Expositions on the Book of Psalms 129
129.1 Psalm CXXIX PL 36, 1696
1. The Psalm which we have sung is short: but as it is written in the Gospel of Zacchæus that he was “little of stature,” but mighty in works; as it is written of that widow who cast two mites into the treasury, little was the money, but great was her charity; thus also this Psalm, if thou count the words, is short; if thou weigh the sentiments, is great.…Let the Spirit of God speak, let It speak to us, let It sing to us; whether we wish or wish not to dance, let It sing. For as he who danceth, moveth his limbs to the time; so they who dance according to the commandment of God, in their works obey the sound. What therefore saith the Lord in the Gospel to those who refuse to do this? “We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced: we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.” Let Him therefore sing; we trust in God’s mercy, for there will be those by whom He consoleth us. For they who are obstinate, continuing in wickedness, although they hear the Word of God, by their offences daily disturb the Church. Of such this Psalm speaketh; for thus it beginneth.
[«vers.» 1-3.] Quoniam vos non solum oculis corporis, sed etiam corde vigilare praesumimus, intelligenter nos cantare oportet: «De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine; Domine, exaudi vocem meam.» Etenim vox haec ascendentis est, pertinens ad canticum graduum. Debet itaque unusquisque nostrum videre in quo profundo sit, de quo clamet ad Dominum. Clamavit de profundo Jonas, de ventre ceti . Erat non solum sub fluctibus, verum etiam in visceribus belluae; nec tamen illud corpus et illi fluctus intercluserunt orationem ne perveniret ad Deum, et venter bestiae non potuit tenere vocem deprecantis. Penetravit omnia, disrupit omnia, pervenit ad aures Dei: si tamen dicendum est quia disruptis omnibus pervenit ad aures Dei, quando aures Dei in corde precantis erant. Ubi enim Deum praesentem non habet, cujus fidelis est vox? Verumtamen et nos debemus intelligere de quo profundo clamemus ad Dominum. Profundum enim nobis est vita ista mortalis. Quisquis se in profundo intellexerit, clamat, gemit, suspirat, donec de profundo eruatur, et veniat ad eum qui super omnes abyssos sedet et super Cherubim, super omnia quae creavit, non solum corporalia, sed etiam spiritualia; donec ad eum veniat anima, donec ab illo liberetur imago ipsius, quod est homo, quae in hoc profundo tanquam assiduis fluctibus exagitata, detrita est: et nisi renovetur et reparetur a Deo, qui illam impressit quando formavit hominem (Idoneus potuit esse homo ad casum suum; non est idoneus ad resurrectionem suam), semper in profundo est; nisi liberetur, ut dixi, semper in profundo est. Sed cum de profundo clamat, surgit de profundo, et ipse clamor non eum permittit multum in imo esse. Valde enim in profundo sunt, qui nec clamant de profundo. Dicit Scriptura: «Peccator, cum venerit in profundum malorum, contemnit» . Jam videte, fratres, quale profundum sit, ubi contemnitur Deus. Cum quisque viderit se quotidianis peccatis obrutum, acervis quibusdam et molibus quibusdam iniquitatum premi, si dictum illi fuerit ut Deum roget, irridet. Quibus modis? Primo dicit: Si Deo displicerent facinora, ego viverem? Si curaret Deus res humanas, ad tanta scelera quae feci, non solum viverem, sed et bene mihi esset? Solet enim hoc illis evenire, qui multum in profundo sunt, et prosperantur in iniquitatibus suis: et tanto magis in profundo merguntur, quanto magis videntur esse felices; fallax enim felicitas, ipsa major est infelicitas. Deinde et hoc solent homines dicere: Jam quoniam multa feci et damnatio imminet, hoc perdo, quod non facio quidquid possum; et, Ex hoc perdor, cur non facio quidquid possum? Quomodo solent desperati latrones dicere: Sic me occisurus est judex pro decem homicidiis, quomodo pro quinque, quomodo pro uno; quare non jam quidquid mihi occurrerit facio? Hoc est, «Peccator, cum venerit in profundum malorum, contemnit.» Sed Dominus Jesus Christus qui nec profunda nostra contempsit, qui usque ad istam vitam venire dignatus est, promittens remissionem omnium peccatorum; etiam de profundo excitavit hominem, ut clamaret de profundo sub molibus peccatorum, et perveniret vox peccatoris ad Deum: unde clamantis, nisi de profundo malorum?
129.2 PL 36, 1697
2. “Many a time have they fought against me from my youth up” (ver. 1). The Church speaketh of those whom She endureth: and as if it were asked, “Is it now?” The Church is of ancient birth: since saints have been so called, the Church hath been on earth. At one time the Church was in Abel only, and he was fought against by his wicked and lost brother Cain. At one time the Church was in Enoch alone: and he was translated from the unrighteous. At one time the Church was in the house of Noah alone, and endured all who perished by the flood, and the ark alone swam upon the waves, and escaped to shore. At one time the Church was in Abraham alone, and we know what he endured from the wicked. The Church was in his brother’s son, Lot, alone, and in his house, in Sodom, and he endured the iniquities and perversities of Sodom, until God freed him from amidst them. The Church also began to exist in the people of Israel: She endured Pharaoh and the Egyptians. The number of the saints began to be also in the Church, that is, in the people of Israel; Moses and the rest of the saints endured the wicked Jews, the people of Israel. We come unto our Lord Jesus Christ: the Gospel was preached in the Psalms.…For this reason, lest the Church wonder now, or lest any one wonder in the Church, who wisheth to be a good member of the Church, let him hear the Church herself his Mother saying to him, Marvel not at these things, my son: “Many a time have they fought against me from my youth up.”
Et videte quia vox peccatoris clamat de profundo: «De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine; Domine, exaudi vocem meam. Fiant aures tuae intendentes in vocem deprecationis meae.» Unde clamat? De profundo. Quis est ergo qui clamat? Peccator. Et qua spe clamat? Quia qui venit solvere peccata, dedit spem etiam in profundo posito peccatori. Ideo quid sequitur post istas voces? «Si iniquitates observaveris, Domine; Domine, quis sustinebit?» Ecce aperuit de quo profundo clamaret. Clamat enim sub molibus et fluctibus iniquitatum suarum. Circumspexit se, circumspexit vitam suam; vidit illam undique flagitiis et facinoribus coopertam: quacumque respexit, nihil in se bonum invenit, nihil illi justitiae serenum potuit occurrere. Et cum tanta et tam multa peccata undique et catervas scelerum suorum videret, tanquam expavescens exclamavit, «Si iniquitates observaveris, Domine; Domine, quis sustinebit?» Non dixit, Ego non sustinebo; sed, «quis sustinebit?» Vidit enim prope totam vitam humanam circumlatrari peccatis suis, accusari omnes conscientias cogitationibus suis, non inveniri cor castum praesumens de sua justitia. Si ergo cor castum non potest inveniri, quod praesumat de sua justitia; praesumat omnium cor de misericordia Dei, et dicat, «Si iniquitates observaveris, Domine; Domine, quis sustinebit?»
129.3 PL 36, 1697
3. “Now may Israel say.” She now seemeth to be speaking of herself: for she seemed not to have commenced herself, but to have answered. But to whom hath she replied? To them that think and say, How great evils do we endure, how great are the scandals that every day thicken, as the wicked enter into the Church, and we have to endure them? But let the Church reply through some, that is, through the voice of the stronger, let her reply to the complaints of the weak, and let the stable confirm the unstable, and the full-grown the infant, and let the Church say, “Many a time have they vexed me from my youth up” (ver. 2). Let the Church say this: let her not fear it. For what is the meaning of this addition, “From my youth up,” after the words, “Many a time have they fought against me”? At present the old age of the Church is assailed: but let her not fear. Hath she then failed to arrive at old age, because they have not ceased to fight against her from her youth up? have they been able to blot her out? Let Israel comfort herself, let the Church console herself with past examples. Why have they fought against me? “For they could not prevail against me.”
[«vers.» 4-6.] Quare autem spes est? «Quoniam apud te propitiatio est.» Et quae est ista propitiatio, nisi sacrificium? Et quod est sacrificium, nisi quod pro nobis oblatum est? Sanguis innocens fusus delevit omnia peccata nocentium: pretium tantum datum redemit omnes captivos de manu captivantis inimici. Ergo «est apud te propitiatio.» Nam si non esset apud te propitiatio, si judex solum esse velles et misericors esse nolles, observares omnes iniquitates nostras, et quaereres eas; quis sustineret? quis ante te staret, et diceret, Innocens sum? quis staret in judicio tuo? Spes ergo una est, «Quoniam est apud te propitiatio. Propter legem tuam sustinui te, Domine.» Quam legem? Quae reos fecit? Data est enim lex sancta, justa, bona Judaeis ; sed reos eos potuit facere. Non data est lex quae posset vivificare , sed quae ostenderet peccata peccatori. Peccator enim oblitus erat se, nec videbat se; data est illi lex, ut videret se. Fecit reum lex; liberavit Lator legis: Lator enim legis Imperator est. Lex data est quae terreat et constringat in reatum; et non solvit lex a peccatis, sed ostendit peccata. Et forte sub ipsa lege positus, animadvertit iste in profundo quanta fecerit contra legem, et sic exclamavit dicens, «Si iniquitates observaveris, Domine; Domine, quis sustinebit?» Est ergo lex misericordiae Dei, lex propitiationis Dei. Illa timoris fuit, est alia lex charitatis. Lex charitatis dat veniam peccatis, delet praeterita, admonet de futuris; in via non deserit comitem, comes fit ei quem ducit in via. Sed concordandum est cum adversario, dum es cum eo in via . Est enim sermo Dei adversarius tuus, quamdiu cum illo non concordas. Concordas autem, cum coeperit te delectare facere quod dicit sermo Dei. Jam qui erat adversarius, fit amicus: sic, finita via, non erit qui tradat te judici. Ergo «propter legem tuam sustinui te, Domine;» quia dignatus es legem misericodiae afferre, mihi dimittere omnia peccata mea, dare mihi de caetero monita ne te offendam: in ipsis monitis si quid forte titubavero, dedisti mihi remedium, quo te orem, dicens, «Dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris» . Hanc legem statuisti mihi, ut quomodo dimitto, dimittatur mihi. «Propter» hanc «legem sustinui te, Domine.» Exspectavi quando venias et liberes ab omni necessitate, quia in ipsa necessitate non deseruisti legem misericordiae.
129.4 PL 36, 1698
4. “Upon my back have sinners built; they have done their iniquity afar off” (ver. 3). Why have they fought against me? Because “they could not prevail upon me.” What is this? They could not build upon me. I consented not with them unto sin. For every wicked man persecuteth the good on this account, because the good man consenteth not with him to evil. Suppose he do some evil, and the Bishop censure him not, the Bishop is a good man: suppose the Bishop censure him, the Bishop is a bad man. Suppose he carry off anything, let the man robbed be silent, he is a good man: let him only speak and rebuke, even though he doth not reclaim his goods, he is everything bad. He is bad then who blameth the robber, and he is good who robbeth!…Heed not that such an one speaketh to thee: it is a wicked man through whom It speaketh to thee; but the word of God, that speaketh to thee, is not wicked. Accuse God: accuse Him, if thou canst!
Audi quam legem dicat, si nondum intellexisti quia legem modo dicit charitatis; audi Apostolum: «Invicem onera vestra portate, et sic implebitis legem Christi.» Qui portant invicem onera sua, nisi qui habent charitatem? Qui non habent charitatem, graves sunt sibi; qui autem habent charitatem, portant se. Laesit te aliquis, petit veniam: si non dimittis, non portas onus fratris tui; si dimittis, portas infirmum. Et tu si forte in aliquam infirmitatem cecideris, quasi homo, oportet ut sic te portet et ille, quemadmodum et tu. Audi quid praecesserit: «Fratres,» inquit, «si praeoccupatus fuerit homo in aliquo delicto, vos qui spirituales estis, instruite hujusmodi in spiritu lenitatis.» Et ne forte quia spirituales monuerat, veluti securi sibi viderentur, continuo subjecit: «Intendens teipsum, ne et tu tenteris.» Deinde quod commemoravi, subjunxit, «Alter alterius onera portate, et sic adimplebitis legem Christi» : unde dicit, «Propter legem tuam sustinui te, Domine.» Dicuntur cervi, quando transeunt freta in proximas insulas pascuae gratia, capita super se invicem ponere; et unus, qui ante est, solus portat caput et non ponit super alterum: sed cum et ipse defecerit, tollit se ab anteriore parte et redit posterius, ut et ipse in altero requiescat: et sic portant omnes onera sua, et perveniunt ad quod desiderant; et non patiuntur naufragium, quia quasi navis est illis charitas. Itaque charitas portat onera; sed non timeat ne prematur talibus oneribus: ne peccatis suis unusquisque prematur, attendat. Nam quando portas infirmitatem fratris tui, non te onerant peccata ipsius. Plane si consentias, jam tua te premunt, non alterius. Quisquis enim consenserit peccatori, non alienis, sed suis gravatur. Consensio enim ad peccatum alterius, tuum fit peccatum; et non est quare queraris quod peccata aliena te premant. Dicitur enim tibi: Premunt te, sed tua. Vidisti furem, cucurristi cum eo . Quid est hoc? Pedibus ambulasti ad furlum; imo mente conjunxisti te furi: quod ipsius solum erat, factum est tuum; quia placuit tibi. Si autem displicuerit tibi, et oraveris pro eo, et deprecatus veniam dederis, ut possis libera fronte dicere in precibus tuis, quas tibi Jurisperitus coelestis dictavit, «Dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris;» didicisti portare onera fratris tui; ut et alius portet si qua sunt tua, et fiat in vobis quod ait Apostolus, «Invicem onera vestra portate, et sic implebitis legem Christi.» Ita securus cantas quod modo dictum est, «Propter legem tuam sustinui te, Domine.»
129.5 PL 36, 1699
5. Thou accusest a man of avarice, and he accuseth God on the ground that He made gold. Be not covetous. And God, thou repliest, should not make gold. This now remaineth, because thou canst not restrain thine evil deeds, thou accusest the good works of God: the Creator and Architect of the world displeaseth thee. He ought not to make the sun either; for many contend concerning the lights of their windows, and drag each other before courts of law. O if we could restrain our vices! for all things are good, because a good God made all things: and His works praise Him, when their goodness is considered by him who hath the spirit of considering them, the spirit of piety and wisdom.…
Hanc autem legem qui non servat, nec sustinet Dominum; nec, si velit sustinere, causa est quare sustineat; inaniter sustinet. Venturus est enim Dominus, et inventurus peccata tua; quod perfecta autem justitia vixisti, non inventurus. Homicidia forte, gravia sunt enim et valde majora, non est inventurus; adulterium non est inventurus, furta non est inventurus, rapinam non est inventurus, maleficia non est inventurus, idololatriam non est inventurus; non est ista inventurus. Nihil ergo est inventurus? Audi sermonem Evangelii: «Qui dixerit fratri suo, Fatue.» Ab istis etiam peccatis linguae minutissimis quis abstinet? Sed forte dicis, Parva sunt. «Reus erit,» inquit, «gehennae ignis» . Si parvum tibi videbatur aut modicum, fratri dicere, «Fatue,» vel gehenna ignis videatur tibi magna: si contemnebas minus peccatum, vel poenae magnitudine deterrere. Sed dicis: Minora sunt, minuta sunt, sine quibus non potest esse ista vita. Congere minuta, et faciunt ingentem acervum. Nam et grana minuta sunt, et tamen massam faciunt: et guttae minutae sunt, et flumina implent, et moles trahunt. Ideo et ille considerans quam multa minuta peccata quotidiana committat homo, si nihil aliud, vel per cogitationes et linguam, attendit quam multa sint; et si attendit quam minuta sint, videt per multa minuta fieri acervum magnum; et non quasi peccata sua pristina cogitans, sed ipsam fragilitatem humanam, jam ascendens clamat: «De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine; Domine, exaudi vocem meum. Fiant aures tuae intendentes in vocem deprecationis meae. Si iniquitates observaveris Domine; Domine, quis sustinebit?» Vitare possum homicidia, adulteria, rapinas, perjuria, maleficia, idololatriam; numquid et peccata linguae? numquid et peccata cordis? Scriptum est: «Peccatum iniquitas est» . «Quis» ergo «sustinebit, si tu iniquitates observaveris?» si nobiscum severus judex agere volueris, non misericors pater, quis stabit ante oculos tuos? Sed «est apud te propitiatio; propter legem tuam sustinui te, Domine.» Qualis est lex ista? «Invicem onera vestra portate, et sic implebitis legem Christi.» Qui portant invicem onera sua? Qui fideliter dicunt, «Dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.»
129.6 PL 36, 1700
6. Lend not money at interest. Thou accusest Scripture which saith, “He that hath not given his money upon usury.” I wrote not this: it went not forth first from my mouth: hear God. He replieth: let not the clergy lend upon usury. Perchance he who speaketh to thee, lendeth not at interest: but if he do so lend, suppose that he doth so lend; doth He who speaketh through him lend at interest? If he doth what he enjoineth thee, and thou dost it not; thou wilt go into the flame, he into the kingdom. If he doth not what he enjoineth thee, and equally with thee doth evil deeds, and preaches duties which he doth not; ye will both equally go into the flames. The hay will burn; but “the word of the Lord abideth for evermore.”…
«Sustinuit anima mea in verbum tuum.» Nemo sustinet, nisi qui nondum accepit quod promissum est: nam qui jam accepit, quid sustinet? Accepimus remissionem peccatorum; sed promissum est nobis regnum coelorum: debita nostra deleta sunt; sed merces nostra adhuc futura est: accepimus veniam; sed aeternam vitam nondum tenemus. Sed qui dedit veniam, ipse promisit et vitam aeternam. Si verbum nostrum esset, deberemus timere: quia verbum Dei est, non fallit. Securi ergo speramus in verbum ejus qui fallere non potest. «Speravit anima mea in Dominum, a vigilia matutina usque ad noctem.» Quid est quod ait? uno die speravit in Dominum, et finita est tota spes ipsius? «A vigilia matutina usque ad noctem, speravit in Dominum.» Ista vigilia matutina, finis noctis est; hinc «usque ad noctem speravit anima mea in Dominum.» Ergo intelligendum est, ne putemus uno die nobis sperandum esse in Dominum, «A vigilia matutina usque ad noctem.» Quid ergo putatis, fratres? Hoc est, «A vigilia matutina usque ad noctem, speravit anima mea in Dominum»: quia Dominus per quem nobis dimissa sunt peccata, in vigilia matutina resurrexit a mortuis, ut hoc speremus in nobis futurum quod praecessit in Domino. Jam enim peccata nostra dimissa sunt, sed nondum resurreximus: si nondum resurreximus, nondum in nobis factum est quod praecessit in capite nostro. Quid praecessit in capite nostro? Quia et caro ipsius capitis resurrexit; spiritus illius capitis numquid mortuus est? Sed quod in eo mortuum est, resurrexit. Resurrexit autem tertia die; et quodam modo hoc nobis dixit Dominus: Quod in me vidistis, sperate in vobis; id est, quia ego resurrexi, resurgetis et vos.
129.7 PL 36, 1700
7. “The righteous Lord shall hew the necks of the sinners” (ver. 4).…Which of us doth not fix his eyes upon the earth, like the Publican, and say, “Lord, be merciful unto me a sinner”? If therefore all are sinners, and none is found without sin; all must fear the sword that hangs above their neck, because “the righteous Lord shall hew the necks of the sinners.” I do not imagine, my brethren, of all sinners; but in the member which He striketh, He marks what sinners He striketh. For it is not said, The righteous Lord will hew the hands of the sinners; or their feet; but because proud sinners were meant to be understood, and all proud men carry lofty necks, and not only do evil deeds, but even refuse to acknowledge them to be such, and when they are rebuked, justify themselves:…as it is written in Job (he was speaking of an ungodly sinner), “he runneth against God, even upon his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers;” so he here nameth the neck, because it is thus thou exaltest thyself, and dost not fix thine eyes upon the ground, and beat thy breast. Thou shouldest cry unto Him, as it is cried in another Psalm, “I said, Lord, be merciful unto me, for I have sinned against Thee.” Since thou dost not choose to say this, but justifiest thy deeds against the Word of God; what followeth in Scripture cometh upon thee: the righteous Lord shall hew the necks of sinners.
Sed sunt qui dicant: Ecce resurrexit Dominus; numquid propterea sperandum est et me posse resurgere? Utique propterea: in hoc enim resurrexit Dominus, quod a te accepit. Non enim resurgeret nisi mortuus esset, non autem mortuus esset, nisi carnem portaret. Quid accepit a te Dominus? Carnem. Quid venit ipse? Verbum Dei, quod erat ante omnia, per quem facta sunt omnia. Sed ut acciperet abs te aliquid. Verbum caro factum est, et habitavit in nobis . Accepit abs te, quod offerret pro te; quomodo accipit sacerdos a te, quod pro te offerat, quando vis placare Deum pro peccatis tuis. Jam factum est, ita factum est. Sacerdos noster a nobis accepit quod pro nobis offerret: accepit enim a nobis carnem; in ipsa carne victima factus est, holocaustum factus est, sacrificium factus est. In passione sacrificium factus est; in resurrectione innovavit illud quod occisum est, et tanquam primitias tuas dedit Deo, et ait tibi: Consecrata sunt jam omnia tua, quando tales primitiae de te datae sunt Deo; spera ergo et in te futurum quod praecessit in primitiis tuis.
129.8 PL 36, 1701
8. “Let them be confounded and turned backward, as many as have evil will at Sion” (ver. 5). They who hate Sion, hate the Church: Sion is the Church. And they who hypocritically enter into the Church, hate the Church. They who refuse to keep the Word of God, hate the Church: “Upon my back have they built:” what will the Church do, save endure the burden even unto the end?
Ergo ille quia a vigilia matutina resurrexit, coepit anima nostra ex hoc sperare: et quousque? «Usque in noctem;» quousque moriamur. Omnis enim mors nostra carnalis, quasi somnus est. Coepisti sperare ex quo resurrexit Dominus, noli deficere sperare quousque exeas ab hac vita. Nam si non usque ad noctem speraveris, deletur totum quod speraveras. Sunt enim homines qui incipiunt sperare, sed non perseverant usque ad noctem. Incipiunt pati tribulationes aliquas, incipiunt pati tentationes, vident homines malos et iniquos felicitate pollere temporali: et quoniam talia sperabant de Domino, ut hic essent felices, attendunt eos qui scelera fecerunt, habere quod ipsi habere desiderabant; et deficiunt pedes eorum, et desinunt sperare. Quare? Quia non a vigilia matutina coeperunt sperare. Quid est hoc? Non hoc coeperunt sperare de Domino, quod praecessit in Domino ab illa vigilia matutina: sed sperabant de Domino, ut si essent christiani, haberent plenam domum frumento, vino, oleo, argento, auro; nullus eorum moreretur immaturus; si quis non haberet filios, acciperet; si uxorem non duxisset, duceret; non abortiret non solum aliqua mulier in domo ejus, sed nec pecus ejus; non acescerent cupae ejus, non grandinaretur vinea ejus. Qui sic sperabat in Dominum, animadvertit his rebus abundare eos qui non colunt Dominum, et defecerunt pedes ejus , et non speravit usque ad noctem; quia non coepit a vigilia matutina sperare.
129.9 PL 36, 1701
9. But what saith he of them? The next words are, “Let them be even as the grass of the house tops: that withereth before it be plucked up” (ver. 6). The grass of the house tops is that which groweth on house tops, on a tiled roof: it is seen on high, and hath not a root. How much better would it be if it grew lower, and how much more joyfully would it bloom? As it is, it riseth higher to a quicker withering. It hath not yet been plucked up, yet hath it withered: not yet have they received sentence from the judgment of God, and already they have not the sap of bloom. Observe their works, and see that they have withered.…The reapers will come, but they fill not their sheaves from these. For the reapers will come, and will gather the wheat into the barn, and will bind the tares together, and cast them into the fire. Thus also is the grass of the house tops cleared off, and whatever is plucked from it, is thrown into the fire; because it had withered even before it was plucked up. The reaper filleth not his hands thence. His next words are, “Whereof the reaper filleth not his hand; neither he that bindeth up the sheaves his bosom” (ver. 7). And, “the reapers are the angels,” the Lord saith.
Quis ergo sic incipit a vigilia matutina sperare? Qui hoc sperat de Domino, quod coepit ostendere a vigilia matutina in qua resurrexit. Antea enim nemo resurrexerat semper victurus. Intendat Charitas vestra. Resuscitati sunt mortui ante adventum Domini: nam et Elias resuscitavit mortuum , et Elisaeus ; sed resurrexerunt iterum morituri. Dominus ipse quos resuscitavit, morituri resurrexerunt; sive ille juvenis filius viduae , sive illa puella duodecim annorum, filia archisynagogi , sive Lazarus : aliter resuscitati sunt, omnes morituri; semel nati sunt, sed bis mortui sunt. Nemo resurrexerat nunquam moriturus, nisi Dominus. Quando autem resurrexit Dominus nunquam moriturus? A «vigilia matutina.» Hoc spera et tu de Domino, resurrecturum te, non quomodo Lazarus resurrexit, non quomodo filius viduae et archisynagogi filia resurrexerunt, non quomodo quos suscitaverunt antiqui Prophetae; sed resurrecturum te spera quomodo Dominus, ut post resurrectionem qua resurrexeris, non te jam timeas moriturum: et coepisti sperare a vigilia matutina.
129.10 PL 36, 1702
10. “So that they who go by say not so much as, The blessing of the Lord be upon you: we have blessed you in the name of the Lord” (ver. 8). For ye know, brethren, when men pass by others at work, it is customary to address them, “The blessing of the Lord be upon you.” And this was especially the custom in the Jewish nation. No one passed by and saw any one doing any work in the field, or in the vineyard, or in harvest, or anything of the sort; it was not lawful to pass by without a blessing.…Who are the passers by? They who have already passed hence to their country through this road, that is, through this life: the Apostles were passers by in this life, the Prophets were passers by. Whom did the Prophets and Apostles bless? Those in whom they saw the root of charity? But those whom they found lifted on high on their house tops, and proud in the bosses of their bucklers, they declared against these what they were doomed to become, but they gave them no blessing. Ye therefore who read in the Scriptures, find all those wicked men whom the Church beareth, who are declared cursed, pertain unto Antichrist, pertain unto the devil, pertain to the chaff, pertain to the tares.…But they who say, None save God sanctifieth, nor is any man good save by the gift of God; they bless in the name of the Lord, not in their own name: because they are the friends of the bridegroom, they refuse to be adulterers of the bride.
Spera autem usque ad noctem, quousque finiatur haec vita, quousque sit nox universi generis humani in occasu saeculi. Quare hoc usque? Quia post istam noctem jam non erit spes, sed ipsa res. «Spes» enim «quae videtur, non est spes,» Apostolus dicit: «quod enim videt quis, quid sperat? Si autem quod non videmus speramus, per patientiam exspectamus» . Si ergo patienter exspectare debemus quod non videmus, usque ad noctem speremus, id est usque ad finem hujus vitae nostrae vel saeculi. Cum autem nox ista transierit, jam veniet quod sperabamus; et non jam sperabimus, nec tamen desperati erimus. Est enim vituperatio desperatorum, et aliquando detestamur hominem, et dicimus: Non habet spem. Non semper malum est non habere spem. In hac vita cum sumus, malum est non habere spem; qui enim modo spem non habet, rem postea non habebit. Ergo modo spem debemus habere. Sed cum res venerit, numquid spes erit? «Quod enim videt quis, quid sperae?» Veniet Dominus Deus noster, primo formam ipsam in qua crucifixus est et resurrexit, demonstraturus generi humano, ut videant pii et impii: illi videant, et gratulentur invenisse se quod crediderunt antequam viderent; et illi erubescant non se credidisse quod videbunt. Erubescentes damnabuntur, et gratulati coronabuntur. Dicetur confusis, «Ite in ignem aeternum, qui paratus est diabolo et angelis ejus;» dicetur gaudentibus, «Venite, benedicti Patris mei, percipile regnum quod vobis paratum est ab origine mundi» : quod cum acceperint, jam spes non erit, quia res tenebitur. Transacta ergo spe, transibit nox illa; sed donec fiat, a vigilia matutina speret anima nostra in Dominum.