Tractates on the Gospel of John (continued)
TRACTATE 1 47 given you words to drink; you, however, ought to receive understanding from that source from which he himself who gave you to drink had drunk, so that you may lift your eyes to the mountains from which help will come to you, that from there you might receive the chalice, as it were, that is, the Word given to drink; and yet, because your help is from the Lord who made heaven and earth, you might fill your breast from the source from which he filled his, from which you have said, "My help is from the Lord who made heaven and earth."^^ Let him then, who can, fill. My brothers, this have I said, let each one lift his heart in whatever way he sees it as proper, and let him receive what is said.
(3) But perhaps you will say this, that I am more present to you than is God. Perish the thought! He is by far more present; for I appear to your eyes, he supervises your consciences.^^ [Turn] your ears to me, your heart to him, so that you may fill both. Look, you lift your eyes and your bodily senses to us, and yet not to us, for we are not of those mountains, but to the gospel itself, to the Evangelist himself. But [lift] your heart to the Lord to be filled. And let each and every one of you so lift that he sees what he lifts and where he hfts.
(4) What did I mean, what he lifts and where he lifts? Let him see what kind of heart he lifts up — for he lifts it up to the Lord — in order that it may not fall, weighted down by the baggage of carnal pleasures, before it has been uplifted. But does every man see that he bears a burden of flesh? Let him strive by continence to cleanse what he lifts up to God. For "blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God."^^
8. Look now, what profit is gained that there have sounded forth the words, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God"? We, too, have
23. Berrouard, Homelies I -XVI, 839-840, sees this as a reference to Christ as the inner teacher. This concept is most expressly explicated by Augustine in the De Magistro 11.38, 12.40, and 13.46 (CCL 29.195—196, 197-199, 202 — 203; and ACW 9.177, 179—181, 185—186). See also, Gilson, 66-76, especially, 74; and Hardy, 138-144. 24. Mt 5.8.