and you do not suffer any harm from them, as they themselves have been entrusted to God. For if He saw fit to grant a voice to an ass, and through a soothsayer bestowed spiritual blessings, and operated within the mouth of a brute and the impure tongue of Balaam A for the sake of the Jews who were offending, much more, for your sake—you who are grateful and upright—even if the priests are extremely wicked, will He perform all His own works, and send the Holy Spirit. For it is not the one who is pure that draws Him down by his own purity, but it is grace that accomplishes everything. For "all things," he says, "are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas" (1 Cor. 3.22). For what is entrusted to the priest, it is God's alone to bestow; and wherever human philosophy may reach, it will appear inferior to that grace. And I say this, not so that we might dispose our life sluggishly, but so that, when some of our leaders are slothful, you who are subjects may not often heap up evils for yourselves. B And why do I speak of priests? Neither an angel nor an archangel can do anything regarding the things given by God, but the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit dispense all things; the priest merely lends his own tongue and provides his own hand. For it was not just that those who approach the symbols of our salvation with faith should be harmed by another’s wickedness. Knowing all these things, then, let us fear God, and hold His priests in honor, bestowing upon them every honor, so that both for our own righteous deeds and for the reverence shown to them, we may receive a great recompense from God, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory forever and ever. Amen.
HOMILY XXXIX
C That God has given us many ways to avoid sin, if we be willing; and that whoever intends to attain the kingdom of heaven must keep all the commandments; and that to one who succeeds in some but transgresses in others, it is in Gehenna that the difference compared to others is to be known.
Once again I am compelled, beloved, to accuse the present state of affairs. And what am I to do? I did not wish to, but I am compelled. For if it were possible, by keeping silence and saying nothing, to erase the things that have happened, one ought to be silent; but since the opposite occurs (for not only is it not erased by our silence, but it becomes worse), it is necessary to speak. For he who accuses those who sin, if nothing else, at least does not allow them to proceed further. For there is no soul so shameless and bold as, when it constantly hears itself being rebuked by some, not to feel shame, and not to abate its great wickedness. For there is, there is indeed, some small sense of shame even in the shameless; for God has implanted shame in our nature. Since, therefore, fear was not enough to D regulate us, He prepared many other ways of not sinning; for instance, the being accused by a man, the fearing of the established laws, the longing for glory, the claiming of friendships; for all these are ways of not sinning. For often that which was not done for God's sake, was done for fear of men. For this is what is sought: first to learn not to sin, then to do this for God's sake—we shall succeed in that later. Since why does Paul, when exhorting those who are to overcome their enemies, not urge them from the fear of God, but from the expectation of vengeance? For by doing this, he says, "you will heap coals of fire upon his head" (Rom. 12.20). For a time, he desires this, that virtue be achieved.
What, therefore, I was saying: there is something susceptible to shame within us. We have many natural goods toward virtue; for instance, we are all human beings naturally moved to show mercy, and there is nothing else so good in our nature as this. Whence one might reasonably inquire why this above all is implanted in our nature—to be moved to tears, to be softened, to be ready to act. No one is naturally idle, no one is naturally vainglorious, no one is naturally superior to pride, but showing mercy is inherent in all by nature, even if one be cruel, even if one be harsh. And what is wonderful? We show mercy even to beasts; so abundantly is mercy implanted in us. If we see a lion's whelp, we are moved, and yet much more for one of our own kind. See how many are maimed? And this is sufficient to lead us to mercy. Nothing pleases God so much as almsgiving. Wherefore the priests were anointed with it, as were the kings and the prophets; for they had the oil as a symbol of God's loving-kindness. Again they were taught that the ruler must have more mercy; it signified that the Spirit also was to come upon man for the sake of mercy. Since God shows mercy to men and is kind, for this reason they were anointed with oil. For He made the priesthood out of mercy; and kings were anointed with oil. "For you show mercy," he says, "to all, for you can do all things." And if one were to praise a ruler...
he would say that nothing is so fitting for him as mercy: for this is the proper quality of rule, to show mercy. Think of how the world was established through mercy, and imitate the Lord. The mercy of a man is toward his neighbor; the mercy of the Lord is upon all flesh. Whether you speak of sinners or of the just, we all have need of the mercy of God; we all share in it, whether it be Paul, or Peter, or John. And listen to them saying: "There is no need of our own words." For what says that blessed one? "But I obtained mercy, because I did it in ignorance." And listen to what he says: "I labored more than them all, yet not I, but the grace of God with me." And concerning Epaphroditus he says: "For he was indeed sick unto death; but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but also on me, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow." And again: "We were pressed beyond measure, above strength, so that we were weary even of living. But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, who delivered us from so great a death, and will deliver us." And again: "I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion, and the Lord will deliver me." And everywhere you will find him boasting of this, that he was saved by mercy. Peter, too, was such a man because he had obtained mercy; for listen to Christ saying to him: "Satan desired to sift you as wheat; but I prayed for you, that your faith should not fail." And John was such a man in mercy, and all of them without exception; for listen to Christ saying: "You did not choose me, but I chose you." For we all have need of the mercy of God: "For the mercy of God," he says, "is upon all flesh." If indeed they stood in need of the mercy of God, what would you say of the rest? For whence, tell me, does He make the sun to rise upon the good and the evil? And what if He were to withhold the rain for only one year, would He not destroy all things? And what if there were an excessive force of showers, a vast deluge? Or what if He sent flies? But why do I say this? If He were to do what He did of old, would not all perish? "What is man, that you are mindful of him?" Now it may be said opportunely: If He were only to threaten the earth, all would become one tomb. "As a drop of water from a bucket," he says, "so are the nations in His sight; they shall be considered as spittle, as the moment of a balance." As it is easy for us to move a scale, so is it for Him to destroy all things and to create them anew. He, therefore, who has such power over us, and sees us sinning every day, and does not punish, does He not tolerate us out of mercy? For even the dumb animals are there by mercy: "You shall save both men and animals, O Lord." He looked upon the earth and filled it with living creatures. Why? For your sake. But why did He make you? For His goodness. Nothing is better than oil; it is the cause of light, and there likewise it is the cause of light. "And your morning light shall arise," says the prophet, B if you show mercy to your neighbor. And just as this oil contains the light, so mercy there bestows upon us a light great and wonderful. The principle of this mercy was of great importance to Paul: for listen to him saying: "Only that we should remember the poor." And elsewhere: "If it be worthy that I also go." And everywhere you see him solicitous about this. And again: "Let our people also learn to excel in good works." And again: "For these things are good and profitable to men." Listen also to another saying: "Alms deliver from death." If, however, you should take away mercy, O Lord, who shall stand? "And if You enter," he says, "into judgment with Your servant." "A great thing is a man, and a precious thing is a merciless man." For this is what a merciful man is; and indeed, this is what God is: to show mercy. Do you see how great is the power of the mercy of God? He did all these things, He created the world out of goodness alone. Therefore He even threatened hell, that we might obtain the kingdom; and we obtain the kingdom through mercy. For why, when only He existed, did He make so great a number? Was it not because of His goodness? Because of His loving-kindness? If you ask why this and that, you will find goodness everywhere. Let us, therefore, show mercy to our neighbor, that we may obtain mercy ourselves. For we are not gathering this mercy for them so much as for ourselves on that day, when the flame of fire will be vehement; by this mercy it extinguishes the fire, and it is for us the cause of light; thus through it we shall be delivered from the fire of hell. For whence is one moved to compassion? Mercy is born of charity. Nothing so irritates God as to be unmerciful. And further, as we have five senses, and it is right to use all of them, so it is with all the virtues. If anyone should be temperate, but unmerciful; or unmerciful, but rapacious; or should abstain from what is another's, but not distribute his own: all is done in vain. For one virtue alone does not suffice to lead us with confidence to the tribunal of Christ, but there is need of many and various and manifold virtues, and of all of them. For listen to Him saying to His disciples: "Go, teach all nations, teaching them to keep all things whatsoever I have commanded you." And again: "Whoever shall break one of these least commandments, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven"; that is, in the resurrection. For he shall not enter into the kingdom; for He is wont to call the very time of the resurrection the kingdom. If he shall break one, He says, he shall be called least. Therefore we must keep all things. And see how it is not possible to enter without alms, but if that alone is lacking, we shall depart into the fire: for He says, "Depart, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Why, and for what reason? "Because I was hungry, and you did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and you did not give me to drink." Do you see how, being accused of no other sin, they perished for this alone? And the virgins were for this reason only thrust from the bridal chamber, although they kept charity. "Follow peace," he says, "with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." Think, therefore, that without
A chastity one cannot see the Lord; and yet, you cannot see Him by chastity alone; for often something else has hindered. Again, if we do everything correctly, but offer no help to our neighbor, nor enter into the kingdom (Jas. 2:10). Whence is this manifest? From those servants to whom the talents were entrusted: for there the virtue was entirely sincere, and nothing lacked; but because he had become slothful in working, he was justly cast out. One can fall into hell even from reviling alone; for he who says to his brother, he says, "You fool," shall be in danger of the hell of fire (Matt. 5:22). And if one has achieved everything, but was an insulter, he shall not enter. And let no one accuse God of cruelty if he casts out of the kingdom of heaven those who have slipped in this way. For if among men, even if someone has committed any of the forbidden things, he has fallen from the sight of the king, even if he has transgressed one of the established laws; if he has slandered while accusing, he has lost his authority; if he has committed adultery and is caught, he has become unworthy; even if he has achieved ten thousand things, he perishes; and if he has committed murder and is shown to be such, this alone is enough to destroy him; if the laws of men enjoy such strictness, much more so the laws of God. But He is good, you say. How long shall we utter this foolish speech? I said foolish, not because He is not good, but because we think His goodness is useful to us for these things, although we have discussed this many times. For hear the Scripture saying: "Do not say, His mercy will propitiate the multitude of my sins" (Eccl. 5:6). It does not forbid us to say, "His mercy is great"; it does not exhort to this, but He wants us also to say this continuously, and for this reason Paul moves everything; but because of what follows: do not on this account, he says, wonder at God’s philanthropy, as to sinning and saying, "The multitude of my sins will propitiate." For this reason we discuss so many things about goodness, not that we, emboldened by this, may do everything—since goodness would be to the detriment of our salvation—but that we may not despair in our sins, but repent. For the kindness of God leads you to repentance, not to greater wickedness; but if you become depraved because of the kindness, you are rather slandering it before men (for I see many accusing the long-suffering of God), so that you shall pay the penalty, not having used it as is necessary. God is a philanthropist, but also a just judge; He forgives sins, but He renders to each according to his works; He overrides injustices, He removes iniquities, but He also conducts an examination. How then are these not contrary? They are not contrary, if we distinguish them by the times. He removes iniquities here both through the laver and through repentance; He conducts an examination of what has been done there through fire and torments. If therefore, even if I have worked ten thousand evils, he says, and I am cast out by one of them, and fall from the kingdom, for what reason do I not work all evils? The speech of an ungrateful servant, but nevertheless we shall solve even this argument. Do not work evils, in order that you may benefit yourself. For we shall all equally fall from the kingdom, but in hell we shall not all pay the same penalty, but one will pay a greater, another a milder one. For if you and he have despised, both he who did many things and he who did few, you shall equally fall from the kingdom; but if you have not despised equally, but one more and the other less, you will perceive the difference in hell. Why then, he says, does He threaten those who have not given alms B that they will go into the fire, and not simply into the fire, but into that which is prepared for the devil and his angels? For what reason and why? Nothing so provokes God, but He places this before all terrible things. For if one ought to love enemies; he who destroys even his friends, and is inferior in this to the Greeks, what punishment will he not be worthy of? So that here the magnitude of the sin made him go with the devil. For woe to him who does not do alms. And if this was so under the Old Testament, much more so under the New; if where the possession and enjoyment and care of wealth were allowed, such great concern was made for the assistance of the poor; how much more where we are commanded to cast away everything? For what did they not do there? They provided tithes, and again tithes, they were there for orphans, widows, and proselytes. But someone, admiring a certain person, said to me, "So-and-so gives tithes." How much of shame this contains, if, when it was not a wonder among the Jews, this has become a wonder among Christians! If then there was danger in neglecting tithes, consider how much it is now. Drunkenness again does not inherit the kingdom. But what is the speech of the many? Therefore, if I and he are in the same things, small is the consolation. What then? For the most part, you and he shall not enjoy the same punishment; but also, this is not a consolation. For then the community of sufferings has consolation, when the terrible things are commensurate; but when it exceeds and makes us frantic, it no longer allows one to receive consolation. For tell the one who is being tortured, and has entered into the pyre, that "So-and-so also suffers this"; but he will not even perceive the consolation. Did not all the Israelites perish together? What consolation did this bring to them? Did not this very thing grieve them more? Therefore they said, "We have perished, we are destroyed, we are dying" (Num. 17:12). What then is this consolation? Vainly we console ourselves with these hopes; one only consolation is there, not to fall into that unquenchable fire; but having fallen, it is not possible to obtain consolation, where is the gnashing of teeth, where is the weeping, where is the undying worm, where is the fire unquenchable. For tell me, will you imagine any consolation at all, being in affliction and tribulation? For you will be in yourself from then on. Do not, I beg and implore, let us deceive ourselves in vain, and console ourselves with these words, but let us do those things which will be able to save us. Is it proposed to sit with Christ, and do you quibble about these things? For if there were no other sin, for these words how much punishment would you need to undergo, because we are so slothful, because we are so miserable and relaxed, as, with such honor proposed, to say these things? But when you consider then those who have succeeded, do you not melt away more? When you see those from slaves and from the ignoble who have labored little here, and are partaking of the royal throne there, will not these things be worse for you than the punishment? For if even now, seeing some prospering, although suffering nothing bad, you are destroyed by this alone worse than any punishment, and you mourn and weep for yourself, and judge yourself worthy of ten thousand deaths, what will you undergo then? If there were no hell, would the very thought of the kingdom not be sufficient to destroy and ruin?