Works › Sermons for the Seasons of the Year
Volume 13 · pp. 71–72
Sermon XIV. On the First Sunday after Epiphany, Opening
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SERMO XIV.
IN DOMINICA I POST EPIPHANIAM.
Factum est, post triduum invenerunt Jesum in templo sedentem in medio Doctorum, audientem illos, et interrogantem eos. Luc. II, 46.
Nota, quod in praesenti Evangelio octo nominari possunt in puero Jesu. Quae si quilibet homo fuerit imitatus, sufficiunt ei ad statum salutis aeternae.
I. Quod pacem amavit, eamque se amare facto demonstravit. II. Quod templum, sicut cultum Dei diligens frequentavit. III. Quod Doctores prudenter auscultavit. IV. Quod temporalibus rebus spiritualia praeamavit. V. Quod magnam nobis in se ostendit humilitatem. VI. Quod floruit per vitae puritatem. VII. Quod voluntati suae parentum praeposuit voluntatem. VIII. Quod sicut proficiebat aetate, sit etiam profecit per sapientiae, et gratiae claritatem.
I.
Primo pacem amavit, eamque, etc. Unde dicitur in praesenti Evangelio, quod consummatis diebus paschalibus, cum redirent parentes ejus, remansit puer Jesus in Jerusalem 1. Jerusalem pacis visio interpretatur. Significat igitur Jerusalem pacem cordis. Qui enim habuerit hic pacem cordis, perveniet ad visionem perpetuae pacis. Per hoc itaque, quod aliis a Jerusalem recedentibus, puer Jesus remansit in Jerusalem per triduum, ostendit quod pacem amat, et quod cum ipsa et in ipsa libenter habitet. Unde dicitur in Psal. LXXV, 3: Factus est in pace locus ejus. Hic enim legitur Luc. X, 1 et seq., quod mittens septuaginta duos discipulos ante faciem suam, in omnem civitatem et locum, quo erat ipse venturus, dicebat illis...: In quamcumque domum intraveritis, primum dicite: Pax huic domui. Et si ibi fuerit filius pacis, requiescet super illum pax vestra. Ecce praemittit pacem in omnem civitatem et locum, quo ipse erat venturus: et per hoc innuit, quod in nullius hominis cor venire dignatur, nisi ibi pacem inveniat.
Igitur cum cor nostrum spiritualiter debeat esse Jerusalem, notandum est quod triplicem pacem habere debemus, si volumus ut Jesus maneat nobiscum, et habitet in corde nostro.
Prima pax est, ut nullum in nostris cordibus odiamus. De hac pace dicit Apostolus ad Col. III, 15: Pax Christi exsultet in cordibus vestris. Tunc pax Christi exsultat in cordibus nostris, cum nec rancor, nec invidia, nec odium inquietant. Haec enim expelli debent a corde, ut pax in ipso eo quietius requiescat.
SERMON XIV.
ON THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.
It happened that, after three days, they found Jesus in the temple, sitting in the midst of the Doctors, hearing them and questioning them. Luke II, 46.
Note that in the present Gospel eight things can be named in the child Jesus. If any man will have imitated them, they suffice for him for the state of eternal salvation.
I. That he loved peace, and showed by deed that he loved it. II. That, as one loving the worship of God, he frequented the temple. III. That he prudently listened to the Doctors. IV. That he loved spiritual things before temporal things. V. That he showed us great humility in himself. VI. That he flourished through purity of life. VII. That he placed the will of his parents before his own will. VIII. That just as he advanced in age, so also he advanced through the brightness of wisdom and grace.
I.
First, he loved peace, and it, etc. Hence it is said in the present Gospel that, when the paschal days had been completed, when his parents were returning, the child Jesus remained in Jerusalem 1. Jerusalem is interpreted vision of peace. Therefore Jerusalem signifies peace of heart. For he who has had peace of heart here will come to the vision of perpetual peace. Therefore by this, that when others were departing from Jerusalem, the child Jesus remained in Jerusalem for three days, he showed that he loves peace and that he willingly dwells with it and in it. Hence Psalm LXXV, 3 says: His place was made in peace. For here it is read in Luke X, 1 and following, that sending seventy-two disciples before his face into every city and place where he himself was going to come, he said to them...: Into whatever house you will have entered, first say: Peace to this house. And if a son of peace will have been there, your peace will rest upon him. Behold, he sends peace ahead into every city and place where he himself was going to come; and through this he suggests that he does not deign to come into the heart of any man unless he finds peace there.
Therefore since our heart spiritually ought to be Jerusalem, it must be noted that we ought to have threefold peace, if we wish Jesus to remain with us and dwell in our heart.
The first peace is that we hate no one in our hearts. Concerning this peace the Apostle says to the Colossians III, 15: Let the peace of Christ exult in your hearts. Then the peace of Christ exults in our hearts, when neither rancor, nor envy, nor hatred disturbs them. For these things must be driven out from the heart, so that peace may rest in it more quietly.
Secunda pax est, ut neminem verbis nostris vel occulte, vel palam offendamus. De hac pace dicit Apostolus II ad Corinth. XIII, 11 et 12: Pacem habete: et Deus pacis erit vobiscum. De qua vero pace loquens statim, quasi exponendo subdit: Salutate invicem in osculo sancto. Quasi dicat: Non debetis invicem in verbis jurgiosis litigare, sed potius benigne vos salutare, et hoc debetis facere in osculo sancto, non in osculo doloso, sicut osculatus fuit Joab Amasam. Legitur enim II Reg. XX, 9 et 10, quod Joab, qui erat princeps militiae David, una manu tenuit cujusdam militis mentum, qui Amasa vocabatur, quasi osculans eum, dicensque ad eum: Salve mi frater: altera vero manu gladio percussit eum in latere, et effudit intestina ejus. Sic adhuc hodie multi sunt, qui alios salutant, quibus tamen malum facere moliuntur. Unde dicit Gregorius: «Mentum tenere, est cum benignitate blandiri: sed sinistram ad gladium mittit, qui latenter ex malitia percutit.»
Tertia pax est, ut nulli malum vel damnum aliquod nostris operibus inferamus. De hac pace dicit Apostolus II ad Thess. III, 16: Ipse Dominus pacis det vobis pacem sempiternam in omni loco. De qua vero pace loquens statim, quasi exponendo subjungit: Dominus sit cum omnibus vobis. Tunc est Deus nobiscum, cum nulli malum vel damnum inferimus, sed unumquemque, sicut nosmetipsos, diligimus. Deus charitas est, ut Joannes in sua epistola protestatur 2. Quod autem ipse Jesus velit nos habere hanc triplicem pacem, per hoc evidenter ostendit, quod post Resurrectionem apparens Discipulis, ter dixit eis: Pax vobis, sicut ait Joan. XX, 19, 21 et 26.
II.
Secundo, quod tamquam cultum Dei diligens, templum, non theatrum frequentavit. Unde legitur in hodierno Evangelio: quod parentes ejus regressi Jerusalem, invenerunt eum in templo 3. Non dicitur quod invenerunt eum in theatro. Ecce habemus hic exemplum a Domino, ut libenter Ecclesias frequentemus, et in Dei cultu ac servitio delectemur, sicut legitur Luc. I, 36, de illa
The second peace is that we offend no one by our words either secretly or openly. Concerning this peace the Apostle says in II Corinthians XIII, 11 and 12: Have peace, and the God of peace will be with you. But speaking of this peace, immediately, as though expounding, he adds: Greet one another in a holy kiss. As though he said: You ought not to fight with one another in quarrelsome words, but rather to greet one another kindly; and you ought to do this in a holy kiss, not in a deceitful kiss, as Joab kissed Amasa. For it is read in II Kings XX, 9 and 10, that Joab, who was prince of David's army, held with one hand the chin of a certain soldier who was called Amasa, as though kissing him, and saying to him: Hail, my brother; but with the other hand he struck him in the side with a sword and poured out his intestines. So still today there are many who greet others, against whom nevertheless they attempt to do evil. Hence Gregory says: "To hold the chin is to flatter with kindness; but he sends the left hand to the sword who secretly strikes from malice."
The third peace is that we inflict no evil or any damage on anyone by our works. Concerning this peace the Apostle says in II Thessalonians III, 16: May the Lord of peace himself give you everlasting peace in every place. But speaking of this peace, immediately, as though expounding, he adds: May the Lord be with all of you. Then God is with us when we inflict evil or damage on no one, but love each one as ourselves. God is charity, as John testifies in his epistle 2. But that Jesus himself wishes us to have this threefold peace, he clearly shows through this, that after the Resurrection, appearing to the Disciples, he said to them three times: Peace be to you, as John XX, 19, 21 and 26 says.
II.
Second, that as one loving the worship of God, he frequented the temple, not the theater. Hence it is read in today's Gospel that, when his parents had returned to Jerusalem, they found him in the temple 3. It is not said that they found him in the theater. Behold, here we have an example from the Lord, that we should willingly frequent Churches and delight in the worship and service of God, as is read in Luke I, 36 concerning that
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