Works › Sermons for the Seasons of the Year
Volume 13 · pp. 178–180
Sermon XLIII. On the Rogation Days
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SERMO XLIII. IN ROGATIONIBUS.
Petite et dabitur vobis. Matth. vii, 7.
Hic principaliter quatuor sunt notanda: I. A quo sit petendum? II. Qualiter sit petendum? III. Quid sit petendum? IV. Quando sit petendum?
I. De primo nota, quod ab eo est petendum, a quo cuncta procedunt. Unde Jacob. i, 17: Omne datum optimum, et omne donum perfectum desursum est, descendens a Patre luminum, apud quem non est transmutatio, etc. A Deo igitur, qui optima dona dare potest et vult, est petendum.
II. De secundo videndum est, qualiter petere debeamus: multi enim, quia ita non petunt, sicut petere deberent, ideo non accipiunt id quod petunt. Unde Jacob. iv, 3: Petitis, et non accipitis: eo quod male petatis. Igitur ut dentur nobis ea quæ petimus, petere debemus corde, ore, et opere. Sicut enim avis aerem petitura nidum habet, unde se levat, et ex foramine vel ostio nidi evolat, et alas habet quibus volat: sic et oratio nostra procedere debet ex nido cordis, et evolare per ostium oris. Debet etiam volare pennis et alis boni operis. Hæ autem alæ præcipue sunt jejunium et eleemosynæ. Hoc autem jejunium non solum consistit in abstinentia ciborum, sed potius in abstinentia vitiorum, videlicet rancoris et invidiæ. De oratione et duabus suis alis scribit Augustinus in sermone quodam de pænitentia, ita dicens: «Mitte orationem, habebit alas duas, geminas eleemosynas videlicet, dimittite et dimittetur vobis.» Raphael etiam Archangelus docet, quod oporteat orationem habere duas alas, videlicet jejunium et eleemosynas. Dixit enim Tobiæ et uxori suæ: Bona est oratio cum jejunio, et eleemosyna 1.
Et nota, quod oratio significari potest per columbam illam quam Noe emisit de arca, quæ etiam ramum olivæ virentibus foliis retulit ad arcam: sicut legitur Gen. viii, 11. Noe interpretatur requiescens, et significat spiritum, sive animam fidelis hominis Christiani, qui requiescere debet in Christo. In mundo enim pressuras habet anima fidelis hominis: in Christo vero pacem, sicut dicitur Joan. xvi, 33. Per arcam intelligitur cor nostrum, fenestra arcæ est os nostrum. Tunc autem columbam ex arca dimittimus, quando orationem nostram in cælum ad Deum dirigimus: quæ tamen indiget, ut habeat pennas deargentatas, id est, mundis et bonis operibus fulciatur: et sic reportare poterit hominum pacem et gratiam Dei, quæ per virentem ramum olivæ figuratur. Ad hoc vero ut orationem nostram adjutorio bonorum operum feramus ad Dominum, monemur in Thren. iii, 41: Levemus corda nostra cum manibus ad Dominum in cælos.
SERMON XLIII. ON THE ROGATION DAYS.
Ask and it will be given to you. Matthew 7:7.
Here four things are principally to be noted: I. From whom must one ask? II. In what manner must one ask? III. What must be asked? IV. When must one ask?
I. On the first, note that one must ask from him from whom all things proceed. Hence James 1:17 says: Every best gift and every perfect gift is from above, descending from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, and so forth. Therefore one must ask from God, who can and wills to give the best gifts.
II. On the second, it must be seen in what manner we ought to ask; for many, because they do not ask as they ought to ask, therefore do not receive what they ask. Hence James 4:3 says: You ask and do not receive, because you ask badly. Therefore so that the things we ask may be given to us, we ought to ask with heart, mouth, and work. For just as a bird about to seek the air has a nest from which it lifts itself, and flies out through the opening or doorway of the nest, and has wings by which it flies, so also our prayer ought to proceed from the nest of the heart and fly out through the doorway of the mouth. It ought also to fly with the feathers and wings of good work. These wings are especially fasting and alms. This fasting, however, consists not only in abstinence from foods but rather in abstinence from vices, namely rancor and envy. Concerning prayer and its two wings Augustine writes in a certain sermon on penance, saying thus: Send prayer; it will have two wings, namely the twin alms: forgive and it will be forgiven you. Raphael the Archangel also teaches that prayer must have two wings, namely fasting and alms. For he said to Tobias and his wife: Prayer with fasting and alms is good 1.
And note that prayer can be signified by that dove which Noah sent out from the ark, which also brought back to the ark a branch of olive with green leaves, as is read in Genesis 8:11. Noah is interpreted resting and signifies the spirit or soul of the faithful Christian person, who ought to rest in Christ. For in the world the soul of a faithful person has pressures; but in Christ it has peace, as is said in John 16:33. By the ark our heart is understood; the window of the ark is our mouth. We send the dove from the ark when we direct our prayer into heaven to God; yet it needs to have silvered feathers, that is, to be supported by clean and good works; and thus it will be able to bring back the peace of human beings and the grace of God, which is figured by the green branch of olive. But so that we may carry our prayer to the Lord by the help of good works, we are admonished in Lamentations 3:41: Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to the Lord in the heavens.
III. De tertio nota, quod illa præcipue sunt petenda, quæ Dominus ipse nos admonet petere (Matth. vi, 9 et seq. et Luc. xi, 2). Ibi enim ipse Dominus format petitionem Christianorum, dicens: Sic orabitis: Pater noster, etc. Et nota, quod tres virtutes Theologicæ, scilicet fides, spes, et charitas: et quatuor virtutes cardinales, videlicet fortitudo, justitia, temperantia, et prudentia, septem petitionibus adaptantur, quæ in oratione Dominica continentur.
Dicimus ergo, Pater noster, qui es in cælis. «Ibi, dicit Glossa, monetur nobilis et dives non superbire contra minores:» non enim vere possunt dicere Pater noster, nisi fratres sint: cavendum est etiam cuique a sordibus, ne tanto Patre sit indignus. Nullus igitur pauper propter paupertatem desperet, cum non solum divites, sed pauperes videantur dicere: Pater noster, qui es in cælis. Nota, quod per cælos non solum Angeli intelliguntur, sed et omnes Christiani qui sunt sine peccato mortali. In his enim Dominus nunc per gratiam inhabitat, et postea inhabitabit per gloriam.
Sanctificetur nomen tuum. Hæc est prima petitio. Et nota, quod per fidem nomen Dei sanctificatur, id est, firmatur in nobis. Fides enim est quoddam nobile gluten, quo nomen Dei agglutinatur animæ nostræ. Per hanc quippe primo efficimur Filii Dei.
Adveniat regnum tuum. Hæc est secunda petitio. Nota, quod duplex est regnum Dei: supra nos, et intra nos. Hoc duplex regnum advenit, id est, convenit per spem. Spes enim per recordationem et desiderium regnum Dei supercæleste defert in cor nostrum, quod etiam si mundum fuerit, vocatur regnum Dei. Per spem etiam corda nostra et animæ post hanc vitam transferentur in regnum Dei, quod supra nos est. Spes enim est certa exspectatio futuræ beatitudinis, ex meritis et gratia proveniens.
Sequitur tertia petitio: Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in cælo, et in terra, hoc est, sicut Angeli faciunt voluntatem tuam in cœlo, sic et nos mereamur facere voluntatem tuam in terris. Ad hoc autem necessaria est charitas. Charitas enim est, quæ cavere nos facit, ne offendamus charissimum et optimum, id est, Deum vivum.
Sequitur quarta petitio: Panem nostrum quotidianum 2, vel substantialem, da nobis hodie. Hic non solum cibum petimus et alimentum corporis: sed potius animæ nutrimentum, videlicet, panem divinæ gratiæ. Hic igitur petimus, ut vera fortitudo divinæ gratiæ nobis conferatur, ut videlicet omnem voluntatem Dei eo fortius impleamus. Petimus etiam hic, ut in virtute illius supercælestis panis, id est, beneficio Dominici corporis in omni bono opere roboremur.
III. On the third, note that those things are chiefly to be asked that the Lord himself admonishes us to ask, Matthew 6:9 and following and Luke 11:2. For there the Lord himself forms the petition of Christians, saying: Thus you shall pray: Our Father, and so forth. And note that the three theological virtues, namely faith, hope, and charity, and the four cardinal virtues, namely fortitude, justice, temperance, and prudence, are adapted to the seven petitions that are contained in the Lord's Prayer.
Therefore we say: Our Father, who art in heaven. There, the Gloss says, the noble and rich person is admonished not to be proud against lesser persons; for they cannot truly say Our Father unless they are brothers. Each person must also beware of filths, lest he be unworthy of so great a Father. Therefore no poor person should despair because of poverty, since not only the rich but the poor are seen to say: Our Father, who art in heaven. Note that by the heavens not only the Angels are understood, but also all Christians who are without mortal sin. For in these the Lord now dwells by grace, and afterward will dwell by glory.
Hallowed be thy name. This is the first petition. And note that through faith the name of God is sanctified, that is, made firm in us. For faith is a certain noble glue by which the name of God is glued to our soul. Through this, indeed, we first become children of God.
Thy kingdom come. This is the second petition. Note that the kingdom of God is twofold: above us and within us. This twofold kingdom comes, that is, is fitting, through hope. For through remembrance and desire hope carries the supercelestial kingdom of God into our heart, which, if it is clean, is also called the kingdom of God. Through hope also our hearts and souls after this life will be transferred into the kingdom of God that is above us. For hope is a certain expectation of future blessedness, coming from merits and grace.
The third petition follows: Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, that is, as the Angels do your will in heaven, so may we deserve to do your will on earth. For this charity is necessary. For charity is what makes us beware lest we offend the dearest and best one, that is, the living God.
The fourth petition follows: Give us today our daily 2 or substantial bread. Here we ask not only for food and nourishment of the body, but rather for nourishment of the soul, namely the bread of divine grace. Therefore here we ask that true fortitude of divine grace be conferred upon us, so that we may fulfill every will of God all the more strongly. We also ask here that in the power of that supercelestial bread, that is, by the benefit of the Lord's body, we may be strengthened in every good work.
Quinta petitio: Et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Quantumcumque enim aliquis innocens sit, indiget tamen sibi a Domino sua debita relaxari. Omnes enim justitiæ nostræ divinæ munditiæ comparatæ sunt quasi pannus menstruatæ. Unde etiam dicit Apost. I ad Cor. iv, 4: Nihil mihi conscius sum: sed non hoc justificatus sum. Qui ergo desiderat sibi dimitti debita sua, debet et ipse dimittere primo debitoribus suis: hoc enim requirit vera justitia. Vera itaque justitia confertur ei, qui in se peccantibus ex corde dimittit.
Sequitur sexta petitio: Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, id est, auxiliare nobis, ne in aliquam tentationem per consensum inducamur, et sic a te, qui es vera delectatio animarum nostrarum, æternaliter abducamur. Ad hoc autem, ut in libidinosas tentationes non inducamur, adjutorio temperantiæ indigemus. Temperantia siquidem est quoddam nobile frænum animæ, per quod eam Dominus retrahit a tentationibus et delectationibus pravis et nocivis.
Septima petitio: Sed libera nos a malo. Nota, quod malum neutrius generis accipitur pro peccato et pro pœna peccati, id est, pro pœna gehennali. Malus igitur masculini generis accipitur pro quolibet malo homine, et pro ipso diabolo, qui verus malus est. Ad hoc autem, ut æternum malum, id est, infernum et diabolum evadamus, necessaria est nobis prudentia, quæ est quarta virtus cardinalis. Prudentia enim docet hominem fugere æternum malum.
IV. Videndum est quando sit petendum. Et nota, quod quamdiu aures Dei Sabaoth apertæ sunt, consultum est nobis ut sollicite petamus. Si enim tunc homo primo petere voluerit, quando ab hac vita transmigraverit, petitio ejus nullatenus audietur. Unde dicit Dominus, Isa. xlix, 8: In tempore placito exaudivi te. Tempus placitum est tempus hujus vitæ, quando misericordia homini non denegatur.
Rogate ergo Dominum, ut sic modo petamus, ut quæcumque petierimus, assequamur. Quod nobis præstare dignetur, qui vivit, etc.
The fifth petition: And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. However innocent someone may be, he nevertheless needs his debts to be relaxed for him by the Lord. For all our justices compared to divine cleanness are like the cloth of a menstruating woman. Hence the Apostle also says in 1 Corinthians 4:4: I am conscious of nothing to myself, but I am not justified by this. Therefore whoever desires his debts to be forgiven him ought first himself to forgive his debtors; for true justice requires this. And so true justice is conferred on the one who from the heart forgives those sinning against him.
The sixth petition follows: And lead us not into temptation, that is, help us lest we be led into any temptation through consent and thus be eternally led away from you, who are the true delight of our souls. But for this, so that we not be led into lustful temptations, we need the help of temperance. For temperance is a certain noble bridle of the soul, by which the Lord draws it back from wicked and harmful temptations and delights.
The seventh petition: But deliver us from evil. Note that evil in the neuter gender is taken for sin and for the punishment of sin, that is, for punishment of Gehenna. But evil in the masculine gender is taken for any evil human being and for the devil himself, who is the true evil one. But for this, that we may escape eternal evil, that is, hell and the devil, prudence is necessary for us, which is the fourth cardinal virtue. For prudence teaches a human being to flee eternal evil.
IV. It must be seen when one must ask. And note that as long as the ears of the God of Sabaoth are open, it is advisable for us to ask carefully. For if a human being first wants to ask when he has migrated from this life, his petition will in no way be heard. Hence the Lord says in Isaiah 49:8: In an accepted time I heard you. The accepted time is the time of this life, when mercy is not denied to a human being.
Therefore pray to the Lord that we may ask now in such a way that we may obtain whatever we ask. May he deign to grant this to us, who lives, and so forth.
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