HOMILY 47
HOMILY 47
ON PSALM 135 (136)
(IJ IVE THANKS to the Lord, for he is good.'l Despite . these words, heretics maintain that there is no repentance, but the prophet urges us to confess our sins, for God is good. Blessed, therefore, is he who acknowledges that he is a sinner just as the Apostle does: 'I am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God.'2 If the Apostle makes such a confession, how much more should the sinner? Scripture says, moreover:
'The just man accuses himself when he begins to speak.'s If the just man is prompt to accuse himself, how much more should the sinner be?
'Give thanks to the God of Gods.' The prophet is referring to those gods of whom it is written: 'I said: You are gods';4 and again: 'God arises in the divine assembly.'; They who cease to be mere men, abandon the ways of vice and are become perfect, are gods and sons of the Most High.
'Give thanks to the Lord of lords.' This refers to the Son, and 'God of gods,' to the Father. We give thanks, therefore, to the Father and to the Son, for the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father.
'Who alone does great wonders.' First the prophet said, give thanks to the God of gods; and then to the Lord of lords; now, because he mentioned two persons, he says: 'Who alone
1 Cf. Commentarioli in ps. 135.1.
2 I Cor. 15.9.
3 Cf. Provo 18.17; d. Against the Pelagians 1.l3, PL 23.527 (705).
4 Ps.81.6.
5 Ps. 81.1; d. Letter 22.4, PL 22.397 (91).
SAINT JEROME
does great wonders,' in order to offset any misconception of two gods. It is written, moreover: 'Only one God from whom all things; and one Lord Jesus, through whom are all things, and we through him!'6
'Who made the heavens in wisdom.' These are the heavens that declare the glory of God,7 that are clothed in the image of the heavenly, not in the image of the earthly.8 In wisdom,
'in intellectu,' in 'Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God':9 so wisdom actually'declares in the Book of Proverbs:
'When he established the heavens I was there.'lo 'Who established the earth upon the waters.'ll Even though earth is said to rest upon the waters-is poised upon the seasnevertheless, He established and confirmed our earth in baptism. The psalmist did not say that He raised up or exalted our earth, or that He caused it to ascend into heaven. Baptism remits sin, and, as it were, releases the soul from prison; it cannot, however, bestow the kingdom of heaven,12 for if one does not enter through faith and good works, he cannot be sure of salvation.
'Who made the great lights.' If we follow the letter, the psalmist is speaking of the stars. Although they appear to us small, nevertheless, they are of great magnitude. If, for example, we should ascend a high mountain and gaze down upon a man in the valley below, he would look like a tiny speck and be indistinguishable; so, likewise, the stars are mighty, but from their altitude, they seem little to us. The same star that is seen in Britain is visible everywhere else in the world. This versicle, by the way, is directed to those to whom the Lord said: 'You are the light of the world.'13
'Who split the Red Sea in twain.' The Hebrews claim that 6 Cf. 1 Cor. 8.6.
7 Cf. Ps. 18.2.
8 Cf. 1 Cor. 15.49, 9 Cf. 1 Cor. 1.24; cf. Letter 53.4, PL 22.543 (274).
10 Prov.8.27.
11 Cf. Ps. 135 (136),6, 12 Cf. Against the Pelagians 1.22, PL 23,539 (719); 3.1, PL 23.596 (781).
13 Matt. 5.14.
HOMILY 47
the Red Sea was divided into twelve parts; that would be one for each tribe. It is said to be red, moreover, from blood.
'But swept Pharao and his army into the Red Sea.' Well said, 'swept: for He swept off Pharao's sins, but Pharao did not repent; and on that account he died. With similar import He says to Jerusalem: 'Shake off the dust.'14
'Who smote great kings.' First, He smote Pharao, who is a symbol of the devil, and in like manner, struck his army.
'Who remembered us in our abjection.' The psalmist did not say that He was mindful of us in our wisdom, in our wealth, in our learning, but that He remembered us in our humility. Granted those are excellent sources of power; nevertheless, unless one has humility, he is not acceptable to God. 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'15
'And he redeemed us from our foes.'16 He did not say, He set us free, but He redeemed us-with His blood, of course.
'Who gives food to all flesh.' Considel'-with me the elephant, the camel, the cow, the stag-and these are great quadrupeds
-how every single one of them has a face with eyes, nose, a mouth, and also, feet. Then, on the other hand, ponder over the tiny creatures, like the fly, the ant, the flea; and in these minute beings, consider their eyes, their nose, their mouth, their feet, and how like they are to the greater animals; and in your meditation give glory to God, for He it is who gives food to all of them. Or we may guide our reflections by the text: 'I will remove the stony heart, and replace it with a natural heart';17 a yielding heart with which to submit to the . law of God;18 for unless one bends his stiff neck he cannot receive the food and the bread that came down from heaven; he cannot pray: '''Give us this day our daily bread,"19 the bread that is of Your substance.' The Hebrew Gospel ac14 Isa. 52.2.
15 James 4.6.
16 Cf. Ps. 135 (136).24.
17 Cf. Ezech. IU9.
18 Cf. Commentary on EzechielI1.l7-22, PL 25.100 (Ill).
19 Matt. 6.11; d. Commentary on Matthew 6.11, PL 26.44(34).
SAINT JEROME
cording to Matthew reads: 'Give us this day tomorrow's bread,' in other words, the Bread that You will give us in Your kingdom, us this day.