Introduction -
Divisio (see above)
1) First part: the first misery into which human beings fall due to sin is the “servitude”: Qui facit peccatum, servus est peccati (quote from John 8, 34). Exemplum: the liberation of Peter (from Acts 12, 1-11; according to Caracciolo, «Peter in prison represents the sinner, the prison is the sensual desire, the two chains represent two natural defects, i.e. the difficulty in doing good and the ignorance [reference to Augustine], the guards represent worldly pleasures and promises»).
2) Second part: the second misery into which human beings fall due to sin is the “disfigurement” (or “stain”). Exemplum: sins of Salomon (from Book of Sirach 47, 22). Sin makes human beings similar to beasts, and «it’s worse to be compared to beasts than to be born a beast» (reference to John Chrysostom’s «homily of the Ascension»).
3) Third part: the third misery into which human beings fall due to sin is the “loss of temporal goods”: 1. Sin brings kingdoms and kings to ruin (exempla: Saul loses the kingdom of Israel [Samuel to Saul:«Because you have despised the precept of God, the Lord has despised you, and doesn’t want you to be king of Israel», quote from 1Samuel 15, 26]; David loses the obedience of the people of Israel [from 2Samuel 24]); 2. because of sin human beings sometimes lose their possessions (quotes from Luke 12, 20 and Psalmi 48, 11-12); 3. because of sin human beings sometimes lose their reputation («A good name is better than great riches», quote from Proverbs 24; exemplum: Mary Magdalene).
Conclusion
Short exposition of the three types of sin:
1) “Original” sin: those who die with original sin cannot obtain eternal life (Nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua et spiritu santo non potest intrare in regnum Dei, quote from John 3, 5);
2) “Venial” sin: it doesn’t deprive the human beings of the love of God but can lead them to commit mortal sin;
3) “Mortal” sin: anyone who commits mortal sin and doesn’t confess is «in a state of perdition, damned in the hands of the devil, totally deprived of the goods of the faithful, deprived of the grace and hope of eternal life, worthy of death, enemy of God, expelled from heaven, intruder in the world without advantage».
... compared to beasts than to be born a beast» (reference to
John Chrysostom
’s «homily of the Ascension»). 3) Third part: the...
20/1/5
T19 Sunday Invocavit
Roberto Caracciolo
Introduction
Just as with his death Christ wanted to give life to humanity dead due to sin, so with his temptations he wanted to give consolation to human beings who fall into temptation. Christ wanted to be tempted for three reasons (cf. Main division, 3; the following Latin quotations appear to be taken almost verbatim from Jacobus de Voragine, Quadragesimale, sermo 9 [cf. General Notes]):
1. Ut nostras tentationes vinceret;
2. Ut diabolo qui esset filiu Dei occultaret;
3. Ut temptatis facilius condescendere patteret.
The devil suspected that Jesus was the son of God for a number of reasons (reference to John Chrysostom), but to be sure, he wanted to test him with three temptations, the same temptations with which he tempted and defeated Adam:
1. Gluttony: Jesus overcomes temptation by answering the devil that non in solo pane vivit homo, sed in omni verbo quod procedit de ore Dei (quote from Matthew 4,4), because the human being is not only body (composed of four elements [reference to Aristotle]), but also soul.
2. Pride: Jesus overcomes temptation by answering the devil “Non temptabis Dominum Deum tuum sicut scriptum est, sed illi soli servies” (quote from Deutteronomy 6, 16 and Matthew 4, 7).
3. Greed: Jesus overcomes temptation by answering the devil “Vanne Satanaxo (cioè a l’inferno). El gli è scritto: adorarai el tuo Segnior Dio et servirai a lui solo” (quote from Matthew 4, 10).
Divisio (see above)
1) First part: Inferte omnem decimationem in horreum meum, ut sit cibus in domo mea, et probate me si non aperuero vobis cataractas celi (Malachi 3, 10): from this quotation it is deduced that tempting God is not a sin, since God doesn’t command anything that is a sin; however, we also read in the Scripture Non temptabis Dominum Deum tuum (cf. supra). How can this doubt be resolved? Firstly, it must be clarified what “to tempt” means: “to tempt” means “to test”, "put to the test", and this can be done with words or deeds; thus, God can be tested with words (exemplum: Jesus tested by the Pharisees [Matthew 22, 15-22]) or with deeds (exemplum: not caring when ill and relying solely on God; Caracciolo calls this attitude “madness”, because «God created everything in an orderly manner» and, therefore, also created doctors and medicines so that we can use them when necessary). In conclusion, since all temptations arise from ignorance, tempting God out of mere curiosity is a mortal sin as it denotes a lack of faith.
2) Second part: the “latrìa” is an exclusive «worship of God as the supreme and perfect being, the beginning, cause and end of all things in heaven and on earth, whom the human being must obey as the creature obeys the creator, the servant obeys the lord, the child obeys the good father» (reference to Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae III).
Four reasons why only one God should be worshipped:
1. “Dignity”: the higher the rank of someone, the greater the honour and reverence they deserve [follows a direct instruction to the preacher to «discuss the temporal ranks of kings, emperors and dukes, and the spiritual ranks of bishops, cardinals, pope, etc.»];
2. “Generosity”: every good is given by God (Omne datum optimum, et omne donum perfectum desursum est, descendens a Patre luminum [quote from James 1, 17]);
3. “Fidelity”: after baptism, the Christian promises faith, obedience and respect to Jesus Christ; therefore, just as - according to the Old Testament - those who were unfaithful in marriage deserve stoning, so those who are unfaithful to God deserve Hell;
4. “Abundance”: the reward for faithful Christians (i.e. eternal life in Paradise) is the most abundant of those promised by the various religions.
[3) Third part: the third part has already been developed in the Introduction, cf. supra]
... the son of God for a number of reasons (reference to
John Chrysostom
), but to be sure, he wanted to test him with three...
21/1/17
T19/5 Thursday after Invocavit
Anonymous
Introduction -
Divisio
First part: evils that sin produces in the lives of human beings:
1) Sin deprives the human being of spiritual goods (i.e. virtutes et divitie et gratiarum actio; references to Jeremy and Basil) and temporal goods (reference to Amos).
2) Sin fills and torments the human beings with spiritual and bodily ills: in fact, it blinds the sense and intellect so that human beings are unable to see (reference to Zephaniah, Sirach, Gregory the Great); it corrupts the state of mind; it afflicts the heart, not only spiritually, but also materially (references to Psalms, 1Maccabees, John , Gregory the Great).
3) Sin moves God to wrath (references to Sirach, Psalms); God hates exceedingly those who sin without fear, for sins offend him in Heaven more than the Jews did while he was among human beings (references to Sirach and Gregory the Great).
4) Sin deprives the human being of the community of the good (references to Book of Tobit, Psalms, Gregory the Great).
Second part: damage that sin does to human beings in death:
1) Because of sin, human being is struck down and dies shamefully (references to Proverbs, Jeremy, Gregory the Great, Bernard of Clairvaux).
2) Because of sin, human being is seized by the devil (references to Psalms, Ester, Augustine, 1Peter).
3) The sinner is tortured and led to the flames of Hell (references to Sirach and Psalms).
4) The sinner is separated forever from the vision of God (references to John Chrysostom, Isaiah, Augustine).
... separated forever from the vision of God (references to