A Bishop And His People

Deberem, fratres, post hos complures dies aliquid uberius praedicare, et revertens a tanto examine sacerdotum, dulci nos sermone reficere. Bene dixi examine sacerdotum; quia sicut apes de divinarum Scripturarum flosculis suavia mella conficiunt, et quidquid ad medicinam perinet animarum oris sui arte componunt; recte comparantur apibus sacerdotes; quia sicut apes castitatem corporis praeferunt, cibum vitae coelestis exhibent, aculeum legis exercent; puri enim ad sanctification, suaves ad refectionem, serveri sunt ad ultionem. Apibus plane sunt comparandi, qui velut alveario quodam gratia matris Ecclesiae continentur, in qua diversorum meritorm cellulas dulcissimus praedicationibus componentes, de uno Salvatoris examine Christianorum examine multa producunt. Cum semper, fratres, non cessaverim vos paterna pietate corripere, miror nihil vos meis commonitionibus profecisse, et doleo quod frequens praedicato mea non vos profecto aliquo salutis corrigat, sed quadam contestationis poena constringat. Praedication enim sacerdotis in plebe salvandis est correctio, et contestatio judicandis; contestamur enim illis ante judicium, quod illos maneat in ipse judicio, ut tunc omni excusatione submota, et rei sint de peccatis et obnoxii de contemptu. Unde et ego interdum parcens vobis tacere velim: sed malo vos contumaciae causas reddere, quam me negligentiae sustinere judicium. Comperi enim, fratres, quod per absentiam meam ita rari quique ad ecclesiam veniatus, ita pauci admodum procedatis, quasi me proficiscente, mecum pariter veneritis, et quasi cum necessitatibus ego pertrahor, vos mecum traxerit ipsa necessitas. Pariter a domo Dei absentes summus; sed hoc interest, quod me absentem necessitas efficit, vos voluntas. Nescitis quia etsi ego  ab ecclesia desum, Christus ab Ecclesia sua, qui est ubique, non deest? Venis, frater, ad ecclesiam, non invenis ibi episcoporum Episcopum Salvatorem? Nam Christianus qui tunc tantum procedit ad ecclesiam quando episcopus praesens est, non tam Dei causa videtur processisse quam hominis; nec implesse Christiani timentibus officium, sed amici deferentis obsequium. Quid ergo, vos arguo, cum possitis me uno sermo convicere? Convincor enim, cum in hac parte clericus vobis magis video negligentes. Quomodo enim possum corrigere filios, cum fratres, emendare non possim? Aut qua fiducia succenseam laicis, cum a consortibus pudoris verecundia continesca. Ego autem, fratres, non de omnibus loquor. Sunt certe quidam devoti, sunt et alii negligentes: ego neminem nomino, conscientia sua unumquemque conveniat. Sanctus Maximus Taurinensis, Homilia CXII, Increpatio ad Populum de Absentia Sua ab Ecclesia Source: Migne PL 57.515a -516b

I should, brothers, after these many days, preach to you something fruitful, and returning from a great swarm of priests, refresh us with sweet speech. And well have I said a swarm of priests, because like bees they make sweet honey from the flowers of Divine Scriptures, and whatever pertains to the medicine of souls they compose with the art of their mouths. And rightly are priests compared to bees, because like bees they prefer chastity of body, and exhibit the food of heavenly life, and exert themselves with the sting of the law. For purity is for sanctification and sweetness for refreshment and severity for punishment. And clearly they are compared to bees because their cells contain the grace of mother church, in which are established cells of different merits for sweet preaching, concerning the one swarm of the Saviour which produced the many swarms of Christians. When I do not cease, brothers, to correct you in paternal piety, I wonder that you have not be improved by my chastisements, and I grieve that my frequent preaching does not set you straight to improvement for salvation but it binds you with a certain penalty of witness. For the preaching of the priest is for the correction of the people for salvation, and witness is for judgement, and we bear witness to them before judgement, which shall remain with them in the same judgement when every excuse is removed and they are exposed concerning sin and contempt. From which I have sometimes spared you, choosing to be silent,  but to return to the causes of the evil of your contumacy, which imposes on me the judgement of negligence, know, brothers, that during my absence rare was attendance at church, thus few of you advanced to any extent, as at my departure you came so far with me, and as by necessities I am driven, the same necessity dragged you along with me. We were equally absent from the house of God, but with this difference, that my absence was on account of necessity, yours by your own will. Do you not know that even if I am absent from the Church, Christ is not absent from His Church, He who is everywhere? You come, brother, to Church and do not find the saving shepherd of the shepherds? The Christian who goes to church only when the bishop is present, seems to come not on account of God but man, nor does he fulfill the duty of the reverent Christian who defers to the demands of friendship. Why, then, do I dispute with you, when you can convict me with a word? And I am convicted, when in this place, a cleric among you, I mostly see negligence. How indeed I am able to correct sons, when I am not able to improve my brothers? Or how will I kindle faith in the lay when modesty is besieged by consorts of shamelessness? I do not speak of everyone here, brothers. Certainly some are devout, and others are negligent; I name no one, let each one's conscience be enough for him. Saint Maximus of Turin, Homily 112, A Crying Out to the People concerning his Absence from the Church.