Homily 27

Pronounced before the people

in the Basilica of St. Pancras, martyr,

the day of his birthday

May 12, 591

The great command

Saint Pancrace is a teenager of Phrygian origin who was beheaded in Rome for his faith in 304. So we read for his feast the famous passage of Saint John where Jesus declares: "There is no greater love than to give his life for his friends. "

In his Homily, St. Gregory first applies to comment on the great commandment that opens this gospel: "May you love one another as I have loved you." He wonders why the Lord speaks as if this commandment were the only one, while Scripture is full of precepts. And he replies that these all flow from that of love, since all virtues are born of charity, which is their common root. The answer of the saint already contains in germ the future affirmations of St. Thomas Aquinas: there can be no true virtue without charity; charity is the form of all virtues (IIa-II, q, 23, a, 7 and 8). The Jansenist errors that claimed to be based on these facts make it necessary to point out that even a work that does not derive from the supernatural love of God can be good, though it can never be good enough to deserve eternal life. Only works proceeding from charity are meritorious.

The pope then warns us against the wiles of the devil, who wants to excite us to hatred towards those who seek to steal our goods. Defy us from this thief of our souls, and take model on Christ, who forgave his executioners on the cross.

The Lord calls us his friends: what an immense honor! What a requirement too! Grégoire develops at length the conditions to be fulfilled to deserve such a title. Established to bear fruit, and a fruit that abides (eternal life), we will not see this fruit until our death, when all else will disappear. We get everything we ask in the name of Jesus, but what does it mean? The pope indicates it in a few words, specifying to what intentions it is permissible to pray. He adds that the essential condition for seeing our prayers answered is to forgive our enemies, as the Pater Himself teaches us. To triumph over our grudges undoubtedly demands from us hard efforts, but not being able, like Saint Pancrace, to give our body for Christ, let us at least render victorious over our souls.

Jn 15, 12-16

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples, "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. There is no greater love than giving your life for your friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I will not call you servants any more, because the servant does not know what his master is doing. But I called you friends, because all that I heard from my Father, I made known to you. It was not you who chose me; but it is I who have chosen you, and who have made you to go, to bear fruit, and to keep your fruit, that whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give you. "

Since the Holy Scriptures are all full of the precepts of the Lord, why does He speak to us of love as a single commandment: "This is my commandment, that you love one another." Why, if not does every command concern only love, and that all precepts are one, since only charity gives them firmness? For just as the many branches of a tree grow from one root, so all virtues derive from charity alone. And the branch of a good work keeps some greenness only if it remains rooted in charity. The precepts of the Lord are therefore at the same time multiple and one: multiple by the diversity of the accomplished works, one by the unique love where these root themselves.

The Lord lets us know how to abide in this love, when in many of the sentences of his scripture he commands us to love our friends in him, and our enemies because of him. Indeed, this one really has the charity that loves both his friend in God, and his enemy because of God.

There are some who love their loved ones, but [only] with the feeling of kinship and flesh. No doubt this love does not put them in opposition to the holy books. But what is spontaneously given to nature is one thing, which is due to the commandments of the Lord through an obedience of charity is another. And if such men love their neighbor, they will not obtain the sublime rewards of love, because their affection is not exercised according to the spirit, but according to the flesh. Therefore, after saying, "This is my commandment, that you love one another," the Lord immediately added, "As I have loved you." It is as if he clearly said, " Love for the motive that made me love you. "

2. Here, dear brothers, we must analyze with finesse what the ancient enemy does: when he urges our hearts to delight in the enjoyment of transient things, he excites against us a less favored neighbor, who strive to take away the very things we love. Not that the ancient enemy cares to deprive us of these goods of the earth, but because he wants to hurt charity in us. Indeed, we immediately ignite hatred, and full of the desire to prevail outside, we are seriously injured inside. In seeking to keep the small things outside, we lose great things inside, since loving a thing that passes, we lose true love. Whoever takes from us what belongs to us is an enemy. But if we let ourselves be won by the hatred of our enemy, it is an inner good that we lose. Thus, when our neighbor makes us suffer something outside, let us beware within us of the hidden thief: we can not overcome him better than by loving the thief from without. The first and supreme proof of charity is to love even the one who opposes us. That is why the Truth in person, while enduring the torment of the cross, does not cease to spread the tenderness of his love on his persecutors, saying: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. "(Lk 23:34)

How amazing then that the disciples love their enemies during their lives, when the Master goes so far as to love his enemies as they put him to death? Our Redeemer expresses the supreme degree of love when he says, "There is no greater love than to give one's life for one's friends." The Lord had come to die for his enemies themselves, and he declared, however, that he would give his life for his friends. Was it not to show us that one can, by loving, profit from one's enemies, so that our persecutors themselves become friends for us?

3. But no one, it will be said, persecutes us until death. How can we know if we love our enemies? Well, even when the Holy Church enjoys peace, there remains a duty to us whose fulfillment allows us to make sure that at the time of the persecution we would be able to give our lives out of love. Does not John say, "If anyone possesses the goods of this world, and sees his brother in need, he closes his entrails to him, how does the love of God remain in him?" 1 John 3:17). In the same sense, John the Baptist says, "Let him who has two tunics give one to him who has none." (Lk 3, 11). If in the time of tranquility one does not know how to give one's tunic for God, how will one give one's life during the persecution? So the virtue of charity must she nourish herself with mercy in the tranquility so as not to be conquered in the turmoil: let her teach everyone to first give her possessions to the almighty God, before giving oneself .

4. The text continues, "You are my friends." Oh! how great is the mercy of our Creator! We are not even good servants, and he calls us his friends! How great is the dignity of men, of being friends of God! But since you have heard what glory gives us this dignity, now listen to the pain of the fight: "If you do what I command you." You are my friends if you do what I command you. It is as if he were saying clearly: "You are delighted to reach such a summit: measure how much you can achieve."

When the sons of Zebedee asked, through their mother, that one could sit at the right hand of God and the other at his left, they heard each other answer, "Can you drink the chalice that am I going to drink? "(Mt 20:22). From the outset, it is the place of honor they claimed, but Truth brings them back to the path that leads to such an honor. It is as if the Lord were saying to them: "You would like to enjoy the place of honor from now on, but start by worrying about the painful way [which leads to it]. It is by tasting the chalice that one arrives at greatness. If your mind desires what caresses, drink what makes you suffer. The joy of salvation is only achieved by the bitter potion of remedy. "

"I will not call you servants, because the servant does not know what his master does. But I called you friends, because all that I heard from my Father, I made known to you. "All that he heard from his Father and that he wanted to make known to his servants to make him his friends, what is there then, except the inner joys of charity and the rejoicings of the country from above, which he inspires every day to our hearts by the breath of his love? As soon as we come to love what we have heard about Heaven, we begin to know Him, for love is itself knowledge. So the Lord had made everything known to those who, freed from earthly desires, were burning flames of great love.

It was these friends of God whom the prophet had perceived when he said: "For me, O God, your friends have been over-honored" (Ps 139: 17). In fact, we call a friend who is like the depositary of the wills of others2. The psalmist having noticed that the elect of God, detached from the love of this world, kept the will of God by practicing the commandments of Heaven, he proclaimed his admiration for these friends of God: "For me, O God, your His friends were over-honored. "And as if we asked him to explain the causes of such an honor, he immediately added:" Their empire has been greatly strengthened. "See how the elect of God dominate their flesh, strengthen their spirit, command the demons, shine with their virtues, despise the things present; they announce the eternal homeland by their words and their good manners, that country which they love to the point of death, and where they arrive by torment. We can kill them, but we do not succeed in bending them. Yes, really, their empire has been extremely strong. And through the very sufferings that made them fall into the death of the flesh, see to what summit their souls have come. Where does their glory come from, if not because their empire has been extremely strong? But men of such greatness are perhaps in small numbers? The psalmist adds, "I will count them, and they will be more numerous than the grains of sand" (Ps 139: 18). Consider, my brothers, the whole world: it is full of martyrs. There are now almost more witnesses to the truth than spectators among us to see them. If for God they are easy to count, for us they are more numerous than grains of sand, since we can not embrace their number.

5. But he who has attained the dignity of the title of friend of God must at the same time cast his eyes in himself upon what he is, and above him on the gifts he has received. He must not attribute anything to his merits, to avoid giving a hold to the evil powers. This is why the Lord adds: "It was not you who chose me; but it is I who have chosen you and who have made you so that you may go and bear fruit. "I established you to [receive] the free gift, I planted you so that you went - with the intention to act - and to bear fruit - by taking action. I said, "that you are going to act," because wanting to do something is already going in spirit.

The Lord adds what kind of fruit his disciples should bear: "And let your fruit remain." All the work that we do for the present life remains at most until death. Indeed, death occurs and abolishes the fruit of our work. On the other hand, what one accomplishes for eternal life, one retains even after death; the profit begins to appear at the very moment when the fruit of our carnal work comes out of our field of vision. Thus, the reward of Heaven is born where the end of the earth ends. That he who has begun to know the things of eternity, therefore, has in his soul only contempt for the ephemeral fruits.

Let's work for the fruits that remain; let us work for those fruits that death itself gives birth to when it puts an end to everything else. For the prophet testifies that the fruits of God find their origin in death, when he declares: "When he gives his beloved sleep, then it is the inheritance of the Lord." (Ps 127, 2- 3). Every man who falls asleep in death loses his inheritance; but when God gives his beloved sleep, then it is the heritage of the Lord, since it is once reached death that the elect of God will find their inheritance.

6. The text continues, "So that whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will grant you." Here he says in this passage: "Whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he you will grant it. "In another place, the same evangelist makes him declare:" If you ask the Father something in my name, he will give it to you. Until now, you have not asked anything in my name "(Jn 16: 23-24). If the Father gives us all that we ask in the name of his Son, how to explain that Paul has renewed three times a prayer to the Lord without deserving to be answered, but to hear himself answer: "My grace is enough for you, because strength gives all its measure in weakness "(2 Cor 12: 9). Did not this eminent preacher ask in the Son's name? Why did not he get what he asked for? How can it be true that all that we will ask of the Father in the name of the Son, the Father will grant us, if the Apostle could ask in the name of the Son that the angel of Satan be removed from him, without obtaining what he asked? Well, the name of the Son is Jesus. But Jesus means "Savior", or even "the one who procures salvation". To ask in the name of the Savior is therefore to ask what relates to our true salvation. If one asks what is not appropriate, it is not in the name of Jesus that one asks of the Father. So the Lord declares to his still weak apostles, "Until now, you have not asked for anything in my name." It is as if he were saying clearly, "You have not asked the name. of the Savior, since you do not know how to seek eternal salvation. "That is why Paul was not answered either: to be delivered from temptation would not have been useful to his salvation.

7. We see, dear brothers, how many of you have come to celebrate the feast of the martyr [St. Pancras]. You are on your knees, you are beating your chest, you are praying and you are confessing God aloud, tears are streaming down your faces. But think, I beg you, of your requests; examine whether you are asking in the name of Jesus, that is, if you are imploring the joys of eternal salvation. For it is not Jesus that you seek in the house of Jesus, if you come to pray inappropriately, in this temple of eternity, to obtain ephemeral goods. See: one seeks in his prayer a wife, another asks for a property, another claims a garment, another begs for something to eat. No doubt it is necessary to ask these goods to Almighty God when we miss them. But we must constantly remind ourselves of the command received from our Redeemer: "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you in addition" (Mt 6:33). Thus, one does not err in asking these things of Jesus, provided, however, that we do not ask them with too much ardor.

But yet another, which is more serious, calls for the death of his enemy and continues his prayer which he can not pursue with his sword. If he who is thus cursed remains alive, he who curses him is nevertheless considered to be guilty of his death. God commands us to love our enemies, and here we are, imploring Him to kill them! Whoever prays in this way fights against his Creator by his prayers themselves. Is it not written about Judas, "Let his prayer turn into sin" (Ps 109: 7). Prayer turns into sin if it asks for that even forbids the one to whom it is asked.

8. Truth says on this subject: "When you present yourself to pray, if you have something on your heart against someone, forgive him" (Mk 11:25). We will make you feel more clearly the effectiveness of forgiveness by bringing you a testimony of the Old Testament. As the men of Judea had offended the righteousness of their Creator with vengeance, the Lord forbade his prophet to pray, "Do not give praise and prayers to them." (Jer 7, 16). "Even though Moses and Samuel stood before me, my soul would not turn to this people" (Jer 15: 1). How can we explain that the Lord, leaving aside so many other Fathers, only quotes Moses and Samuel, whom he underlines the astonishing power they have to obtain [what they ask for], while stating that here, even they can not intercede? It's as if he clearly said, "Even these two men, whose prayers I respect because of the merits that go with it, I do not listen to them." And why are Moses and Samuel preferred over all? other fathers when it comes to interceding?

In all the texts of the Old Testament, they are the only ones to have prayed for their enemies themselves. The first [Moses] is overwhelmed with stones by the people, 3 and yet he prays to the Lord for those who stone him; the second [Samuel] is removed from the supreme charge, and when one comes to ask him to pray [for the people], yet he declares: "Far from me to sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you." (1 S 12, 23)

"Even though Moses and Samuel were standing before me, my soul would not turn to this people." It is as if the Lord were plainly saying, "I refuse to listen to even the prayers that I now make to their friends. these two men, who, however, I know, have acquired all the merits of a great virtue by praying for their enemies themselves. "

It is therefore the perfection of charity that is the strength of a true prayer. And those who ask properly are granted when they do not let the hatred of an enemy darken their soul when they ask. We generally succeed in overcoming the resistances of our souls by praying for our enemies themselves. Our mouth makes a prayer for our adversaries, but may our heart be forced to love. Now, if we often pray for our enemies themselves, it is by acquitting ourselves of this prayer more by precept than by charity. For while asking the lives of our enemies, we are afraid to be answered. But since the Inner Judge pays more attention to the spirit than to words, it is to implore nothing for his enemies but to pray for them without charity.

9. But behold, an enemy has committed a serious offense against us, has caused us harm, has offended us when we help him, persecuted us when we loved him. . All these offenses should be withheld, if we ourselves had mistakes to make us forgive.

Our Advocate has composed a prayer to plead our case; if he is our Advocate, he is also the judge of this case. Now, in the prayer that he composed, he introduced a condition: "Give us back our debts, as we also give them to our debtors" (Mt 6, 12). Since the one who constituted our Lawyer is the one who comes to judge us, it is he who will answer the prayer he composed: "Give us back our debts, as we also give them to our debtors. Therefore, either we formulate these words without putting them into practice, and we bind ourselves even more by pronouncing them; or else, reciting the prayer, we pass this condition in silence, and our Advocate, who no longer recognizes the prayer he has composed, immediately says to himself: "I know well what I have taught: this prayer is not the one I made. "

How, then, should we behave, if not for our brethren, with feelings of true charity? Let's not keep anything naughty in our heart. And may Almighty God, considering the charity we show towards our neighbor, be able to pour out his paternal goodness over our iniquities. Remember the warning: "Surrender, and they will give you back" (Lk 6, 37). Here we are owed and we must. Let us give back to others what they owe us, so that we are given what we owe. But our mind rears up to such demands: if it wants to accomplish what it hears, it is still struggling.

We stand in front of the martyr's tomb [Pancrace]. And we know by what death he has come to the heavenly kingdom. For us, if we do not give our body for Christ, let us at least be victorious of our soul. This sacrifice makes us God auspicious; the victory of our appeasement is agreeable to him when he judges us in his paternal goodness. For he sees the struggle that sustains our heart; and the one who is to reward the victors later on now assists those who fight, through Jesus Christ, his Son, our Lord, who, being God, lives and reigns with him in the unity of the Holy Spirit, in all centuries of centuries. Amen.

_______________________________

1 God has made known to everyone, by the light of his intelligence, how one must behave towards his next exemplo sui, in the sense that men find in their consciousness the golden rule engraved there by creating them : "What you do not want to be done to you, do not do it to others."

2 On the word "compunction", cf. the introduction to homily 15.

3 "All that hath no fins or scales in the water, whether in the sea or in the rivers ... you shall not eat of their flesh" (Lev 11: 10-11). "Fin" is Latin pennulæ, which means "small wings" first. The relationship between pennulae and flying is therefore much more convincing in Latin.