Sermon 335C

SERMON 335/C

SERMON ON ONE MARTYR BY BLESSED AUGUSTINE BISHOP

In the martyrs, glory is despised, patience is proven.

Since the birthday of the blessed martyr has dawned, a day which the Lord wished us to celebrate with you, let us speak a little, with His granting, of the glory and patience of the martyrs. Indeed, glory was despised, patience was proven. For glory lay hidden in the heavens, patience was exercised on earth. Whoever does not dread their patience, may reach glory. For it is considered misery to suffer harsh and rough things in the flesh, because it is truly troublesome. If it were not troublesome for men, it would not be glorious for the martyrs.

The love of evil is called desire, the love of good is called charity.

However, set before yourselves two particular persons: one of desire, one of charity. By desire, I mean the love of sinning, because sometimes there is a desire which is called good. In like manner, by charity, I mean the love of living rightly because sometimes also charity is called in an evil way. Therefore, I wished to define what I have said. The faithful desire the kingdom of heaven. Even robbers are called dear to each other. However, there is no charity in those whom an evil conscience associates with each other, but in those whom wisdom delights in companionship.

Therefore, consider and distinguish how many evils greedy people endure, and how harsh they endure for those things they desire, things that appear intolerable to those who do not desire them. But love makes them strong. Yet the love of evil is called greed, the love of good is called charity. There are many things loved by the greedy, sometimes so diverse that they are even found to be contrary to each other. Greed gathers money, luxury scatters it. Greed hoards, luxury spends, and what is so contrary as to gather and to scatter? Nevertheless, greed commands both to make much and to endure much harshness and roughness by bearing pain... as much as you love pleasure. Yet even sometimes in the madness of love, it is shamefully loved and for it, many things are bravely endured.

Charity also has the strength of its love.

Therefore, beloved, it is not surprising if charity also has the strength of its love. The martyrs had this; in it, they endured all hardships. They loved what they did not see, but they firmly believed and, to the extent that it can be perceived by a person carrying the flesh, they perceived it with their heart. For does not this flesh truly have its own beauty? And does not the imperishable wisdom have its own beauty? But the unrighteous recognize and eventually desire the beauty of wisdom. For they too would wish to be wise, if it were permitted to them to hold what they love and at the same time have wisdom. Without a doubt, they would wish for both; they do not scorn wisdom. You find a lover of carnal pleasure wishing also to be wise. However, you find the wise person scorning carnal pleasure. It is very rare to find a lover of pleasure who scorns wisdom. If they could, they would have both, but they prefer one over the other and therefore impose misery upon themselves. They deceive themselves when they lose better things by loving the worse, but they do not feel the fraud in the heavenly things while they delight in shameful things.

The cause makes the martyr, not the punishment.

Give me, therefore, a lover of the good of whom the Apostle says: And who can harm you if you are lovers of the good? For in what you love, you do not suffer loss. Whatever may be taken from you by one who rages against you, he will not destroy you as a lover of Him who made you. And as much as earthly things are taken away, so much do heavenly gifts increase, if these are taken away because of their love. For it matters why you lose something. And thus, it is not the punishment that makes the martyr but the cause. Therefore, we do not justify those martyrs who have suffered much unless we consider why they suffered. For your sake, they say—the voice of the martyrs—it is for your sake that we are put to death all the day long. Take away "for your sake," what benefit is it to be put to death all the day long? Add "for your sake," what harm is it to be put to death all the day long? To be put to death all the day long for your sake not only does no harm but is also of great advantage. The cause lies in what is said: "for your sake"; the suffering lies in what is said: "we are put to death all the day long." You build the suffering well if you do not withdraw the foundation of God's love.

The reason for martyrdom is in this: it is said, for the sake of God.

You are interested in what you say: "because of you." For that lascivious lover who falls into and clings to the beauty of the flesh, thus boasts to his beloved: "Because of you, because of you," he says, "I have borne the anger of my father, because of you I have been beaten by my very strict father and harsh teachers. Because of you I have completely spent whatever I had, because of you I have remained in need." How much you say: "because of you"! And nothing for you? Indeed, not only nothing for you but also everything "because of you."

One must store up treasure where wisdom commands, not where greed remains.

If money could listen to its lovers, how many would say to it: "For you, I endured the harsh winter at sea, for you I sustained so many shipwrecks, for you, while being tossed about in the waves, I made loss, for you I lost both you and myself; for while paying attention to what I still desired to have, I lost what I had." How many: "because of you"! But it is deaf to what you say and does not hear you if you lose both it and yourself because of it. And what good is it when you perish because of money? Both you perish and you do not find it. Indeed, if you have any, by perishing here you leave it behind. You pass away; then another lover of it comes. How many have left it behind, loving it, and perished by passing away. For although man walks in a picture, yet he is troubled in vain. It is to be pitied because though he surely walks in the image of God, he is troubled in vain: He hoards up treasures and does not know for whom he is gathering them. For why indeed is he troubled except to hoard up treasures? Behold, treasure up, but where wisdom has commanded, not where greed resides.

The counsel of God concerning money. He is almighty to whom you wanted to lend.

The Lord gave advice regarding money so that what is acquired may not be lost. He said, "Make friends for yourselves from the mammon of unrighteousness, so that they may receive you into eternal dwellings." Martyrs, having a good cause and enduring much for the love of God, were received by some while hungry, were clothed when naked, and were taken in when strangers. It is indeed service to those in tribulation. They made friends from the mammon of unrighteousness. Therefore also regarding money, the Lord gave good advice if anyone will listen. For certainly, if you love your money, you must take care that it does not perish. If it perishes to them, it perishes to you. For it falls from you, it accrues to another. Make something from it that will not perish to you. And when you go before it, store up treasure in heaven where no thief approaches, nor moth corrupts. The place is well-guarded, why do you hesitate to migrate? Send ahead what you have so that you may come to where you sent it. Buy something from it for yourself that cannot perish. Beloved, you know what advice the covetous take when they see they have some money. What do they say? "It is a round thing, it rolls, it perishes; it must be tied up by buying some possession." And they want to tie up their money by buying an estate. And look, they bought an estate, they will have an estate. Will the estate always have them? But neither will they have [the estate], from which after a short time without delay they will migrate. Where you have tied your money, you cannot tie your soul. For the time will come when your soul will be required of you. What you bought, whose will it be? Therefore you will neither have the estate, nor will the estate have you, unless perhaps, according to the body, you are buried there dead. Then indeed something strange happens: it will have you, you will not have it.

The counsel of the Lord is good, and a golden advice is given to whom it is said: "Move to where you do not lose." "What kind of advice is given! But I will not see," you say. Afterward, you will see. But you will not see what you sent. For you gave it into usury. You gave one thing, another will be returned to you. He whom you wanted to interest is Almighty. He accepts small things, but gives great things. He accepts few, He will return many. He created such a land for you: you send a few grains to fill your granaries. If He created such a land for you, what does He keep for you, sowing good works, who made heaven and earth?

The great physician is God.

But we speak to the covetous deaf, or to those lusting after beautiful bodies and to the greedy gathering and hoarding money on earth. We speak to the deaf, they do not hear us. Lord, let them be healed so that they may hear. Nothing is impossible for you. There is no incurable disease for you, because you are a great physician, especially because you showed your preceding love for us, because you did not spare your own Son, but delivered him up for us all. How shall you not also with him freely give us all things? Open your jaws, greedy one, now scorn few things, you will have many. He had conquered, crushed, and trampled down covetousness who said: As though having nothing, yet possessing all things.

What earthly glory is compared to the glory of the martyrs?

Therefore, to many lustful and greedy people, the holy martyrs appeared to be insane when they suffered so much for the name of Christ and always confessed him truthfully. They were urged to deny; having confessed, they were killed, burned, thrown to beasts, they suffered horrendous things in the open; in secret, they were incomparably crowned. If earthly things were sought from them, what can be added to this glory by which their birthdays are celebrated? Many strong men went mad for glory and said that blood must be shed for their country, nor did they hesitate to shed it, knowing that life indeed passes but immortal glory remains in them. Which of their glory compares to the glory of the martyrs? Who was able to find in earthly glory, who was able to find in the glory of human affairs, who was able to find what the fisherman was able to find? The tombs of the strong men who perished for their country are in Rome. At whose tomb has the Emperor deigned to enter? Behold, if earthly glory was to be coveted, they were not deprived of it either, who sought such honor among the angels. We see their glories on earth and we are astounded. What would we endure if we saw them in heaven? How much would admiration seize us if we saw the martyrs glorifying among the angels, whose birthdays we see the people celebrating?

Let us choose the cause of the martyrs, as much as we can. Three crosses: one of the Savior and two of the thieves.

True, seek the invisible rewards of the martyrs, my brothers. Love what they loved. Even if you do not endure what they endured, prepare your minds to endure. First, choose the cause, as much as you can. For without a chosen cause, do not the martyrs suffer such things as robbers have often suffered, such as adulterers, such as evildoers, such as sacrilegious men? If you consider the penalties, they are alike; if the causes, very different—far different are they from them. What is so near and similar yet not at all similar as the three crosses: one of the Lord and two of the robbers? There were three, all were crosses, all were in one place, all those bodies hung on wood, but the cause separated them all. In the middle, the Savior; on either side, the guilty. That cross was a tribunal: it hung and judged; judged while hanging and judged those who hung. Of those two guilty ones, one deserved punishment, the other a reward. Why did the other deserve a reward? Because he changed his cause on the cross. While hanging, he believed in him who was far away, when the Lord would come into his kingdom, then he wanted to be considered in his mind. But what did the Lord say, when he said, "Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom," as if saying: "I know my cause, I know my merits, therefore I am tormented for my deeds, but at least have mercy when you come"; he delayed, this one offered: "Amen, amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise; why do you look far off, since I am coming? Today you will be with me in paradise; whom you hope will come I am never absent, and I am everywhere and come there; but today you will be with me in paradise because wherever you will be happily, without me you cannot be happy." Therefore, all the souls of the blessed, not yet having received their bodies, are happy with Christ; happy only on account of Christ. For they loved him, they cherished him, in him they had justice, in him wisdom, in him knowledge, in him the hidden treasures of knowledge and wisdom. How much they despised suffering here. They greatly did not wish to be wealthy. What does the poor person not have if he has God?

Whatever you love, if it were not beautiful, it would not be loved by you. I do not want you to have nothing to love, but I want it to be ordered.

Love that which is good, my brothers; there is nothing more beautiful, even if it is seen only by the eyes of the heart. I speak to you. Behold, all things you see through the eye of the flesh are beautiful: heaven, earth, sea, and all that is in them, stars shining from the sky, the sun filling the day, the moon tempering the night, birds, swimming creatures, walking creatures, and humans themselves—created among all things in the image of God—praisers of creation, lovers of creation, but only if they are lovers of the Creator. Whatever you love so that you neglect God has been made by none other than God. Whatever, I say, you love so that you neglect God has been made by none other than God. For if it were not beautiful, you would not love it. And from where would beauty come, if not from that unseen beauty that created it? You love gold, God created it. You love beautiful bodies and flesh, God created them. You love pleasant estates, God created them. You greatly love this light, God created it. If you neglect God for the sake of what He created, I ask you, also love God Himself. How much He deserves to be loved, how much He deserves to be loved because He created all that you love. Love so that you love Him more. I do not want you to have nothing to love, but I want it to be ordered. Put heavenly things before earthly things, immortal things before mortal things, eternal things before temporal things. Put the Lord before all things, not by praising but by loving. For it is easy to prefer by praising. Temptation comes: I ask you whether you prefer by loving what you have preferred by praising. For when you are asked: What is better: money or wisdom, money or justice, finally money or God? you do not hesitate to say: wisdom, justice, God. Just as you do not hesitate to say, do not hesitate to choose. What is better: justice or money? And just as children, when asked in schools, eagerly shout out "justice". I know all, I hear your thoughts: justice is better. But temptation will come. It offers money on the other side. And temptation says to you: "You can have this money; if you commit fraud, money will come to you". But justice says: "What do you choose? Now is the time to test your tongue". Already asked, you preferred justice to money; but now, with the two placed before you: money on one side, justice on the other, as if ashamed, you close your eyes against justice, you extend your hand to money. Ungrateful, foolish, when asked by me, you preferred justice over money, you testified against yourself. Does God need another witness after you convict yourself? In praising, justice was preferred, in choosing, money was preferred. Do you not see on whose side you have chosen? On the perishable side of the perishable. Money indeed without doubt is perishable because the world will pass away and all its desires. Choose justice because he who does the will of God remains forever, as He Himself remains forever.