St. Peter Chrysologus: Sermon 69: A Third on the
Lord’s Prayer
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.
