Homily 32

Pronounced before the people

in the Basilica of the Holy Process and Martinian,

the day of their holiday

July 2, 591

Renunciation and the cross

Jesus gives in the Gospel of the day two new commandments: to give up and carry his cross.

I- (1-2) "It is little," remarked St. Gregory, "to renounce what we have, but it is considerable to give up what we are." Taking care to distinguish in man the the nature created by God and the state where sin has put him, the Pope specifies that man must renounce the evil he has done, but not the being that God has given him.

II- (3-6) The continuation of Homily teaches listeners the two ways in which they can carry their cross: in their flesh by abstinence, in their souls by compassion. One pitfall, however, threatens each of the two virtues, and the preacher exposes it: the vain glory of the ascetic abstinent, the indulgence for sin in the compassionate man. Continuing his commentary on the Gospel, Gregory explains how one can, beyond times of persecution, lose one's life in order to win it. The old monk returns here to the idea of ​​the bloodless martyrdom, so dear to the fathers of monasticism. To remain faithful to the demands of Christianity, whatever may be the cost, is a good way not to blush of Christ before men.

III- (7-9) The last sentence of the Gospel, where Jesus promises his disciples that they will not taste death before seeing the Kingdom of God, is enigmatic, and it requires some explanation of our speaker. The Lord, knowing how difficult it would be for us to believe in the future life, came to the rescue of our hope. He shows us, by those of his promises which he realizes from here below, that those of the afterlife will also be honored. We are helped in the same way by the example of the holy martyrs celebrated on this day: some of the existence of an eternal life, they did not fear to sacrifice everything to him. And their souls have found the desired life so well that even their dead bones are today health and life. The pope recounts here a story capable of stimulating the fervor of the faithful. We hear the martyrs of the place promise to a pious woman, come to pray, to make his defenders in the day of the last judgment. According to his custom, the preacher thus completes his Homily on the perspective of the accounts to be rendered on the last day: the most apt to make one feel how serious is the stake of life, and how much one must desire divine mercy.

Lk 9, 23-27

At that time Jesus said to his disciples, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and carry his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What is the use of man to win the whole world, if he loses himself and is wrong to himself?

"For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his majesty and in that of the Father and of the holy angels. Truly I say to you, there are some here who will not taste death that they have not seen the Kingdom of God. "

The Lord, our Redeemer, having come to this world as a new man, He has given the world new precepts. To our old life, all nourished in vice, he opposed his novelty. What could the old man, the carnal man, do but keep for himself his possessions, seize, if he could, those of others, or, if he could not, covet them? But the heavenly physician applies to each of our vices the opposite remedy. Just as medical art heats the hot with the cold and the cold with the hot, Our Lord applies to our sins the remedies which are opposed to them. He prescribes, for example, continence in debauchery, liberality in the miser, sweetness in the angry, humility to the proud.

As he proposed new commandments to those who followed him, he declared to them: "Whoever does not renounce all that he possesses can not be my disciple" (Lk 14:33). It is as though he clearly said, "You, that your old life entails coveting the goods of others, be moved by your new life to give even your own goods." But listen to what the Savior says in the gospel We have just read: "If anyone wants to come after me, let him renounce himself." In the first text, he asks us to give up our goods; in the second, to renounce ourselves. Perhaps it is not difficult for a man to leave his property, but it is extremely difficult for him to leave himself. It's a little bit of giving up what we have, but it's important to give up what we are.

2. If we come to him, the Lord commands us to detach ourselves from our possessions, for when we enter the fight of faith, we undertake to fight against the evil spirits, who have absolutely nothing in this world. It is therefore naked that we must fight with those who are. Indeed, if someone struggles without removing his clothes against a naked opponent, he is quickly thrown to the ground by the latter, because it gives him hold. Are not all the goods of the earth like body clothes? Let him who commits the fight against the devil be stripped of it so as not to succumb. That he does not possess anything in this world with the heart, that he does not seek any of the pleasures that come from passing things, lest the garments in which he loves to cloak him give him the opportunity to make him fall.

Leaving our goods is not enough, however, if we do not leave ourselves. We also leave ourselves, what to say? If we leave our own selves, where will we go outside of ourselves? And how to go [somewhere] if we abandoned ourselves? But one thing is what we are by our fall into sin, another what we have received from nature through our creation; one thing is what we did, another what we were done. Let us leave ourselves, as we have done by sinning, and abide ourselves, as we have been made by the gift of God. This is someone who was proud: if he becomes humble by converting himself to Christ, he has left himself. If a debauchee has passed to a life of continence, he has given up what he was. If a miser, having ceased to covet, has learned to make a fortune of his property after having stolen the goods of others, can we doubt that he has left himself? He certainly remains himself as to nature, but he is no longer himself as to malice. So it is written, "Return the wicked, and they will cease to exist" (Pr 12, 7). The impious, once converted, will cease to exist, not because they will cease to exist in their essence, but because they will cease to exist in their state of sin and ungodliness.

To leave ourselves, to renounce ourselves, is thus to avoid what has come to us from the old man, and to tend to transform ourselves into that new man that we are called to become. Let us measure how much Paul had renounced himself, he who affirmed: "And if I live, I no longer live" (Gal 2: 20). In him the cruel persecutor had been wiped out, and the kindly preacher had begun to live. If he had continued to be himself, he would certainly not have been kind. But this man who declares that he no longer lives, tells us where he gets the power to proclaim the doctrine of truth by holy words. The text immediately adds: "It is Christ who lives in me." It is as if Paul was saying clearly: "Assuredly, I died to myself, since I no longer live according to the flesh; but my essence is not destroyed, for I live in Christ according to the spirit. "

Let the truth tell us and repeat: "If anyone wants to come after me, let him renounce himself." Unless you separate yourself, you do not approach the person who is above us, and we can not reach what is beyond us if we do not know how to sacrifice what we are. This is how we transplant the vegetables to make them enjoy, and tear them, if I dare say, to grow them. It is thus that the seeds of the beings die, once put in the ground, to rise again and to multiply then their species with all the more fruitfulness. And where they seem to have lost what they were, they actually find what to become what they were not.

3. But whoever renounces his vices henceforth must seek to acquire the virtues in which he must grow. For the Lord, having said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself," says immediately, "let him carry his cross daily, and follow me." his cross in two ways: either to mortify one's body by abstinence, or to afflict one's soul by compassion towards one's neighbor. Let us consider how Paul carried his cross in one way and the other, he who affirmed: "I chasten my body and reduce it to slavery, lest after preaching to others, I myself be reprobate. (1 Corinthians 9:27) This is to make us hear what was the cross of his flesh in the mortification of his

body; Let us now listen to what was the cross of his mind in compassion towards his neighbor: "Who is weak," he asks, "without me being with him? Who comes to fall without a fire devouring me? "(2 Cor 11:29). This perfect preacher, wishing to give us the example of abstinence, carried the cross in his body; and as he took the trouble of the weaknesses of others, he carried the cross in his heart.

4. But since certain vices are close to the virtues themselves, we must say which are the seat of the abstinence of the flesh and the compassion of the spirit.

The abstinence of the flesh is sometimes besieged narrowly by vain glory, since it praises the virtue revealed by the leanness of the body and the pallor of the face. This virtue is going to be lost all the more quickly outside that it becomes more apparent in the eyes of men by the pallor manifested. It often happens that we believe an action accomplished for God, while it is only to gain the favor of men. Such an attitude is well symbolized by this Simon who, encountered on the way, is requisitioned to carry the Lord's cross (Mt 27:32). For it is to be requisitioned to carry the burden of another, to do something out of vanity. What does Simon represent, if not those who practice abstinence and flatter themselves? They doubtless afflict their flesh by abstinence, but without seeking the inner fruit. Simon is requisitioned to carry the cross of the Lord, since not being animated by a good will in this good work, he performs a sinful work as a sinner, and does not reap the benefits. That is why Simon carries the cross, but does not die: thus, those who practice abstinence and flatter themselves certainly afflict their bodies by abstinence, but continue to live for the world in desiring glory.

As for the compassion of the soul, a false goodness often makes it an insidious seat, sometimes leading it to condescendence for vices, while sin does not deserve compassion, but zeal [of correction]. Compassion is due to men, but rigor to vices, so that in one and the same man we know both to love the good of his being made by God and to chase the evil that he himself has done, to lest, by imprudently giving him his faults, we should not show compassionate charity, but complicit negligence.

5. The text goes on: "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. "The believer is told," Whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake will save it ", a little like one would say to a farmer:" If you keep your wheat, you lose it; if you sow it, you renew it. "Who does not know, in fact, that the wheat, once sown, disappears at sight and is lost in the earth? But even where it has fallen into dust, it is greening again with new shoots.

Since the Holy Church sometimes knows a time of persecution, sometimes a time of peace, our Redeemer diversifies its precepts according to the times mentioned above. In the time of persecution, one must give one's life; in times of peace, we must break the desires of the earth that are most likely to subjugate us. So the Lord is saying to us now, "What is the use of man to win the whole world, if he loses himself and is wrong to himself?" We must, when our enemies stop persecuting us , put a lot more vigilance in keeping our heart. Because at the time of peace, as we are allowed to live, we also enjoy to desire. This greed, it is certainly possible for us to control it, by carefully considering the state of the one who desires. Why, indeed, to urge to hoard, when the very one who amassed can not subsist?

Let everyone therefore consider what he will have to run, and he will recognize that the little he possesses is enough for him. But perhaps we are afraid of lack of resources on the road of this life? The very brevity of the way blames us for carrying our desires far and wide. It is useless to load large luggage when the goal to reach is close.

We usually manage to overcome our greed, but one obstacle remains: while walking in the right path, we do not watch enough to perfection. Often, in fact, we despise all that passes, but we remain nevertheless hampered by our human respect: we keep the righteousness in our mind, without having the strength yet to express it by the word. And when it comes to defending justice, we are less aware of God's gaze than we are more afraid of men who oppose justice. But the Lord also adds what is appropriate to heal such an injury, when he declares: "For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of Man will blush from him when he comes in his majesty and in that of the Father and the holy angels. "

6. But now men are saying to themselves, "We no longer blush at the Lord and His words, because we confess him openly." I answer to them that there are more than one, in this people Christian, who confess Christ only because they see that all are Christians: if the name of Christ was not today in such honor, the holy Church would not have so many members to confess Christ. Confessing one's faith by words is not enough to prove it, for all men do as much, and there is no reason to be ashamed of it. There is, however, every opportunity to question each other, to know whether he really confesses Christ: does he not blush more of his name? Has he triumphed over human respect by full spiritual vigor?

In times of persecution, the faithful could be confused, stripped of their property, removed from office and beaten. But since these persecutions are lacking in times of peace, there are other opportunities for us to prove ourselves. We often fear the scorn of our loved ones, we refuse to endure words of insults; and if it happens to us to argue with our neighbor, we are ashamed to repair the first. For the carnal heart, seeking the glory of this life, has nothing to do with humility. And if the man who has become angry usually wants to be reconciled with the man whose discord separated him, he is ashamed to take the first step. Let us consider what the Truth accomplished, to see where the actions of our depraved nature sin. If indeed we are the members of this supreme leader, we must imitate the one with whom we are one body. Paul, the illustrious preacher, does he not teach us in these terms: "It is for Christ that we do the functions of ambassadors, as if God [exhorted us] by us; we beseech you in the name of Christ: be reconciled to God "(2 Cor 5:20). By sinning, we have put the discord between God and us, and it is God, however, who first sent us his ambassadors, so that we may call, we have come, we who have sinned, to make peace. with God. Let him blush, human pride; let him be confounded, he who does not make the first reparation to his neighbor, since after our fault God, who is himself offended, begs us by means of his ambassadors to allow us to be reconciled to him.

7. The text continues: "Truly I say to you, there are some here who will not taste death that they have not seen the Kingdom of God." It sometimes happens, dear brothers, that in Holy Scripture, the Kingdom of God does not designate the coming Kingdom, but the Church presents. So it is written, "The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather all the scandals to remove them from his kingdom" (Mt 13:41). But there will be no scandals in the coming Kingdom, where the reprobate are obviously not admitted. Such an example allows us to conclude that in our text, the Kingdom of God designates the present Church. And since some of the disciples were to live in this body long enough to see the Church of God well established, and to consider it raised to the glory of this world, the Redeemer now makes this comforting promise: "I tell you truly, there are some here who will not taste death that they have not seen the Kingdom of God. "

But why was it necessary that the Lord, after asking us by so many precepts to accept death, suddenly come to this promise? If we examine this way of acting finely, we recognize with what wisdom he dispenses his paternal goodness. To unconfirmed disciples, it was indeed necessary to promise things touching even the present life, so that they may be more solidly strengthened in [their hope of] the future life. Thus God promised the "land of promise" (Heb 11: 9) to the Jewish people who would be liberated from the land of Egypt, and that this people, called to heavenly gifts, was attracted by earthly promises . Why that? In order for him to receive something in the immediate future, he would believe more faithfully what was let him hear in the distance. For this carnal people would not have believed in great things if they had not received small ones. The almighty God thus granted him the things of the earth to attract him to those of Heaven, so that, receiving what he saw, he learned to hope for what he did not see, and that he became the more certain of the invisible things that the visible things promised to him supported the certainty of his hope. This is why the psalmist rightly says: "He gave them the lands of the Gentiles, and they possessed the fruit of the labor of the peoples, that they might keep his commandments and keep his law." (Ps 105, 44- 45). Truth, speaking in our gospel to unconfirmed disciples, thus promises them to see the Kingdom of God on earth, so that in their faith, they hope to see this Kingdom in Heaven. And it is from the Kingdom from which, already in this world, it is given us to note the very high elevation, that we are led to hope for the Kingdom from which we believe to benefit Heaven.

There are some who are called Christians without their Christian faith. They consider that only visible things exist; they have no desire for unseen things, since they think they do not even exist. We stand here, my brothers, near the body of the holy martyrs. Would they have accepted to give their flesh to death without being quite certain that the life for which they were to die did exist? But see how those who have had such faith shine by their miracles! Some living men present themselves to their extinct bodies: some come sick and are healed, others come by perjury and are maltreated by the demon, others finally come possessed and are released. As these martyrs must live, where they live, since here where they are dead, they live by so many miracles!

8. I go, my brothers, to tell you a story which has a few words, but is none the less worthy of interest. I became acquainted with it by the story told to me by pious old men. There was, in the time of the Goths, a woman of great piety, who came assiduously to the church of these holy martyrs. One day, as she had come to pray as usual, she noticed, on leaving, two monks standing there in traveling clothes. She took them for travelers, and commanded them to be given something by way of alms. But before her steward had time to go near them to give them alms, they found her very near her and said to her: "It is you who now visit us; well, in the day of judgment, we are the ones who will inquire of you and do for you all we can. "With these words, they disappeared. Terrified, this holy woman returned to pray and shed abundant tears. From that day she became all the more assiduous in the prayer that she was more certain of what had been promised her. If, in Paul's words, "faith is the reality of the things we hope for, the proof of things that we do not see" (Heb 11: 1), how could we continue to tell you to believe in the life to come, when the very people who live there manifest themselves visibly in the eyes of men? For it is better to say of what we can see that we know it; it's more accurate than saying we believe it. The Lord therefore preferred to let us know the life to come rather than make us believe it, since he showed us in a visible way as living near him those whom he received [in Heaven] in an invisible way.

9. These martyrs, dear brothers, make them your protectors in the cause you will have to support before the rigorous Judge. Take them as defenders2 on this terrible day. If tomorrow your case were to be presented before some great judge, is it not true that you would spend all day thinking about it? And then, my brothers, you would look for a protector, you would spend yourself in proceedings for a defender to appear in your favor with such a great judge. Now Jesus, the rigorous Judge, is coming. What a fright arouses the assembly of his angels and his archangels! It is at this meeting that our case will be pleaded, and yet we are not now looking for protectors who can then serve us as advocates. We have them on our side, our defenders: they are the holy martyrs. They want to be prayed, and they are looking, dare I say, for what we are looking for. Seek their assistance in your prayers; find in them protectors to defend the guilty ones that you are. The Judge Himself wants us to supplicate him, so as not to be obliged to punish us for our sins. This is why he threatens us so long with his anger, although he is waiting for us in his mercy. Let this mercy revive our strength, but without neglecting us. Let us allow the memory of our sins to trouble us, but without precipitating our souls in despair: in spite of our certainty about the future, we keep the fear, and in spite of this fear, we have the hope of soon acquiring the eternal Kingdom by whom, being God, lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.

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1 Debita carnis: the marital due. 1 Cor 7: 3 "Let the husband give the woman what he owes him, and let the woman do the same to her husband."