Who Can Speak Of It?

Intuens quod modo audivimus ex lectione apostolica, quod animalis homo non percipit ea quae sunt Spiritus Dei, et cogitans, in hac praesenti turba Caritatis vestrae necesse esse ut multi sint animales, qui adhuc secundum carnem sapiant, nondumque se possint ad spiritalem intellectum erigere, haesito vehementer, quomodo, ut Dominus dederit, possim dicere, vel pro modulo meo explicare quod lectum est ex Evangelio: In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum: hoc enim animalis homo non percipit. Quid ergo, fratres? silebimus hinc? Quare ergo legitur, si silebitur? aut quare auditur, si non exponitur? sed et quid exponitur, si non intellegitur? Itaque quoniam rursum esse non dubito in numero vestro quosdam, a quibus possit non solum expositum capi, sed et antequam exponatur, intellegi; non fraudabo eos qui possunt capere, dum timeo superfluus esse auribus eorum qui non possunt capere. Postremo aderit misericordia Dei, fortasse ut omnibus satis fiat, et capiat quisque quod potest: quia et qui loquitur, dicit quod potest. Nam dicere ut est, quis potest? Sanctus Augustinus Hipponensis, In Evangelium Ionannis, Tractatus I

Considering what we have just heard from the Apostolic reading, that material man does not perceive things which are of the Spirit of God, and thinking that in the present assembly, my beloved, there must of necessity be among you many material people, who know only as far as the flesh, and are not yet able raise themselves to spiritual understanding, I do indeed gravely doubt, as the Lord grants, how I may be able to express, or in my small measure to explain, what has been read from the Gospel: 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God;'1 indeed this the animal man does not perceive. What then, brothers? Shall we then be silent? But why is it read, if we are to be silent? Or why is it heard, if it be not explained? But why is it explained, if it be not understood? And so, again, since it is not to be doubted that there are among your number some who can not only grasp that explained, but even understand before the explanation, I shall not defraud those who are able to grasp it, through fear of a seeming excess to the ears of those who are not able to grasp it. Finally the compassion of God has dawn near; and perhaps there may be enough for all, and each shall grasp what he is able, as he who speaks says what he is able. For to speak of it as it is, who is able? Saint Augustine of Hippo, from Tractate 1 On the Gospel of Saint John 1 Jn 1.1