Sermon XXII. On Sexagesima Sunday

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Sermo XXII.

In Dominica Sexagesimae.

Exiit qui seminat, seminare semen suum. Luc. viii, 5. Matth. xiii, 3 et Marc. iv, 3.

Quatuor hic occurrunt notanda:

I. Quis sit sator, a quo semen seminatur? II. Quod sit semen, quod sic seminatur? III. Quae sit terra, in quam seminatur? IV. Quis fructus ex hoc semine oriatur? ¹

Nota ergo, quod multiplex est sator. Primus est Deus Pater. Secundus, Dei Filius. Tertius, bonus homo. Quartus, malus homo. Quintus, diabolus. Sextus, est ipsa mors. Et quilibet horum habet suum semen quod seminat, et terram in quam seminat, et quilibet eorum fructum sui seminis exspectat.

1. Primus sator fuit Deus Pater, qui quando tempus miserendi advenit, Filium suum unigenitum seminavit in Virginis uterum: haec enim fuit illa benedicta terra, de qua Psalmista: Benedixisti Domine terram tuam ². Unde et Gabriel Archangelus dixit ad illam: Benedicta tu in mulieribus. Hoc semen, id est, Dei Filius, seminatum in Annuntiatione, et mortuum in Passione, multum fructum attulit in Resurrectione et Ascensione, Joan. xii, 24 et 25: Nisi granum frumenti cadens in terram, id est, in Virginem, mortuum fuerit, scilicet in cruce, ipsum solum manet: si autem mortuum fuerit, multum fructum affert. Hoc granum, quod e sinu Patris ceciderat in uterum Virginis, in Ascensione reversum est ad dexteram Patris, multum fructum referens secum. Fructus autem illi erant fideles animae, quas de limbo inferni eripuerat, et secum revehens, in regalibus sedibus collocavit. Unde Isa. iv, 2: In die illa erit germen Domini in magnificentia, et gloria, et fructus terrae, id est, Beatae Virginis, sublimis, et exsultatio his, qui salvati fuerint de Israel.

2. Secundus seminator est Dei Filius Christus Jesus. Unde exiit? Glossa, "de sinu Patris in mundum." Semen autem suum, sicut ipsemet testatur, est verbum Dei. Hoc autem perit tripliciter, videlicet juxta viam, supra petram, et inter spinas. Per viam intelliguntur chorizatores, saltatores, et lusores ad metam cum globis. Hi enim frequentant vias, et in his perit verbum Dei. Per petram, quae humore caret, intelliguntur potatores in tabernis, quorum fauces semper siccae sunt, igne infernali inflammatae: et in his perit verbum Dei. Per spinas accipiuntur luxuriosi feminarum frequentatores, qui punctiones patiuntur luxuriosas: per spinas etiam notantur avari homines, qui quotidie cupiditatum punctionibus stimulantur, et in his utrisque verbum Domini suffocatur. Per terram bonam signantur boni Christiani, in quibus verbum Dei vitae fructum affert, et ut dicit Matth. xiii, 8: Dabunt aliud centesimum, aliud sexagesimum, aliud trigesimum. Unde etiam Marc. iv, 8: Et aliud cecidit in terram bonam, Glossa, "fidelem mentem:" et dabat fructum ascendentem, et crescentem, et afferebat unum trigesimum, Glossa, "in conjugatis," et unum sexagesimum, Glossa, "in viduis," et unum centesimum, Glossa, "in virginibus." Conjugati igitur gaudebunt de fructu trigesimo, viduae de sexagesimo, virgines de centesimo.

Sermon XXII.

On Sexagesima Sunday.

He who sows went out to sow his seed. Luke 8:5; Matthew 13:3; and Mark 4:3.

Four things occur here to be noted:

I. Who is the sower by whom the seed is sown? II. What is the seed that is so sown? III. What is the earth into which it is sown? IV. What fruit arises from this seed? ¹

Therefore note that the sower is manifold. The first is God the Father. The second, the Son of God. The third, a good human being. The fourth, an evil human being. The fifth, the devil. The sixth is death itself. And each of these has his seed that he sows, and the earth into which he sows, and each of them awaits the fruit of his seed.

1. The first sower was God the Father, who, when the time of having mercy came, sowed his only-begotten Son into the womb of the Virgin. For this was that blessed earth about which the Psalmist says: You have blessed your earth, O Lord ². Hence Gabriel the Archangel also said to her: Blessed are you among women. This seed, that is, the Son of God, sown in the Annunciation and dead in the Passion, brought much fruit in the Resurrection and Ascension, John 12:24 and 25: Unless the grain of wheat falling into the earth, that is, into the Virgin, has died, namely on the cross, it remains alone; but if it has died, it brings much fruit. This grain, which had fallen from the bosom of the Father into the womb of the Virgin, returned in the Ascension to the right hand of the Father, carrying back much fruit with himself. But those fruits were faithful souls whom he had snatched from the limbo of hell and, carrying them back with himself, placed in royal seats. Hence Isaiah 4:2: On that day the shoot of the Lord will be in magnificence and glory, and the fruit of the earth, that is, of the Blessed Virgin, will be exalted and an exultation for those who have been saved from Israel.

2. The second sower is the Son of God, Christ Jesus. From where did he go out? The Gloss says, "from the bosom of the Father into the world." But his seed, as he himself testifies, is the word of God. This perishes in three ways, namely beside the way, upon rock, and among thorns. By the way are understood dancers, leapers, and players at the goal with balls. For these frequent the ways, and in them the word of God perishes. By the rock, which lacks moisture, are understood drinkers in taverns, whose throats are always dry, inflamed by infernal fire, and in them the word of God perishes. By thorns are taken luxurious frequenters of women, who suffer luxurious prickings. By thorns are also marked avaricious human beings, who daily are pricked by the goads of desires, and in each of these the word of the Lord is suffocated. By the good earth are signified good Christians, in whom the word of God brings the fruit of life, and as Matthew 13:8 says: They will give some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Hence also Mark 4:8: And another fell on good earth, the Gloss says, "a faithful mind," and it gave fruit ascending and growing, and brought one thirtyfold, the Gloss says, "in married persons," and one sixtyfold, the Gloss says, "in widows," and one hundredfold, the Gloss says, "in virgins." Therefore married persons will rejoice over the thirtyfold fruit, widows over the sixtyfold, virgins over the hundredfold.

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3. Tertius seminator est quilibet bonus homo, qui triplex seminat semen. Primum est opus munditiae. Secundum opus justitiae. Tertium opus misericordiae. Et certe trium horum laborum gloriosus erit fructus.

De semine munditiae, ad Galat. vi, 8: Quae seminaverit homo, haec et metet. Quoniam qui seminat in carne sua, subaudi, voluptatem, de carne et metet corruptionem: qui autem seminat, in spiritu castitatem, de spiritu metet vitam aeternam.

De semine justitiae, II ad Corinth. ix, 10: Qui administrat semen seminanti: augebit incrementa frugum justitiae nostrae. Semen autem justitiae seminari debet et opere, et ore: ut sit veritas in ore, et aequitas in opere.

De semine misericordiae, II ad Corinth. ix, 6: Qui parce seminat, parce et metet: et qui seminat in benedictionibus, de benedictionibus et metet. Item, ad Gal. vi, 10: Bonum facientes, non deficiamus: Tempore enim suo metemus non deficientes. Ergo dum tempus habemus, operemur bonum ad omnes, maxime autem ad domesticos fidei. Domestici fidei sunt veri Praedicatores, qui et ore praedicant, et opere, et qui jugiter fidem inviolatam circumferunt in hospitio cordis sui. Circa eos opera misericordiae debent a fidelibus spiritualibus exerceri.

4. Quartus sator est peccator quilibet. Et nota, quod est semen vanitatis, et iniquitatis. Semen vanitatis seminant humanae laudis avidi, et luxuriosi. Semen autem iniquitatis projiciunt superbi et avari. De primo, Osee, viii, 7: Ventum seminabunt, et turbinem metent. De secundo, Eccli. vii, 3: Non semines mala in sulcis injustitiae, et non metes ea in septuplum. Glossa, "in gehenna." Item Glossa signat perfectam ultionem: septenarius enim perfectionem signat.

Nota ergo, quod fures, et raptores, usurarii, et falsarii, iniqui judices, et justae causae oppressores, et omnes aliorum

3. The third sower is any good human being, who sows threefold seed. The first is the work of cleanness. The second, the work of justice. The third, the work of mercy. And certainly the fruit of these three labors will be glorious.

Concerning the seed of cleanness, Galatians 6:8: What a human being has sown, these things he will also reap. Because he who sows in his flesh, understand pleasure, from the flesh will also reap corruption; but he who sows in the spirit, chastity, from the spirit will reap eternal life.

Concerning the seed of justice, 2 Corinthians 9:10: He who supplies seed to the sower will increase the growths of the fruits of our justice. But the seed of justice ought to be sown both in work and in mouth, so that there may be truth in the mouth and equity in work.

Concerning the seed of mercy, 2 Corinthians 9:6: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly; and he who sows in blessings will reap from blessings. Likewise, Galatians 6:10: Doing good, let us not fail; for in its time we will reap, not failing. Therefore while we have time, let us work good toward all, but especially toward the domestics of faith. The domestics of faith are true Preachers, who preach both by mouth and by work, and who continually carry inviolable faith in the lodging of their heart. Toward them works of mercy ought to be spiritually exercised by the faithful.

4. The fourth sower is any sinner. And note that there is seed of vanity and of iniquity. Those greedy for human praise and the luxurious sow seed of vanity. But the proud and avaricious cast the seed of iniquity. Concerning the first, Hosea 8:7: They will sow wind and reap whirlwind. Concerning the second, Ecclesiasticus 7:3: Do not sow evils in the furrows of injustice, and you will not reap them sevenfold. The Gloss says, "in Gehenna." Likewise the Gloss signifies perfect vengeance, for the number seven signifies perfection.

Therefore note that thieves and plunderers, usurers and counterfeiters, unjust judges and oppressors of a just cause, and all deceivers of others

Notes

In this sermon the things to be noted are not expounded as in the other sermons, but in the declaration of each sower there are indicated successively the seed that is sown, the earth into which it is sown, and the fruit arising from this seed. (In hoc sermone notanda non exponuntur sicut in aliis sermonibus, sed in declaratione cujuslibet satoris, indicantur successive semen quod seminatur, terra in quam seminatur, et fructus ex hoc semine oriundus.) ↩
Psalm 84:2. (Ps. lxxxiv, 2.) ↩