Volume 13 · p. 419
Sermon III. On Saint Thomas the Apostle, Conclusion
et sic de similibus. Quid, id est, quale genus peccati commiserit. Ubi, id est, in quo loco perpetraverit. Quoties, id est, quot annis, vel mensibus, vel diebus, vel vicibus. Cum queis, id est, cum quibus, id est, si cum muliere soluta, vel conjugata, vel religiosa, et velata: aut cum nepte, vel sorore. Item si cum jumento, et quali jumento. Cur, id est, si spontaneus, aut coactus, vel si magna tentatio eum ad hoc impulerit, vel ipse sibi tentationem fecerit. Quomodo, id est, si naturaliter aut innaturaliter, stando vel jacendo, vel dormiendo. Quando, id est, in quadragesima vel extra quadragesimam, si in diebus solemnitatum, vel in diebus feriarum.
3. Tertium quod requiritur ad hoc, quod corpus Jesu digne suscipiamus, hoc est, ut hospitium cordis nostri cortinis, et floribus adornemus. Hoc fit per bonorum operum actionem, et maxime per eleemosynarum largitionem. Unde dicitur I Mach. IV, 57 et 58: Ornaverunt faciem templi coronis aureis...: et facta est lætitia in populo magna valde. Coronæ aureæ sunt bona opera quæ fiunt ex charitate. Per bona quippe opera anima modo ornatur, et tandem in Dei judicio coronatur.
4. Quartum est, ut adventum Domini desideremus, ipsumque jejuni exspectemus. Hoc autem fit per sancta desideria, et devota jejunia, per quæ boni Christiani præparant se ad tanti hospitis susceptionem, cum ipse sit verus cibus animæ. Unde et Apostolus in prima Dominica Adventus instruxit nos, quomodo debemus exspectare hospitem nostrum Jesum Christum, ita dicens ad Rom. XIII, 13 et seq.: Dies, id est, Christus, appropinquavit... Non ergo sitis in comessationibus et ebrietatibus, non in cubilibus et impudicitiis... Sed induimini, id est, appetite Dominum Jesum; ut veniat videlicet in cor vestrum.
5. Quintum est, ut receptum hospitem in sedem, quietam, vel lectum molliter stratum collocemus. Hoc fit per pacem cordis, et omnis iræ ac odii propulsionem. Et nota, quod pax cordis quam nutrivit mansuetudo et patientia, tam grata est Deo, quod etiam ipse Dei Filius, quem Deus Pater constituit vigilem Ecclesiæ suæ, dicit se in ea requiescere et dormire; ait enim in Psal. IV, 9: In pace in idipsum dormiam et requiescam. Est igitur pax, id est, tranquillitas cordis, sedes et lectus Jesu Christi. Proh dolor! quidam ponunt Jesum quasi super spinas, et urticas, et projiciunt eum quasi in ignem: illi videlicet, qui cum invidia, odio, et ira accipiunt corpus Christi.
6. Sextum est, ut charissimo hospiti, quidquid melius et charius habemus, proferamus, et demus. Sed nihil corde est melius, et hoc petit a nobis. Unde dicitur Prov. XXIII, 26: Præbe, fili mi, cor tuum mihi. Cor igitur petit a nobis, quia si habuerit cor, habebit oculum, aurem, nasum, os et linguam, manum, pedem, et cætera membra corporis ad obsequium suum paratissima.
Rogate ergo Dominum, ut sic eum recipiamus in terris, quatenus et ab ipso recipi mereamur in cælis. Quod nobis, etc.
and so concerning similar things. What, that is, what kind of sin he committed. Where, that is, in what place he perpetrated it. How often, that is, for how many years, or months, or days, or times. With whom, that is, with which persons, that is, whether with an unmarried woman, or a married woman, or a religious and veiled woman; or with a niece, or sister. Likewise whether with a beast, and what sort of beast. Why, that is, whether voluntary or compelled, or whether a great temptation drove him to this, or he made the temptation for himself. How, that is, whether naturally or unnaturally, standing or lying down, or sleeping. When, that is, in Lent or outside Lent, whether on days of solemnities or on weekdays.
3. The third thing which is required for this, that we may receive the body of Jesus worthily, is this: that we adorn the lodging of our heart with curtains and flowers. This is done through the action of good works, and especially through the giving of alms. Hence it is said in 1 Maccabees 4:57 and 58: They adorned the face of the temple with golden crowns... and very great joy was made in the people. Golden crowns are the good works which are done from charity. For through good works the soul is adorned now, and at last in the judgment of God it is crowned.
4. The fourth is that we should desire the coming of the Lord, and should await him while fasting. This is done through holy desires and devout fasts, through which good Christians prepare themselves for the reception of so great a guest, since he himself is the true food of the soul. Hence also the Apostle, on the first Sunday of Advent, instructed us how we ought to await our guest Jesus Christ, saying thus at Romans 13:13 and following: The day, that is, Christ, has drawn near... Therefore do not be in feastings and drunkenness, not in beds and shamelessness... But put on, that is, desire, the Lord Jesus, so that he may come, namely, into your heart.
5. The fifth is that we should place the guest who has been received on a seat, a quiet one, or on a softly spread bed. This is done through peace of heart and the driving away of all anger and hatred. And note that peace of heart, which meekness and patience have nourished, is so pleasing to God that even the Son of God himself, whom God the Father appointed watchman of his Church, says that he rests and sleeps in it; for he says in Psalm 4:9: In peace in the selfsame I will sleep and rest. Therefore peace, that is, tranquillity of heart, is the seat and bed of Jesus Christ. Alas for sorrow! certain people place Jesus as if upon thorns and nettles, and cast him as if into fire: namely those who receive the body of Christ with envy, hatred, and anger.
6. The sixth is that we should bring forth and give to the most dear guest whatever better and dearer thing we have. But nothing is better than the heart, and this he asks from us. Hence it is said in Proverbs 23:26: Offer me, my son, your heart. Therefore he asks the heart from us, because if he has the heart, he will have the eye, ear, nose, mouth and tongue, hand, foot, and the other members of the body most ready for his service.
Therefore pray to the Lord that we may receive him thus on earth, so that we may merit also to be received by him in the heavens. May this be granted to us, etc.
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