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| A Homily on the Beatitudes, St. Matt. v. 1-9.
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Sermon XCV.
A Homily on the Beatitudes, St.
Matt. v.
1–9
I. Introduction of the
subject.
When our Lord Jesus
Christ, beloved, was preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, and was
healing divers sicknesses through the whole of Galilee, the fame of His
mighty works had spread into all Syria: large crowds too from all
parts of Judæa were flocking to the heavenly Physician1219
. For as human ignorance is slow in
believing what it does not see, and in hoping for what it does not
know, those who were to be instructed in the divine lore1220
| 1220 Divina eruditone
firmandos = τοὺς
διδαχθησομένους,
a common form of expression in Leo. Cf. Lett. XXVIII. the Tome,
chap. 1, quod voce omnium regenerandorum (= τῶν
ἀναγεννηθησομένων),
depromitur. | , needed to be aroused by bodily benefits
and visible miracles: so that they might have no doubt as to the
wholesomeness of His teaching when they actually experienced His
benignant power. And therefore that the Lord might use outward healings as an introduction to
inward remedies, and after healing bodies might work cures in the soul,
He separated Himself from the surrounding crowd, ascended into the
retirement of a neighbouring mountain, and called His apostles to Him
there, that from the height of that mystic seat He might instruct them
in the loftier doctrines, signifying from the very nature of the place
and act that He it was who had once honoured Moses by speaking to
him: then indeed with a more terrifying justice, but now with a
holier mercifulness, that what had been promised might be fulfilled
when the Prophet Jeremiah says: “behold the days come when
I will complete a new
covenant1221
| 1221 Or testament (Lat.
testamentum). |
for the house of Israel and for the house of Judah. After those
days, saith the Lord, I will put My laws in
their minds1222
, and in their
heart will I write them1223
| 1223 Jer. xxxi. 31 and part of 33: the passage
is quoted in full, Heb. viii. 8–12. | .”
He therefore who had spoken to Moses, spoke also to the apostles, and
the swift hand of the Word wrote and deposited the secrets of the new
covenant1224
| 1224 Or testament (Lat.
testamentum). | in the
disciples’ hearts: there were no thick clouds surrounding
Him as of old, nor were the people frightened off from approaching the
mountain by frightful sounds and lightning1225
,
but quietly and freely His discourse reached the ears of those who
stood by: that the harshness of the law might give way before the
gentleness of grace, and “the spirit of adoption” might
dispel the terrors of bondage1226
.
II. The blessedness of humility
discussed.
The nature then of Christ’s teaching is
attested by His own holy statements: that they who wish to arrive
at eternal blessedness may understand the steps of ascent to that high
happiness. “Blessed,” He saith, “are the poor
in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven1227
.” It would perhaps be
doubtful what poor He was speaking of, if in saying “blessed are
the poor” He had added nothing which would explain the sort of
poor: and then that poverty by itself would appear sufficient to
win the kingdom of heaven which many suffer from hard and heavy
necessity. But when He says “blessed are the poor in
spirit,” He shows that the kingdom of heaven must be assigned
to those who are recommended by the humility of their spirits rather
than by the smallness of their means. Yet it cannot be doubted
that this possession of humility is more easily acquired by the poor
than the rich: for submissiveness is the companion of those that
want, while loftiness of mind dwells with riches1228
| 1228 Et illis in
tenuitate amica est mansuetudo et istis divitiis familiaris
elatio. | . Notwithstanding, even in many of
the rich is found that spirit which uses its abundance not for the
increasing of its pride but on works of kindness, and counts that for
the greatest gain which it expends in the relief of others’
hardships. It is given to every kind and rank of men to share in
this virtue, because men may be equal in will, though unequal in
fortune: and it does not matter how different they are in earthly
means, who are found equal in spiritual possessions. Blessed,
therefore, is poverty which is not possessed with a love of temporal
things, and does not seek to be increased with the riches of the world,
but is eager to amass heavenly possessions.
III. Scriptural examples of
humility.
Of this high-souled humility the Apostles
first1229
| 1229 The
mss. vary between primum and
primi. The rendering above given practically represents
either. If primi, however, is read, it may be
questioned whether the true rendering is not “the first apostles
after the Lord,” which would be
interesting as suggesting that S. Leo did not necessarily confine the
title “apostle” to the Twelve. | , after the Lord,
have given us example, who, leaving all that they had without
difference at the voice of the heavenly Master, were turned by a ready
change from the catching of fish to be fishers of men, and made many
like themselves through the imitation of their faith, when with those
first-begotten sons of the Church, “the heart of all was one, and
the spirit one, of those that believed1230
:” for they, putting away the
whole of their things and possessions, enriched themselves with eternal
goods, through the most devoted poverty, and in accordance with the
Apostles’ preaching rejoiced to have nothing of the world and
possess all things with Christ. Hence the blessed Apostle Peter,
when he was going up into the temple, and was asked for alms by the
lame man, said, “Silver and gold is not mine, but what I have
that I give thee: in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise
and walk1231
.”
What more sublime than this humility? what richer than this
poverty? He hath not stores of money1232
, but he hath gifts of nature. He
whom his mother had brought forth lame from the womb, is made whole by
Peter with a word; and he who gave not Cæsar’s image in a
coin, restored Christ’s image on the man. And by the riches
of this treasure not he only was aided whose power of walking was
restored, but 5,000 men also, who then believed at the Apostle’s
exhortation on account of the wonder of this cure. And that poor
man who had not what to give to the asker, bestowed so great a bounty
of Divine Grace, that, as he had set one man straight on his feet, so
he healed these many thousands of believers in their hearts, and made
them “leap as an hart” in Christ whom he had found limping
in Jewish unbelief.
IV. The blessedness of mourning
discussed.
After the assertion of this most happy humility,
the Lord hath added, saying, “Blessed
are they which mourn, for they shall be comforted1233
.” This mourning, beloved,
to which eternal comforting is promised, is not the same as the
affliction of this world: nor do those laments which are
poured out in the sorrowings
of the whole human race make any one blessed. The reason for holy
groanings, the cause of blessed tears, is very different.
Religious grief mourns sin either that of others’ or one’s
own: nor does it mourn for that which is wrought by God’s justice, but it laments over that which is
committed by man’s iniquity, where he that does wrong is more to
be deplored than he who suffers it, because the unjust man’s
wrongdoing plunges him into punishment, but the just man’s
endurance leads him on to glory.
V. The blessedness of the
meek.
Next the Lord says:
“blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth by
inheritance1234
| 1234 S. Matt. v. 5. It will be observed that
Leo’s order for the 2nd and 3rd beatitudes is that of the English
version, not that of the Vulgate. | .”
To the meek and gentle, to the humble and modest, and to those who are
prepared to endure all injuries, the earth is promised for their
possession. And this is not to be reckoned a small or cheap
inheritance, as if it were distinct from our heavenly dwelling, since
it is no other than these who are understood to enter the kingdom of
heaven. The earth, then, which is promised to the meek, and is to
be given to the gentle in possession, is the flesh of the saints, which
in reward for their humility will be changed in a happy resurrection,
and clothed with the glory of immortality, in nothing now to act
contrary to the spirit, and to be in complete unity and agreement with
the will of the soul1235
| 1235 In nullo iam
spiritui futura contraria et cum voluntate animi perfectæ unitatis
habitura consensum: compare S. Aug. de Fide et
symbolo, cap. 23, “est autem animæ natura perfecta
cum spiritui suo subditur et cum sequitur sequentum Deum—non est
desperandum etiam corpus restitui naturæ
propriæ—tempore opportuno in novissima tuba, cum mortui
resurgent incorrupti et nos immutabimur.” The
interpretation of this beatitude in this way is fantastic, and very
strange to modern notions. | . For then
the outer man will be the peaceful and unblemished possession of the
inner man: then the mind, engrossed in beholding God, will be hampered by no obstacles of human weakness
nor will it any more have to be said “The body which is
corrupted, weigheth upon the soul, and its earthly house presseth down
the sense which thinketh many things1236
:” for the earth will not
struggle against its tenant, and will not venture on any
insubordination against the rule of its governor. For the meek
shall possess it in perpetual peace, and nothing shall be taken from
their rights, “when this corruptible shall have put on
incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality1237
:” that their danger may
turn into reward, and what was a burden become an honour1238
| 1238 Quod fuit
oneri, sit honori, the play on the words (which is quite classical)
may perhaps be represented by the difference between onerous and
honorary. | .
VI. The blessedness of desiring
righteousness.
After this the Lord goes
on to say: “blessed are they who hunger and thirst after
righteousness, for they shall be satisfied1239
.” It is nothing bodily,
nothing earthly, that this hunger, this thirst seeks for: but it
desires to be satiated with the good food of righteousness, and wants
to be admitted to all the deepest mysteries, and be filled with the
Lord Himself. Happy the mind that craves
this food and is eager for such drink: which it certainly would
not seek for if it had never tasted of its sweetness. But hearing
the Prophet’s spirit saying to him: “taste and see
that the Lord is sweet1240
| 1240 Ps. xxxiv. 8: suavis, A.V. and R.V.
good, P.B.V. gracious, LXX. χρηστός. | ;” it has received some portion of
sweetness from on high, and blazed out into love of the purest
pleasure, so that spurning all things temporal, it is seized with the
utmost eagerness for eating and drinking righteousness, and grasps the
truth of that first commandment which says: “Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God
out of all thy heart, and out of all thy mind, and out of all thy
strength1241
| 1241 Deut. vi. 5, quoted, it will be remembered, by our
Lord, as “the first and great commandment” in the law,
S. Matt. xxii. 37; S. Mark xii. 30; S. Luke x.
27. | :”
since to love God is nothing else but to love
righteousness1242
| 1242 The two words for
“love” here are different, and speak for themselves,
diligere (ἀγαπᾶν) Deum
and amare (ἐρᾶν) iustitiam. | . In fine,
as in that passage the care for one’s neighbour is joined to the
love of God, so, too, here the virtue of mercy
is linked to the desire for righteousness, and it is said:
VII. The blessedness of the
merciful.
“Blessed are the merciful, for God shall have mercy on them1243
.” Recognize, Christian, the
worth of thy wisdom, and understand to what rewards thou art called,
and by what methods of discipline thou must attain thereto. Mercy
wishes thee to be merciful, righteousness to be righteous, that the
Creator may be seen in His creature, and the image of God may be reflected in the mirror of the human heart
expressed by the lines of imitation. The faith of those who do
good1244
is free from anxiety: thou shalt
have all thy desires, and shalt obtain without end what thou
lovest. And since through thine alms-giving all things are pure
to thee, to that blessedness also thou shalt attain which is promised
in consequence where the Lord says:
VIII. The blessedness of a pure
heart.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall
see God1245
.” Great is the
happiness, beloved, of him for whom so great a reward is
prepared. What, then, is it to have the heart pure, but to strive
after those virtues which are mentioned above? And how great the
blessedness of seeing God, what mind can
conceive, what tongue declare? And yet this shall ensue when
man’s nature is transformed, so that no longer “in a
mirror,” nor “in a riddle,” but “face to
face1246
” it sees the very Godhead “as
He is1247
,” which no man could see1248
| 1248 Exod. xxxiii. 20; John. i. 18; 1 Tim. vi.
16. | ; and through the unspeakable joy of
eternal contemplation obtains that “which eye has not seen, nor
ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man1249
.” Rightly is this blessedness
promised to purity of heart. For the brightness of the true light
will not be able to be seen by the unclean sight: and that which
will be happiness to minds that are bright and clean, will be a
punishment to those that are stained. Therefore, let the mists of
earth’s vanities be shunned, and your inward eyes purged from all
the filth of wickedness, that the sight may be free to feed on this
great manifestation of God. For to the
attainment of this we understand what follows to lead.
IX. The blessedness of
peace-making.
“Blessed are the peace-makers, for they
shall be called the sons of God1250
.” This blessedness,
beloved, belongs not to any and every kind of agreement and harmony,
but to that of which the Apostle speaks: “have peace
towards God1251
| 1251 Rom. v. 1, where “we have” or
“let us have” is the exact phrase. | ;” and
of which the Prophet David speaks: “Much peace have they
that love Thy law, and they have no cause of offences1252
.” This peace even the closest
ties of friendship and the exactest likeness of mind do not really
gain, if they do not agree with God’s
will. Similarity of bad desires, leagues in crimes, associations
of vice, cannot merit this peace. The love of the world does not
consort with the love of God, nor doth he
enter the alliance of the sons of God who will
not separate himself from the children of this generation.1253
| 1253 A carnali
generatione. | Whereas they who are in mind always
with God, “giving diligence to keep the
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace1254
,” never dissent from the eternal
law, uttering that prayer of faith, “Thy will be done as in
heaven so on earth1255
.”
These are “the peacemakers,” these are thoroughly of one
mind, and fully harmonious, and are to be called sons “of
God and joint-heirs with Christ1256
,” because this shall be the record
of the love of God and the love of our
neighbour, that we shall suffer no calamities, be in fear of no
offence, but all the strife of trial ended, rest in God’s most perfect peace, through our Lord, Who, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, liveth and
reigneth for ever and ever. Amen.
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