Sermon V Of Having Patience Amid The Slothful And Perverse
SERMON V
OF HAVING PATIENCE AMID THE SLOTHFUL AND PERVERSE
SAY to the faint-hearted: “Take courage, and fear not.” Beloved brethren, be not disturbed if at times some failings, which pain you, are found in religious: or it some depart from the congregation of the good: or if they live with them lukewarmly because of the temptations of the devil: which they suffer daily in the service of God. For these sad assaults of human weakness also befell before our days; as we read of many holy and religious men: who are now honoured by many throughout the world. We are indeed frail, and prone to evil, therefore is it needful that our evil ways be straitened by statutes: and that like wild colts we be fastened to the stake of the holy cross for the Name of Jesus; lest, living according to our own desire, we turn aside from the righteous path of the saints: who entered the kingdom of Heaven by the narrow gate. Let us therefore mutually pray that God may aid and strengthen us in our every trial and temptation: and guard us from the assault and deceit of the enemy, who goes around everywhere seeking whom he may devour; and by what device he may draw a man from the midst of the congregation into the world: and from the world to hell. There there is no redemption, but everlasting horror dwelleth: there the souls seek death and find it not: there they are tormented day and night in fire and brimstone: because here they refused to do a little penance: and spent their time so foolishly and fruitlessly.
Brethren, let us not seek the rest and ease of the flesh like men of the world; but toil and pain for our sins: let us resist vice by often fasting, praying, reading, meditating. Assuredly, we shall not have peace and quiet upon earth, wherever we may be, or wherever also we may go to seek comfort: or to ease our weariness, or to lessen the burden of our labour: unless we turn ourselves to Christ by prayer and sorrow for sins, with a firm purpose of always doing penance: so that by this light toil and short pain we may be able to escape the torment of everlasting fire. Our peace and the repose of a good life consist in much patience, according to the life of Christ and the examples of the saints; not in a long flight by waterless ways: nor in a vessel passing over the seas. Jonas the Prophet wished to flee from the face of the Lord: he went up into a ship, but it profited him nothing. He gave himself to sleep, he sought repose: but he did not find it. He thought that he was concealed, but God made manifest the hidden one: stirred up a storm, and moved the ocean. Then the sailors rouse up the sleeper, rebuke him and cast him into the water: who, immediately swallowed by a fish as a runaway and as disobedient, is imprisoned in the belly of a whale for his fault. Shut up therefore in this close prison, he cried and prayed to the Lord to be delivered from such great perils of the sea and from the confinement of the fish. At length, however, destitute of all human succour, he recognized in his affliction that it is impossible to escape the hand of God: and that to obey the divine commands is the most assured salvation of the soul. Let us therefore not flee from the toils and hardships that arise in religion for our salvation, of which we knew not before: but let us stand firm, strive manfully, obey readily: pray frequently, toil diligently, keep silence willingly. Let us bear with ourselves patiently for Christ’s sake, as all the saints have done: who, having endured things more grievous, now rejoice in Heaven and say; “We have passed through fire and water: and Thou hast brought us out into an eternal refreshment.” We live amid many perils: and they, that tempt and trouble us, sleep not nor rest: but seek to ensnare us and to hinder us from the good we have commenced. Let us however not lose heart, nor cease to pray and to cry to Christ: even if we are often lukewarm and dry, and for distress of soul know not what we ought to do: for maybe God proves us in a few things: whether we really love Him not only in words but also in deeds and blows. Therefore when rough winds arise, let us not yield, but set our hands to the oars: let us seize our spiritual weapons, let us lift up our saddened soul, begin anew: and strive to struggle, much more strongly than we have done, against the flesh, against the world and against the devil. For the harder the fight: the more glorious the crown: and the more frequent the annoyance of the sufferer: the more praiseworthy the virtue of him that is patient. A great hindrance is cowardice of heart, to lose confidence speedily in adversity: to neglect one’s holy purpose, to think of the life in the world: to dwell in fancy upon the presence of friends, to think of the agreeableness of comrades; all which things are emptiness and folly: as the swift end of all pleasure and honour shows. Our life, brethren, and religion undertaken for God consist in daily combat: namely, to struggle against bad habits, which everywhere and always, in the choir, in the dormitory, in silence, in labour pursue and tempt us: would that they never overcame us. Therefore it is not wonderful, if sometimes we slip and are wounded: if lightly we offend and are offended, in words, in deeds of our own and of others. We are men, not angels; mortals we are and frail sinners: exiles we are and pilgrims, not citizens of Heaven; inconstant and prone to vice: not yet perfect in grace, or blessed in glory. This thought ought to humble us, not lift up to pride of mind; but by our own weakness to lead us to trust in the divine mercy and loving-kindness: without which we are unable to commence or accomplish anything, witness our Lord, Who saith: “For without Me you can do nothing.” For our own weakness very greatly weighs us down: but the divine inspiration and heavenly visitation again raise up them that faint and strengthen unto well-doing: and He lovingly disposes for the profit of our salvation that we may be able to bear whatever unexpected things befall us: and with a just and secret judgement dispenses all things. For He has care of us all: from the beginning of life unto the end of death. For He who made us will not abandon us, if we do not forsake Him: but will make with temptation issue that we may be able to resist and bear its onslaught. Let us say therefore to Him with the holy man in the psalm: when we are attacked by the wicked enemy: “Be Thou my helper, Lord God: forsake me not.” And again with all confidence of mind let us cry to Christ in Heaven: “My eyes are ever towards the Lord: for He shall pluck my feet out of the snare.” But peace and perfect repose are in Heaven, not on earth: for here all things are in movement and fear and frequent distress. Therefore strong patience is supremely necessary for us in this fragile life: which is naught else but a daily struggle against vice. For whether a man be in his own house or in another, whether among acquaintance or familiar friends: something will speedily befall him which will displease him and disturb the tranquillity of the soul, secure nowhere. Let each then set himself to patience as best he can: and patiently bear whatever God shall permit: and thus he shall have more ample peace. If he be injured and blamed by anyone: let him overcome his pride, and learn to suffer reproach: and he shall find great favour with God and never-ending glory. Let him grieve that he has sinned and not borne contempt of himself with sufficient patience: and let him humbly crave pardon for all his offences: and God will freely forgive him all.
Beloved brethren, lose not courage, nor add evils to evils: but at once when your conscience accuses you, hasten to the remedy of confession. God is the only one: Whom sin befalls not. For in His angels He found wickedness: and a great portion of them fell from Heaven by pride: because they gave not glory to God for the gifts bestowed upon them. The first man in Paradise was tempted and deceived: and because of the sin of disobedience he was cast out of the place of pleasure into the wretchedness of this world. What wonder then if some weak brother, grievously tempted by the devil and the flesh, or rebuked by many for his failing sometimes errs, and sins, or becomes impatient: when man well established in Paradise fell, where he had so many helps and no hindrances? Many holy and just men in the Old Law were often tempted and persecuted by evil men: but they patiently bore with the wicked: and became better by means of their adversities. At times, however, by the will of God they resisted the wicked; and wrought a just vengeance upon the impious: lest the good weighed down in tribulation should be too much dejected. For some fell overcome by a sudden temptation: others stricken by a long illness, were humbled in their evil deeds: and those whom wealth and honours had uplifted: sorrow and shame brought back to a knowledge of their own weakness. Many also after a grievous fall repenting quickly arose the stronger: and laudibly finished their life in holy ways.
In the days of Christ and His apostles the good were mingled with the bad, in the city, on the road: in the house, in the wilderness. Some believed in Christ and praised His works: others contradicted Him, and complained of Him. Some also, misunderstanding His mystic words, laughed Him to scorn: and because He righteously reproved their vices: they enviously calumniated His true and holy miracles. Even while Christ was discoursing and present there befell among the disciples some anger and quarrel as to which of them should be the greater and first in prelacy and in ruling of the nascent Church: which He gathered together from divers places and peoples and especially from the poor and simple: whom the loving and lowly Master by word and example recalled to the concord of peace by the way of humility with a gentle reproof, saying: “Unless you be converted and become as little children: you shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven.” And again: “And he that will be first among you: shall be the servant of you all.” Behold, dearly beloved, by these examples of humility and patience, what are the bases of all virtues; a simple and obedient brother can arrive at the kingdom of Heaven with a secure conscience without many arguments and subtle words: and escape the eternal torments of hell, by patiently bearing all wrongs whatever, unjustly wrought him by the perverse. It is seen, then, from the foregoing that in all places and times of the saints there were good and evil, believers and unbelievers; devout and dissolute, benevolent and perverse, spiritual and carnal; and the good by their patience made daily progress unto better: and the evil vanished like smoke in their wickedness and desires. But God, the Creator of all and the searcher of the ages, from the beginning even to the end, has known how to dispose the causes of each in such manner; that for the good all things work together unto good: and for the wicked all things end in eternal punishment. From which evils now and for ever may the loving and merciful Lord save us, the just judge and patient rewarder: Who is above all God blessed for ever. Amen.