Servants And Sons

Beati pacifici, quoniam filii Dei vocabuntur Quid amplius quaerit servus, nisi ut fiat filius? Imo quis hoc, fratres mei, vel opinari tenuiter auderet, nisi hoc ipsa Dei benignitas et permitteret, et promitteret? Impii eramus, et propterea inimici, de salute nil tractantes, nil sperantes: et gratis venit, inopinatosque praevenit, qui vere prior dilexit nos, Christus, et pro impiis mortuus est. Hoc est quid admirans Apostolus, ait: Ut quid Christus pro impiis mortuus est, cum pro justo nemo velit mori? Nam pro bono, id est pro amico, et commodo sibi, forsitan quis audeat mori, ut de Pylade et Oreste legitur: Sed nos inimici eramus, sicut sequitur: Si, cum inimici essemus, reconciliati sumus Deo per mortem Filii ejus, multo magis nunc, etc,  Quid est, multo magis? Revera, ut filiationem accipiamus per ipsum Filium; notate gradus, profectus distinguite. Inimici eramus, peccati servi, liberi justitiae. Liberavit nos Filius, et vere liberi facti sumus a peccato, et diabolo, servi facti justitiae. Et hic primus gradus est: quem desiderans quidam clamat: Domine, libera animam meam,  ipsumque consecutus exsultat. O Domine, quia liberasti me, ego servus tuus, et filius, nondum dico, tuus, sed ancillae tuae. Dirupisti vincula mea, quibus me quasi quadrupedem strinxerat diabolus, ut nec exire, nec operari liberum esset, sicut scriptum est: Exibit homo ad opus suum, et ad operationem suam.  Nunc pedem moveo, nunc manum aridam extendo, de perverso conversus, de inimico servus, ut benefaciam tibi prorsus inutilis, qui bonorum meorum non eges, et mihi tamen utilis, qui cum timore et tremore meam operor salutem. Cum omnia, inquit, bene feceritis, dicite: Servi inutiles sumus. Ecce qui facit mala, vel bone male, inimicus deputatur: qui omnia bene, nondum amicus, sed servus vocatur. Isaac, Cisterciensis Abbas, In festo omnium sanctorum, Sermo V Source: Migne PL 194. 1704b-d

Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God. 1 What more does a servant seek than to be made a son? And who, dear brothers, dares hold this slender hope, unless the benevolence of God has permitted and promised it? Impious we were, and thus enemies, caring not for salvation, not having a hope; and grace came, approached those who did not expect it, Christ, He who truly loved us before and who died for the impious. This is what the admiring Apostle says, 'How did Christ die for the impious, when no one wishes to die for the righteous man? 2 Because for a good man, that is, for a friend, and to comfort himself, perhaps someone would dare to die, as is said of Pylades and Orestes, but we were enemies, and so it follows: 'If when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more now...' 3 What is this much more? Be reverent: that we receive sonship through his Son. Note the step, be aware of the advance. Enemies we were, slaves of sin, now freed for righteousness. The Son freed us and truly we were freed from sin and the devil and made servants of righteousness. And this is the first step, that desiring such a thing, a man cries out, 'Lord, free my soul.' 4 And later the same man exults: 'O Lord, you have freed me, I am your servant, and son,' not yet do I say a son of yours, but of your handmaid. 'You have broken my chains.' 5 with which the devil bound me like some beast, that I could not go out to any free work, as it is written, ' A man goes out to his work and to his deeds.' 6 Now I move the foot, now I stretch out the withered hand, from perversion turned, from an enemy made a servant, that suddenly I who was once useless may do good to you, who do not lack any of my goods, and yet to me it is useful, who with fear and trembling may work out my salvation. When everything, he says, you have done well, say, 'We are useless servants.' 7 Behold, he who does evil, or a good thing badly, is named an enemy, he who does all things well, while not yet a friend, is called a servant.   Isaac of Stella, from the Fifth Sermon for the Feast of All Saints 1 Mt 5.9 2 Rom 5.6-7 3 Rom 5.10 4 Ps 114.4 5 Ps 115.16 6 Ps 103.23 7 Lk 17.10