He adds: "And to whom the Son chooses to reveal it." This doesn't mean that those to whom the revelation is made through the Son have the same comprehensive knowledge as the Son, for that is impossible for a creature; for that which is comprehended is known totally and perfectly. We must approach Jesus familiarly and securely, for His yoke is sweet. And because, as has been said, Christ is the mediator between God and humanity, it follows that we must approach Him familiarly and securely. Inviting us to this, He says: "Come," by believing and obeying—not with your feet, but with your character; not with your body, but with your faith. This is the spiritual approach by which everyone draws closer to God: to pray to me through faith, to accompany me through imitation, and to enjoy me through glorification. Come, therefore, you who are trapped, to me, the door of truth; come, you who are sick, to me, the physician of salvation; come, you who are shipwrecked, to me, the harbor of rest. It's a happy destination, but an unhappy starting point. That is why He says: 'All you who labor'—whether by the nature in which we are born, the guilt by which we transgress, or the punishment in which we die. Yet, He is speaking here specifically about the sorrow of those who do not believe and who worship idols. And yet, how the self-indulgent labor in their pleasures, the greedy in their desires, and the ambitious in their pursuit of status! You are burdened by a triple weight: the Old Law, the traditions of the Pharisees, and the slavery of the devil. O the admirable dignity of our God, O the ineffable love, O the sweet words, the deifying words! See how He invites His enemies, urges the guilty, and draws in the ungrateful. As Chrysostom says: 'He didn't say, "Come, you and you," but "All you who are in anxieties, who are in sorrows, who are in sins." He didn't say this to seek out your faults, but to resolve your sins. Come, not because I need your glory, but because I desire your salvation.' Therefore He says: 'I won't just unburden you; I will also refresh you with a triple food: namely, doctrine, the Eucharist, and glory.' Or I will refresh you—that is, with eternal refreshment; I will satisfy and recreate you with joy, both now through grace and in the future through glory. Chrysostom says the same: "He didn't just say 'I will save you,' but—which is much more—'I will refresh you,' meaning I will establish you in complete peace." Indeed, we must come to Him, for He is rest for those who labor, a lifter of burdens for those who are weighed down, and refreshment for the hungry and the failing; He who says of Himself: 'I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.' Bernard says: 'The world cries out, "I will fail you"; the flesh cries out, "I will destroy you"; Christ cries out, "I will refresh you": to whom will you go?' Therefore, cast off the yoke of the law, of sin, and of anxiety over temporal things, which are laborious and burdensome to you; and take it up in this way—that is, voluntarily accept the yoke, so called from 'joining.' It is the yoke, I say, of evangelical reading and instruction, because it joins Gentiles and Jews into one faith; the yoke of love and charity, because it joins men to God; the yoke of the cross or mortification, because it subjects the flesh to the spirit. He calls it 'my yoke' because He first bore it for us: first by teaching, second by loving, third by enduring. Take it upon yourselves so that you may fulfill it and hold it in honor, lest by chance, if you cast it down and despise it, you trample it under the feet of vices. Chrysostomus says: 'O most welcome burden, which strengthens those who carry it more!' For the burden of earthly masters gradually wears down the strength of those who serve; but the burden of Christ helps the one carrying it all the more, because we don't carry grace, but grace carries us; nor were we given for the aid of grace, but grace was given rather for our aid: so says Chrysostom. O, descend, humility. “And learn from me,” as the Master teaches by word and example, “because I am gentle”—outwardly in my conduct, inwardly in my affections, in my heart, and not feignedly for the sake of human praise; “I am gentle” because I harm no one, and “humble” because I despise no one. Behold three things to imitate: gentleness in conversation, humility in thought, and truth in intention—by which love is most of all generated, nourished, and preserved. It’s as if he were saying: “Learn from me that you should be gentle in your conduct, so that you despise no one; and in your heart, so that what is on the outside in your actions may also be on the inside in your heart, lest a serpent lie hidden under the guise of a dove.” It is right, therefore, that his yoke should be taken up, because he is gentle and humble; for one is more willing to be under the yoke of a gentle and humble Lord than under that of one who is rigid and proud. Consider here that the Lord, among all his other virtues, specifically directs us to humility so that we may learn it from him; for it is the root and foundation of all virtues. Hence Ambrose says: “He didn’t say, ‘Learn from me because I am powerful’; he didn’t say, ‘Learn because I am glorious,’ but: ‘Learn because I am humble’—which you are able to imitate.” And Augustine adds: “My brothers, this is our entire medicine: ‘Learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart.’” “Learn,” he says, “from me—not how to build the world, not how to create all visible things, not how to perform miracles in the world and raise the dead, but that I am gentle and humble in heart.” And Bernard adds: “What then of Christ, the author and giver of all virtues, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom?” “And knowledge are hidden; in whom the whole fullness of divinity dwells bodily?” Didn't He Himself boast of humility as the pinnacle of His teaching and all His virtues? 'Learn from me,' He says—not because I am sober, or prudent, or anything of that sort, but because I am gentle and humble in heart. 'Learn from me,' He says; I don't send you to the teachings of the Patriarchs or the books of the Prophets, but I offer myself to you as an example, I show you the very form of humility. I don't know how it is, but divinity is always accustomed to draw closer to humility. In the end, He clothed Himself in it so that He might appear to men; He bore a humble substance, form, and habit, commending to us the excellence of that virtue which He wished to honor with His own special presence. And Gregory says: “For this reason the only-begotten Son of God took on the form of our weakness; for this reason He appeared not only visible, but even despised; for this reason He endured the mockery of insults, the shame of derision, and the torments of suffering, so that God might teach man not to be proud.” How great, then, is the virtue of humility, for the sake of teaching which alone He who is immeasurably great became small, even to the point of suffering. Look, we know that He descended from the heights of His majesty to the depths, so that He might give glory to the human race. Because the devil's pride proved to be the origin of our ruin, God's humility was found to be the instrument of our redemption. Since our Redeemer rules the hearts of the humble, and Leviathan is called the king of the proud, we clearly see that pride is the most obvious sign of the reprobate, while the humility of the elect is its opposite. When it is known what a person has, it is discovered under which king they serve; for everyone carries a kind of title of their work, by which they easily show under whose authority as ruler they serve: so says Gregory. Cassiodorus says briefly: "There was as much humility in the holy Incarnation as there is in..." ...the incomprehensible majesty of the Godhead." Choose, therefore, to serve under the King of heaven rather than the prince of the world, and to serve under the power of God rather than that of man. To do this, consider this useful example. For when a certain soldier had served his lord—a certain Marquis—for a long time according to his will, he finally fell into the illness from which he also died. The Marquis visited him during his illness, showing he was ready to do anything he could for him, and even saying he wouldn't spare his own silver to meet his needs. The soldier thanked him, but told him that he couldn't help, because according to the doctors' judgment, he was going to die. Then the same soldier called together the nobles and others who were around the Marquis and warned them, saying: "My dear friends, you see that my lord the Marquis, whom I have served faithfully for so long, cannot help me now that I am in need, even if he wanted to. Since I have wasted my body, my time, and my service in vain—which I now regret—I ask and urge you to strive to serve such a Lord who will be able to help you in all your needs." Then the Lord adds the reward, saying: "And if you take up the yoke and learn by obeying, you will find rest for your souls," meaning both now and in the future; this rest begins here, but it will be perfected in our true home. Hence Chrysostom says: "He didn't just say 'you will find rest' and stop; he added 'for your souls,' because the commands of Christ are the rest of souls in this world, not of bodies." For even if they labor and are saddened in the body, they rest and rejoice in spirit and in hope. Therefore he says elsewhere: "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace; in this world, however, you will have tribulations." And so that no one might be terrified or afraid of the yoke of the Gospel law as if it were heavy and burdensome, and so that they might find rest for their souls under the Lord's yoke, he adds, saying: "My yoke is sweet"; but the yoke of the Law was heavy because of the multitude of its ceremonies, the severity of its judicial requirements, and the lack of justifying sacraments, but the yoke of the Gospel was not like that. Hence it also follows: "And my burden is light," because love is enough to lift this burden. Hence also Jerome: "Nothing is hard to those who love, no labor is difficult." Let us love Christ, and everything difficult will seem easy to us. Quintilian also says that there is no punishment unless you are unwilling; we have no pain except from impatience, and it's fear that makes something seem cruel. But the question is asked: how is the yoke of the Gospel sweeter than that of the Law, when in the Law adultery is punished, but in the Gospel, lust; and in the Law, murder is punished, but in the Gospel, anger? The answer, according to Jerome, is that the Law required works, whereas in the Gospel, a good will alone doesn't lose its reward. Again, why is the burden called light, when he said earlier that the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life? The answer, according to Augustine and Hilary, is that it's called a narrow or constricted way because it pinches at the beginning—for it's hard to abandon a habit—but in the course of time, it expands through the ineffable sweetness of love, just as it's hard to eat when your teeth are aching at first, but afterwards it becomes a delight. Therefore, fulfilling the Gospel is sweet and light for one who loves and possesses charity, or for one who is becoming accustomed to it in the process, or in view of the works of the Law, or in view of the expected reward. PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, through the holy preaching of your disciples, grant that I may be so taught by your grace that I do not [seek] in vanities or in anything else... ...but that I may take pleasure in boasting in your cross and in the things that stir up humility within me, rather than in those that bring me elevation and pride. May this holy Gospel teaching confirm and strengthen my heart forever in profound humility and in all virtues, so that, cleansed of vices and adorned with virtues, I may deserve to find rest for my soul in this present life and in the future. ...for my heart is restless until it rests in you, good Jesus. Amen. . Chapter 59: On the man beaten and wounded by robbers. Luke, chapter 10. 10. Christ can be seen in four ways, and in what sense he calls those who saw him blessed. And because the Lord Jesus had said that the mysteries of faith and the secrets of wisdom were hidden from the proud and revealed to the little ones, he subsequently—setting aside the blindness of the Jews—shows the illumination of the disciples, to demonstrate that they are the little ones to whom the Father has revealed the mysteries of his coming.^✦ So he calls them blessed, because in them was fulfilled what had been promised to the ancient fathers. “Blessed,” he says, “are the eyes that see what you see.” By this he calls them blessed because they merited to see the Lord Jesus both physically with their outward eyes and mentally with their inward eyes.^✦ Those who see Christ through a faith formed by love are blessed in hope; and if they persevere, they will be blessed in reality. I tell you that many prophets who were powerful in thought, and kings—or rather, just men powerful in holiness (whom Luke calls kings, but Matthew calls just men, because they are great kings who knew how to rule over the impulses of their temptations by not consenting to them, but by mastering them)—wanted to see what you see. You see, and they didn't; you hear what you hear, and they didn't. They longed to see and hear in the way the disciples saw and heard, but they didn't, because they didn't see Him in the flesh, though they did see Him spiritually; but the disciples saw Him in both ways. Outwardly, they saw His physical presence and miracles by observing them, and inwardly they saw the hidden divinity by understanding it; outwardly they heard His voice by grasping His teaching, and inwardly they heard Him by assenting through faith. Prophets and kings, looking from afar through figures or the forms of visions—as if through a mirror and in a riddle—saw and heard Christ through faith; but the disciples, having the Lord present and asking Him whatever they wanted, were taught by Him openly, not through angels or various forms of visions in a riddle. It doesn't bring blessing to those who saw Him only physically and not mentally through faith, like the Jews who remained unbelieving and, though they saw Him physically, didn't see Him with the eyes of the mind; therefore their eyes were not blessed but cursed. It does, however, bring blessing to those who saw Him through faith—not only by observing outward things, but also by understanding the hidden power of His divinity—whose interior eyes are blessed, and through whom they even deserved to see Him present. For the Apostles saw His gracious presence in the humanity He assumed; they saw the holiness of His life in His conduct; they saw His power in the work of miracles. They saw His glory in the Transfiguration. Blessed, too, are those who, though they didn't see Him in the flesh, have nonetheless seen and believed through faith and with the eyes of the mind, knowing that they will one day see Him as He is, face to face. Both are blessed through faith, and this in hope; but those who did not see have a more difficult assent, in which there is greater strength, while those who did see have a more immediate sight, in which there is greater delight. Here, according to Chrysostom, the truth of both Testaments is clear: what the fathers of the Old Testament foresaw and longed to see as a future event has been fulfilled in the New; and it was by the same Spirit and the same faith that the ancients saw the future. We believe that Christ, whom the Apostles saw present, has come, so that the same faith might be proven in us and in the fathers, and that the author of both Testaments was the same, not different, contradictory authors. And it should be noted that Christ is seen in four ways. First, with the bodily eye, just as He was seen in the flesh; yet this vision doesn't bring blessedness, because the Jews and unbelievers also saw Him in this way. Second, from this bodily vision arises in the mind a wondrous vision by which He is believed to be the Son of God; hence the saying: "Because you have seen me, Thomas, you have believed," that is, with the eye of the body you believed by seeing me with the eye of faith; this vision isn't yet blessedness, but a purchase of this blessedness, by which we merit blessedness. Third, from the vision of faith arises a vision by which Christ Himself is seen with the eye of intellectual contemplation; and this vision is already a participation in blessedness, and from it He is seen and cherished, for the Lord is sweet. The fourth vision is that by which He is seen as He is in the light of glory; this vision blesses the intellect, just as perfect love blesses our will. Then a certain expert in the Law appeared—someone who held to the words of the Law through literal knowledge rather than spiritual understanding, while remaining ignorant of the Law's true power. He stood up, either to be heard better or to appear righteous, testing Him not to learn, but to criticize, and said, "Teacher, what must I do to possess eternal life?" He calls Him Teacher, not Lord, because he wants to know, not to serve; he wants to hear, not to obey. He calls Him Teacher, yet he doesn't want to be His disciple; he represents those who praise the Saints, but don't imitate them. He's right to ask what he must do, because it isn't the hearers of the Law who will be justified, but the doers; and the kingdom of God isn't in talk, but in power. And the Lord said to him, "In the Law—that is, the divine Law—what is written?" "How do you read it?" That is, regarding the possession of eternal life; this divine Law is the law of laws, about which we will be questioned during the examination of the strict judgment, according to the Apostle's words: "Those who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law." We must therefore study this Law, so that we can answer for it, just like the righteous man of whom it is said in the Psalm: "And in His Law he will meditate day and night." But, as Jerome says, we love the decrees of emperors as if they were greater than the laws of Christ, while we treat the Gospels with contempt. And, according to Bede, this man asked about eternal life as a test, hoping to catch Him saying something against Moses; for this reason, Christ confounded him by answering with the words of Moses. In doing so, He showed that those who mock the Catholic faith are to be refuted by the very things they hold to without question—just as Jews are refuted by the Hebrew Scriptures, and Saracens by the law of Muhammad. He answered that he had read it, but hadn't yet put it into practice: "You shall love the Lord"—because He created you by His power; "your God"—because He taught you by His wisdom; "your own"—because He made Himself yours by His goodness and thus redeemed you; "with all your heart," that is, with all your will, because just as movement toward other parts of the body arises from the heart, so the will moves the powers of the soul; "and with all your soul," that is, with the sensitive appetite that is moved by the will. Therefore, the sensitive part can be understood here as the soul, according to what is written in Genesis: "He became a living soul," which, as the Gloss says, means giving animal or sensitive life to the body. "You shall love," and "with all your mind," that is, with all your intellect, which is also moved by the will to assent to the things of faith and to meditate on God, the Beloved; "and with all your strength," or with all your fortitude or virtue—which is the same thing—by which we note the motive and executive powers, which are also moved by the will to work from love, vigorously and not sluggishly. As Maximus says: "With this intention, therefore, the Law treats of the threefold love toward God, so that it may pull us away from the threefold habit of the world, by which one looks to possessions, to glory, and to pleasures, in which Christ was also tempted." It follows: "And your neighbor," that is, every human being, "as yourself," that is, with the same affection with which you love yourself; or, toward what you love yourself, namely, toward grace in the present and glory in the future. As Basil says: "The first and chief commandment of divine love is therefore this; the second, however, is the completion of the first and is completed by it, by which we are reminded to love our neighbor." Chrysostom also says: "But you, pay attention to how it demands both commandments with almost the same intensity." For regarding God, it says, "with all your heart"; regarding your neighbor, "as yourself." If this were carefully observed, there would be no slave or free person, no victor or defeated, no rich or poor; and the devil would never be known at all. For straw would sooner endure the fire than the devil could endure the fervor of charity, so completely does the constancy of love overcome all things. Hence Gregory also says: "But when it is said, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself,' how can one who still lives unjustly and is ungodly toward himself be pious in showing mercy to another?" You'll find more on this subject below, specifically on the Tuesday after Palm Sunday. The Lord said to him: 'You have answered correctly: do this,' that is, by loving God and your neighbor; and He says 'do,' because it's not enough to love unless that love is demonstrated in action, for the proof of love is the showing of it in deed. And you will live, that is, with eternal life; this...