A uno tropæo pro pietate erecto, una etiam justitiæ corona exornati sunt, in Christo Jesu Domino nostro, cui gloria et imperium in sæcula sæculorum. Amen.
HOMILY XX. De Humilitate
1. Would that man had remained in the glory which he had with God, and possessed a sublimity not feigned, but true: rendered noble by the power of God, illuminated by divine wisdom, and gladdened by eternal life and its blessings. B But since he changed the desire of the divine glory, and hoping for something greater, and hastening to grasp what he could not obtain, he lost what he was able to have; the greatest salvation for him, and the remedy for his disease, and the return to his former state, is to be humble, and not to imagine for himself any apparatus of glory, but to seek it from God. For thus will he correct his error, thus will he remedy the disease, thus will he return to the sacred commandment which he abandoned. C But the devil, who cast man down with the hope of false glory, does not cease to provoke him with the same incitements, and to contrive innumerable machinations for this. And indeed he shows him an abundance of riches as a great thing, so that he may be puffed up by it, and place his endeavor in this; which, however, contributes nothing to glory, but rather leads to great danger. For the acquisition of money is indeed the matter of avarice, but the possession of it contributes nothing to good repute; nay, rather, it blinds one in vain, puffs one up to no purpose, and produces in the soul a passion not unlike some inflammation. For a tumor in inflamed bodies is neither healthy nor useful, D but rather diseased, harmful, the origin of danger, and the cause of destruction. Such, too, does pride do in the soul. For elation is not born of money alone; nor do men become proud only because of money, by means of pretentious living and clothing, setting before themselves tables more sumptuous than necessity requires, and delicate ones at that, putting on unnecessary garments, building large houses and decorating them with variety, and dragging behind them a huge crowd of attendant servants and countless sycophants; but they are also lifted up beyond their nature by elective dignities. If the populace gives a title, if it grants some right of presidency, and decrees for him a dignity of preeminence; and there, indeed, as if exceeding human
nature, they think that they are almost riding upon the very clouds, considering the men subject to them as a footstool, and uplifting themselves as the authors of the dignity conferred upon them, and growing insolent against those by whose labors they seem to be certain extraordinary men. They act in a matter full of madness, possessing a glory weaker than a dream, and being clothed in a brilliance more empty than nocturnal visions: a glory which is, forsooth, forged by the nod of the populace, and dissolved by the nod of the same. Of such kind was that madman, the son of Solomon, young in age, and still younger in wisdom of mind, who, when the people sought a milder rule, threatened them more harshly, and through his threats lost the kingdom, from which he had hoped that he would reign more augustly; hence he was cast down from the dignity he held. Moreover, both the strength of hands, and the speed of feet, and the beauty of the body render a man insolent: things which are abolished by diseases and consumed by time; nor does he notice that *all flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower falleth.* Such was the arrogance of the giants on account of their might and strength, such too was the pride of that foolish Goliath, hostile to God. Such also was Adonias, glorying in his beauty, and Absalom, proud in the length of his hair.
2. Moreover, what among other goods available to men is deemed to be the greatest and most constant, namely wisdom and prudence, even this possesses a B vain elation, and prepares a height that is not true when there is no account taken of these things, if the wisdom of God is lacking. For the artifice applied against man turned out ill for the devil himself; and what he had plotted against man, he constructed, unknowingly, against himself: for he did not so much harm him, whom he had hoped to alienate from God and eternal life, as he betrayed himself, having become a deserter from God and sentenced to eternal death. And by the snare which he laid for the Lord, he himself was caught, crucified on that cross on which he thought he would crucify, and dead by that death by which he hoped the Lord would be slain by him. But if the prince of the world, that first and greatest and invisible master of worldly wisdom, is caught by his own artifices, and is reduced to extreme folly, much more are his disciples C and emulators, even if they use countless sophistical tricks, *professing themselves to be wise, become fools.* Pharaoh employs evil arts to destroy Israel; but he does not notice that his own craftiness would be in vain from where he expected nothing of the sort. And the infant, exposed to death by his order, is secretly nourished in the royal house: who even D
A regarding the whole nation’s power having been overturned, was to have led Israel into safety. But Abimelech, that murderer, the bastard son of Gideon, who had slain his seventy legitimate sons and had thought that this was wisely devised to secure the kingdom, crushes those who became his accomplices in the murder, and is in turn crushed by them; and at last he perishes by the hand of a woman and the blow of a stone. And all the Jews devised a destructive plan against the Lord, saying to themselves: If we let him go thus, all will believe in him; and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation. B Coming from this plan to the killing of Christ, intending to save the nation and the country, they perished by the very things they devised; and they were uprooted from the country and became estranged from the laws and the worship of God. And in short, one might learn from ten thousand examples that the advantage of human wisdom is rotten, and small and humble rather than great and lofty.
3. Therefore, let no one who is wise pride himself, neither on his own wisdom, nor on the other things aforementioned, but he shall obey the excellent admonition of Blessed Anna and the prophet Jeremiah: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, and let not the mighty man glory in his might, and let not the rich man glory in his riches. But what is the true boasting? And in what is a man great? In this, he says, let him that glories glory in this, that he understands and knows that I am the Lord. C This is the height of man, this is glory and greatness, to know truly what is great, and to cling to it, and to seek the glory which is from the Lord of glory. The Apostle also says: He that glories, let him glory in the Lord, saying that Christ was made for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption; that as it is written, He that glories, let him glory in the Lord. For this is indeed the perfect and complete boasting in God, when one is not lifted up because of his own righteousness, but knows that he is indeed destitute of true righteousness, but is justified by faith alone in Christ. And Paul boasts in having despised his own righteousness, and in seeking that which is through Christ, the righteousness from God D based on faith, that he might know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, if by any means he may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Here has fallen the whole height of pride. There is nothing from which you can glory.
A Nothing is left for you, O man, for vainglory, since boasting and hope are in the dead; you ought instead to mortify all that is your own and seek the life that is to come in Christ, of which already having the first-fruits, we are even now in these things living entirely by grace and the gift of God. And it is God who is the one working in us both to will and to work for the sake of His good pleasure. God reveals His own wisdom, which He foreordained for our glory, through His own Spirit. God grants strength in labors. "I labored more abundantly than they all," says Paul, "yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me." God delivers us from dangers beyond all human hope. "We ourselves," he says, "have had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver," in whom we have hoped that He will also still deliver us.
4. What then, I ask, do you give yourself airs, as if from your own good deeds, when you ought to give thanks for the gifts received to the One who gave them? "For what do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?" It was not you who knew God through your own righteousness, but God knew you through His own goodness. "Knowing God," he says, "or rather being known by God." It is not you who laid hold of Christ through virtue, but Christ laid hold of you through His coming. "I press on," he says, "if I may also lay hold of that for which I have been laid hold of by Christ." "You did not choose Me," says the Lord, "but I chose you." B But because you have been honored, are you high-minded and do you take mercy as an occasion for pride? And then you shall know yourself, who you are—as Adam cast out of paradise, as Saul forsaken by the Spirit of God, as Israel cut off from the holy root. "By faith," he says, "you stand; do not be high-minded, but fear." Judgment follows grace, and the judge will examine how you used what was granted. But if you do not even understand this, that you have obtained grace, but mistakenly imagine your own virtue to be grace out of excessive dullness, you are not superior to the blessed Apostle Peter. For you will not be able to follow the Lord with greater love than he who loved so vehemently that he even wished to die for Him. But because he spoke with a more haughty spirit when he said, "Even if all are offended in You, yet I will never be offended," he was surrendered to human cowardice and fell into denial, being disciplined by the transgression toward caution D and taught to spare those who are weak.
A in order that he might learn his own weakness and know clearly that just as he was lightened by the right hand of Christ when he was sinking in the sea, so also, having been in danger of perishing through unbelief during the swell of offenses, he was protected by the power of Christ, who also foretold to him what was about to happen, saying: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." Thus Peter, having been reproved and justly aided, was trained to cast away arrogance and to spare the weak. But that Pharisee, who was grave and exceedingly arrogant, who was not only emboldened in himself but also disparaged the tax collector before God, lost the boast of righteousness B because of the crime of arrogance. And the tax collector went down justified before him, because he gave glory to the holy God and did not even dare to look up, but sought only propitiation, being an accuser of himself both in his appearance and by the beating of his breast, and in seeking nothing else but propitiation. See, therefore, and guard yourself against the example of grievous loss due to arrogance. He suffered the loss of righteousness by being arrogant; he lost his reward by being bold; he was humbled below the lowly and the sinner, having magnified himself above him, and not waiting for the judgment from God, but bringing forth his own. Do you, however, never exalt yourself against anyone, not even against those who are great sinners. Often humility delivers the one who has sinned C much and grievously. Do not, therefore, justify yourself above another, lest, having been justified by your own verdict, you be condemned by that of God. "I do not judge myself," says Paul. "For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby justified. It is the Lord who judges me."
5. Do you think you have achieved some good? Give thanks to God, and do not exalt yourself against your neighbor. "Let each one test his own work," he says, "and then he will have his boast in himself alone, and not in another." For what have you profited your neighbor by having confessed the faith, or having endured exile for the name of Christ, or having persevered in the labors of fasting? The gain is not another's, D but your own. Fear to become like the fall of the devil, who, having been exalted against man, was brought down by man and has been delivered to be trampled as a footstool by the one he had trampled. Such also is the fall of the Israelites. For as they exalted themselves against the Gentiles as if they were unclean, they themselves became truly unclean; but the Gentiles have been made clean.
A And the righteousness of the former has become like a cast-off rag, while the iniquity and impiety of the Gentiles has been wiped away through faith. In general, remember the true proverb: *God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.* Keep also the Lord’s saying ready: *Everyone who humbles himself will be exalted, and he who exalts himself will be humbled.* Do not be an unjust judge of yourself, nor weigh things with partiality. If you think you have any good in you, do not count this up while willfully forgetting your transgressions; do not become puffed up over what you achieve today, B while granting yourself forgiveness for what you did poorly in the past. But when the present makes you proud, summon to mind your old way of acting, and your foolish swelling will cease. And if you see your neighbor sinning, take care not to consider only his sin, but reflect also on how many things he has done or does well; you will often find him better than yourself if you examine all things and do not judge partially. For God, too, does not judge man partially: *For I come*, he says, *to gather their works and their thoughts.* And when he once rebuked Jehoshaphat for his sin regarding the partnership, he also remembered the things accomplished by him, saying: *Nevertheless, good things have been found in you.*
6. Let us always sing these and similar things to ourselves, humbling ourselves so that we may be exalted, imitating the Lord, who descended from heaven to the lowest C humility, and conversely, was raised from humility to the high status that was his due. For we find that all the Lord’s deeds instruct us in humility. Being an infant, he lay immediately in a cave, and not even in a bed, but in a manger. He was in the house of a carpenter and a poor mother, subject to his mother and her betrothed; he was taught, hearing things of which he had no need, yet he questioned them, and through questioning, was admired for his wisdom. He was subjected to John, and the Master received baptism from the servant; he resisted none of those who rose up against him, nor did he exercise the ineffable power he possessed; but he gave way as if to more powerful persons, and allowed the temporary authority to have the power that belonged to it. He was made to stand before the high priests in the form of one on trial, D and was led to the governor, and underwent judgment; and though he could have refuted his slanderers, he bore their slanders in silence. He was spat upon by slaves and the most contemptible little servants, was delivered to death, and that death among
men shameful. Thus he passed through all things from A birth to the end. And after such humility, he finally reveals his glory, admitting those who shared his ignominy into the fellowship of his glory. The first of these were the blessed disciples, who, poor and naked, ran through the world—not in the wisdom of speech, not with a crowd of followers, but solitary, wandering, and deserted, traversing land and sea, scourged, stoned, persecuted, and finally put to death. These are for us paternal and divine lessons. Let us come to the imitation of them, so that from this humility an eternal glory may rise for us, that perfect and true gift of Christ.
7. How, then, shall we attain to this saving humility, having abandoned the destructive swelling of pride? If we practice such things in all matters, and neglect nothing as though we would suffer no harm from it. For the soul becomes similar to its pursuits and exercises, and is formed and shaped by the things it does. B Let your habit, and clothing, and gait, and manner of sitting, and regulation of diet, and preparation of bed, and house, and all the household furniture be arranged for simplicity; and let your speech, and singing, and meeting with your neighbor also be composed more for modesty than for pomp. Do not show me sophistic boasting in speech, nor an excess of sweetness of voice in songs, nor proud and heavy ways of disputing; but in all things cut back excess and magnificence. Be obliging to a friend, mild toward a servant, patient toward the insolent, humane toward the humble, comforting the afflicted, visiting those affected by pain; despising no one at all, sweet in address, cheerful in answering, affable, offering easy access to all, neither recounting your own praises nor suborning others to recount them, nor admitting shameful speech, while covering your own C excellent gifts as much as it is possible to do so. On the contrary, for your sins, accuse yourself; and do not wait for the reproof of others, so that you may imitate the righteous man who accuses himself at the beginning of his speech, that you may be like Job, who was not ashamed before the multitude of the city to confess his own failing. Do not be heavy in reproofs, nor rebuke quickly, nor with a disturbed mind (for such a thing savors of arrogance), nor condemn for small matters, as if you were yourself perfectly just, not being one who receives those who are in a fault and spiritually restores them, as the Apostle admonishes: *Looking at yourself, lest you also be tempted*. Put as much D effort into not being glorified by men as others put into being glorified, if indeed
you remember Christ, who says it is a loss of the reward before God to have a voluntary display before men, and to do good so as to be seen by men: *For they have received*, he says, *their reward*. Therefore, do not bring loss upon yourself by wishing to appear before men. Since God is a great spectator, be eager for glory before God; for He repays a splendid reward. But you have been deemed worthy of leadership, and men honor you and glorify you? Be equal to your subjects, *not as lording it over the clergy*, he says, *nor as do the worldly princes*. For the Lord commanded that whoever wishes to be first must be the slave of all. But, to speak in a word, pursue humility as befits a lover of it. Love it, A and it will clothe you in glory. Thus will you rightly journey toward the true glory, which is among the angels and with God. And Christ will acknowledge you as His own disciple before the angels, and will give you glory, if you become an imitator of His humility, He who says: *Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls*; to whom be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.
HOMILY XXI
*That one should not be attached to worldly things, and concerning the fire that occurred outside the Church.*1. Indeed, most beloved, I thought that while I frequently urge the goads of my discourse more vehemently, I would seem to you troublesome and morose, as if showing a certain excessive boldness B of speech, which befits neither a guest nor a man C subject to similar failings; yet you have been provoked by these rebukes to benevolence, and have made the wounds inflicted by my tongue a tinder for greater zeal. And there is nothing strange or insolent in this. For you are wise in the things of the spirit. *Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you*, says Solomon somewhere in his writings. Therefore, brothers, even now I use the same exhortation, wishing, as far as I am able, to lead you away from the nets of the devil. For a great and varied war, most beloved, does the enemy of truth bring upon us daily. He brings it, as you know, D while he makes our own desires arrows against us, and always borrows strength from us to harm us. For since the Lord bound the great part of his power with indissoluble laws, and did not permit him in one rush to wipe out the human race from the earth, the envious one now secretly carries off the victory over us through our own folly. And just as the wicked and covetous among men, whose work and purpose...