Prologue Of The Sermons To The Novices Regular
PROLOGUE OF THE SERMONS TO THE NOVICES REGULAR
TO the beloved brethren in Christ, Innocent, Simplician and the other followers of the Crucified, who love the discipline of holy religion: a Brother Pilgrim dwelling in the vale of tears: humbly seeking the aid of your prayers. May the peace of Christ abound in your hearts: and may manifold patience be vouchsafed to you and to me in the Cross of Christ. The Sermons, which although given to our Novices by way of sweet conference at different times, I have gathered into one: I have thought good, and deemed just to communicate in charity to you. Albeit, therefore, the discourse be uncouth and the matter not subtle: nevertheless, wishing to please simple minds, that which the Lord has inspired and bestowed: I freely offer to the pious and devout to read. But if haply an ill-chosen word offend any one, I pray that my littleness be forgiven: and that what seems outwardly to sound ridiculous, be changed to something better. And because examples often move one’s hearers more than words alone: therefore taught by the custom of blessed Gregory, in several places at the end of the sermon for greater insistence I have briefly noted certain examples, as they came to mind. Receive graciously, Brothers, what I offer to you as to dear friends: pray that it may be all to the honour of God and the profit of many.
The Sermons of the First Part of this Book
The Sermons of the Second Part
The Sermons of the Third Part
The End of the Chapters
This Book contains thirty sermons, and it has three Parts. The First Part contains nine sermons, to designate the nine choirs of the angels. The Second Part contains ten sermons, to designate the decalogue of the law, according to the number of the ten commandments. The Third Part contains eleven sermons, to designate the religious state, in the renouncing of the world and carrying of the Cross, according to the counsel of our Saviour saying: “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”