1. When these things begin to come to pass, look up, and
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SERMON 2: First SUNDAY OF ADVENT 1. When these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads because your redemption is at hand.
Luke 21:28.
[Protheme] The little fountain grew into a river, and was turned into a light, and into the sun. Esther 10:6.
The proposed words in this passage from Esther describe rather well the qualities of the tradesman, that is, the preacher of Sacred Scripture, who ought to be humble in affection, useful in benefit, and noble in appearance.
Humble affection is considered when the little fountain is suggested; beneficial utility is noted when grew into a river is stated; and noble appearance is noted when and was turned into a light, and into the sun is added. First, the affection of humility is rendered pleasing through intention; second, the benefit of utility is rendered fruitful in work; and the third, the appearance of nobility is rendered beautiful in conduct. Since we share, therefore, the same intention regarding the investigation of this passage from Sacred Scripture, let us invoke the inflowing, effective grace of the Holy Spirit according to that action by which it customarily enters into souls, so that he who rests upon the humble grant humility to our affections, thus rendering us pleasing by this intention; may he who never cools in those possessing him grant utility to our work, thus rendering us fruitful through accomplishment; and finally may he who never languishes in those in whom virtue flourishes grant honesty to our conduct, thus rendering us beautiful to all who look upon us; so
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then finally pleasing in affection, fruitful in action, and beautiful in conduct, our creative faculties may truly labor over the Sacred Scripture or a sermon to the praise and glory of God, the Almighty Father, the Son and Holy
Spirit, and the Virgin Mary, to assist the entire Church, and benefit our souls, as grace in the present life and glory in the future. Amen.
[Sermon] 2. When these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads because your redemption is at hand. Since the Gospel today proposes the prophetic events of the second coming, the entire present evangelical passage refers, therefore, to looking and raising our heads to see the signs that will be in the sun, the moon, the stars"! and throughout the cosmos. But many people are reckless in viewing these signs due to a lack of knowledge; seduced by error and shaken by fear, they turn away from the true faith; therefore, the Lord does three things in the proposed word of the passage to show cautious circumspection, to remove the falsity of deception, and eliminate the instability of fear. Now first, he predicts future tribulation for our instruction; second, he stirs us to careful consideration to avoid seduction; third, he promises all manner of consolation lest we be terrified. He renders us docile by the instruction concerning future tribulation, circumspect by the attention given to cautious consideration, and benevolent by the promise of every kind of consolation. First, he predicts future tribulation so we may be instructed, when it says: When these things begin to come to pass; second, he stirs us to careful consideration lest we be seduced, when it adds: look up, and lift up your heads, that is, the mind, since just as the head surpasses all parts of the body, so too, the mind,
*! See Luke 21:25: "And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars...."
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Ti when understood as the higher part of reason, surpasses all powers of the soul;" third, he promises us every manner of consolation lest we be terrified, adding: because your redemption is at hand: it is as if it says: although these signs are the beginnings of suffering;?3 do not fear, because your redemption, not destruction, is near to all you who patiently endure them.
3. It says, therefore: When these things begin to come to pass, where he renders us docile by teaching us the future signs of the second coming of the Judge. This is certain in accord with reason. If the first coming had many signs such as the star leading the Magi* demonstrating the birth, the swn was obscured* demonstrating suffering, and the earth was shaken and the veil of the temple torn" inciting fear, so much the more should these signs of the second coming demonstrate comparative power.
Let every creature then confess, not simply with words but with deeds as well, that all power in heaven and earth was given to our Lord Jesus Christ,"' so that at the name of Jesus every knee bend in heaven, earth, and under the earth."® The verification of these signs of the second coming can be gathered from Sacred Scripture. For when the disciples asked in Matthew 24: 3;29: What is the sign of your coming and the end of the world? He responded:
Following the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give her light, and the stars
22 See Book I, d. 3. p. 2. a. 2, q. 1, of his Sentence Commentary (I, 89a-b).
23 See Matt 24:8: "But all these things are the beginnings of suffering."
24 See Matt 2:2: "We have seen his star in the East and have come to worship him."
25 See Luke 23:45.
26 See Matt 27:51.
27 See Matt 28:18.
28 See Phil 2:10.
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will fall from the heavens. One can gather from an understanding of these words and the Gospel today that there will be three signs: first, there will be signs of deceitful miracles intended to subvert the true faith; second, there will be signs of carnal pleasures intended to cool the flame of charity; third, there will be signs of manifold tribulations intended to erode patient hope. The obscuring of the rays from the sun refers to signs of deceptive miracles, the privation of the light from the moon refers to signs of carnal pleasures, and the star, cast down and fallen, refer to signs of manifold tribulations.
4. First, the obscuring of the rays from the sun represents the signs of deceitful miracles that subvert the true faith. Just as the rays of the sun are obscured by clouds, so too, the ray of faith, darkened in the Christian deceived by these signs, will not give off the light of truth, because as Matthew 24:24 states: false christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead into error, if possible, even the elect. 2 Thessalonians
2:8-10 says something similar: The wicked one will be revealed whose coming is according to the work of Satan in all strength, with signs and deceptive wonders and every wicked seduction. These signs of the antichrist are said to be lies, not because the signs he performs are untrue, but because of his intended end which is to promote what is deceptive and false. Even if they seem to happen at an incomprehensible moment, such signs of the antichrist cannot be called true miracles, since they were done by changing forms with the force of nature; miracles, however, take place beyond nature and the forces of nature, where there is no disposition or prior transformation; consequently, they alone attest to divine power. Nature, assisted and constituted by properly balanced elements, erupts almost unexpectedly with activity, as is evident in the generation of frogs that are born in little time
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Ts from certain plants. Demons, thus, typically bring forth frogs, serpents, and all types of vile and useless creatures which are produced effortlessly by natural forces.2° While
God certainly rules, even now, over diabolical powers and pretensions, he allows them to seduce the evil according to their faults and even seize the good, so faith likewise may have a place among these signs.*° 5. Second, the privation of moon light and a change of blood represent the signs of carnal pleasures that cool the flame of charity. This occurs when a spiritual, honest man is changed by a carnal temperament and deprived of a lucid example of honesty. Sirach 43:7;8 explains this: For the moon is the sign of the festive day, it is the nature of the moon to decrease at the end of the month. The nature of the moon to decrease at the end of the month signifies, by referring to the moon, the faithful man whose life is consumed at the end by carnal vulgarity. Thus he who changes and diminishes becomes like the moon, a sign of the festive day, that is, of judgment. For then Wisdom
2:8-9 will be fulfilled: Let no field escape our luxury, let no one flee from our joy; let us leave signs of our pleasure everywhere since this our portion.
29 See Book III, c. 9 n. 17 of Augustine's De Trinitate in CCSL 1, 144. See also The Trinity, Introduction, translation, and notes Edmund Hill. WSA I/5 (Brooklyn: New City Press, 1991), 137: "If then it is possible for any wicked man to know what materials grubs and maggots and flies are generated from, is it surprising that bad angels, with their keener perception of the hidden seeds of things in the elements, should know what frogs and serpents are generated from, and by putting these seminal materials of theirs through the appropriate hidden processes and motions, should have them created, but not, repeat not, create them?"
30 On the question of demons, miracles and magic, see Book II d. 7, p. 2, a. 2, qs. 1-2 of his Sentence Commentary (II, 200a-205b).
On miracles and medieval society, see Benedicta Ward, Miracles and the Medieval Mind (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press,
1989).
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6. Third, the cast down, fallen stars represent the signs of the many tribulations that erode patient hope. While the pure seed, freed from the chaff of inconstancy and timidity by a trial of diverse affliction, will be brought into the granary of the great king while the blistery tail of the dragon will drag the chaff of inconstancy and timidity to the place of damnation. Luke 21:10 speaks of this: Nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be great earthquakes in various places, and pestilences and famines, and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. In the Gospel today it says:
The nations will be distressed by the roaring of the sea and waves, and people fainting from fear.*! The nations will be distressed because nation will rise up against nation, and father against son and the son will hand the father over to death, and all those confessing Christ will be hated; by the roaring of the sea according to Jerome, the most trustworthy doctor, who says he discovered in the annals of the Hebrews that the sea will be raised fifteen cubits above the highest mountains and then thrown in the depths of the abyss. And everything living in the waters will be lifted up above the roaring waters. Birds of the air will call out but not eat or drink. Animals will be gathered together from the forests onto the fields, bellowing without eating or drinking. And there will such roaring of the sea, screeching of birds, and bellowing of animals, that a person will not know what to do, due to fear of the signs and earthquakes, as people faint from hunger and pestilence."
7. Second the stirring of careful consideration lest we be seduced is noted, when it adds: look and lift up your
91 See Luke 21:25-26:"... and upon the earth distress of nations bewildered by the roaring of sea and waves; people fainting from fear."
*2 Bonaventure interprets Luke 21:25-26.
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heads. Lift up, therefore, your mind through careful consideration, first, to the wisdom of the Son so the falsehood of deceptive miracles does not turn you away from the true faith; second, to kindness of the Holy Spirit so vulgar delights of the flesh do not separate you from the charity of Christ; third, to the power of the Father lest the severity of countless tribulations tear you away from firm hope.
8. First, lift up your mind to the wisdom of the Son, so the falsehood of deceptive miracles does not turn you away from the true faith. Psalm 24:1 speaks of this: To you, Lord, I have lifted up my soul. In you, my God, I put my trust; let me not be ashamed. To you, Lord, I have lifted up my soul, namely, in faith believing in the heart that you are both God and man — something I could not obtain through reason. In you, my God I put my trust; let me not be ashamed, by confessing with the lips the reproach of the cross; let not my enemies laugh at me with their evil deeds; for all those who wait on you will not be confounded, by acquiescing to falsehood. All the ministers of the antichrist will be confounded, those who are accomplishing iniquity and useless things, by leading others to the vanity of falsehood and lies. But you, Lord, who are truth and wisdom, show me your ways with precepts and teach me your ways with counsels.*?
9. Second, lift up the mind to the kindness of the Holy Spirit, so you are not separated from the charity of Christ by the vulgar delights of the flesh. Lamentations 3:28 speaks about this: He will sit alone and remain silent, and he will be raised above himself. The true Christian will sit alone by forsaking carnal delights, impure affec33 See Ps 24:4: "Lord, show me your ways and teach me your ways."
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tions, and improper thoughts. This person will remain silent; by curbing the spark in the flesh, and making it obey, voluntarily and without murmuring, the spirit in all matters; and this person will rise above the self when, leaving all creatures behind, he ascends through interior reflection and, in a conformity of wills, is united with the heavenly Trinity. Now, he savors what is above and not the things of earth.** 3 Esdras 4:58-59 speaks of this figuratively: Raising his face to Jerusalem, he blessed the king of heaven and said: From you comes victory.*» While face refers to the knowledge of faith, Jerusalem stands for the vision of faith. Someone raises the face to Jerusalem when, raised by the knowledge of faith, this person sees tranquility and harmony in the kingdom of the soul where all carnal desires are overcome. Since this harmony comes from God, no one is able to be continent unless
God grant it.** Everything then is to be attributed to God to whom belongs thanksgiving; thus, the passage adds: he blessed the king of heaven and said: From you comes victory, that is, the victory from vulgar delights.
10. Third, lift wp your mind to the power of the Father lest you be torn away from firm hope by the severity of countless tribulations. Whence Psalm 85:4: Give joy to the soul of your servant, for to you, Lord, I have lifted up my soul. Deliver me from my enemies and from those who hate me because they triumph over me. Give joy to my soul, according to the multitude of sorrows and afflictions, with the infusion of sweet consolation. For to you Lord,
I have lifted up my soul with steadfast hope; deliver me from my strongest enemies; and from those who hate me,
** See Col 3:2: "Savor what is above and not the things of earth."
35 See Vulgate, 1918.
°° See Wis 8:21: "And since I knew that I could not otherwise be continent, unless God grant it...."
SunpDAys OF ADVENT Mah by introducing the snare of eternal death, because they triumph over me, by multiplying tribulations and punishments, injuries and hardships.
11. It follows: because your redemption is at hand, where the promise of every manner of consolation is noted. Certainly every manner of consolation is offered to those who persevere by lifting their minds to God in careful consideration. For a threefold consolation corresponding to a triple elevation of the mind will draw near, a consolation to which all other consolations refer. First, in lifting the mind to the wisdom of the Son, the vision of infallible truth purges every error; second, in lifting the mind to the kindness of the Holy Spirit, the enjoyment of inestimable sweetness dissipates every carnal love; third, in lifting the mind to the power of the Father, the possession of steadfast security removes all fear. The image of glory in these three riches, that is, clear vision, quiet enjoyment, and secure possession, corresponds to the image of grace, marked by faith, imperfect charity, and hope, proper to the present state of life.
12. First, in lifting the mind to the wisdom of the Son, every error is purged by the vision of infallible truth.
Whence Job 19:25-26 states: For I know that my redeemer lives, and that on the last day I will rise up from the earth, and I will be clothed again in my skin and in my flesh I will see God, my Savior, as if to say: even if in the passion life will have been clothed in death, nevertheless, death will be swallowed in the resurrection and life will be raised up completely. And that on the last day I will rise up from the earth, and be covered by my skin when my lowly body is conformed to the glorious body of Christ. And in my flesh I will see God, face to face in a manner of seeing not subject to error as in the present mode of seeing through
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a mirror in obscurity proper to this life.*" Then uncreated wisdom will propose to the blessed to contemplate those eternal reasons in him as in a beautiful mirror, an indelible book, and a delicious meal. Whence in Book XV of On the Trinity Augustine says: "We will see the truth without any difficulty, and enjoy it with the greatest certainty and clarity. We will not seek anything with the discursive mind, but perceive with the contemplative mind."**
13. Second, in raising the mind to the kindness of the Holy Spirit, the enjoyment of inestimable sweetness dissipates every carnal love. 1 Peter 1:18-19 explains this:
You were redeemed from the vain manner of life handed down from your fathers, not with perishable things like silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, an immaculate, unblemished lamb. The vain manner of life handed down from the fathers delights in the dregs of carnal pleasures. The life handed down from the fathers left us, quite deservedly, carnal, bought by the power of sin.
The blessed, however, are redeemed from this vain way of life by the precious blood of Christ, because through the merit of his shed blood, they taste the sweetness of delightful wisdom, which due to such ardor completely seizes the soul with longing that it despises everything of the flesh. While it certainly satiates the soul, such wisdom does not provoke nausea, for desire continues. But since the blessed are now perfect, and the spark of concupiscence has been extinguished, they will be intent only on the enjoyment of divine sweetness; they are thus spoken of as if they were immaculate and unblemished lambs,?°
7 See 1 Cor 13:12: "We see now through a mirror in an obscure manner...."
°° See On the Trinity Book XV, c. 25 n. 45 in CCSL la, 523-24.
3° See 1 Peter 1:19: "But with the precious blood of Christ, as of an unblemished and immaculate lamb."
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similar to angelic spirits who neither marry nor are given in marriage.*° 14. Third, in lifting the mind to the power of the Father, all fear will be removed by the possession of steadfast security. Jeremiah 31:11-12 speaks of this: The Lord has redeemed Jacob and delivered him from the hand of one mightier than he, and they will come and praise him on Mount Zion. The Lord has redeemed Jacob from servitude to the law of sin; and delivered him from the hand of one mightier than he, that is, the devil who frequently afflicted him; and they will come in exultation and praise him continually; on Mount Zion, that is in that most eminent place of celestial dwelling. Zion is interpreted to mean mirror signifying the celestial dwelling where the blessed are situated to consider and contemplate the unchangeable beauty of the divinity. Thus Augustine says in Book 22 of the City of God: "What happiness there will be where there is no evil and no good will be lacking, where we will praise God who is all in all."*! At that time a person will be bound by an unbreakable link to the highest, unchangeable Good. Let us ask the Lord Jesus Christ to enable us to raise our minds to the wisdom of the Son through the splendor of faith, to the kindness of the Holy
Sprit through the ardor of charity, and to the power of the Father through the certitude of hope, so that we might merit the riches of clear vision, quiet enjoyment, and secure possession. That he may deign to grant us that, etc.
40 See Matt 22:30: "For at the resurrection they will neither marry nor be given in marriage, but will be as angels of God in heaven."
41 See Book XXII, c. 30 n. 1 in CCSL xlviii, 862. Augustine actually concludes with: "God who will be all in all." The allusion is to 1 Cor
15:28: "... that God may be all in all."