Works › Sermons for the Seasons of the Year
Volume 13 · pp. 22–24
Sermon V. On the Nativity of the Lord, Opening
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SERMO V.
DE NATIVITATE DOMINI.
Ecce evangelizo vobis gaudium magnum, quòd erit omni populo: quia natus est vobis hodie Salvator, qui est Christus Dominus in civitate David. Luc. II, 11.
In verbis praemissis quatuor sunt notanda:
I. Quis sit ille, per quem gaudium evangelizatur? II. Qui sint illi, quibus gaudium annuntiatur? III. Propter quod omni populo gaudendum esse dicatur? IV. Quo signo iste, qui natus est, inveniendus asseratur?
I.
De primo nota, quod ille, qui gaudium evangelizat, id est, qui de gaudio bonum nuntium apportat, verus esse Angelus Domini describitur: ne videlicet videatur quod fuerit Angelus satanae phantasticus. Unde dicitur in Evangelio praesenti: Ecce Angelus Domini stetit juxta illos, et claritas Dei circumfulsit illos 1: ut per hoc designaretur, quod non fuit illa claritas phantastica, in qua se diabolus quandoque transfigurat. Dicit namque Apostolus II ad Cor. XI, 14: Ipse enim Satanas transfigurat se in Angelum lucis. Quis autem iste Angelus fuerit, non patet ex testimonio Evangelico. Potest tamen non immerito credi, quod Gabriel Archangelus fuit, ut ille, qui Virgini Mariae Dominum ex ea nasciturum nuntiaverat, ipse etiam eum jam natum pastoribus annuntiaret.
II.
De secundo nota, quod illi, quibus tam ingens gaudium nuntiatur, pastores dicuntur esse, qui commendantur a tribus; quia scilicet non erant somnolenti, et quia erant de grege solliciti, praeterea quoniam erant justi. Unde legitur in praesenti Evangelio: Et pastores erant in regione eadem vigilantes, et custodientes vigilias noctis super gregem suum 2. Nota quod ait pastores, non dicit milites, vel burges, ne contemnantur illi qui aliis serviunt ob paupertatem.
Erant autem pastores isti vigiles, et non somnolenti, quod innuitur ibi, ubi dicitur: Vigilantes erant de grege solliciti. Unde sequitur: Et custodientes vigilias noctis super gregem. Ita enim solliciti erant de grege sibi commisso, ut etiam eum noctibus non reliquerint.
Erant etiam justi, quod innuitur ibi, ubi dicitur: Super gregem suum, quasi non alienum. Non enim custodierunt gregem violenter spoliatum, vel furto sublatum, sed suum, id est, sibi a veris dominis commissum. Utinam pastores nostri temporis ab his tribus possent hodie commendari! In pluribus enim praedictis tribus contraria, somnolentia, negligentia, nec non et injustitia multoties inveniuntur.
Nota etiam, quod quilibet nostrum per pastores istos designatur. Dominus enim cuilibet hominum commisit animam suam pascendam. Animam, inquam, pretioso sanguine Filii Dei redemptam, quam mille millibus ovium pretiosiorem fore nullus sanae mentis ignorat. Ad hoc autem, ut animas nostras pascamus, admonet nos I Pet. V, 2: Pascite qui in nobis est gregem Dei. Quasi dicat: O vos Christiani pascite gregem, qui inter vos est, id est, animas vestras, quae intra vos sunt. Ad hoc autem, ut quilibet Christianus bonus pastor animae suae existat, tria requiruntur ab eo. Primum est, ut sit vigil et non somnolentus. Secundum est, ut sit de semetipso sollicitus. Tertium est, ut sit erga proximos suos justus.
SERMON V.
ON THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD.
Behold, I evangelize to you a great joy, which will be for all the people, because there has been born for you today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord in the city of David. Luke II, 11.
In the words set forth, four things are to be noted:
I. Who is the one through whom joy is evangelized? II. Who are those to whom joy is announced? III. On account of what is it said that all the people must rejoice? IV. By what sign is that one who has been born asserted to be found?
I.
Concerning the first, note that the one who evangelizes joy, that is, who brings a good announcement concerning joy, is described as being a true Angel of the Lord, lest, namely, it seem that he was a phantastic angel of Satan. Hence it is said in the present Gospel: Behold, an Angel of the Lord stood beside them, and the brightness of God shone around them 1, so that through this it would be designated that it was not that phantastic brightness in which the devil sometimes transfigures himself. For the Apostle says in II Corinthians XI, 14: Satan himself transfigures himself into an Angel of light. But who this Angel was is not clear from the evangelical testimony. Nevertheless it can not undeservedly be believed that it was Gabriel the Archangel, so that he who had announced to the Virgin Mary that the Lord would be born from her, he himself would also announce him, now born, to the shepherds.
II.
Concerning the second, note that those to whom so great a joy is announced are said to be shepherds, who are commended by three things: because, namely, they were not sleepy, and because they were solicitous about the flock, and besides because they were just. Hence it is read in the present Gospel: And there were shepherds in the same region watching, and keeping the watches of the night over their flock 2. Note that he says shepherds; he does not say soldiers or townsmen, lest those who serve others because of poverty be despised.
Now those shepherds were watchful and not sleepy, which is suggested there where it is said: They were watching, solicitous about the flock. Hence it follows: And keeping the watches of the night over the flock. For they were so solicitous about the flock committed to them that they did not leave it even by night.
They were also just, which is suggested there where it is said: Over their flock, as though not another's. For they did not guard a flock violently despoiled or taken away by theft, but their own, that is, one committed to them by true owners. Would that the shepherds of our time could today be commended by these three things! For in very many persons the opposites of the three aforesaid things, sleepiness, negligence, and also injustice, are found many times.
Note also that each of us is designated by those shepherds. For the Lord has committed to each human being his soul to be pastured. The soul, I say, redeemed by the precious blood of the Son of God, which no one of sound mind is ignorant is more precious than a thousand thousands of sheep. But for this, that we may pasture our souls, I Peter V, 2 admonishes us: Pasture the flock of God which is in us. As though he said: O you Christians, pasture the flock which is among you, that is, your souls, which are within you. But for this, that each Christian may exist as a good shepherd of his soul, three things are required of him. The first is that he be watchful and not sleepy. The second is that he be solicitous about himself. The third is that he be just toward his neighbors.
Ad hoc autem, ut vigiles simus, et non somnolenti, monet nos I Pet. V, 8: Sobrii estote, et vigilate: quia adversarius vester diabolus, tamquam leo rugiens circuit, quaerens quem devoret. Ille vigilat, qui semper creatorem suum redemptorem ac judicem intuetur: dormiens quippe nullum videt. Sic itaque vigilare debemus, ut in omnibus operibus nostris Deum nostrum, qui nos creavit, redemit, et judicabit, prae oculis habeamus, ne secus aliquid agamus, per quod oculos suae majestatis offendamus.
Item ab unoquoque nostrum requiritur, ut sit de salute animae suae sollicitus. Sicut enim solliciti sumus, ut corpori nostro potum, cibum, vestitum, ac alias necessitates suas ministremus; sic et solliciti esse debemus, ut quando venit illa incerta hora mortis nostrae, Deo animam nostram mundam et ornatam repraesentemus. Unde dicitur de pastoribus Bethlehemitanis, quod erant custodientes vigilias super gregem suum. Ille custodit vigilias noctis super oviculam, id est, animam sibi commissam, qui semper cum sollicitudine observat horam mortis suae. Mors est illa nox, quam semper observare tenemur. Heu! multi sunt, qui dummodo habeant ea quae corpori sunt necessaria, parum, vel nihil curant, quid fiat de anima! De talibus dicitur Eccli. X, 32: Peccantem in animam suam quis justificabit? et quis honorificabit exhonorantem animam suam?
Tertio requiritur a quolibet Christiano, ut sit justus, ut scilicet nihil quod sit alterius, injuste attingat, vel possideat, sed se, et suos ex his quae sua sunt, enutriat: et ex his etiam Deo gratas oblationes seu eleemosynas offerat. Quod autem homo debeat se ex suis, id est, ex juste conquisitis enutrire, probatur Tobiae, II, 21, ubi legitur, quod cum Tobias caecus esset effectus, et uxor ejus Anna quadam vice haedum caprarum operibus manuum suarum conquisitum domum detulisset; audiens Tobias vocem balantis haedi, dixit: Videte, ne forte furtivus sit, reddite eum dominis suis, quia non licet nobis aut edere ex furto aliquid, aut contingere. Quod autem debeat homo ex his quae sua sunt, Deo offerre, vel eleemosynas dare, dicitur in Prov. III, 9 et 10: Honora Dominum de tua substantia, Glossa «non de aliena»: et de primitiis omnium frugum tuarum, Glossa «de melioribus bonis tuis» da ei, scilicet pauperi: et implebuntur horrea tua saturitate, et vino torcularia tua redundabunt.
But for this, that we may be watchful and not sleepy, I Peter V, 8 admonishes us: Be sober and watch, because your adversary the devil goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. He watches who always looks upon his creator, redeemer, and judge; for one sleeping sees no one. Therefore we ought to watch in such a way that in all our works we have before our eyes our God, who created, redeemed, and will judge us, lest we do anything otherwise, by which we may offend the eyes of his majesty.
Likewise it is required from each one of us that he be solicitous about the salvation of his soul. For just as we are solicitous to provide drink, food, clothing, and its other necessities for our body, so also we ought to be solicitous that, when that uncertain hour of our death comes, we may present our soul clean and adorned to God. Hence it is said concerning the Bethlehemite shepherds that they were keeping watches over their flock. He keeps the watches of the night over the little sheep, that is, the soul committed to him, who always observes the hour of his death with solicitude. Death is that night which we are always bound to observe. Alas! many there are who, provided that they have those things that are necessary for the body, care little or nothing what happens to the soul. Concerning such people it is said in Ecclesiasticus X, 32: Who will justify the one sinning against his own soul? and who will honor the one dishonoring his own soul?
Third, it is required from any Christian that he be just, namely that he unjustly touch or possess nothing that belongs to another, but nourish himself and his own from those things which are his own, and from these also offer to God pleasing oblations or alms. That a man ought to nourish himself from his own goods, that is, from things justly acquired, is proved in Tobit II, 21, where it is read that when Tobias had been made blind, and his wife Anna on a certain occasion had brought home a kid of goats acquired by the works of her hands, Tobias, hearing the voice of the bleating kid, said: See lest perhaps it be stolen; return it to its owners, because it is not lawful for us either to eat anything from theft or to touch it. But that a man ought from those things which are his own to offer to God or give alms is said in Proverbs III, 9 and 10: Honor the Lord from your substance, the Gloss says "not from another's," and from the firstfruits of all your fruits, the Gloss says "from your better goods," give to him, namely to the poor person, and your barns will be filled with fullness, and your winepresses will overflow with wine.
III.
De tertio nota, quod propter hoc gaudendum est omni populo, quia videlicet natus est nobis hodie Salvator, qui est Christus Dominus in civitate David; sicut ait Angelus ad Pastores. Et nota, quod quinque praedicuntur hic de parvulo Jesu Filio Mariae. Appellatur enim Salvator, et Christus, et Dominus, et dicitur natus esse in civitate David, quia futurus erat verus David. Salvator dicitur, propter humani generis redemptionem. Christus dicitur, propter suorum fidelium in via praesentis saeculi consolationem. Dominus dicitur, propter servitii ab his quos redemit, expostulationem. Ob hoc etiam natus dicitur in civitate David, ut sit imitator David. David etiam interpretatur manu fortis, vel vultu desiderabilis. Est ergo et Jesus noster manu fortis, per sempiternam reproborum condemnationem. Est etiam vultu desiderabilis, per admirabilem electorum remunerationem.
I. Primo igitur puer iste, qui natus est, Salvator dicitur: ut scilicet redimat sub daemoniaca captivitate gementes. Unde iste Salvator de seipso dicit Exod. II, 1 et 2: Vidi afflictionem populi mei in Aegypto, et clamorem ejus audivi: et sciens dolorem ejus, descendi ut liberarem ipsum de manibus Aegyptiorum, et educam de terra illa in terram bonam et spatiosam, in terram, quae fluit lacte et melle. Ex ista auctoritate notari potest, quod populus Dei, id est, omnes electi, priusquam Christus incarnatus esset et passus, erat in afflictione propter diuturnum exsilium. Fuit etiam in jugi clamore, postulans afflictionis suae solatium. Erat nihilominus propter vehemens exspectati solatii desiderium, in dolore: quod videns, audiens, et sciens Deus descendit, carnem assumens; ut liberaret populum per sanguinem suum diu exsulantem, et solatium postulantem, ac sese cum desideriis exspectantem. Descendit, inquam, ut liberaret eum de manu Aegyptiorum, id est, de potestate daemoniorum, et educeret cum de terra illa, id est, de regione tenebrarum, scilicet, de limbo, ubi Dei populus captivus detinebatur, in terram bonam et spatiosam, ad terram, quae fluit lacte et melle. Per hanc terram designatur terra viventium, scilicet, regnum caelorum, quae dicitur
III.
Concerning the third, note that on this account all the people must rejoice, because, namely, there has been born to us today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord in the city of David, as the Angel said to the Shepherds. And note that five things are proclaimed here concerning the little child Jesus, Son of Mary. For he is called Savior, and Christ, and Lord, and he is said to have been born in the city of David, because he was to be the true David. He is called Savior because of the redemption of the human race. He is called Christ because of the consolation of his faithful ones on the way of the present age. He is called Lord because of the demanding of service from those whom he redeemed. On this account also he is said to have been born in the city of David, that he might be an imitator of David. David is also interpreted "strong in hand" or "desirable in face." Therefore our Jesus too is strong in hand through the everlasting condemnation of the reprobate. He is also desirable in face through the wonderful rewarding of the elect.
I. First, therefore, this child who has been born is called Savior, namely so that he may redeem those groaning under demonic captivity. Hence this Savior says concerning himself, Exodus II, 1 and 2: I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt, and I have heard its cry; and knowing its sorrow, I came down in order to free it from the hands of the Egyptians, and I will lead it out from that land into a good and spacious land, into a land which flows with milk and honey. From this authority it can be noted that the people of God, that is, all the elect, before Christ had been incarnate and had suffered, were in affliction because of long exile. They were also in continual cry, seeking the solace of their affliction. They were nevertheless in sorrow because of the vehement desire for the expected solace; seeing, hearing, and knowing this, God descended, assuming flesh, so that he might free the people by his blood, long exiled, seeking solace, and awaiting him with desires. He descended, I say, that he might free them from the hand of the Egyptians, that is, from the power of demons, and lead them out from that land, that is, from the region of darkness, namely from limbo, where the people of God were detained captive, into the good and spacious land, to the land which flows with milk and honey. Through this land is designated the land of the living, namely the kingdom of the heavens, which is called
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