tude, which could not behold the summit of wisdom? Therefore Zacchæus, as long as he is in the crowd, does not see CHRIST: he ascended above the crowd, and saw: that is, FOURTH DAY IN THE OCTAVE. In the 1st Nocturn, Lessons of the occurrent Scripture. SECOND NOCTURN. Lesson IV. having now passed out of the ignorance A Sermon of S. Augustine the Bishop. of the people, he merited to behold what he desired. Excellently it adds: For the LORD was to pass that way; whether by the sycamore, or by him that should believe: that He might both preserve the mystery, and sow the seed of grace. For so He had come, in order to pass from the Jews to the Gentiles. Ry. My house. p. 119. Lesson VIII. So He saw Zaccheus on high. For now he was elevated by the height of faith amid the fruit of his new works, as by the loftiness of a fruitful tree. And since we have turned from the type to the meaning, it delights us to mingle among the many pleasures of the faithful mental relaxation and enjoyment on the LORD's Day. Zacchæus in the sycamore was indeed the new fruit of the new age, that herein might be fulfilled that word: The fig tree putteth forth her green figs. Ry. All thy walls. p. 119. Lesson IX. THEREFORE CHRIST approacheth, that from the wood, not fruit, but men might be born. We read elsewhere: When thou wast under the fig tree I saw thee. Therefore Nathanael was under the tree, that is, upon the root, because he was righteous. The root also is holy. But Nathanael was under the tree, as under the law; Zacchæus upon the tree, as above the law. The one was the secret de fender of CHRIST: the other His public preacher. The former was yet seeking CHRIST from the law: the latter, now above the law, was leaving his goods, and following the LORD. Te Deum. p. 15. From Sermon 256 on the Seasons. CONSIDER the Psalm of dedica tion which we have just been singing out of our ruined buildings. Thou hast put off my sackcloth: this pertains to ruin. What then to the building? And girded me with gladness. The voice of dedication: Therefore shall my glory sing to Thee, and I shall not be pricked. Who is this that speaks? By His words ye may know Him. If I expound, the passage is dark. Therefore I repeat His words; ye will at once discover the speaker, that ye may love Him when could say: Thou, LORD, hast brought He speaks to you. Who is it that my soul out of hell? Ry. If they pray. p. 117. WHOSE soul hath been brought it is said in another place: Thou shalt out of hell, save His of Whom not leave My soul in hell? A dedication is set before us, deliverance is sung, the song of the dedication of the house: and it is said, I will magnify Thee, O LORD, for Thou hast set Me up, and not made my foes to rejoice over Me. Behold the hostile Jews, who deemed that they had slain CHRIST, that they had conquered Him as an enemy, and destroyed Him as a man like to others and mortal. Ry. How dreadful. p. 118. indeed in the death of CHRIST, but in His Resurrection and Ascension, and in the preaching of His Name, some of them were pricked to the heart. By that preaching therefore, and by the publication of the Apostles' constancy, some were pricked and converted others were hardened and confounded, but none were made to rejoice. Ry. And Jacob. p. 118. THIRD NOCTURN. Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S. Luke. Lesson VII. Chap. xix. As on the Festival. A Homily of S. Gregory the Pope. the sycamore, if we prudently keep in Ry. All thy walls. p. 119. THE LORD bids us as it were to ascend the sycamore, when He saith: Whoso taketh that is thine, seek it not again. And moreover: Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. The LORD is seen as He passes by means of the sycamore, because by this wise folly, albeit not as yet in its substance as it is, yet as though in passing, the wisdom of GOD is seen by the light of contemplation; which they cannot see who seem to themselves as wise: for the crowd, taken up with elated thoughts, hath not yet found the sycamore tree, whereby to behold the LORD. Te Deum. p. 15. Book 27 of the Morals. IF we desire to be truly wise, and to contemplate wisdom itself, let us humbly know ourselves to be fools. Let us leave hurtful wisdom: let us learn praiseworthy folly. Hence surely it is written: God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. And hence it is said again: If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. Therefore the words of the Gospel history bear witness, for that Zacchæus, when he could see nothing for the press, climbed up into a sycamore tree, that he might be- A Sermon of S. Augustine the Bishop. hold the LORD as He passed. For the word sycamore means the foolish fig-tree. Ry. My House. p. 119. FIFTH DAY IN THE OCTAVE. In the 1st Nocturn, Lessons of the occurrent Scripture. SECOND NOCTURN. Lesson IV. From Sermon 256 on the Seasons. NOW, when the churches are filled, do we suppose that the Jews rejoice? Churches are built, dediZACCHEUS, then, being little, as-cated, filled: how do they rejoice? Lesson VIII. cended the sycamore, and saw the LORD for whoso humbly chooses the foolish things of the world, is enabled clearly to behold the wisdom of GOD Himself. For the crowd hinders our littleness from seeing the LORD: because the tumult of worldly cares presses on the weakness of the human mind, lest it gaze upon the light of truth. But we wisely ascend Not only they rejoice not, but they are confounded, and fulfilled is the exulting word: I will magnify Thee, O LORD, for thou hast set Me up: and not made My foes to rejoice over Me. Thou hast not rejoiced then over Me: if they believe Me, Thou wilt rejoice then in Me. Not to speak many things, let us come at length to that which we have sung. How saith CHRIST: Thou hast put off My sackcloth, and girded Me with gladness. His sackcloth was the similitude of sinful flesh. Ry. If they pray. p. 117. Lesson V. CONTEMN not that He saith, My sackcloth in that sack was inclosed thy ransom. Thou hast put off My sackcloth. We have escaped to this sackcloth. Thou hast put off My sackcloth. It was put off in the Passion. How then is it said to Go he FATHER: Thou hast put off My sackcloth? Wilt thou hear how it may be said to the FATHER: Thou hast put off My sackcloth? Because He spared not His own SoN: but gave Him up for us all. He did that by means of the unconscious Jews whereby the wise should be redeemed, and the gainsayers confounded. For they knew not what good things they wrought for us by their evil. The sackcloth was hung aloft, and the wicked rejoiced. The persecutor's lance pierced the sackcloth, and the Redeemer shed forth our ransom. Ry. How dreadful. p. 118. Lesson VI. LET CHRIST the Redeemer sing, let more: death hath no more dominion over Him. Ry. And Jacob. p. 118. THIRD NOCTURN. Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S. Luke. Lesson VII. Chap. xix. As on the festival. A Homily of Venerable Bede, Priest. Book 5. chap. 77, on S. Luke 19. THE things which are impossible with men, are possible with God. For lo, the camel, having laid down the burden of his hump, passes through the needle's eye; that is, the rich publican, having forsaken the weight of riches, and despised his fraudulent gains, goes up to the strait gate and narrow way, which leads to life. With wonderful devotion of faith, in order to see the SAVIOUR, he supplies what was lacking in his nature, by climbing the tree and justly therefore, albeit he dared not ask it, he obtained, as he desired, the blessing of receiving the Lord. Ry. My House. p. 119. Lesson VIII. ZACCHEUS, which is by interpretation, justified, mystically signiJudas the seller groan, let the fies the believers from among the Jewish purchaser blush. Behold, Gentiles. The more he was busied in Judas sold, the Jew bought, they secular cares, the more he was brought carried on an evil commerce: both low by his weight of sins. But he was were damned: the seller and the pur-washed, he was sanctified, he was chaser both destroyed themselves. Therefore let our Head speak: let Him speak on behalf of His slain body, His dedicated body. Let Him speak: let us hear. Thou hast put off My sackcloth, and girded Me with gladness: that is, Thou hast put off My mortality, and girded Me with immortality and incorruption. That My glory may sing to Thee, and I not be pricked. What is this, may not be pricked? Now the persecutor shall not level his spear against Me: that justiñed, in the Name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, and in the SPIRIT of our GOD. And he desired to see the SAVIOUR when He entered Jericho, but could not, for the press; for he desired to share in the grace of faith, which the SAVIOUR brought into the world; but the inveterate habit of sin hindered him from attaining his desire. Ry. All thy walls. p. 119. Lesson IX. I may not be pricked. For CHRIST FOR the same press of evil habits, being raised from the dead, dieth no which chid the blind man, lest he should ask for light, delays the watch- | excited affection, called forth help, ining publican, that he may not see spired the yet unwilling with good will, JESUS. But as the blind man van-assisted the efforts of good will to perquished the voices of the crowd by form the enterprise; and by these crying so much the more: so he that means GOD, who worketh in His is little must needs overstep the ob- servants to will and to do of His good stacle of the harmful crowd by aiming pleasure, Himself began and perfected at higher things: by leaving earth, this whole work. and ascending the tree of the Cross. For the sycamore (which is a tree like in leaf to the mulberry, but exceeding it in height, wherefore it is also called the lofty by Latins), means the foolish fig-tree. And the same Cross of the LORD, which like a fig-tree feeds the faithful, is scoffed at as folly by unbelievers. Te Deum. p. 15. SIXTH DAY IN THE OCTave. Ry. How dreadful. p. 118. Lesson VI. AND as He never suffers good works to be vain in His sight, He will bestow worthy reward for so great a work, on those faithful labourers to whom He hath granted the grace of His strength. And more thanks yet have we to offer to our GOD. For this church, which He hath caused to be built unto His Name, He hath also In the 1st Nocturn, Lessons of the caused to be further honoured with occurrent Scripture. A Sermon of S. Augustine the Bishop. Sermon 256 on the Seasons. THEREFORE, while we joyfully Lesson V. LET us then chiefly render thanks to the LORD our GoD, from Whom is every good and every perfect gift; and let us praise His loving-kindness with all readiness of heart: because, for the erection of this house of prayer, He visited the souls of His faithful, the relics of holy martyrs. Ry. And Jacob. p. 118. THIRD NOCTURN. Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S. Luke. Lesson VII. Chap. xix. As on the festival. A Homily of Venerable Bede, Priest. JESUS looked up, and saw him. The SAVIOUR passing through Jericho, comes to the place, where Zacchæus, having run on before, had climbed into the sycamore: for having sent through the world the heralds of His word, in whom indeed He Himself did speak and go, He came to the Gentile nations, which, already exalted by faith in His Passion, longed also to be blessed by the knowledge of the Face of His Godhead. Looking up He saw him, for, being by the grace of faith raised above earthly desires, He chose him who thus was conspicuous above the faithless crowd. For God's seeing is His choosing or His love. Whence it is said, The 'eyes of the LORD are over the righteous. For even we are eager to behold those Lesson VIII. JESUS therefore saw one that saw Him, for He chose one that chose Him, and loved one that loved Him. This order of progress, to wit, the SEVENTH DAY IN THE OCTAVE. In the 1st Nocturn, Lessons of the occurrent Scripture. SECOND NOCTURN. A Sermon of S. John Chrysostom. From Homily 33 upon S. Matthew 9. THE Church is the common house of all, whereinto to you who first entered, we also come, holding fast the pattern of the disciples: and therefore coming to a knowledge of the Divinity by faith in the LORD's Incarnation, looking as it were upon the Face of JESUS from the sycamore, the illus-as soon as we have come in, that we trious Doctor sheweth, when he saith, may follow the law given to them, we For I determined not to know any offer peace in common to all. Therething among you, save JESUS CHRIST, fore let not any through sloth be and Him crucified. And again, when listless; let none be absorbed in rebuking others; Ye are become, worldly matters, when the priests saith he, such as have need of milk, have now come in to preach. For no and not of strong meat. Giving small punishment awaits such conthe name of milk to the weak duct. For my part I would rather a things of the dispensation that was thousand times be neglected in any of to pass away; and of strong meat your houses than not be listened to to the high things of the eternal when preaching here. This would be Majesty. more grievous to me than that, because of a truth this place is greater than that. Ry. All thy walls. p. 119. AND He said unto him; Zacchæus, make haste, and come down, for to-day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. The LORD once abode in the house of one of the chief Pharisees, that is, He taught in the synagogues of the Jews; but because He washed not before dinner, because He healed on the Sabbath Day, received publicans and sinners, denounced covetousness, and did other things worthy of GOD, they railed at Him with venomous tongues; wearied with their shamelessness, He departed and shunned them, saying: Behold your house is left unto you desolate. But to-day He must abide at the house of little Zacchæus, that is, must rest in the humble hearts of the believing Ry. If they pray. p. 117. Lesson V. FOR here are laid up those great riches of ours, here are all our hopes. What in this place is not great and marvellous ? This Table is far more precious and joyous than any other: and so also are the lamps, as they know, who, in faith anointed with oil, are set free from diseases. This ark is much better and more needful. Not garments, but mercy, it containeth, although few there be that possess it. This chamber also is far more excellent than any other: for the refreshment of the Divine Scriptures is softer than that of any couch whatsoever. Ry. How dreadful. p. 118. Gentiles by the bright shining grace AND verily if concord were tho of His new light. Te Deum. p. 15. roughly preserved among us, we should have no other house save this. |