In this Gospel [...] we collect a fruit [...]. And here the fruit will be the love of both the friends and the enemies. We ought to know that there are four steps of love: one is perfect love, and it is when you love the enemies; second is love for gratitude, i.e. when you love a benefactor; third is blood love, when you love your relatives; forth is love of charity, when you give alms.
Sermons that use this tag in their [Summary]
Code
Liturgical day
Authors
Context: Summary
9/0/3
T18/6 Friday after Cinerum
Johannes Nigri (Schwarz)
Justice accuses the sinner of two things: cruelty and hate ("primo de perversa crudelitate, secundo de mortali odiositate"; f. 30r). In her claim, justice points out that today mercy, her sister, shall not defend the sinner, since crudelity is against her too: "Iudex hodie misericorida, soror mea, non debet pro peccatore advocare...". The second point connects with the lack in the love the enemies. As in the previous sermons, the sinner asks for mercy (on the basis of a Biblical quotation), and mercy advocates for him, recalling Jesus of the pains of the Passion suffered for the salvation of the sinners. The judge accept the proposal and mercy starts her exhortation...
... advocare...". The second point connects with the lack in the
love the enemies
. As in the previous sermons, the sinner asks for mercy...
1/1/3
T18/6 Friday after Cinerum
Johannes Gritsch [Conrad Grütsch]
Introduction
Three quaestiones: Why it is more meritorious (merit) to love the enemies and how should be done (references to Peter Lombard and Thomas Aquinas). How one can do it (reference to Augustine). In which way one has to forgive the insults, namely by giving up on rancour and its signs, yet asking for the restitution of goods and reputation.
-
Division [Note references to previous days]
-
First part
Foundation of all is mutual love (caritas). “Debemos ergo nos invicem amare” in three ways:
Debitum persolvendum
Eternum premium conseguendum
Damnationis periculum evadendum
1.1. Forgive all debts, as requested in the Pater noster and quoting the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:23-35).
1.2. Love is laborious but it yields an exrtraordinary eternal reward: “est grande labor in hoc seculo, sed grande premium in futuro”. The example is saint Stephen [2T].
1.3. Hatred is deathly dangerous, it must be avoided, since it is like an mortal wound hidden in the mind and darkening the soul: “qui enim odit habet in mente letale vulnus et gerit in corde tenebris peccatorum” [2V].
--
Second part
Actions are good or bad depending on intention, this idea is applied to fasting, prayer and almsgiving. This applies even to the crucifixion of Christ: it is undoubtedly a good work, since from it salvation derives, yet the Jews (indicated as perpetrators) did not receive any reward, since they did it out of envy [2X]. “Deus enim cor interrogat et non manum” – interior intention is crucial.
Superius elevata intentionis rectitudine
Interius coaptata incorruptionis pulcritudine
Inferius subiugata ex donationis celsitudine
2.1. Intention orients the actions to their final goal, which is God. Image of the crossbower who has to close one eye and open the other, which means: close the eye to the worldly seductions and keep the other fixed on Christ [2Z].
2.2. One needs first of all to purify the heart to avoid to maculate the good works. It is useless to worry to be sparkling clean outside (graphic description) while neglecting the purity of the heart. Reference to the hypocrites as whitewashed tombs (Matthew 23:27). Discussion on hypocrisy, simulated sanctity and desire to be noted (it can be only vanity or a lesser sin, yet can be also a mortal sin) [3B.]
2.3. one needs humility, do not inflate. One must think that all goods derive from grace (“ex gratia dei”) and consider to be a sinner. Even the saints still (rightly) considered themselves as sinners: example told by Bonaventure about the reaction of saint Francis when a friar told him that saw in a dream the celestial throne prepared for him [3D].
-
Third part
The way one performs almsgiving also matters. This is discussed on the basis of the biblical sentence: “Ante mortem benefac amico tuo et exporrigens da pauperi secundum vires tuas” (Sir 14.13) – which becomes a sort of thema of this section.
Conferentis celeritas
Accipientis propinquitas
Pacientis necessitas
3.1. Give alms quickly, willingly, without delay – since death is always close and one cannot delegate the relatives. An hermit had a vision: two tables, one full of food, the other empty, the latter symbolizes the good works delegated to others. Several quotations from the moral works of Seneca. Usual reference to the canon law on jesters (histriones) and prostitutes [3G]
3.2. When the need is similar, one first must help relatives and friends and then strangers. Issue: shall one make distinction between who has to receive alms? Discussion on the proverb: “Sudet elemosina in manu tua donec invenies iustum cui des” [3H], which dates to Augustine and Gregory the Great (not mentioned), and ultimately to the Didaché. First, alms must be given to preacher and prelate. Second, give without any distinction to those who need food. Next, if the need is similar, start from the neighbours.
3.3. Priority is to give to the poor that suffer the most. The sermon ends by commenting the epistle of the day: Frange esurienti panem tuum... (Isaiah 58:7), with a quite direct to treat the poor with respect: “induc in domo tuam, non in stabulum porcorum in locum despectum” [3I]. -
... _quaestiones_: Why it is more meritorious ( merit ) to
love the enemies
and how should be done (references to Peter Lombard...
3/6/3
T18/6 Friday after Cinerum
Vicent Ferrer
Introduction
Justice means here penance. One needs fasting against the body; prayer against bad thought and interior or hidden sin; almsgiving against thefts, misappropriations, usury.
Division On the basis of the whole Gospel pericope (see above)
Fasting not only in front of the people (corporal fasting) but also before God, who reads the hearts (i.e. intention and aims). One needs to fast from what corrupts the heart (bad thoughts, rancour, desire of revenge) following what is said in Matthew 5, namely the commandment to love the enemies and the persecutors to be similar to God. Here the sermon refers also to the epistle of the day (Isaiah 58), with its reference to the fasting acceptable to God, that is eliminating the injustice and divisions.
Almsgiving not as rabbis and Pharisees, i.e. looking for your own glory and recognition. Christ provides the rule: «do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing» (Matthew 6.3), which has a triple explanation. The hand symbolize the richness, since as it is the organ able to do everything (Aristotle), so it is richness: «sicut manibus faciamus omnia opera. Unde dicit philosophus quod manus est organum organorum, ita cum diviciis homo facit omnia negocia». The right hand are the richness that are acquired honestly, while the left hand dishonestly. They must not be mixed, since the first are for almsgiving , the second for restitution. Practical and mnemonic suggestion: have a divided coin pouch: «Ideo do vobis utile consilium quod in taxia vestra sive bursa faciatis medium et pecunia de bono iusto ponatur in una parte et de malo iusto ponatur in alia parte, quia quando simul ponitur restitutio oblivioni traditur et per illud medium reducitur ad memoriam, et tunc scietis de qua manu facietis elemosinam et de qua restitutionem» (fol. p1r). Left and right are also the intentions that move one to give alms (for love and salvation vs for vainglory) and the way one does it, suggesting to go to the church already prepared to do almsgiving «nota practicam: quando vadit aliquis ad ecclesiam ut portet in manu quod proposuit dare amore dei».
About prayer, the sermon emphasis the interior dimention, yet also in the public prayer, in the church, which is not in contrast with the command to «go into your room and shut the door» (Matthew 6.6).
Ferrer solves a possible doubt, namely how to conciliate this Gospel pericope with the Gospel text that asks not to hide the lamp but to put it in a visible place (Matthew 5.15). The first indication (i.e. Matthew 6) addresses the imperfect believers (imperfecti), while the other the perfect ones (perfecti), since the wind of the human praises would blow out a weak flame but instead invigorates a strong one, without extinguishing it.
... what is said in Matthew 5, namely the commandment to
love the enemies
and the persecutors to be similar to God. Here the...