and how the woman learned not only that she would bear two sons, but also that these would extend into nations, and that the lesser would rule over the greater. A And when, he says, the time for the birth approached, "The first came out red, like a skin, hairy; and he called his name Esau. And after that his brother came out, and his hand was grasping the heel of Esau; and he called his name Jacob." It is as if God were already showing, even from the very beginning, that according to what was said, the lesser would prevail over the greater. For, he says, he was holding the heel of Esau with his hand, which was a sign that he was struggling against the one who seemed to be stronger. And consider the divine Scripture with me, how, because of things that were to happen later, it already predicts and shows us from above and from the beginning the disposition of each; and that the one was occupied with hunting, but the other was a simple man, plain, dwelling in a house. Therefore Rebecca loved Jacob, but Isaac loved Esau, "because his hunting was food for him." See how they divided the children; and she, because she spent time at home and saw the simplicity of the child, showed more partiality toward him; but the father, both because he was the firstborn and because of the hunting, loved Esau. But these were doing these things following natural affection; yet the prophecy was gradually coming to pass, which said: "The greater will serve the lesser." For see immediately. "Jacob cooked a pottage; and Esau came from the field, failing. And Esau said to Jacob: Give me to taste of this red pottage, for I am failing." Therefore his name was called Edom. And Jacob said: "Sell me today your birthrights." But he says: "What is the use of these to me, if death is already overtaking me, if I do not partake of food?" And he also demands the oath, so that the surrender of these might be made firm for him. And he swore, he says, Esau.
B 2. Behold now, from this point the order was reversed, and the dignity of the firstborn passed to the one who shone with the virtue of the soul. "And Esau sold," he says, "the birthrights," instead of: he traded off for food the dignity that had been granted to him by nature; therefore he added, "And Esau despised his birthright"; he became ungrateful regarding the precedence that was preserved for him by his very nature. And all this was happening so that both his ingratitude might be shown, and the prophecy of God might come to pass. Hearing these things, let us be taught never to neglect the gifts from God, nor for the sake of small and worthless things to let go of the great ones. For for what reason, tell me, when the kingdom of heaven is set before us and those ineffable goods, have we gone mad with the desire for wealth, and do we prefer things that are temporary and often do not even remain with us until evening over those that are continuous and always remain? And what could be worse than this folly, when we are deprived of those things because of the desire for these things, and we have not even been able to enjoy these clearly? For what is the benefit, tell me, of great abundance? Or do you not know that the great addition of wealth works nothing else for us C but the addition of cares and distraction and sleeplessness? Do you not see that these are, so to speak, the slaves of all, those who are clothed with the most, and who every day are afraid of the shadows themselves? For from this are born plots, envy, great jealousy, and ten thousand other evils. And you could often see the one who has ten thousand talents of gold set aside envying the one who stands at the workshop and procures his food from the labor of his hands. What profit then, or what advantage, when we neither enjoy these, and because of the desire for them we are also deprived of the greater things? And what do I say of the greater things, when along with the evils here, we are also sent away from the loss of the goods there, and toward hell itself? And I do not yet speak of the ten thousand sins collected from here, the deceits, the slanders, the robberies, the greed. But even if someone were free of all these, though it would be difficult, and yet were clothed with so many things, becoming a slave to money and his own enjoyment, and not distributing with generosity to those in need, the fire of hell will await such a man. And this the parable set in the Gospel clearly teaches us, when he stood some on the right and others on the left; and said that the kingdom was prepared for some because of their care for those in need: "For come," he says, "you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." For what reason and for what cause? "For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat." And to the others, the eternal fire: "For go," he says, "from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels." D Great is the weight of the word; the Master of all and Creator says: "I was hungry, and you did not give me to eat." What soul would this not reach, even if it were made of stone? Your Master goes around hungry, and you indulge; and this is not the only terrible thing, but that you suffer to ignore him while you are indulging, and that, too, not needing anything great, but only a single loaf of bread, so as to alleviate his hunger. But he himself goes around shivering with cold, and you, clothed with the threads of the silkworm, do not turn back, nor show sympathy, but run past him mercilessly. And what sort of forgiveness could these things be worthy of? Therefore, let us not strive for this, to be clothed with more than everyone by any means, but let us consider how we might manage these things well, and comfort the need of those who are in want, and not fall from those goods that always remain, which admit of no change. For because of this the Master also made the day of our end uncertain to us, so that he might prepare us to be sober and watchful continuously, and by this more to stir us up toward the care of virtue. "For watch," he says, "for you do not know the day, nor the hour" (Matt. 25:13). But we do the opposite, and we sleep through everything, a sleep heavier than this natural one. For the one who sleeps this sleep is inactive toward both good and evil.
and does no evil: but we sleep a different sleep, sleeping to the works of virtue, and waking to the works of vice; strenuous in evil, slothful in good. And we do this while seeing every day many taken hence, and the great vicissitudes of others in the present life; and neither the great inequality of things is able to lead us to the love of virtue, nor does it dispose us to despise the present and desire the future, and to prefer the truth to dreams and shadows. For the present do not differ from shadows and dreams. Therefore, let us not deceive ourselves, nor follow shadows; but let us at last, even if late, have a care for our salvation, and pour out our wealth to the needy, that for these things we may deserve to receive a recompense from the merciful God: which may we all be granted to enjoy, by the grace and mercies of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor, now and always, and for ever and ever. Amen.
HOMILY LI
Facta est autem fames super terram, præter famem priorem, quæ fuerat tempore Abraham (Gen. xxvi, 1). Again, from the sequence of what was said before, I wish to offer instruction to your charity, so that you may clearly know where we left off the discourse, and from where it must be taken up today; for it will be worth the while to bring back to the memory of your charity the things that were spoken above. For although you, because you are distracted by many cares, have perhaps forgotten them, it is my duty to bring them back to your memory, so that the discourse to be delivered today may be clearer to you. For you know that we lately, in relating the piety of Rebecca, came from thence to Esau and Jacob, where it was narrated that Esau sold his birthright to Jacob, in order to enjoy food, and on account of the desire for food deprived himself of his honor. But this was not done rashly, but so that the prophecy might be fulfilled, which says: Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated (Malachi i, 2, 3). For since God is prescient of future things, He foretold both the virtue of the one and the wickedness of the spirit of the other. But what are those birthrights? Therefore, because then the time did not permit [me] to tell your charity, now it is necessary that I teach [you]. Among the ancients, the highest honor was [assigned to] the birthright: hence, moreover, it had the cause and origin of its honor. When God wished to liberate the race of the Israelites from the Egyptian, and to deliver them from the tyranny of Pharaoh according to the promise made to the patriarch, while the Egyptian at that time was struggling and wishing to detain them: after various plagues, He brought this last one upon them; almost compelling the Egyptians that with their own hands they should eject the race of the Israelites (Exodus xii). For He commanded that all the firstborn of the Egyptians be killed simultaneously: and you would have seen in every house wailing and tears; nor did they think the plague finished in this way, but from there they expected that death, which had begun, advancing, would reach everyone. And so, because in Egypt there was one death of all the firstborn, while the Israelites, relying on the divine grace, remained unharmed—by this also God showing His benevolence toward them—He commanded for the future that, on account of the slaughter of the firstborn of the Egyptians, the firstborn boys of the Jews should be offered to Him. Hence also the tribe of Levi was segregated for the priesthood, and from that time not only the firstborn of men were offered to God, but also of beasts, and in general of all things. And it was commanded that for men and unclean animals a price should be paid. Although this legislation regarding the firstborn was later: yet already before and of old they seemed to have some privilege, those who first opened the womb of the mother. This dignity, therefore, which Esau had by nature, he transferred to his brother on account of his intemperance. And the one lost what he had by nature: the other, moreover, received even what he did not have by nature. And because these things had been promised before by an oracle, therefore Rebecca, with a name bestowed upon him, called him Jacob: which, for certain, you can interpret as supplantation, just as Esau also, wailing after the blessings of his father, said: Justly was his name called Jacob: for he has supplanted me now a second time, and has taken my birthright, and now my blessing (Gen. xxvii, 36).
The imposing of proper names
See how great was the prudence of the men of old, or rather, how great was the wisdom of God, by which He brought it about that even women did not impose names upon the born rashly nor by chance, but gave names which would be a prediction of future things for their sons. And you will rarely find sons called by the same name as their fathers, or perhaps nowhere: but whether the mother or the father was about to impose a name upon the son, he imposed some rare and new one, so that through it he might foreshadow some future events. Thus also Lamech called his son Noe, saying: This one will make us rest (Gen. v, 29). Thus, if you examine the names one by one, you will find entirely in all of them something being insinuated, not as they do now, who are accustomed to name them from their parents rashly and as it happens by chance: but they looked entirely to this, that they might implant a perpetual memory in their sons through that naming. But let us now see, after the permutation of the birthright, what the blessed Moses again tells us about their father, and how, just as it was said about the patriarch, so also we read of this one, that when famine was encroaching he felt much care from God, both on account of his own virtue and on account of the promise made to the patriarch. 1. Facta est autem fames super terram, præter famem priorem, quæ fuerat tempore Abrahæ (Cap. xxvi). That you might not think he is speaking of that [previous] famine, for that reason he added: Beside the famine which was in the time of the patriarch, as if to say, another similar famine now came again upon the earth in the time of Isaac, such as it was in the time of his father. The penury of necessary things was locking everyone into extreme straits: and compelling them to migrate from their own and to cross to those places where they might find an abundance of necessary things. Whence, since
he also appeared to be thinking of setting out from there to Egypt— and that this is the case, hear the Scripture saying: A *And God appeared to him, and said, Do not go down into Egypt.* I do not wish you, He says, to make that long journey, but to remain here. Moreover, I do not even permit you to experience the distress, but I shall bring to effect the promise made to your father, and what was promised to him shall result for you; and you shall receive the completion of the promises made to him. *Do not go down into Egypt, but dwell in the land which I shall tell you, and be a sojourner in this land.*
2. B In order that the righteous man might not think that He commands this because He wishes him to experience the distress caused by the famine, and does not allow him to go into Egypt, He says: *Do not be anxious, nor worry, but remain here: For I shall be with you.* Having the provider of all good things, worry about nothing. For I, the Lord of all, shall be with you; and not only this, but I shall bless you—that is to say, I shall make you glorious, and I shall provide for you the blessing from Me. How might there be anything more blessed than this for the righteous man, having received such a great promise from God, that *I shall be with you, and I shall bless you*? This shall demonstrate that you are wealthier than all; this shall prepare you to exist in great abundance; this for you is the greatest glory; this is the unspeakable distinction; this is safety; this is the sum of good things—that I be with you and bless you. *And how shall I bless you?* To you and to your seed I shall give this land. C You think you are dwelling in these parts as a stranger and a vagrant; know that all this land shall be given to you and to your seed. And that you might have confidence, learn that *I shall establish the oath which I swore to Abraham, your father.* See the condescension of God. He did not say simply, "The covenants which I made with your father," nor "the promises which I pledged," but what? *The oath which I swore.* By an oath, He says, I confirmed him, and I am obligated to bring to effect and to fulfill My oath. Do you see the philanthropy of God? He does not speak looking towards His own dignity, but condescending to our weakness. For since men for the most part are eager to bring to effect not those things which they simply pledge to some, but whatever they promise with an oath, in the very same way also the God of all, assuring the righteous man that what is said by Him shall by all means come to pass, says: Know that what is sworn by Me must be brought to effect. D What then, he says? Did God swear? And by whom could He swear? Do you see that what was said was a matter of condescension? For He called the confirmation of the promise an oath. *And I shall establish, He says, My oath which I swore to Abraham, your father.* Then He teaches him also what the things are that He promised, and concerning what things He assured him. *And I shall multiply your seed as the stars of the heaven.* For this He was saying also to the patriarch, that *your seed shall be as much as the stars and the sand.* And I shall give, He says, to your seed all this land, *and in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.* And for this reason I shall fulfill towards you the promises that were made to him—because Abraham your father hearkened to My voice, and kept My commandments, and My statutes, and My laws.
See the wisdom of God, how He rouses the mind of the righteous man, and makes him more eager, and prepares him to become a follower of his own father. For if he, He says, because he hearkened to My voice, was deemed worthy of this promise, and because of his virtue I am going to fulfill these things towards you who are born of him, if you yourself also should become a zealous emulator of him, and should walk in his path, consider of what favor from Me you shall partake, and of how much providence you shall be deemed worthy. For he who is about to fare well due to the virtue of another, if he should also become virtuous himself, shall be deemed worthy of much greater guardianship. What is, *Because he hearkened to My voice, and kept My commandments, and My precepts, and My statutes?* I said to him: *Depart from your land and from your kindred, and come to the land which I shall show you;* and he left behind what was in his hands, and pursued the unknown. And he did not doubt, nor did he hesitate, but with all eagerness, fulfilling the command, he hearkened to My voice. Again, I promised him things beyond nature, and after he was past his prime, and no longer had, neither he nor your mother, any fitness for childbearing, hearing from Me that the seed from him would be extended to such a degree as to fill all the earth, not even then was he troubled in his mind, but he believed; for which also it was accounted to him for righteousness, because, having believed in My power and having trusted in My promises, he became superior to human weakness. And after you were born, when your mother was distressed regarding Ishmael, born of the bondwoman, and wishing to cast him out of the house with Agar, so that he might have nothing in common with you—with the patriarch already having a certain connection to him due to paternal affection—hearing from Me that you should do what seems good to Sarah, he forgot his natural affection, and cast out Ishmael with the bondwoman, and everywhere he hearkened to My voice, and kept My commandments. For indeed, lastly, having been commanded by Me to offer as a sacrifice the one given to him in his old age, the one so exceedingly beloved, he did not scrutinize the command, he was not troubled in his mind, nor did he communicate to your mother, nor to his servants, nor did he make manifest to you yourself what was to be done by him, but with a robust mind and a tightly strung eagerness he hastened to bring to effect My command; wherefore, having crowned his intention, I prevented the work from happening. Since, therefore, through all things he demonstrated much obedience and keeping of My commandments, for this reason I make him who is born of him the heir of the promises made to him.
3. Emulate, therefore, his obedience, and believe the things said by Me, that you may be deemed worthy of a much greater reward, both for the virtue of your father, and for your
HOMILY LI (continuation)
of your own obedience, and do not descend into Egypt, but remain here. Do you see the philanthropy of God, how by the mention of the virtue of this man's father he strengthened his mind? B 6. *And Isaac dwelt in Gerar.* See how he falls into almost the same dangers as his father. For when he had his dwelling in Gerar, 7. *The men of that place,* he says, *asked about Rebecca his wife, and he said, She is my sister; for he was afraid, lest they might kill him, being overcome by the beauty of the woman: Lest by chance,* he says, *the men of the place kill me because of Rebecca, for she was beautiful in appearance.* 8. *And he was there for a long time. And Abimelech looking out through a window saw Isaac playing with Rebecca his wife,* 9. *and he called him, and said to him: She is indeed thy wife. Why didst thou say, She is my sister?* After the just man is detected by conjectures, he no longer denies: but he confesses, and clearly brings forward the cause why he judged that she should be called his sister. For he said, he says, *Lest I should die because of her; the fear of death compelled me to do this.* Perhaps he had been taught that his father also had devised such a ruse to save his own life; whose way he himself also followed. But the king, still mindful of the things he had suffered in the time of the patriarch because of Sarah, immediately, accounting himself guilty because of the chastisement once sent, said to him: 10. *Why hast thou done this? It wanted little but that some one of my race should have lain with thy wife, and thou wouldst have brought ignorance upon us?* This deceit, he says, we suffered even before from thy father, and now if we had not looked ahead in time, we were going to endure the same, *And thou wouldst have brought ignorance upon us.* For indeed, both then we were about to sin through ignorance, and now also, because of ignorance, you would have almost been the cause that we should fall into sin. 11. And Abimelech charged all his people, saying: *Every one that toucheth this man and his wife, shall be guilty of death.* See the providence of God, see the ineffable care. For He who had said to him: *Do not descend into Egypt, and dwell in this land, and I will be with thee:* He it was who was dispensing all these things, and establishing the just man in such great security. C Consider, indeed, the king taking care that he should act there without fear, and be free from all concern. Death, he says, he threatened to all who should touch either him or his wife. For because this was the fear, namely of death, which had shaken his mind, for this reason also the compassionate Lord took care that it should be removed, so that afterwards he might act in complete security. And see a wondrous and astonishing thing, how, since He is expert and wise, He turns all things according to His own will, and finds a way in impassable places, consulting the salvation of His servants through those very things which appear most adverse. Hence it is that that king has such great care for the just man, as if preaching him to all the inhabitants of his city, and declaring how glorious he is, and worthy of highest honor, whom he also held in greatest esteem. Thus also Nebuchadnezzar, after he had cast those three youths into the furnace (Dan. 3:93), and had proved in fact the virtue of the captive youths, then he began to preach them, and everywhere made them illustrious by his tongue. For this is especially the great virtue of God, when He causes the servants of God to be celebrated by their enemies. And he who had ordered that furnace to be flared up with fury, since he saw through supernal aid the virtue of the youths overcoming the action of the fire, suddenly changed, cried out saying: *Servants of the most high God.* See, he not only preaches them as high, but also the Lord of all: *For servants,* he says, *of the most high God, come forth.* What has happened? Did you not deliver them to torment? Did you not order the furnace to be heated to such a degree? Truly, he says, but now I see wondrous and new things. For this element, having forgotten its own operation, as if bound by certain shackles, exhibited such obedience that it did not even touch their hairs. Whence we can see that the fact is above human nature, and that some ineffable and divine power works these things, and has such great providence for the youths. D Did you see the mercy of God, how, never abandoning His servants, He permits them to be cast into the furnace; but wishing to make them more glorious, and to demonstrate His own virtue, He softened the mind of the barbarian and showed such tolerance? For it was not so admirable if He had forbidden them from the beginning to be cast into the furnace: as it was done more admirably and rarely now, when, being in the midst of the fire, He permits them to suffer nothing disagreeable. For when He wills, He makes even those who are in the midst of perils and punishments more powerful: and He renders those who suffer superior to those who afflict them. This also came to pass in the apostles. For those who were urging them and bringing them into the midst, and were as it were gnashing their teeth against them, said among themselves: *What shall we do to these men* (Acts 4:16)? They had them in their hands, and hesitated within themselves what they should do with them. So great, and so powerful a thing is virtue, and so weak is malice, that the former, even if it suffers, conquers; the latter, indeed, even if it does something, gains nothing else than that it betrays its own weakness. Moral exhortation. Knowing these things, beloved, let us have a great regard for virtue, and let us flee from vices: so indeed we shall obtain for ourselves supernal grace, and we shall attain the promised goods: which may come to all of us, by the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, glory, power, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
HOMILY LII
*And Isaac sowed in that land, and found hundredfold barley in that year* (Gen. 26:12). a'. It is necessary for your charity to render the remains of what was said yesterday, and by resuming the series of the discourse, to see again how great supernal providence the just Isaac attained. For He who had forbidden his descent into Egypt, and had said: *Dwell in this land, and I will be with thee,* thus makes him illustrious through all things, so that before long he would become envious to the king of Gerar. When they saw his prosperity growing every day, they feared at last the man and his dwelling there, and [to] change from there was compelled. It is worthy that they also...