Homilies on the Statues, Homily 18

1. I have noticed many people rejoicing and saying to one another, “We have conquered; we have prevailed; half the fast is over.” But I urge these people not to rejoice because half the fast is gone, but to consider whether half their sins are gone; and if so, then to celebrate. That is a proper reason for joy. This is what we should seek, and the purpose of everything we do: to correct our faults, so that we do not leave the fast the same people we were when we began it, but leave cleansed; and so that, having put aside everything that belongs to evil habits, we may celebrate the sacred feast. Otherwise, far from gaining any benefit, we will suffer the greatest harm from completing the fast. So let us not rejoice because we have made it through the length of the fast, for that is no great achievement. Let us rejoice if we have made new progress through it, so that when it is over, its fruit may shine out. For winter’s benefits become especially clear after the season has passed. Then the flourishing grain and the trees teeming with leaves and fruit show by their appearance how much they have benefited from winter! Let the same thing happen with us. For during the winter we have enjoyed many different and frequent showers: throughout the fast we have shared in an ongoing course of instruction, received spiritual seeds, and cut away the thorns of luxury. 2. So let us persevere, carefully holding on to what we have heard, so that when the fast is over, its fruit may be abundant, and the good things we have gathered from it may remind us of the fast itself. If we shape ourselves this way, we will welcome the fast again with pleasure when it returns. For I see many people so weak in spirit that even now they are anxious about next Lent. And I have heard many say that after they are released from the fast, they feel no pleasure in this relief because they are anxious about the coming year. What could show greater weakness of spirit than this, I ask? And what causes it? When the fast arrives, we make no effort to put the affairs of our souls in order, but limit fasting entirely to abstaining from food. If we gained its full benefit by reforming our conduct, we would wish the fast came around every day, having actually experienced its good effects. We would never lose our desire for it or feel dejected and anxious as we waited for it. 3. For nothing at all can distress someone whose mind is in good order and who takes care of his own soul; he will enjoy pure and uninterrupted pleasure. You heard today from Paul that this is true, when he urged us, “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice.” I know that to many people this saying seems impossible. “For how is it possible,” someone says, “for a mere human being to rejoice continually? Rejoicing is not hard, but rejoicing continually seems impossible to me.” For many causes of sadness surround us on every side. A man has lost a son, a wife, or a beloved friend more necessary to him than all his relatives; or he has to endure the loss of his wealth; or he has fallen sick; or he must bear some other reversal of fortune; or he grieves over contemptuous treatment he did not deserve; or famine, plague, some unbearable tax demand, or trouble in his family distresses him. Indeed, there is no telling how many public or private circumstances regularly cause us grief. How then, he may ask, is it possible to “rejoice always?” Yes, my friend, it is possible! If it were not, Paul would not have given this command, nor would a man endowed with spiritual wisdom have offered such advice. This is why I have constantly told you, and will never stop telling you, that here you can reflect on wisdom you could not have learned anywhere else from anyone else. For all people desire pleasure and joy; this is why they do everything, say everything, and undertake everything. This is why the merchant goes on a voyage: to accumulate wealth. And he accumulates wealth so that he may rejoice over what he has stored up. For the same reason the soldier fights his wars and the farmer works his land; for this each person practices his trade. Those who love power also love it for this purpose: to gain glory. And they want glory so that they may rejoice. Anyone can see that each of our undertakings aims at this, and that everyone keeps this goal in view and hurries toward it by various routes. 4. As I said, everyone loves gladness, but not everyone can attain it, because they do not know the road that leads to it. Many suppose its source is wealth. But if that were its source, no wealthy person would ever be sad. In fact, many rich people think life is not worth living and would far prefer death whenever they experience hardship. Of all people, they are the most prone to excessive sadness. You should look beyond their tables, flatterers, and hangers-on to the trouble these things bring: the insults, slanders, dangers, and distress. Far worse, they face these reversals without practice and do not know how to meet them with philosophical wisdom or bear what happens with courage. As a result, calamities do not appear to them as they really are; even things that are actually minor come to seem unbearable. With the poor, the opposite happens: troubles that cannot be remedied seem easy to bear, because they are familiar with many such troubles. For it is less the nature of events than the attitude of those who suffer them that makes the evils that come upon us seem great or small. And to avoid looking far away for examples of both these facts, I will speak about what has recently happened to us. Look how all the poor have escaped, and the common people have been delivered from danger and enjoy complete freedom! But those who manage the city’s affairs, the men who keep their stables of horses and preside over the public games, and those who have carried other public responsibilities are now in prison and fear the worst. They alone pay the penalty for deeds committed by everyone and live in constant terror. They are now the most miserable of men, not because of the greatness of the danger, but because of the luxury in which they have lived until now! At least, many of them, when we urged and advised them to bear these troubles courageously, said, “We have never practiced anything like this and do not know how to exercise such philosophical wisdom; that is why we need so much comfort.” 5. Others suppose that good health is the source of pleasure. But it is not. For many healthy people have wished themselves dead a thousand times, unable to bear the insults inflicted on them. Others maintain that enjoying glory, attaining power, holding the highest offices, and receiving the flattery of crowds produces continual gladness. But this is not the case either. And why speak of other positions of power? Even if we rose in thought to kingship itself and to the man who occupies that position, we would find it surrounded by all kinds of troubles, with all the more unavoidable causes of sadness because it carries a greater weight of responsibilities. And why mention wars, battles, and barbarian uprisings? Often he has reason to fear the people surrounding him at home. For many monarchs who escaped their enemies’ hands have not escaped the plots of their own bodyguards. Kings necessarily have as many causes of sadness as there are waves on the ocean. But if monarchy cannot make life free from grief, what else possibly can? Nothing in this life, certainly. But this saying of Paul, brief and simple as it is, will by itself open this treasure to us. 6. We do not need many words or a long chain of reasoning. If we simply consider his expression, we will find the road that leads to it. He does not simply say, “Rejoice always,” but adds the cause of continual pleasure: “Rejoice in the Lord always.” Someone who rejoices “in the Lord” cannot be deprived of that pleasure by anything that happens. For all the other things we rejoice in are changeable, unstable, and subject to variation. And besides this painful feature, even while they last they do not give us enough pleasure to drive away and cover the sadness that comes upon us from elsewhere. But the fear of God meets both these needs. It is steadfast and immovable, and pours out so much gladness that we can feel none of the other evils. For the man who fears God as he should and trusts in Him gathers pleasure from its very root and possesses the whole fountain of cheerfulness. Just as a spark falling on a vast ocean quickly disappears, whatever happens to the man who fears God falls, as it were, on an immense ocean of joy and is extinguished and destroyed! What is most remarkable is that a man remains joyful while things that bring sadness are present. If there were nothing to cause grief, his ability to rejoice continually would be no great achievement. But when many things press him toward sadness, he rises above them all and stays cheerful in the midst of sorrow: this is truly astonishing! No one would have marveled that the three Children were not burned if they had stayed far away from the furnace of Babylon (what astonished everyone was that, after such long and close contact with the fire, they came out more unharmed than those who had not been in contact with it). In the same way, we can say of the saints that if no trial had seized them, we would not have marveled at their continual rejoicing. What deserves admiration and surpasses human nature is that, surrounded on every side by countless waves, they are more at ease than those who enjoy a complete calm! 7. What we have said makes it clear that among those outside the church, no position in life can provide continual gladness through external things. But I will now prove that the believer cannot possibly be deprived of uninterrupted pleasure, so that you may both learn about this painless way of life and strive to attain it. Suppose a man has nothing to condemn himself for, keeps a good conscience, and longs for the life to come and the fulfillment of those good hopes. What, I ask, could make such a person sad? Does death not seem the most unbearable thing of all? Yet the expectation of death, far from grieving him, makes him even more joyful. He knows that death’s arrival releases him from labor and speeds him toward the crowns and rewards stored up for those who have competed in the race of piety and virtue. But what about the untimely death of his children? He will bear this nobly too, and take up Job’s words: “The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away; as it seemed good to the Lord, so it has happened. Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.” If death and the loss of children cannot grieve him, much less can the loss of money, dishonor, insults, or false accusations ever affect so great and noble a soul. Nor can bodily pain, since the Apostles were whipped, yet were not made sad. This was a great thing, but greater still, instead of being sad, they regarded their very whippings as a reason for added pleasure. “And they left the council’s presence, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ.” Has someone insulted and abused such a person? Christ has taught him to rejoice in that abuse. “Rejoice,” He says, “and be very glad, when they falsely say every kind of evil against you for My sake; for your reward in heaven is great.” But suppose a man has fallen sick? He has heard another urge him, “In sickness and poverty trust in Him; for as gold is tested in the fire, so are acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation.” Since neither death, the loss of money, bodily sickness, dishonor, insults, nor anything else of that kind can grieve him, but instead makes him even more joyful, what grounds for sadness will he ever have? 8. “What then,” someone says, “was the Saint never sad? Do you not hear Paul saying, ‘I have deep grief and continual sorrow in my heart’?” This is precisely what is remarkable: sorrow brought a gain, and that gain brought pleasure. Just as whipping brought them gladness instead of anguish, so sorrow also won them those great crowns. Here is the paradox: both worldly sadness and worldly joy involve tremendous loss, while with spiritual things the exact opposite is true. Both joy and sadness contain a rich treasure of good things! I will explain how. In the world, someone often rejoices at seeing an enemy in trouble, and by this joy brings great punishment on himself. Another person mourns when he sees a brother fall, and because of this sadness will gain great favor with God. Do you see how godly sorrow is better and more beneficial than worldly joy? In the same way, Paul grieved for sinners and for those who did not believe in God, and this sorrow stored up a great reward for him. To make my meaning clearer, and to show you that my claim, strange as it is, is nevertheless true—that grief can often refresh distressed souls and lighten a burdened conscience—consider how often women who have lost their most beloved children break their hearts and die if they are forbidden to mourn and shed tears. But if they do everything grieving people usually do, they find relief and comfort. And why be surprised that this happens with women, when you can see even a prophet affected in the same way? That is why he kept saying, “Let me weep—I will weep bitterly—do not try to comfort me over the devastation of the daughter of my people.” So sadness often brings comfort; and if that is true of worldly matters, it is much more true of spiritual ones. That is why he says, “Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, never to be regretted.” This may seem obscure, but his meaning is this: “If you grieve over wealth, you gain nothing. If you grieve over sickness, you have gained nothing, but have increased your suffering.” 9. And I have heard many people, after such an experience, blame themselves and say, “What have I gained by grieving? I have not recovered my money, and I have harmed myself.” But if you have grieved over sin, you have blotted it out and reaped the greatest pleasure. If you have grieved for your brothers who have fallen, you have both encouraged and comforted yourself and restored them. Even if you do not benefit them, you have an abundant reward. To learn that grieving for those who have fallen still brings us a great reward even when we do not benefit them at all, hear what Ezekiel says—or rather, what God Himself says through him. When He had sent certain messengers to overthrow the city and destroy all its homes and their inhabitants with sword and fire, He gave one of them this command: “Put a mark on the foreheads of the men who groan and are in anguish.” And after commanding the others, “Begin with My holy ones,” He added, “But do not touch anyone who has the sign.” Tell me, why? Because although they accomplish nothing, they nevertheless lament and mourn what is being done. And again, He accuses others because, amid their luxury, gluttony, and great security, they saw the Jews carried away into captivity and did not grieve or share their sadness. Hear His rebuke: “They felt no pain over Joseph’s affliction,” meaning by Joseph the whole people. And again: “The inhabitants of Aenan did not go out to mourn the house next to them.” For although they are justly punished, God wants us to mourn with them, rather than rejoice or insult them. “For if I who punish,” He says, “do not do so joyfully or take pleasure in their punishment—for ‘I do not desire the death of the sinner at all’—you should imitate your Lord and mourn over this very thing: that the sinner has provided grounds and occasion for a just punishment.” So anyone who feels godly sorrow will reap great benefit from it. 10. Since those who are whipped are more blessed than those who whip them, and those among us who suffer trouble are more blessed than those outside the Christian community who are free from it, and those who are sad are more blessed than those enjoying pleasure, what further cause of distress can we have? For this reason we should call no one happy except the person who lives according to God. Scripture calls only such people blessed. For it says, “Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly. Blessed is the man whom You discipline and teach from Your law. Blessed are those whose way is undefiled. Blessed are all who trust in Him. Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. Blessed is the man whose soul does not condemn him. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord.” And again, Christ says, “Blessed are those who mourn; blessed are the humble; blessed are the meek; blessed are the peacemakers; blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.” Do you see how the divine laws everywhere pronounce blessed the person who has taken hold of virtue, rather than any of the rich, the wellborn, or those who possess glory? What is required of us is that the fear of God be the foundation of everything we do or suffer. If you plant this as the root, ease, honor, glory, and attention will produce pleasurable fruit for you, and so will hostilities, slanders, contempt, disgrace, torments, and everything without exception. Just as tree roots are bitter in themselves yet produce our sweetest fruits, so godly sorrow will indeed bring us abundant pleasure. Those who have often prayed in anguish and shed tears know what gladness they have reaped, how they have cleansed their conscience, and with what hopeful expectations they have risen! For as I am always saying, it is our attitude, rather than the nature of things, that makes us sad or joyful. If we can make our attitude what it should be, we will have a guarantee of every joy. With the body, what harms or helps it depends less on the nature of the air or the things it encounters outside than on its own internal condition. The same is true of the soul, and much more so: in the body, nature imposes its necessities, while in the soul, everything rests in the power of choice. That is why Paul, after enduring countless evils—shipwrecks, wars, persecutions, plots, attacks by robbers, and more things than can be listed, as well as dying daily deaths—was so far from grieving or being discontented that he gloried and rejoiced, saying, “I now rejoice in my sufferings, and in my flesh fill up what remains of the afflictions of Christ.” And again: “And beyond this, we also glory in tribulations.” Now, glorying means pleasure carried further. 11. If you desire joy, do not seek riches, bodily health, glory, power, luxury, lavish tables, silk clothes, expensive lands, splendid and imposing houses, or anything else of that kind. Pursue spiritual wisdom according to God and take hold of virtue. Then nothing present or expected will be able to make you sad. Why say only that it will not make you sad? The very things that make others sad will bring you added pleasure. For whippings, death, losses, slanders, mistreatment, and everything of that kind, when they come upon us for God’s sake and spring from this root, will bring great pleasure into our souls. For no one can make us miserable unless we make ourselves so; nor, on the other hand, can anyone make us blessed unless we make ourselves so by responding to the grace of God. 12. To show you that only the person who fears the Lord is blessed, I will now prove it from what has happened to us, rather than from events in the past. Our city was in danger of being completely wiped out, and no one among the rich, the prominent, or the distinguished dared appear in public. They all fled and hurried out of the way. But those who feared God, the men who spent their time in monasteries, hurried down with great boldness and freed everyone from this terror. The terrible events that had happened and the threats that were expected to be carried out were so far from frightening or troubling them that, although they were far from the calamity and had no share in it, they willingly threw themselves into the midst of the fire and rescued everyone. As for death, which seems terrible and dreadful to everyone, they awaited it with the greatest readiness and ran to meet it with more pleasure than others run toward positions of power and honor. Why? Because they knew that this is the greatest power and honor. They showed by their actions that only the person who takes hold of wisdom from above is blessed: he undergoes no change and suffers no adversity, but enjoys uninterrupted peace and laughs at everything that seems sorrowful. At present, at least, those who once held power are weighed down by great sadness, living in prison, loaded with chains, and expecting execution every day. But these men enjoy the purest pleasure. And if it falls to them to suffer anything terrible, they welcome it, along with the very things that seem frightening to others, because they know well what goal they are running toward and what destiny awaits them when they leave this life. Yet while they live so conscientiously and smile at death, they nevertheless grieve for others and in turn reap the greatest benefit from this. So let us earnestly care for our souls, and nothing unexpected that happens can make us sad. And let us plead with God for those in prison, asking Him to deliver them from their present calamity. For God had the power to release us from this terrible evil at once and allow not even the smallest part of it to remain. But to keep us from returning to our former carelessness, He has arranged for the torrent of these evils to subside gently, little by little, keeping us firmly committed to the same devout resolutions. 13. That this is true, and that many would have returned to their former apathy if we had been released from the whole trouble at once, is clear from this: while remnants of the calamity still remain, while the Emperor’s sentence is still uncertain, and while those who managed the city’s affairs are all in prison, many of our fellow citizens, driven by their excessive desire to bathe, run to the river. There they carry on with endless revelry, behave indecently, leap, dance, and drag women after them. What pardon could such people deserve? What excuse can they offer? Or rather, what punishment and vengeance do they not deserve? The head of the city is in the public prison; our members are in exile; their sentence is uncertain; and yet, I ask, you dance, play, and laugh? “Why, we could not stand going without the bath,” someone says. What a shameless, sordid, and perverted attitude! How many months have passed, I ask? How many years? You have not even been kept from the bath for twenty days, and you are as distressed and discontented as if you had gone a whole year without washing! Tell me, were you like this when you expected an attack by the soldiers, when every day you expected to be put to death, when you fled to the deserts and hurried to the mountaintops? If someone had then proposed that you go “a year” without the bath in exchange for rescue from the impending trouble, would you not have readily accepted and submitted to it? So when you should be thanking God, Who has freed you from all these things without any loss, do you again grow reckless and contemptuous? Once the fear has passed, do you turn back to even worse carelessness? Have these terrible events really touched you, and are you still so eager for the baths? Even if bathing had been allowed, would not the calamity of those still imprisoned have been enough to persuade those who are free from that terrible condition to forget every luxury? Life itself is at stake, and you think of the baths and want to indulge yourself? Do you despise the danger because you have now escaped it? Be careful that you do not entangle yourself in a situation that demands greater punishment, call back in greater measure the anger that has been removed, and experience the very thing Christ declared about the demons. For He says that “when the unclean spirit has gone out and afterward finds the house empty and swept, he takes seven other spirits more wicked than himself and enters the soul, and that man’s last state is worse than his first.” So let us also fear that, now we have been freed from our former evils, we may afterward bring greater ones upon ourselves through our carelessness! I know that you yourselves are free from this folly, but you should restrain, punish, and bring to their senses those who behave in a disorderly way, so that you may always rejoice as Paul commanded. Then, for both our own good works and our care for others, we may enjoy an abundant reward both here and in the life to come, through the grace and loving kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom and with Whom, to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, be glory, honor, and adoration, now and forever, and for all eternity. Amen.