John Henry Newman: “Blessed are they that Do His Commandments, that they may have Right to the Tree of Life” Thursday, Oct 20 2011

(On 2 Kings 22:19-20.)

In conclusion, my brethren, I would have you observe in what Josiah’s chief excellence lay.

This is the character given him when his name is first mentioned; “He did … right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.” (2 Kings 22:2).

[...] Now what is this strict virtue called? it is called faith. It is no matter whether we call it faith or conscientiousness, they are in substance one and the same:

where there is faith, there is conscientiousness—where there is conscientiousness, there is faith; they may be distinguished from each other in words, but they are not divided in fact.

They belong to one, and but one, habit of mind—dutifulness; they show themselves in obedience, in the careful, anxious observance of God’s will, however we learn it.

Hence it is that St. Paul tells us that “the just shall live by faith” under every dispensation of God’s mercy.

And this is called faith, because it implies a reliance on the mere word of the unseen God overpowering the temptations of sight.

Whether it be we read and accept His word in Scripture (as Christians do), or His word in our conscience, the law written on the heart (as is the case with heathens); in either ease, it is by following it, in spite of the seductions of the world around us, that we please God.

St. Paul calls it faith; saying after the prophet, “The just shall live by faith”;

and St. Peter, in the tenth chapter of the Acts, calls it “fearing and working righteousness,” where he says, that “in every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted with Him.”

It is all one: both Apostles say that God loves those who prefer Him to the world; whose character and frame of mind is such.

Elsewhere St. Paul also speaks like St. Peter, when he declares that God will render eternal life to them, who by “patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory” (Rom. 2:7).

St. John adds his testimony: “Little children, let no man deceive you. He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous.” (1 John 3:7).

And our Saviour’s last words at the end of the whole Scripture, long after the coming of the Spirit, after the death of all the Apostles but St. John, are the same: “Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life” (Rev. 22:14).

John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-1890): Parochial and Plain Sermons, vol. 8,  Sermon 7. Josiah, a Pattern for the Ignorant. 

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Augustine of Hippo: The Width and Length and Height of the Cross Friday, Aug 19 2011

Listen to the Apostle saying to you, But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us too make it our boast, if only because we lean totally upon it. Perhaps it is there that we shall find both width, and length, and height, and depth.

These words of the Apostle, you see, somehow set up the cross before our very eyes.

[...] So where is the width? Turn your mind to the life and behaviour of the saints, who say, Far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We find in their way of life and behaviour the width of charity; which is why the Apostle himself gives them this advice: Open yourselves wide, lest you should be bearing the yoke with unbelievers.

So width means charity, which alone does good works.

But because the Lord said, When iniquity abounds, the charity of many will grow cold, he gave me also length. What is meant by length? Whoever perseveres to the end will be saved.

This is the length of the cross, where the whole body is stretched; where after a fashion it is standing, the kind of standing by which one perseveres.

So if you are seeking, you that make the cross your boast, to have the width of the cross, make sure you have the virtue to do good.

If you want to have the length of the cross, make sure you have the long suffering capacity to persevere.

But if you want to have the height of the cross, make sure you know the meaning of the words you hear, ‘Lift up your hearts’, and of where you hear them.

Well, what does it mean, ‘Lift up your hearts’? Place your hope up there, place your love up there, ask for strength from up there, look for your reward from up there.

Because if you do good, and give cheerfully, you seem to have the width; if in the same good works you persevere to the end, you seem to have the length.

But if you don’t do any of this for the sake of the reward up above, you won’t have the height; which means you won’t have the real width and real length either.

Augustine of Hippo (354-430:  Sermon 165, 1-5, 9;  from the Monastic Office of Vigils, Friday of the Twentieth Week of Ordinary Time, Year 1.

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Gregory of Nyssa: The Name of Christ Shares in Our Soul, Words and Life’s Activities so that Holiness may be Constantly Kept Thursday, Aug 11 2011

A Christian has three characteristics: deed, word and thought. First among these is thought.

Reason is the beginning of every thought; next comes speech which reveals one’s mind by words. Action is third in order after thought and word, bringing thought to realization.

[...] It does us well to be carefully attentive so that our thoughts, words and deeds may participate in Christ’s lofty names.

Paul says that everything not proceeding from faith is sin (Rom 14.23); as a result, he clearly states that every word, deed or thought which does not look to Christ is contrary to him; whatever does not partake of light nor life shares in darkness or death.

If any word or thought according to Christ is contrary to the good, that which is manifested through these three elements becomes clear: whoever separates himself from Christ does not belong to him, whether in thought, deed or in speech.

[...] How, then, should the person worthy of Christ’s great name behave? What can he do except to always discern his thoughts, words and deeds, and to see whether or not they are of Christ or are alien to him?

Much skill is needed here for discernment. Anything effected, thought or said through passion has no association with Christ but bears the adversary’s mark; smearing the soul’s pearl with passion as if with mud, it corrupts the precious stone’s brightness.

But a state free from every passion looks to the author of detachment, Christ.

He who draws to himself thoughts as from a pure, incorruptible fountain will resemble the prototype as water drawn into a jar resembles water gushing from a fountain.

[...] In my judgment this is the perfection of the Christian life: the name of Christ…shares in our soul, words and life’s activities so that the holiness praised by Paul (1Thess 5.23) may be constantly kept in the entire body, mind and spirit with no admixture of evil.

If anyone says that the good is difficult to attain…, my response is that a person who does not lawfully strive in a contest cannot be crowned (1Tim 2.5)….

Without an opponent there is no crown, for victory against oneself is lacking if there is no weakness.

Hence, let us struggle against our nature’s mutability as though against an adversary; wrestling with our reason makes us victors not by casting it down but by not consenting to the fall.

[...] No one should lament his mutable nature; rather, by always being changed to what is better and by being transformed from glory to glory (2 Cor 3.18), let him so be changed.

[...] Perfection consists in never stopping our growth towards the good nor in circumscribing perfection.

Gregory of Nyssa (c 335 – after 394): On Perfection, translation originally published in The Greek Orthodox Theological Review, vol. 29, 4 (Brookline, Mass., 1984), pp.349-79.

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Gregory the Great: The Kingdom of Heaven is Likened unto Treasure Hidden in a Field Tuesday, Jul 26 2011

Dearly beloved brethren, the kingdom of heaven is likened unto the things of earth.

This is in order that, by the mean of things which we know, our mind may rise to the contemplation of the things which we know not by the example of things which are seen.

Thus may our mind fix her gaze on things which are not seen by the touch of things which she uses, and be warmed towards the things which she uses not – by things which she knows and loves, to love also the things which she knows not.

For, behold, the kingdom of heaven is likened unto treasure hid in a field, the which when a man hath found, he hides, and, for joy thereof, goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

And herein we must remark that the treasure, when once it hath been found, is hidden to keep it safe.

He who does not keep hidden from the praises of men his eager striving heavenwards, does not do enough to keep the same safe from the attacks of evil spirits.

In this life we are, as it were, on the way home, and the road is beset by evil spirits, as it were, by highwaymen.

He, therefore, who carries his treasure glaringly invites robbery.

This I say, not that our neighbour should not see our good works, since it is written Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father.

Rather, I speak of what we do, to gain the praise of men.

Let the outward work agree with the inward thought, that by our good works we may give an example to our neighbour, and still, by our intention, directed only to the pleasing God, we may also prefer that our works should be secret.

The treasure is the desire for heaven the field wherein it is hidden is the earnest observance wherewith this desire is surrounded.

Whosoever turns his back upon the enjoyments of the flesh, and by earnest striving heavenward, puts all earthly lusts under the feet of discipline, so that he smiles back no more when the flesh smiles at him, and shudders no more at anything that can only kill the body – whosoever doth thus, has sold all that he had, and bought that field.

Gregory the Great (c.540-604): Homilies on the Gospels, 11, from Mattins of the Feast of St Anne in the Old Breviary @
http://lzkiss.net/cgi-bin/horas/brevi.pl
.

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John Tauler: “When the Spirit Looks Within, to the Spirit of God, from the Ground of the Heart” Saturday, Apr 16 2011

St Thomas Aquinas says this: “Great external works, however great they may be, inasmuch as they are works, have their own reward.

But when the Spirit looks within, to the Spirit of God, from the ground of the heart,

where man, empty and bare of all works, seeks God only,

far above all thoughts, works and reason,

it is truly a thorough conversion, which will ever be met with a corresponding reward,

and God will be with him.”

Another conversion may take place in an ordinary external way, whenever man turns to God,

thinking wholly and entirely of Him,

and of nothing else but of God for Himself and in Himself.

But the first turning is in an inner, undefined, unknown presence,

in an immaterial entrance of the created spirit into the uncreated Spirit of God.

If a man could only once in his life thus turn to God, it would be well for him.

Those men whose God is so powerful, and Who has been so faithful to them in all their distress, will be answered by God with Himself.

He draws them so mysteriously unto Himself and His own blessedness;

their spirits are so lovingly attracted, while they are at the same time so filled and transfused with the Godhead, that they lose all their diversity in the Unity of the Godhead.

These are they to whom God makes their work here on earth a delight;

so that they have a real foretaste of that which they will enjoy forever.

These are they on whom the Holy Christian Church rests;

and, if they did not form part of Christianity, Christianity could no longer exist;

for their mere existence, what they are, is infinitely worthier and more useful than all the doings of the world.

These are they of whom our Lord has said:

“He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of Mine eye.”

Therefore, take heed that ye do them no wrong. May God help us.

John Tauler (c.1300-1361): Sermon on the Feast of St John the Baptist.

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Mark the Hermit: Faith, Works, Intention Monday, Nov 15 2010

Those who, because of the rigor of their own ascetic practice, despise the less zealous, think that they are made righteous by physical works.

But we are even more foolish if we rely on theoretical knowledge and disparage the ignorant. Even though knowledge is true, it is still not firmly established if unaccompanied by works. For everything is established by being put into practice.

Often our knowledge becomes darkened because we fail to put things into practice. For when we have totally neglected to practice something, our memory of it will gradually disappear.

For this reason Scripture urges us to acquire the knowledge of God, so that through our works we may serve Him rightly.

When we fulfil the commandments in our outward actions, we receive from the Lord what is appropriate; but any real benefit we gain depends on our inward intention.

If we want to do something but cannot, then before God, who knows our hearts, it

is as if we have done it. This is true whether the intended action is good or bad.

The intellect does many good and bad things without the body, whereas the body

can do neither good nor evil without the intellect. This is because the law of freedom applies to what happens before we act.

Some without fulfilling the commandments think that they possess true faith.

Others fulfil the commandments and then expect the kingdom as a reward due to them. Both are mistaken.

[...] When Scripture says ‘He will reward every man according to his works’ (Matt 16:27), do not imagine that works in themselves merit either hell or the kingdom.

On the contrary, Christ rewards each man according to whether his works are done with faith or without faith in Himself….

We who have received baptism offer good works, not by way of repayment, but to preserve the purity given to us.

Mark the Hermit (5th-6th c.): On Those who Think They Are Made Righteous by Works, 11-18; 22-23, Text from G.E.H. Palmer, Philip Sherrard, and Kallistos Ware (trans. and eds.) The Philokalia: The Complete Text, vol. I (Faber & Faber, London & Boston: 1979), online version here.

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Caesarius of Arles: God Wishes to Enter into Your Soul, for He Promised: “I Shall Live in Them, I Shall Walk through Their Hearts” Tuesday, Nov 9 2010

My fellow Christians, today is the birthday of this church, an occasion for celebration and rejoicing. We, however, ought to be the true and living temple of God.

Nevertheless, Christians rightly commemorate this feast of the church, their mother, for they know that through her they were reborn in the spirit.

[...] Indeed, before our baptism we were sanctuaries of the devil; but after our baptism we merited the privilege of being temples of Christ.

And if we think more carefully about the meaning of our salvation, we shall realise that we are indeed living and true temples of God.

God does not dwell only in things made by human hands, nor in homes of wood and stone, but rather he dwells principally in the soul made according to his own image and fashioned by his own hand.

Therefore, the apostle Paul says: The temple of God is holy, and you are that temple.

When Christ came, he banished the devil from our hearts, in order to build in them a temple for himself.

Let us therefore do what we can with his help, so that our evil deeds will not deface that temple. For whoever does evil, does injury to Christ.

As I said earlier, before Christ redeemed us, we were the house of the devil, but afterward, we merited the privilege of being the house of God.

God himself in his loving mercy saw fit to make of us his own home.

My fellow Christians, do we wish to celebrate joyfully the birth of this temple? Then let us not destroy the living temples of God in ourselves by works of evil.

I shall speak clearly, so that all can understand. Whenever we come to church, we must prepare our hearts to be as beautiful as we expect this church to be.

Do you wish to find this basilica immaculately clean? Then do not soil your soul with the filth of sins.

Do you wish this basilica to be full of light? God too wishes that your soul be not in darkness, but that the light of good works shine in us, so that he who dwells in the heavens will be glorified.

Just as you enter this church building, so God wishes to enter into your soul, for he promised: I shall live in them, I shall walk through their hearts.

Caesarius of Arles (469/70-542): Sermon 229, 1-3, taken from the Office of Readings for the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran on November 9 at Crossroads Initiative.

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Gregory the Great: Think What a Dignity Is That, to Have God Abiding as a Guest in Our Heart Wednesday, May 19 2010

If anyone love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and will make our abode with him (John 14:23)

This is the day whereon “suddenly there came a sound from heaven”, and the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles, and, instead of fleshly minds, gave them minds wherein the love of God was shed abroad.

On the exterior “there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them”. On the interior “their hearts were enkindled”.

While they received the visible presence of God in the form of fire, the flames of His love enwrapped them.

The Holy Spirit Himself is love whence it is that John says “God is love”.

Whosoever therefore loves God with all his soul, has already obtained Him whom he loves.

For no one is able to love God if he has not gained Him whom he loves.

If I shall ask any one of you whether he loves God, he will answer with all boldness and quietness of spirit “I do love Him”.

But at the very beginning of this day’s Lesson from the Gospel, you have heard what the Truth says: “if anyone love me, he will keep my word”.

The test, then, of love, is whether it is showed by works. Hence the same John says in his Epistle “if anyone says ‘I love God’, and does not keep His commandments, he is a liar”.

Then do we indeed love God, and keep His commandments, if we deny ourselves the gratification of our appetites.

Whosoever still wanders after unlawful desires, such a one plainly does not love God, for he says “no” to that which God wills.

“And my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and will make our abode with him.”

O my dearly beloved brethren, think what a dignity is that, to have God abiding as a guest in our heart.

Surely if some rich man or some powerful friend were to come into our house, we would hasten to have our whole house cleaned, lest, perchance, when he came in, he should see anything to displease his eye.

So let him that would make his mind an abode for God, cleanse it from all the filth of works of iniquity.

Again, the Truth says “we will come to him, and will make our abode with him”.

There are some hearts whereunto God comes, but does not make His abode therein.

With a certain pricking they feel His presence, but in time of temptation they forget that which hath pricked them, and so they turn again to work unrighteousness, even as though they had never repented.

Gregory the Great (c.540-604): Homilies on the Gospels, 30, from Mattins of Pentecost Sunday in the Old Breviary @
http://lzkiss.net/cgi-bin/horas/brevi.pl
.

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Henry Suso: Unlock Thy Interior Sense Friday, Feb 26 2010

The Servant: Lord, people say as follows: that how sweet soever Thy love may be, Thou dost yet allow it to prove very harsh to Thy friends in the many severe trials which Thou sendest them, such as worldly scorn and much adversity, both inwardly and outwardly.

Scarcely is any one, say they, admitted to Thy friendship, but he has forthwith to gather up his courage for suffering.

Lord, by Thy goodness! what sweetness can they have in all this? Or how canst Thou permit it in Thy friends? Or art Thou pleased not to know anything about it?

[...]  Lord, on this account there are also indeed many who, when they gain Thy friendship, and ought to prove constant in suffering, fall off from Thee; and (woe is me! that I must say it in sorrow of heart, and with bitter tears) relapse to that state which, through Thee, they had forsaken. O my Lord, what hast Thou to say to this?

Eternal Wisdom: This is the complaint of persons of a sick faith and of small works, of a lukewarm life, and undisciplined spirit.

But thou, beloved soul, up with thy mind out of the slime and deep slough of carnal delights! Unlock thy interior sense, open thy spiritual eyes and see.

Mark well what thou art, where thou art, and whither thou dost belong; for then shalt thou understand that I do the very best for My friends.

According to thy natural essence thou art a mirror of the Divinity, thou art an image of the Trinity, and a copy of eternity.

For as I, in My eternal uncreated entity, am the good which is infinite, so art thou according to thy desires, fathomless, and as little as a small drop can yield in the vast depth of the sea, just so little can all that this world is able to afford contribute to the fulfillment of thy desires.

Thus, then, art thou in this wretched valley of tears, where joy and sorrow, laughing and weeping, mirth and sadness, are mingled together; where no heart ever obtained perfect happiness; for it is false and deceitful, more than I will tell thee.

It promises much and performs little; it is short, uncertain, and changeable; to-day much joy, tomorrow a heart full of woe. Behold, such is the disport of this scene of time!

Henry Suso (c. 1296 – 1366): The Little Book of Divine Wisdom, 1,10.

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Henry Suso: Imitating the Cross of Christ Tuesday, Nov 17 2009

Eternal Wisdom says: You should give yourself and all that is yours to me cheerfully, and never take them back.

All that is not of absolute necessity to you you should leave untouched; then will your hands be truly nailed to my cross.

You should cheerfully set about good works and persevere in them; then will your left foot be made fast.

Your inconstant mind and wandering thoughts you should make constant and collected in me; and thus your right foot will be nailed to my cross.

Your mental and bodily powers must not seek rest in lukewarmness; in the likeness of my arms they should be stretched out in my service.

Your sickly body must often, in honour of my dislocated bones, be wearied out in spiritual exercises, and rendered incapable of fulfilling its own desires.

Many an unknown suffering must strain you to me on the narrow bed of the cross, by which you wilt become lovely like me, and of the colour of blood.

The withering away of your nature must make me blooming again; your spontaneous hardships must be to my weary back as a bed.

Your resolute resistance to sin must relieve my spirit; your devout heart must soften my pains, and your high flaming heart must kindle my fervid heart.

Henry Suso (c. 1296 – 1366): The Little Book of Divine Wisdom, 1,5

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