A Lesson on Love From St. Peter Chrysologus
DO YOU THINK THAT a mortal heart grasps the extent
of the Lord's charity towards us? Do you think that a mind burdened by the
weight of an earthly body can understand or realize God's affection towards us?
For whatever sparkles, shines, and gleams with the splendor of heaven, whatever
on earth bursts forth with flowers, whatever pleasant taste there is in fruit,
and whatever joy there is in living beings, have all been made out of love for
us, and have been designed to serve us. But although they are great,
nevertheless, they are small insofar as indicating heavenly love towards us. To
us the principalities of heaven, the heavenly powers, the celestial dominions,
to us the choirs of angels give service with tireless vigilance. But even these
are small and inferior as signs of the intimate bond God has with us, and as
paltry in value as the creature is inferior to his Creator.
2. God, whose face cannot be seen, who is
imperceptible to our sight, who cannot be grasped by our senses, who is
inaccessible to our mind, and not even completely known when his voice is
heard, how often, in how many ways, with how many varieties, and with what
diversity has he adapted himself to human vision! How he has offered and
submitted himself to communion and familiarity with human beings, when he made
Noah a partner in his design! He forewarned him that very shortly the world was
to be purified by a flood, and he carried out his plan for the whole world
under his supervision over the little seed-vessel that was the ark.'
When he came as a guest to Abraham, he very
graciously accepted the invitation, he did not refuse what was offered, he ate
what was served like one who was hungry' and weary, and in this divine exchange
he received and accepted human kindness like one who was in need. Shortly
thereafter the dead members of the old man revive, the sterile womb of the
childless old woman is now awakened, and the nature that had been buried in a
living corpse rises to life to reveal its Author, and although her time had already
passed, she who had believed the one Creator produces very many descendants.
To Moses he comes as a ball of fire in the bush,
then he discusses with his servant what must be done, he is busy in Egypt with
various acts of power, and he is revealed at the will of his servant. He
imposes scourges or he removes them, and in the sea the avenging waves show by
their obedience how great he is and how much he has given to the human being,
when with its swell all dried up the wave yields to the holy ones, and it
provides a wall out of water that solidified, it offers a defense for those to
be freed, and with all its might it crashed down in triumph over the fiercest
of enemies.
In his wondrously intimate bond with the
Israelites God keeps company with them in their camp; at one moment he strikes
a number of pagans with a thunderbolt, at another he pours down hail, at yet
another he levels them with the noisy din of trumpets, so that without a battle
and without a wound, God goes ahead of the battle lines and leads them to
victory. He was present to their needs, he granted individuals their prayers,
he responded quickly to what was asked, he revealed what was hidden, he foretold
the future, he brought to light what was sought, he conferred the kingdom, he
bestowed wealth, he provided rain in due season, he supplied fertile lands, and
with prosperity and honor he endowed his children who kept holy the bond of
marriage.
But he considered this to be still too little, if
he were to show his affection towards us by bestowing blessings on us, but not
also by enduring adversities. After all this he entered his own world in
poverty, he lay in a cradle: thus, as a human being by his crying he implores,
he seeks, he pleads for the loving kindness that he himself has shown to you.
The Parent of a119 has made use of you as a parent, and the One who is higher
than every height lived under your authority; 10 the One whom terrifying things
fear was frightened, the Refuge of all fled, the Ruler of the heavens is a
guest in the homes of sinners, the Judge of the guilty is fed on their bread.
And why should I say more? The Ruler of all ages
is seized, the Founder of the earth is arrested, the Bestower of pardon to
humanity is judged, the Examiner of hearts is struck, the Giver and Restorer of
life is punished, the Resurrection of all is buried, so that the slow mind of
human beings and their very dull intellect would learn of God's fondness
towards them by his death at least. For that intellect had not perceived or
recognized God's charity towards humanity from his prophecies and innumerable
gifts. God, therefore, who made us exist, who granted us life, also taught us
how to pray, because he wanted to furnish everything, since he willed that he
be invoked by means of his own prayer.
St. Peter Chrysologus
Born at Imola, 406; died there, 450. His
biography, first written by Agnellus (Liber pontificalis ecclesiæ Ravennatis)
in the ninth century, gives but scanty information about him. He was baptised,
educated, and ordained deacon by Cornelius, Bishop of Imola, and was elevated
to the Bishopric of Ravenna in 433. There are indications that Ravenna held the
rank of metropolitan before this time. His piety and zeal won for him universal
admiration, and his oratory merited for him the name Chrysologus. He shared the
confidence of Leo the Great and enjoyed the patronage of the Empress Galla
Placidia. After his condemnation by the Synod of Constantinople (448), the
Monophysite Eutyches endeavoured to win the support of Peter, but without
success.
A collection of his homilies, numbering 176, was
made by Felix, Bishop of Ravenna (707-17). Some are interpolations, and several
other homilies known to be written by the saint are included in other
collections under different names. They are in a great measure explanatory of
Biblical texts and are brief and concise. He has explained beautifully the
mystery of the Incarnation, the heresies of Arius and Eutyches, and the
Apostles' Creed, and he dedicated a series of homilies to the Blessed Virgin
and St. John the Baptist. His works were first edited by Agapitus Vicentinus
(Bologna, 1534), and later by D. Mita (Bolonga, 1634), and S. Pauli (Venice,
1775) — the latter collection having been reprinted in P.L., LII. Fr. Liverani
("Spicilegium Liberianum"), Florence, 1863, 125 seq.) edited nine new
homilies and published from manuscripts in Italian libraries different readings
of several other sermons. Several homilies were translated into German by M.
Held (Kempten, 1874).
(Taken from Catholic Encyclopedia)
