[Sermon] 1. There will be joy among the angels of God
PENTECOST AND THE SUNDAYS AFTER
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SERMON 30: THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
[Sermon] 1. There will be joy among the angels of God over one sinner who does penance. Luke 15:10. Since charity consists in rejoicing in the good of another, here in this proposed verse the Lord displays, among the heavenly spirits, who are filled with the fullness of charity, the joy of the angels at the conversion of a sinner, when it says: There is joy among the angels of God, etc. So that we may proceed in an orderly manner in regard to this verse, first the misery of human infirmity is presented, second the efficacy of the sacramental medicine is added, and third the happiness of the heavenly city is included. And these three things have to be so ordered; for the spiritual infirmity of a person precedes the efficacy of the penitential medicine, and penitence or conversion of the sinner, as the motivating cause, precedes the joy of the angels.
First, therefore, is the misery of human infirmity presented in the proposed verse, when it says: over one sinner; this sinner is the same as the one who is spiritually infirm. Second, the efficacy of the penance, when it adds: who does penance; indeed penance, which is spoken of as a sacrament, is a type of spiritual medicine that cures the spirit of any infirmity much better than a material medicine cures the body. Third, as a consequence of these, the happiness of the heavenly city is added, when it includes: joy among the angels of God.
506 Qn the medicinal nature of the sacraments, see IV Sent, prooemium (IV, la-3b).
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2. It says, therefore: over one sinner, where it notes the misery of human infirmity. A person incurs, then, this spiritual infirmity, which makes one miserable in a threefold manner in accord with the sin committed against three goods. Every sin, generally speaking, is against God, against neighbor, or against oneself. One incurs, then, this spiritual infirmity, first, through the haughtiness of mental pride that provokes God, second, through falling into carnal lewdness that depraves one's own self, third, through the hatred of an evil heart that offends the neighbor.
3. First, a person is made spiritually infirm or a sinner through the haughtiness of mental pride that provokes God. Whence 1 John 3:8 says: One who commits sin is from the devil, because the devil sins from the beginning. To this end the Son of God appeared, that he might destroy the works of the devil for humanity, because the one who commits sin is from the devil, not by creation, but by imitation; indeed he reigns over all the children of pride,*" because the devil sins from the beginning with the sin of pride, as pride is the beginning of all sin.°°° To this end the Son of God appeared, visibly assuming the slime of our mortality in the unity of the divine person, that he might destroy the prideful works of the devil through his humility. It is truly shameful that humanity, comprised of dust and works, prides itself in that which made Christ, the King of kings, humble. Whence Augustine states:
"We have the example of humility, the medicine against pride. What makes you puff up, O man? O deathly skin, to what do you reach? O fetid bloody matter, what inflames
°° See Job 41:25: "He beholds every high thing. He reigns over all the children of pride."
508 See Sir 10:15.
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you?" Your prince is humble and you are proud, "The head is humble and the member is proud," as if to say:
This is exceedingly reprehensible.
4, Second, a person is made a sinner or spiritually infirm by falling into carnal lewdness that depraves one's own self. Whence 1 Corinthians 6:18 says: Flee immorality. Every sin that a person commits is outside the body, but the immoral person sins against one's own body. It is well said in fact: Flee immorality, do not resist, because the vice of lewdness is better conquered by fleeing than by resisting. Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; Gloss: "without contaminating the soul;">° but the immoral person sins against one's own body; Gloss:
"Certain sins contaminate the soul,"™ fornication, however, not only contaminates the soul, but even the body.
The sin of lewdness then deforms the person in regard to the body, it disorders the soul as well, such that one should not be called a rational animal, but rather, a brutish animal, because like a beast, which is inferior, sensuality attempts to dominate what is superior, that is, reason. Whence Bernard observes: "Nothing is more beastly than a person who has reason but does not use reason;"*" and thus one is reputed to be like the beast and subjected
509 See Sermon 304 n. 3 in PL 38:1396, but esp. Peter Lombard on Phil 2:8 in his Collectaneorum in Paulum continuatio in PL 192:236A:
"We have the example of humility, the medicine against pride. What makes you puff up, O man? O deathly skin, to what do you reach? O fetid bloody matter, what inflames you? Is your prince humble, and you are proud? Is the head humble and the member proud?"
510 The critical edition refers to the Glossa of Peter Lombard in PL
191:1583C.
511 The critical edition refers to the Glossa of Peter Lombard in PL
191:1583D.
512 Bernard formulates this principle differently. See Bernard, Sermon 35 n. 8 on The Song of Songs in SBOp 1.254. "Do you not think that a human being, endowed with reason, but failing to live by reason, is more beastly than the beasts themselves?"
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to feeding the unclean animals, in accord with what Luke 15:13 says about the prodigal son, who after he dissipated all his substance in voluptuousness,.was put with the pigs to feed them. Whence he said: I will rise up and go to my father and I will say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. Behold that this one was placed by the devil with the pigs, that is, with the unclean spirits, who delight in filthy pleasures, which he continually feeds, as long as he does not abandon the pleasures of the flesh.
, 5. Third, a person is made a sinner through the hatred of an evil heart that injures the neighbor. Whence
Genesis 42:21 says: We have sinned against our brother, seeing the anguish of his soul, when he beseeched us and we did not hear. This is the fierce beast,°1* that is, jealousy, crueler than any type of beast, which killed the just Abel, sold holy Joseph after many sufferings were completed, the Son of God absorbed in the flesh on the cruel gibbet of the cross, and even spiritually murdered the entire human race. For by means of the devil's jealousy, death entered the world.*" "O secret virus and hidden pestilence!
O parent of envy, spark of criminality, rust of virtue, and blemish of sanctity," you who do not cease to continually inflict spiritual damage on the spiritual children of Adam, conceive fights and wars, bring about enemies and murders, so you may feed on the blood of the slain! Take away, dearly beloved, take away this fierce beast from your midst, because there will immediately be serenity of mind, tranquility of soul, and simplicity of heart; immediately wars and fights will cease and opponents will
518 See Gen 37:20: "Come, let us kill him and cast him into some old pit. And we will say: Some fierce beast has devoured him...."
514 See Wis 2:24.
515 Bonaventure adapts Bernard, Sermon 6 n. 4 "In Psalmum: Qui habitat." See SBOp 4.407.
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shake hands, since if it were not because of such jealousy, we would not know how to hate. On the contrary, each person would love one's brother as himself.
6. Second, the efficacy of the penitential medicine is noted, when it adds: who does penance. Now indeed penance, which is a sacramental medicine, efficaciously heals all the infirmities of the soul when it possesses in itself three conditions contrary to three previously mentioned, conditions through which, God, who is provoked, is placated, the disordered subject is itself reformed, and the neighbor, who is offended or hated, is reconciled. And for this reason penance has to come first, so God may be placated by the profound reverence of the subject that opposes the mental pride, which provoked God; second, so the subject himself may be reformed by vehement tears of pain, which oppose the carnal pleasure or lewdness proper to the disordered subject; third, so the neighbor may be reconciled by prompt satisfaction of reparation, which opposes the malevolent heart that hates the neighbor.
7. First, penance must be profound on the part of the reverential subject, thus against the mental pride that provokes God; and for this reason the sinner is addressed in Revelation 2:5 with the name of the angel fallen from justice: Be mindful from where you have fallen, and do penance and the first works. In this verse against sin the Lord offers, as if first to the sick person, the medicine necessary for spiritual wellbeing in the manner of one who disposes and prepares the remembrance of blame and ruin, when it says: Be mindful from where you have fallen, so as to easily induce the person to the humility and affliction of penance; whence it follows: do penance and the first works. Namely the first works of penance are said to be the unmovable foundations of profound humility, because the entire edifice of confession and penance
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is destined for ruin without the foundation of humility and divine reverence. Whence Augustine in his "Letter to Dioscorus" says: "Unless humility will have preceded all that we do well, and if it is not proposed that we may look upon it, if it is not placed close and near by so we may adhere to it, and situated such that we may be restrained by it, pride will completely tear from our hand whatever benefit we enjoy."°'® Concerned about this, a certain pope confided that he did not wish to be seated at the side of his chaplain, to whom he listened, but prostrated at his feet, remaining until he finish the confession. In fact, he said: In no way do I hold the place of a pope, but of a sinner, and therefore, when I recognize all my defects, I have to be humble by necessity. Whence Bernard on The Song of Songs says: "In what way is the soul not humbled by this true knowledge of self, when it perceives the burden of sin, aggravated by the softness of this body, entangled in earthly cares, infected with carnal desires, blind, bent over, and infirm?"*"' But certainly, whoever does not want to be humble, and submit to a priest when confessing due to whatever excellence or nobility should beware, lest one imitate the devil that once went to a priest and said to him, that he wished to confess. Nevertheless, he was not content to be seated at the side of the priest, instead placed himself above his head. The priest, knowing that it was truly the devil through a revelation of the Holy
Spirit, said to him: The entire edifice of your confession is destined for ruin because it begins without humility. The devil, in fact, seeing that he was caught in the foolishness of his fallacious deception, said to the priest: And even if I am never going to receive forgiveness, nevertheless, you will never learn from me, either in word or deed, the 516 See Letter 118 c. 3 n. 22 in CSEL 34/2, 685. Bonaventure's quotation is almost verbatim.
*" Bonaventure adapts Sermon 36 n. 5. See SBOp 2.7.
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doctrine of humility because I am puffed up and proud of heart. — I do not recall having read these exact words, but the sense of the words.*!8
8. Second, penance must be tearful with vehement pain, which opposes the carnal pleasure or lewdness proper to the disordered subject. Whence 2 Corinthians 7:10 states: For the sorrow that is according to God works toward an enduring penance for salvation. Whoever thinks that one has offended God through his sin must grieve within and harshly beat oneself interiorly, so that he erupts in exterior tears, since such sadness works toward an enduring penance for salvation, because one subsequently merits the pardon of all sins, by which a person is obliged to eternal punishment. Whence Augustine says: "A person arises to the tribunal of his mind ... stating his own guilt before his face.">!® One accuses the self with judgment constituted in his heart, knowledge assists as an accuser, conscience as a witness, and fear as the executioner; thereupon blood certainly flows with the confession, because if we judged ourselves, we should not thus be judged.*"° 9. Third, penance must be satisfactory with prompt reparation, which opposes the malevolent heart that hates the neighbor. Whence Luke 3:8 says: Bring forth works worthy of penance. That person brings forth works worthy of penance who, the graver the damage corporal or spiritual inflicted on the neighbor, the greater the rec518 On homiletic exempla, the devil and confession, see Gregg, Devils, Women, and Jews: Reflections of the Other in Medieval Sermon
Stories, 41-42.
519 See Sermon 351 c. 4n. 7 in PL 39:1542. Bonaventure's text does not contain 2 Cor 5:10 which stands in the middle of his citation from Augustine.
520 See 1 Cor 11:31.
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ompense one hurries, as quickly as possible, to restore.
So where transgression has abounded, inflicting the damage of envy and hatred, there the grace' of benevolence and concord may truly abound, restoring what had been taken away, since "sins are never remitted unless whatever was taken away is restored,""" and reputation most of all, because a good name is better than the precious oil®?3 of the earth. If any detractor, who judges everyone and does not wish to be judged by anyone, were to weigh that no sin of blame is dismissed unless the stolen fame is restored, perhaps he would not crucify his brother with the false judgment of evil thoughts in the heart and perverse judgment of poisonous detractions on the lips.
One's brother, whom the detractor condemns, is at that time truly dear to God interiorly through grace, greatly conformed to Christ through good will, and quite near to celestial goods due to the abundance of merits.
10. Third, the happiness of the heavenly city is noted, when it includes: There will be joy among the angels of God. The heavenly citizens rejoice and are gladdened by the salvation of sinful people for three reasons: first due to the breadth of benevolence and charity, second due to the restoration of angelic fortune, third due to the augmentation of the non-essential reward.
11. So first the angels rejoice over the salvation of sinners due to the latitude of benevolence and charity. For the breadth of charity is such, that the angels rejoice as much over the good of a neighbor as over their own, because the heavenly city is not congested with a multitude
**1 See Rom 5:20: "But where the offense has abounded, grace has abounded yet more."
522 See Augustine, Letter 153, c. 6 n. 20 in PL 33:662: 'The sin is not forgiven, what is stolen is restored."
°°8 See Qoh 7:2: "A good name is better than precious ointments."
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of those who desire it, since one's own reward is not diminished by the multitude of those who possess it and live there, but to the contrary, the glory of one increases that of another. For this reason the gospel of today, Luke
15:8-10, says: And what women, having ten drachmas, if she loses one, does not light a lamp and sweep 'the house, and seek diligently until she find it?... So I say to you, there will be joy among the angels of God over one sinner who does penance. The woman is divine wisdom, the nine drachmas are actually the nine choirs of angels; but the one drachma is the human race, which was deservedly lost because of the first transgression. Therefore divine wisdom lights a lamp to look for this drachma, uniting the light of humanity with the luminosity of divinity; and sweeps the house of assumed mortality through the weakening of body and soul in the passion, so that through his own blood she find the person who was lost.*** And because of this a great joy indeed is generated among the angels of God, which is extended to all the elect, given the latitude of perfect charity.
12. Second, the angels rejoice over the salvation of sinners due to the restoration of angelic fortune. Although the angels may be superior to human beings by nature, nevertheless, it turns out that given divine abundance and benignity, which bonded with human beings, some people have been made equal to the angels in grace and on account of their excellent merits have been assumed to the order of angels, such that their exaltation and sanctification are, by reason of a certain equivalence, the restoration of angelic ruin. This joy can be explained with that verse from Isaiah 51:3: The Lord will therefore comfort
Zion, and comfort all her ruins; joy and happiness will 524 Bonaventure's interpretation is indebted to Homily 34 n. 6 of GGHG. See CCSL cxli, 303-04.
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be found in her. Indeed Zion is interpreted as mirror and signifies the empyreum heaven, where the angels are seated to examine the beauty of the divinity, whose ruins
God comforts when he exalts earthly human beings to the angelic orders in place of those who have fallen. Whence the Gloss on Psalm 44:17 You will make them princes over all the earth says: "He chose the poor so that he might rise to the heavenly orders, which are constituted from human beings and angels."°"° 13. Third, the angels rejoice over the salvation of sinners due to the augmentation of the non-essential reward. Although the joy of the angels does not increase, inasmuch as it consists in the essential reward, since in that regard they are perfectly blessed, nevertheless the joy does increase among them, inasmuch as it consists in a non-essential reward. For by ministering good works to others, they merit a non-essential reward over which they rejoice by reason of the gifts themselves, and when they lead their fellow citizens to beatitude, they rejoice over them without doubt and congratulate each other because of their union. Whence while they rejoice over the salvation of human beings they are, nevertheless, not saddened by their damnation, because the blessed are susceptible to joy and gladness, but not to sadness. Tobit
14:7-9 speaks of this joy: All they who fear the Lord will return, and the peoples will leave their idols and come to Jerusalem and dwell in her; and all the kings of the earth will rejoice in her. They will return, through contrition, all who fear the Lord, with filial reverence, who had turned away from God through sin; and the peoples will leave their idols, of vanity; and come to Jerusalem, cordially through the tranquility of peace, and dwell within 525 See CCSL lxxii, 122: "Zion means mirror."
56 The critical edition refers to Lombard's Glossa on Ps 112:7-8.
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her, through the continuation of good works. And this is not able to be done without the help of the angels, who are assigned to our custody; therefore kings of the earth, that is, the angels, who reign over us earthly people by reason of the dispensation God gave them, will rejoice, due to the augmentation of the non-essential reward. Let us ask, etc.