conciliabitur, B then He will grant petitions more readily, when you have prayed by yourself, when you have applied a pure mind, a vigilant reason, and have not prayed perfunctorily—as many do, whose tongue utters the words of prayer, but whose mind often wanders at home, in the marketplace, or on the road. This, in truth, is the Devil’s entire machinery. For since he knows that at that time we are able to obtain remission of sins, wishing to obstruct for us the harbor of prayer, he rises up at that time, pushing and drawing the mind away from the words, so that we may depart having suffered loss rather than having gained profit. Knowing these things, O man, when you approach God, consider to whom you are approaching; and it is enough for your vigilance that you trust in Him from whom you expect grace. Look into heaven, and consider whom you are addressing. For if anyone, when speaking to a man who is elevated even by a little in human honors, even if he should be the most negligent of all men, still altogether arouses himself and commands his mind to be vigilant; how much more, if we consider that we are speaking with the Lord of the angels, shall we take from this a sufficient argument for attention? C But if another method must be revealed, by which we shall be able to dispel this sloth, I would say this: Often we have finished our prayer, and have departed without having heard the things we were saying. If, therefore, we consider this, let us immediately resume the prayer; if that same thing happens again, even three or four times let us repeat it, and not depart from prayer before we have uttered the whole of it with a vigilant mind. If the Devil senses this—namely, that we do not depart before we have uttered it with zeal and a vigilant spirit—he will at last depart from his ambushes, knowing that nothing further will come of his ambushes than that he forces us to repeat the same prayer often. Beloved, we receive many wounds daily from family, from strangers, in the marketplace, at home, from public matters, from private ones, from neighbors, from friends. Let us apply the remedies of prayer to all those wounds at the time of prayer. For God is able, if we have approached with a vigilant mind, with an ardent spirit, and a fervent conscience, and have asked for forgiveness, to grant us remission of all our offenses; which may we all obtain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father be glory with the Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages. Amen.
DUBIOUS WORKS.
MONITUM
D This homily was first published by Jean-Baptiste Cotelier in the year 1661, in 4°, p. 41, and it is of a slightly better quality than the other on the Sixth Psalm which Cotelier himself first published. I would scarcely believe, however, that it is the true offspring of Chrysostom; for that writer is too jejune, yet abounding in exclamations and interjections, and it smells of something foreign. Tillemont, though hesitatingly, kept it among the
WORDS OF THE SAME ON DAVID THE KING, AND PAUL THE APOSTLE, CONCERNING REPENTANCE: AND ON VARIOUS PARTS OF THE PSALTER WHICH PERTAIN TO THE END OF CHRIST: AND THAT WE OUGHT NOT TO DESPAIR OF OUR OWN SALVATION
Just now you heard the psalmist David crying out: 2. "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your great mercy; and according to the multitude of your mercies, blot out my iniquity" (Ps. 50). And again, 12. "Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit within my breast," David cries. But why does the prophet say, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your great mercy"? Because where there is mercy, there salvation is free from judgment; where there is mercy, judgment does not sit; where there is mercy, accounts are not demanded. I desire to obtain mercy once: deliver me from my infirmity. And why does David cry, "Create a clean heart in me, O God"? He who had performed so many illustrious deeds, who had raised trophies, who had slain Goliath, and had strangled a lion, and who possessed such great liberty of the Holy Spirit, he says: "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your great mercy; and according to the multitude of your mercies, blot out my iniquity." When I was a farmer, you made me a king; having made me king, you appointed me a prophet; at the time of war you made me...
victorious, when you cast down Goliath, not by the strength of the body, but by the power of faith; you clothed me in purple, you cast out another, and brought me in to take his place; you gave me riches. "That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged." What sin had made old, grace has renewed. And what will you tell me, O prophet? "I will teach transgressors your ways, and the ungodly shall turn to you." Laying aside his kingdom, he speaks of his prophecy. Thus A have you honored me, that you have revealed your Son to me, and made him known to me. I have learned that you have a Son who is born of a woman; I have known that you have one who shares your throne. I have evangelized to the inhabited world the cross, the tomb, the descent, and the resurrection. I have spoken of his tribunal; I have spoken of the salvation of the nations; I have spoken of the election of the apostles; I have spoken of the rejection of the Jews; I have spoken of the calling of the Church; I have spoken of the choir of virgins; I have spoken of the seat at the right hand. For behold, you have manifested to me the hidden and secret things of your wisdom.
And where did he manifest these things? Hear the prophet himself speaking of his descent from heaven: "And he shall descend like rain upon a fleece." Since the Son of God, coming into the world, did not come shaking the inhabited world, nor sending forth lightnings, nor casting thunderbolts, nor in the nakedness of his divinity—for if he had presented his divinity naked, the mountains would not have borne it, the sun would have been extinguished. If he had shown his essence naked, the moon would have vanished, the earth would have perished, the nature of all of us would have withered. For this reason, he came quietly and without noise, with no one knowing; but quietly he came, and entered a virginal womb. B O new and paradoxical things! The stone dissolves, but the womb does not dissolve. The mountains are destroyed, but the womb carried God. How shall I interpret? How shall I present this? Oh, the folly of the blasphemer! How did the handmaid carry God? You who examine things above, speak of the things below. How was he who is present everywhere in a womb, and yet in heaven? But as for me, I know that he was seated on the throne, and yet dwelt in the womb of the virgin; but the "how," I do not know. I accept it by faith, I do not inquire into it by argument. But because he was seen, because he intends to be present—not disturbing, not causing tumult, not destroying, nor being dissolved—"And he shall descend like rain upon a fleece."
You have spoken of the kingdom, you have also spoken of his betrayal: "He that eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me." Speak also of his tribunal: "Why did the nations rage, and the peoples imagine vain things?" Speak also of the cross: "They pierced my hands and my feet, they numbered all my bones." Speak also of the gall: "They gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." Speak also of his anointing: "You have anointed my head with oil." Speak also of his baptism: "He has nurtured me by the water of refreshment." Speak also of his mysteries: "You have prepared a table before me in the presence of those who afflict me." Speak also of his cup: "Your cup, which inebriates me, is as the best." Speak also of the rejection of the Jews: "I will not accept calves from your house, nor he-goats from your flocks." Speak also of the railings by the Jews: "He trusted in the Lord, let him deliver him, let him save him, because he desires him." Speak also of the salvation of the nations: "Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance." Speak also of his tomb: "For you will not leave my soul in hell, nor will you give your holy one to see corruption." C Speak also of his ascension into the heavens: "God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the voice of a trumpet." Speak also of the election of the apostles: "Instead of your fathers, sons have been born to you." Speak also of the choir of virgins: "Virgins shall be brought to the king after her." Speak also of the calling of the Church: "The queen stood at your right hand, clothed in gold-embroidered vesture, adorned." Speak also of his seat at the right hand: "The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet."
O David, you have announced the whole prophecy, and what do you say? "Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit in my inward parts." You are a king; you are surrounded by a diadem, you are clothed in purple. But he says: "These are leaves, and night, and a dream. I seek that beauty. Give me the Holy Spirit, so that you may speak to me again, and I may speak to you." For the Spirit has departed from me, just as a dove seeing mud. I wish for it to return. "Then I will come and appear before your face." I cannot bear it, because I have lost my boldness. Do you see? David confessing to God. See what a great evil sin is. And what sin? Adultery and murder and transgression of the law, a setting aside of the words of God. And in saying these things I do not accuse the prophet, but I proclaim his swift repentance. But it was fitting for the prophet to fulfill what was written: "Tell you your sins first, that you may be justified"; for this is what justified him, when he said: "I have sinned against the Lord." But the prophet Nathan came and said: "And the Lord has taken away your sin." The sin is fleeting, the confession is more fleeting. For because he sinned against the wife of Uriah, he was overcome by sin, and having written a psalm, he said: "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your great mercy." And through the *entirety* of his confession he received the washing away of all his sin.
But Paul also, how was he shown mercy? "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" O the philanthropy of the Master! To a man he says: "Why do you persecute me?" He imitates his own Father. For he also discourses with the Hebrew people: "My people, what have I done to you, or wherein have I wearied you? Answer me." His Son said: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" What then, Paul? "Who are you, Lord?" O wise servant! He immediately confessed the sovereignty, saying: "Who are you, Lord?" The Lord said to him: "I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute; but rise, go into Damascus, and there it shall be told you what you must do." And he who was once a wolf, is now a sheep; he who was once a persecutor, is now an evangelist; he who was once a weed, is now wheat; he who was once a pirate and a sinker of ships, is now a pilot of the people; he who was once ravaging the Church, is now D entrusted with it; he who was once cutting the vines, is now become a vine-dresser; he who was once lead, is now become gold. And you too, beloved, if you hear that the clamor of sins is great, you immediately hear: "But great is the philanthropy of the Master." For God became man, and entered into a virginal womb, and came. And whom did he call? The Magi. After them, whom?