Third Sunday of Advent [Gaudete Sunday]

[Stone]

THE ADVENT HOMILIES OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

Taken from here.

HOMILY VI
THE TRUE MINISTRY OF CHRIST. 

Third Sunday in Advent (From the Epistle)
“Let a man so account of us as the ministers of Christ." — 1 Cor. iv. 1.

In the preceding Epistle the Apostle has taught us that Christ was a Minister for us. "But I say that Christ was the Minister of the Circumcision,” so, therefore, in this Epistle he teaches us that we ought to be the ministers of Christ, and six matters are treated of concerning this ministry. First, that we ought to make ministers of Christ; second, that we ought to avoid a thoughtless choice; third, to despise human discernment; fourth, not to trust to individual conscience ; fifth, to submit all choice to Christ as the Judge; sixth, to seek praises from God alone. Of the first, "Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ;” of the second, “to judge nothing before the time;" of the third, that "it is a very small thing to me that I should be judged of you;”’ of the fourth, “I know nothing by myself;" of the fifth, “until the Lord come;" of the sixth, "then shall every man have praise of God." It ought to be known about the first point that there are three chief reasons why we ought to be ministers of Christ and to serve Him—(1) Because what-ever we are able to do He gave us the power to do when He created us; (2) because He served us by redeeming us; (3) Him Who need not have created us unless he willed." "It is He that hath made us" (Ps. xcv. 7). Of the second, S. Luke xxii. 27, “I am among you as He that serveth," for He temporally served them by washing their feet, in cleansing by His own blood the wounds of sinners, and in ministering to His own flesh— (1) S. John xiii. 5, "And began to wash the disciples’ feet." (2) Rev. i. 5, "Him that loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood." Isa. xliii. 24, "Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins." (3) S. Matt. xxvi. 26, "Jesus took bread and brake and gave it to His disciples.” S. Bernard, "The good Minister Who gave His Flesh for food, His Blood for drink, and His Soul for a ransom, He will likewise serve in glory." S. Mark xii. 87, "That He will gird Himself and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth to serve them.” Rightly, therefore, we are said to be His ministers. But there are these things which He chiefly hates in His ministers—want of compassion, disobedience, and uselessness. Of the first, S. Matt. xviii. 82, 38, “O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee?” S. Matt. xxiv. 48, 49, "But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken, the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Of the second, S. Luke xii. 47, “And that servant which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes." Of the third, S. Matt. xxv. 80, "And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 

There are three things which the Lord requires of His servants—the first, that they should be cleansed from every defilement of sin; the second, that they should be ornamented with every virtue; the third, that they should be decorated with honesty of manners. Of the first, Ps. ci. 6, "He that walketh in a perfect way he shall serve Me." 1 Tim. iii. 10 (Vulg.), "Let them minister having no crime." Of the second, 2 Cor. vi. 4, “In all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God." Of the third, 1 Peter ii. 12, "Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles." Of these three things, Exod. xl. 12, 18,"And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation and wash them with water;" (v. 15), "and thou shalt anoint them as thou didst anoint their father," &c. 2 Cor. ii. 15, "We are unto God a sweet savour of Christ." 

But the Lord requires that we should serve Him in three ways— first, by imitating Him; second, by delighting in His service; thirdly, by fearing Him. Of the first, S. John xi. 26, “If any man serve Me, let him follow Me." Of the second, Ps. c. 2, "Serve the Lord with gladness.” Of the third, Ps. ii. 11, "Serve the Lord with fear." The first makes the service acceptable to the Lord; the second makes us ready in serving; the third preserves us in His service. But the Lord promises three rewards to His servants, viz., happiness, dignity, and eternity. Of the first reward, 1 Tim. iii. 18,"For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree." Of the second reward, 8. Matt. xxv. 28, "Well done, good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things," &c. Of the third reward, Rev. vii. 15; "And serve Him day and night in His Temple;" and afterwards He shall feed them, and shall lead them unto the living fountains of waters." Eternity is a fountain of life. As Dionysius says, "Eternity is endless, and at the time the whole and perfect possession of life." Of these three attributes, S. John vii. 26, "Where I am, there also shall My servant be." Where Christ is, there is joyful exultation and eternal delightfulness, to which for His sake may the Lord God bring us. 

HOMILY VII
THE ADVENT OF GRACE. 

Third Sunday in Advent (From the Gospel)
"Now, when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ," &c. — S. Matt. xi. 2-4.

In the preceding Gospel the Advent of Justice was treated of: in this Gospel the Advent of Grace is considered. Mention is here made of S. John Baptist, whose name is interpreted the grace of God; or, as he in whom the grace of God was. Four things are here spoken about S. John—(1) his imprisonment; (2) the question about the Advent of Christ by the disciples whom He sent; (3) the answer of the Lord; (4) the manifold commendation of John. He was praised chiefly on four accounts — (1) for the strength of his constancy; (2) for the rigour of his clothing; (8) for the dignity of his office ; (4) for the holiness of his life. Firstly, when John had heard; secondly, "Who art thou;" thirdly, "Go and show John again," &c.; fourthly, "He began to say unto the multitudes concerning John." And, again (1) of the commendation, "What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?" (2) "A man clothed in soft raiment.” (3) "Yea I say unto you, and more than a Prophet." (4) “ This is he of whom it is written, "Behold, I send My messenger before thy face," &c. But afterwards it ought to be known concerning the bonds that three kinds of people are said to bein bonds. The godly are placed in the bonds of precepts; the impious, in the bonds of sinners; the condemned, in the bonds of the tormentors. Of the first, Ezekiel iv. 8,"Behold I will lay bands upon thee." Hos. xi. 4, "I drew them with the cords of a man; with bands of love." Of the second, Prov. v. 22, "He shall be holden with the cords of his sins." Isa. x. 4 (Vulgate), "That you be not bound down under the bond." Of the third, Wisdom xvii. 2, "Fettered with the bonds of darkness." S. Matt. xxii. 18, "Bind him hand and foot, and take him away and cast him into outer darkness." The first bonds are to be sought for; the second bonds to be dissolved; and the third to be avoided. 

For three reasons the bonds of the teachers are to be embraced— (1) because by them safety is obtained against all evil; (2) because he who is bound by them is protected by the wisdom of God; (3) because from them he goes forth to government. Of the first reason, Eccles. vi. 80, "Then shall her fetters be a strong defence." Of the second reason, Wisdom x. 14, “And left him not in bonds." Of the third reason, Eccles. iv. 14, "Because out of prison and chains sometimes a man cometh forth to a kingdom." There are not only the bonds of receptors to be embraced, but the bonds of sinners to be dissolved. For the sinner is bound with the chains of pride, of avarice, of luxury, and of an evil tongue. 

Of the first chain, Job xxxix. 5, "Who hath sent out the wild ass free? Or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?" By the wild ass pride is understood. Job. xi. 12, "For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt;" whence the bands of the wild ass are the bands of pride. Of the second. chain, Isa. v. 18, "Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity." Riches are vanity. Of the third chain, Prov.viii. 22, "Immediately he followeth her as an ox led to be a victim, and not knowing that he is drawn like a fool to bonds,” (Vul.), for the hands of a woman are the bonds that draw. Ecc. vii. 27, "And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands." These are the bonds that are to be dissolved.

These bonds are loosened in four ways— (1) by the grace of justification; (2) by the grace of contrition; (3) by the ‘modesty of confession; (4) by the penance of satisfaction. Of the first way, Ps. cxvi. 16, “Thou hast loosed my bonds," that is to say, the Lord has done this by infusing grace. Of the second way, Dan. iii. 25, "Lo, I see four men loose;" where it is said the fire consumed the chains of the children. By the fire contrition is understood. Psalm xxxix. 9, "While I was musing the fire burned." Of the third way, Hos. v. 18 (Vulg.), "And Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his band." Judah is interpreted as confessing. So that he saw his band when being penitent; he saw himself bound by the band of sinners; he declares himself in confession, 4hat he may be loosed. Of the fourth way, Nah. i. 12, 18, “I have afflicted thee." "And will burst thy bonds in sunder.” So are loosed the bands of sinners; but the bands of the tormentors are to be avoided for three reasons —(1) because they are dark; (2) because they are cruel; (3) because they are eternal. Of the first reason, Wisdom xvii., "Fettered with bonds of darkness." Of the second reason, Eccles. xii. 15, "He will not spare to do thee hurt, and to cast thee into prison." Of these bands, Isa. xxviii. 22, "Lest by chance he should be bound with our fetters." Of the third reason, S. Jude 6, "He hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness." He speaks of demons. From these chains may God deliver us, to Whom, &c.