HOMILY 24
HOMILY 24
ON PSALM 96 (97)
DAVID, when his land was restored again to him.'l We read in the Books of Kings and in Paralipomenon that David was a valorous hero who subjugated to his rule all the surrounding nations. This fact agrees with the literal interpretation of the title, so that we understand its meaning thus: The song of David that he sang to the Lord, when he restored peace to his own land, Judea, after vanquishing all his foes. That is history. On the contrary, if David's name means 'strong of hand,'2 then, the 'strong of hand' is no other than the Conqueror of all nations, our
David at whom the demons cried out: 'Hast thou come here to torment us before the time, Son of David?'3 This song was composed by Him when His land was restored. Excellently, indeed, has our venerable priest compared the land that was restored to our bodies. Certainly, when peace has returned to our land is the time for us to sing to God.
Let us express this thought another way, however, for there is no harm in putting the same thing two or three different ways. It is written, in fact, in the Book of Solomon: 'Take these words in three manner of ways on the tablet of your heart:4 It does no harm to change the wording when the spirit remains the same. 'When his land was restored to him.'
There was no peace in this land before our David did his 1 Cf. Ps. 96 (97).1, LXX.
2 Cf. Commentary on lsaia, bk. 17, PL 24.585 (715); Osee 3.4, 5, PL 25.845 (33).
3 Matt. 8.29.
4 Cf. Provo 22.20; d. Letter 120.12, PL 22.1005 (848).
SAINT JEROME
conquering; everywhere there was confusion and discord.
One nation was worshiping Jove; another, Mercury; another, Juno; every nation had its own particular god. The standard of the cross was lifted up, and with it every land was restored to order.
'The Lord is king; let the earth rejoice.' All the earth, and the, whole world that had been under the sway of demons and idols, let it now rejoice under the Kingship of the Lord. 'The Lord is king.' The Lord Creator who made you is Himself
King. 0, you, who before had been subject to the dominion of the lord devil, are now subject to the rule of the Lord
Creator. 'Let the many isles be glad.' The venerable priest applied this well to our own souls that are tossed hither and thither by distracting thoughts like so many waves beating and buffeting us.
Let us, however, speak also of the churches as islands.
Moreover, Scripture says in another place: 'Many islands are converted to me.'5 Would you know that churches are called islands? The prophet Isaia says in the name of the Lord:
'Speak to the inhabitants of this isle.'6 'Let the many isles be glad.' Even as islands have been set in the midst of the sea, churches have been established in the midst of this world, and they are beaten and buffeted by different waves of persecution.7 Verily these islands are lashed by waves every day, but they are not submerged. They are in the midst of the sea, to be sure, but they have Christ as their foundation, Christ who cannot be moved.
'Clouds and darkness are round about him!' There are two things that surround the Lord, clouds and darkness. I think this is the same cloud mentioned in the Gospel: 'A bright cloud overshadowed them.'8 That occurred when our Lord was transformed, and the apostles fell on their faces before 5 Cf. Eccles. 47.17; Isa. 42.10,12; Soph. 2.11.
6 Cf. Isa. 20.6.
7 Cf. Commentary on lsaia 41.1-8, PL 24.412 (496); 42.1-5, PL 24.422
(508); 51.5, PL 24.484 (587).
8 Matt. 17.5.
HOMILY 24
Him and a bright cloud overshadowed them. I think, too, these are the clouds which the Lord commanded not to rain upon Israe1.9 I think, likewise, these are the clouds about which it says in another place: 'Your truth, to the clouds';lO that Truth of the Lord that says in the Gospel: 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life.'l1 The Truth of God is Christ.
The Truth of the Lord reaches even to the clouds. The clouds are the apostles and prophets; to them He gave the command not to rain upon Israel. This is in agreement with history as recorded in the Book of ] udges12 where it speaks of the fleece that was dry, while rain fell upon the rest of the world. It means that Israel is dry and the rain is pouring down over the whole world.
'Clouds and darkness are round about him.' 'The Lord is riding on a swift cloud on his way to Egypt.'13 Appreciate what that means: the Lord comes, the Lord and Savior, into the Egypt in which we live; the Lord comes into the land of darkness where Pharao is. But He does not come save riding on a swift cloud. Now what is this swift cloud? I think it is holy Mary with child of no human seed.14 This swift cloud has come into the world and brought with it the Creator of the world. What does Isaia say? 'The Lord will enter into Egypt upon a swift cloud; and the idols of Egypt shall be shattered.'15 The Lord has come, and the false gods of Egypt tremble violently, crash together, and are destroyed.
This is the cloud that in Alexandria destroyed Serapis;16 no general did it, no mortal man, but this cloud that came into Alexandria.
'Clouds and darkness are round about him.' We have identified the cloud; now let us investigate the darkness. The 9 Cf. Isa. 5.6.
10 Cf. Ps. 35.6.
11 John 14.6.
12 Judges 6.37·40; d. Letter 58.3, PL 22.581 (320); 108.10, PL 22.886 (700).
13 Isa. 19.1.
14 Cf. Commentary on Ezechiel 32.1-16, PL 25.308 (382).
15 Cf. Isa. 19.1.
16 Cf. Letter 107.2, PL 22.870 (679).
SAINT JEROME
Lord is in the darkness. The Lord is either in light or He is in darkness. He is in light for beginners, for He speaks more plainly to them; but to the proficient He speaks mystically. He did not speak to the apostles in the same way that He spoke to the multitudes; He spoke to the apostles esoterically. What does He say? 'He who has ears to hear, let him hearl'17 That, then, is the meaning of the words,
'and darkness round about him' or, as we might say, 'and mysteries round about him.' Consequently, Exodus says:
'And all the people were standing down below; Moses alone went up into Mount Sinai in the darkness of a heavy cloud,'18 for all the people of God were not able to know the mysteries that only Moses could understand. Holy Writ says of God:
'And he made darkness the cloak about Him.'19
'Justice and judgment are the support2Q of his throne.'
What is the sense of 'the support of His throne'? It ought to have said 'the foundation of His throne.' The expression
'support of His throne' carries the implication that the throne had been unsteady before it was given support. And, really,
God's judgment before the Last Judgment seems in a sense to be unsteady. His judgment in this life seems unjust and irregular, for when the wicked grow rich and the saints are paupers, does not God's judgment seem out of order? When
He shall come to judge, however, to render unto each one according to his works, then His throne will be set right, as it were.
Would you know further, what the psalm says about the Judge? 'Fire goes before him.' The man of holiness need not be afraid of this fire; let the sinner fear it. This fire purifies saints; it burns up sinners. 'Fire goes before him.' 'You make your messengers spirits, and your ministers a flaming fire.'21
17 Luke 8.8; d. Letter 58.9, PL 22.585 (325).
18 Cf. Exod. 19.
19 Ps. 17.12.
20 Cf. Ps. 96 (97).2.
21 Cf. Ps. 103.4; d. To Pammachius Against John of Jerusalem 15. PL 23.384 (422).
HOMILY 24
I think His angel messengers are the fires. They, therefore, His fire, go before Him. Whom do these angels consume with fire? Whoever is of wood, hay, stubble. He who is gold, silver, and precious stone will be sent into the fire, assuredly, but he will come out with greater purity.22
'His lightnings illumine the world.' The philosophers28 tell us that lightning generates from the collision of clouds, for one does not see lightning until there has been first the impact of thunder. They say the same of copper pyrites; unless such stones are rubbed together they do not produce sparks.
This has all been according to the historical method of interpretation, and we shall continue to direct our remarks to the inexperienced. We have been discussing the nature of things, that from their nature, we may derive some spiritual gain. The stone commonly called copper pyrite is not able to yield fire by itself alone, but if it is rubbed against another stone, a spark is struck between them. Let us suppose that Jeremia is a cloud, that Isaia, Elia, that Paul and Peter, and the other apostles are clouds. Now, when these clouds are struck together, they send forth a fire from their midst, and that fire illumines the whole world. 'His lightnings illumine the world; the earth sees and trembles.' The lightning flashes of the apostles have lighted up the entire world, and the earth has trembled at the sight. They spoke and the whole world heard the thunder of their voice. Two powers they had in equal proportion: a mighty voice and brilliant lightning. These lightning flashes enlighten believers; they burn out non-believers.
'The mountains melt like wax.' To me, these mountains seem to be the powers of devils. Whether or not they are mountains, they are certainly proud men. This fire does not consume the lowly, but only the lofty. As a matter of fact,
22 Cf. Commentary on lsaia 66.24, PL 24.677 (830).
23 Cf. Jerome's translation of Origen, Commentary on Jeremia, PL 25.629
(797-798). Cf. Homily 5, p. 38.
SAINT JEROME
lightning seldom strikes those who are in the valley, but never misses those who are up on the mountain.
'The heavens proclaim his justice.' These are the heavens of which Psalm 18 says: 'The heavens declare the glory of God.'24 The heavens proclaim His justice; earth does not.
A man who is in heaven does not fear the just God; the man from heaven does not fear to proclaim His justice. The man who is holy and of heaven does not fear the God of justice.
The sinner, however, seeks the God of mercy.
24 Ps. 18.2.