Sermon 241

SERMO 241

IN THE DAYS OF EASTER

On the Resurrection of Bodies, Against the Gentiles

God is not inaccessible to the human mind.

The unique faith of Christians is the resurrection of the dead. This, our head Christ demonstrated in Himself, that is, the resurrection of the dead, and provided an example of faith for us; so that the members might hope for in themselves what had preceded in the head. Yesterday we indicated to you that the wise of the Gentiles, whom they call philosophers, those who were the most excellent among them, had scrutinized nature and recognized the creator through the works. They did not hear the prophets, they did not receive the law of God: but to them God spoke in a certain silent way through the works of this world, and the appearance of the world invited them to seek the creator of things; nor could they induce in their minds that heaven and earth stood without an author. About these, blessed Paul the apostle speaks thus: "The wrath of God," he says, "is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness." What is "against all ungodliness"? Not only against the Jews, who received the law of God, and offended the giver of the law; but also against all ungodliness of the Gentiles the wrath of God is revealed from heaven. And lest anyone should say, "Why, when they did not receive the law?" he added afterward: "And their unrighteousness who hold the truth in unrighteousness." Now you answer: What truth? For they did not receive the Law, they did not hear the prophet. Listen to what truth: "Because that which is known of God is manifest in them." From where is it manifest? Listen further: "For God has shown it to them." If you still ask, "How did He show it to those to whom He did not give the law?" listen how: "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made." For the invisible things of Him, that is, the invisible things of God: from the creation of the world, that is, from the time He constituted the world: are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, those things are understood by these things being made. Likewise; I quote the words of the Apostle, I add them: "His eternal power and divinity are understood by these things." So that they are without excuse. Why without excuse? Because, knowing God, they did not glorify Him as God, or give thanks. He did not say: Not knowing God; but: Knowing.

One reaches God rationally through the things that have been made.

From where do we know? From the things that he made. Ask the beauty of the earth, ask the beauty of the sea, ask the beauty of the wide and spread air, ask the beauty of the sky, ask the order of the stars, ask the sun with its brilliance enlightening the day, ask the moon with its splendor tempering the darkness of the night, ask the animals that move in the waters, that dwell on the lands, that fly in the air; the hidden souls, the visible bodies; the visible things to be governed, the invisible ones governing: ask these things, They all answer you: See, we are beautiful. Their beauty is their confession. Who made these beautiful, changeable things if not the changeless beautiful one? In the very man himself, so that they might be able to understand and know God, the creator of the whole world; in the man himself, I say, they asked these two things: the body and the soul. They asked what they bore themselves: they saw the body, they did not see the soul. But they did not see the body except by the soul. For they saw through the eye, but inside was the one looking through the windows. Finally when the inhabitant departs, the house lies down: when the one who ruled departs, what was ruled falls: and since it falls, it is called a corpse. Are not the eyes whole there? Even if they are open, they see nothing. The ears are present; but the listener has left: the organ of the tongue remains; but the musician who moved it has gone away. They asked these two things, the body that is seen, the soul that is not seen: and they found that the invisible one is better than the visible one; the hidden soul better, the visible flesh worse. They saw these, they looked upon them, they examined both, and found both changeable in the person himself. The body changeable through ages, through corruptions, through foods, through refreshments, through deficiencies, through life, through death. They went on to the soul, which certainly they had understood to be better, and they also marveled that it was invisible: and they found it also changeable; sometimes willing, sometimes not willing; sometimes knowing, sometimes not knowing; sometimes remembering, sometimes forgetting; sometimes fearing, sometimes daring; sometimes going into wisdom, sometimes falling into folly. They saw it also changeable, they went beyond it also; for they sought something immutable.

The foolishness of the philosophers is revealed in the worshiping of idols.

Thus therefore they came to know God who made [them], through those things which He made. But they did not honor Him as God, nor were they grateful: the Apostle says this himself. But they became vain in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools. By arrogating to themselves what they had received, they lost what they held. Claiming to be great, they became fools. And to what did they come? And they changed, he says, the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of the image of corruptible man. He says idols. And it was little to make an idol in the likeness of man, and to attribute to the artisan the likeness of his work: this was little. But furthermore what? And of birds, and of quadrupeds, and of serpents. Indeed, all these mute and irrational animals, those so-called great wise men made into gods for themselves. I reproved you when you worshiped the image of a man: what should I do to you when you worship the image of a dog, the image of a snake, the image of a crocodile? They reached even these levels. As much as they were elevated seeking the higher things, so much they fell sinking into the depths. For it is submerged deeper what falls from a height.

What the philosophers thought about the fate of souls after this life.

So then, as I reminded you yesterday, they asked what comes afterward, that is, after this life. They asked as humans: but when could they find out, since they were humans? They did not have the teaching of God, they did not listen to the Prophets: they could not find out, they speculated. I related to you yesterday their speculations. The evil souls, they say, depart; and because they are unclean, they immediately revolve into other bodies: the souls of the wise and just depart; and because they lived well, they fly to heaven. Fine, you’ve found them a nice place: they reach heaven flying. And what there? There, they say, they will be, and will rest with the gods: their seats will be stars. Not a bad dwelling place you’ve found them: or leave them there, do not cast them down. But, they say, after long periods, having completely forgotten the old miseries, they begin to want to return to bodies; and it will delight them to come, and again they come to endure these things, to suffer these things, to forget God, to blaspheme God, to follow the pleasures of the body, to struggle against lusts. They come to these miseries, from where, and to where? Tell me, why? Because they forget. If they forget all evils, let them forget the delight of the flesh. This alone they remember for their harm, from which they fell. They come: why? Because it delights them to dwell in bodies again. From where does the delight come, if not from memory, because they once dwelled there? Erase all memory, and perhaps you might make residual wisdom: let nothing remain to recall.

The doctrines of the philosophers concerning the fate of souls are refuted.

Virgil does not approve of the doctrine of the return of souls into bodies. In that opinion, souls cannot be blessed. A certain author among them shuddered, to whom it was demonstrated, or who was introducing someone in the underworld demonstrating a father to his son. For you almost all know this; and would that few knew it. But few know it in books, many in theaters, because Aeneas descends to the underworld and his father shows him the souls of the great Romans about to come into bodies: Aeneas himself was terrified and said:

O father, do you think that any souls go from here to heaven?

Lofty souls, and to return again to delays

Corpora?

Is it to be believed, he said, that they go to heaven and return again?

What is this desire for light so dreadful for the wretched?

The son understood better than the father explained. He reproved the desire of souls wishing to return again to bodies. He called it a dire desire, called them miserable; nor was he ashamed of them. To this, philosophers, you have led them, that souls be purged, reach the highest purity, and through this purity forget all things, and through forgetfulness of miseries return to the miseries of bodies. Tell me, I beg you: even if these things were true, would it not be better not to know them? Even if they were true, I say, which without a doubt they are false because they are foul; would it not be better not to know them? Or perhaps you will say to me: You will not be wise if you do not know these things? Why should I know them? Can I be better now than I will be in heaven? If in heaven, when I will be better and more perfect, I will forget all that I learned here, and there I will be better not knowing these things; let me not know them now. You say that those dwelling in heaven forget all things: let me be on earth ignorant of all these things. Then, I ask you, do those souls in heaven know they will suffer again the miseries of this life, or do they not know? Choose what you will. If they know they will suffer such great miseries, how are they blessed, thinking about their future miseries? how are they blessed, where they are without security? But I see what you choose: you will say, They do not know. Therefore, you praise ignorance there, which you do not allow me to have now, teaching me on earth what you say I will not know in heaven. They do not know, you say. If they do not know, and do not think they will suffer, they are blessed in their error. For as they are to suffer, they think they will not suffer: what is it to think falsely but to err? Therefore, they will be happy in their error; they will be blessed; not by eternity, but by falsehood. Let the truth free us, so that we can truly be blessed: for the word of our Redeemer is not void: If the Son makes you free, you will be truly free. For He said: If you remain in My word, you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.

Great the ravings of great scholars!

Then hear something worse, something to be grieved over or rather to be laughed at. Here is a wise man, a philosopher, that is, on earth (for example, Pythagoras, Plato, Porphyrius, and I don't know who else among them), why do you philosophize? For a happy life, he says. When will you have that happy life? When, he says, I will have left this body on earth. Therefore now life is miserable, but the hope is for a happy life: there life is happy, but the hope is for a miserable life. Therefore the hope of our unhappiness is happy, and the happiness of our hope is unhappy. Let us reject these things, and either laugh because they are false, or grieve because they are greatly esteemed. For these are, my brothers, the great ravings of great learned men. How much better do we hold the great sacraments of the great saints? They say purified, cleansed, wise souls return due to love of bodies, purified souls return to bodies due to the love of bodies. Therefore does a purified soul love like this? Is not this love a great filth?

Porphyry's opinion on fleeing the body is explained.

But the body is to be entirely avoided. Their great philosopher, later Porphyry, a fierce enemy of the Christian faith, who lived in the times of Christians; but ashamed of the same delusions, partially corrected by Christians, said and wrote: The body is to be entirely avoided. He said all, as if every body was a burdensome bond for the soul. And certainly if every kind of body should be avoided, it is not fitting to praise the body and to say how, with God teaching, our faith praises the body: because even the body which we have now, although we bear punishment from sin, and the body which is corrupted, weighs down the soul; nevertheless this body has its form, the arrangement of its limbs, the distinction of senses, its erect posture, and other aspects that amaze those who consider them well. Nevertheless, that body will be entirely incorruptible, entirely immortal, entirely agile and easy to move. But Porphyry says: You praise the body to no purpose; whatever kind of body it is, if the soul is to be blessed, the body is to be entirely avoided. This is what the philosophers say: but they err, they rave. I will quickly prove it: I do not wish to dispute any longer; because what is preached should have a subject. For there are two things connected to each other, the preacher and the subject. God surpasses all: to Him all things are subject. And if the soul has any honor with God, it should have something subjected. But I do not wish to dispute this longer, I read your books: you say this world is an animal, that is, heaven, earth, seas, all the enormous bodies, the immense elements everywhere; all this, the entire body, which consists of all these elements, you say is a great animal, that is, to have its own soul, but not to have bodily senses; because externally there is nothing that can be felt: nevertheless, it has intellect, clings to God: and that the soul of the world itself is called Jove, or called Hecate, that is, as if it is the universal soul governing the world, and making a certain one animal. And you say that the same world is eternal, always to exist, never to have an end. Therefore if the world is eternal, and the world remains without end, and the world is an animal; this soul is always held in the world: surely the body is to be entirely avoided? What is it that you were saying, The body is to be entirely avoided? I say happy souls will always have incorruptible bodies. You who say, The body is to be entirely avoided, kill the world. You say that I should flee from my flesh: let your Jupiter flee from heaven and earth.

Plato himself opposes the opinion of Porphyry.

What do we find that the same Plato, the teacher of all these people, in a certain book of his which he wrote about the constitution of the world, introduces God as the maker of gods, that is, creating heavenly gods, all the stars, the sun, and the moon? Therefore, he says that God is the creator of the heavenly gods: he says that the stars themselves have intellectual souls, which understand God, and visible bodies that are perceived. I say, so that you may understand: This sun that you see would not be seen if it were not a body: this is true. Any star or moon would not be seen if it were not a body: he speaks the truth. Therefore, the Apostle also says: And there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. And he follows: There is one glory of the heavenly bodies, and another glory of the earthly bodies. And again speaking of the glory of heavenly bodies, the Apostle added, and said: One glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, another glory of the stars. For star differs from star in glory: so also is the resurrection of the dead. You see that brightness is promised to the bodies of the saints, and a diverse type of brightness, because there are diverse merits of charity. But what do they say? These stars that you see are indeed bodies, but they have their own intellectual souls, and they are gods. In the meantime, concerning the bodies, because they are bodies, they speak the truth: but whether they have their own souls, why should I discuss it? Now let us come to the matter. Plato himself introduces God addressing the gods, who he made from corporeal and incorporeal substance, and among other things saying to them: Since you have been born, you cannot be immortal and indissoluble. At this voice they might have started to tremble. Why? Because they desired to be immortal and did not want to die. Therefore, to take away their fear, he followed and added and said: Nevertheless, you will not be dissolved, nor will any fate of death destroy you, nor will they be stronger than my plan, which is a greater bond to your perpetuity than those by which you are bound. Behold, God gives the security of immortality to the gods made by him: he gives them the security that they will not leave the spheres of their bodies. Is any body certainly to be avoided? As far as I estimate, it has been answered to them, as you can understand it: just as we can speak, as far as the time of the speech permits, as far as your capacity allows, it has been answered to them. Now, indeed, what they themselves also say about the resurrection of bodies, as if acutely, so that we might not be able to respond to them as they think, it is much to tell you today. But since I promised you once, during these days this question about the resurrection of the flesh is to be dwelled upon, for what remains, with the Lord helping, prepare your ears and hearts for tomorrow.