Festive Advice

Laetitia quanta sit, quantusque concursus, cum imperatoris mundi istius natalis celebrandus est, bene nostis, quemadmodum duces eius et principes omnes, etiam militantes accurati sericis vestibus, accincti operosis cingulis, auro fulgente pretiosis, ambiant solito nitidius in conspectu regis incedere. Credunt enim maius esse imperatoris gaudium, si viderit maiorem suae apparitionis ornatum, tantoque illum laetum futurum quanto ipsi fuerint in eius solemnitate devoti: ut quia imperator tanquam homo corda non conspicit, affectum eorum erga se probet vel habitum contuendo: ita fit, ut splendidius se accuret, quisquis regem fidelius diligit. Deinde quia in die natalis sui sciunt eum largum futurum, ac donaturum plurima vel ministris suis, vel his, qui in domo eius abiecti putantur, et viles, tanta prius thesauros eius replere divitiarum varietate festinant; ut in quantum praerogativa voluerit, in tantum praerogatio copiosa non desit, et ante voluntas donandi deficiat, quam substantia largiendi. Haec autem ideo sollicite faciunt, quia maiorem sibi remunerationem pro hac sollicitudine sperant futuram. Si ergo, fratres, saeculi istius homines propter praesentis honoris gloriam terreni regis sui natalis diem tanta apparitione suscipiunt: quanta nos accuratione aeterni regis nostri Iesu Christi natalem suscipere debemus, qui pro devotione nostra non nobis temporalem largietur gloriam, sed aeternam; nec terreni honoris administrationem dabit, quae successore finitur, sed coelestis imperii dignitatem, quae non habet successorem? Qualis autem remuneratio nostra sit futura, dicit propheta: Quia oculus non vidit, nec auris audivit, nec in cor hominis ascendit, quae preparavit Deus diligentibus se. Quibus indumentis nos exornari oportet. Quod autem diximus nos, hoc est animas nostras, quia rex noster Christus non tam nitorem vestium, quam animarum requirit affectum, nec inspicit ornamenta corporum, sed considerat corda meritorum; nec fragilis cinguli praecingentis lumbos operositatem miratur, sed fortis castimoniae restringentis libidinem ad pudicitiam plus miratur. Ambiamus ergo inveniri ante ipsum probati fide, compti misericordia, moribus accurati: et qui fidelius Christum diligit, nitidius se mandatorum eius observatione componat, ut vere nos in se credere videat, cum ita in eius solemnitate fulgemus, et eo magis laetus sit quo nos perspexerit puriores. Atque ideo ante complures dies castificemus corda nostra, mundemus conscientiam, purificemus spiritum, ac nitidi, et sine macula immaculati suscipiamus adventum: ut cuius nativitas per immaculatam virginem constitit, eius natalis per immaculatos servos procuretur. Quisquis enim in illa die sordidus fuerit, ac pollutus, natalem Christi, votumque non curat. Intersit licet dominicae festivitati corpore, mente tamen longius a Salvatore separatur. Nec societatem habere poterunt immundus et sanctus, avarus et misericors, corruptus et virgo, nisi quod magis ingerendo se indignus offensionem contrahit, cum minime se cognoscit. Dum enim vult officiosus esse, iniuriosus existit: sicut ille in Evangelio qui, in coetu sanctorum invitatus, ad nuptias venire ausus est vestem non habens nuptialem; et cum alius niteret iustitia, alius luceret fide, alius castitate fulgeret, ille solus conscientiae foeditate pollutus, cunctis splendentibus deformi horrore sordebat: et quando plus simul discumbentium beatorum candebat sanctitas, tanto magis peccatorum illius apparebat improbitas, qui potuerat minus displicuisse forsitan, si in consortium iustorum minime se dedisset. Propterea ergo sublatus manibus et pedibus, in tenebras exteriores expellitur, non solum quod peccator erat, sed quia cum peccator esset, sanctitatis sibi meritum vindicabat. Igitur, fratres, suscepturi natalem Domini, ab omni nos delictorum faece purgemus, repleamus thesauros eius diversorum munerum donis, ut in die sancta sit, unde peregrini accipiant, reficiantur viduae, pauperes vestiantur. Nam quale erit, si in una eademque domo inter servulos unius domini alter exsultet in holosericis, alter consumetur in pannis; alius aestuet cibo, alius famem frigusque sustineat; ille eructet hesternam indigestionis crapulam, hic hesternam ieiunii inediam non resolvat? Aut quis erit nostrae orationis effectus? Petimus ut liberemur ab inimico, qui non sumus liberales in fratres. Simus imitatores Domini nostri. Si enim ille pauperes in coelesti gratia voluit nobis esse consortes, cur nobis non sint in substantia terrena consortes? Nec extranei sunt alimoniis, qui fratres sunt sacramentis, nisi quod rectius apud Deum per ipsos agimus causam nostram, ut nostris eos alamus sumptibus, qui illi gratiam agant. Quidquid autem pauper Domino benedicit, illi proficit, quo faciente Domino benedicit. Et sicut scriptum est de illo: Vae illi homini, per quem nomen Domini blasphematur; ita et de illo scribitur: Pax huic homini, per quem nomen Domini benedicitur Salvatoris. Quale est autem meritum largientis, ut solus quis operetur in domo et per multos in Ecclesia Dominus deprecetur; et quod ille fortassis petere de Divinitate non audeat, plurimorum interpellantium orationibus, etiam quod non sperabat accipiat? Quod ad adiutorium nostrum commemorans beatus Apostolus ait: Ut per multos gratiarum actio referatur pro nobis. Et iterum: Ut fiat oblatio nostra accepta sanctificata in Spiritu sancto. Sanctus Maximus Taurinensis, Homilia I, Ante Natale Domini Source: Migne PL 57.221a-226a

How much joy there is and how great a crowd when the birth of a ruler of this world is celebrated, well you know, when his leaders and princes all, and even soldiers take care to wear silken garments, and are bound with elaborate belts, and shine with precious gold, and enter surrounded with this customary glittering into the sight of the king. For they believe that the joy of the emperor will be greater if he looks on the appearance of greater ornamentation, and so great that future joy will be, as much as they have devoted themselves to his celebration, because as the emperor is a man who does not look into the heart, so he judges their love for him by their display. Thus it is that he who more splendidly arrays himself, more faithfully loves the king. Finally, because they know of the coming largess on his birthday, and the many gifts that shall be given to his servants, or to those who in his house are judged to be inferior and common, so much more they make haste to be first to take their fill of the varied riches of his treasury, that in as much as he wishes to be first, so much more he will gain the first riches, not being deprived of his preferred gift, as the substance is given out. This, then, they do with grave anxiety, because of their anxious hope for greater reward to come. If therefore, brothers, the men of this world, on account of the glory of the present honour of a worldly king's birth adopt such appearances, how much should be our care for ourselves on the birthday of our king Jesus Christ, who for our devotion shall not gift to us temporal glory, but an eternal one, who shall not give to you the office of some worldly honour, with terminates with a successor, but the dignity of the heavenly kingdom, which has no successor? The nature of our reward to come the Prophet tells: 'What the eye has no seen, nor the ear heard, nor has it arisen in the heart, what God has prepared for those who love him.' 1 With what vestments is it necessary to adorn ourselves? What we have said, that is, our souls, because Christ our king seeks not glittering garments but the love of the soul. He does not look on the ornaments of the body, but he considers the merits of the heart. He does not admire waists bound with slender belts of elaborate design, but He more admires the binding of lust by the strength of chastity for modesty. Let us surround ourselves, then, that we are found to be approved before Him with faith, adorned with mercy, attentive to morals. And he who loves Christ more faithfully, he shall be arranged spendidly by the observation of His commandments, that truly He might see our faith in Him, when we shine forth on His solemnity, by which He shall be more joyful the purer He perceives us. And therefore before the days, let us cleanse our hearts, let us wash our conscience, let us purify our spirit, and so shine, and without spot let us be immaculate in the reception of His coming, that as His nativity was founded on the Immaculate Virgin, His nativity may be attended by immaculate servants. For whoever shall be foul on that day, and defiled, cares not for the birth and promise of Christ. It is possible to be present in body at this feast of the Lord, and to be far separated from the Saviour in one's mind. Nor are the impure and holy able to have association, nor the avarious and the merciful, not the defiled and the virginial, unless the nearer he approaches the more he causes offence by his unworthiness, as that one in the Gospel who invited to the gathering of the saints, dared to come to the wedding feast without the nuptial garment, and then when there one shines with righteousness, another glows with faith, another blazes with chastity, he alone is stained with a filthy conscience, he alone defiles with the horror of his repulsiveness all those resplendant, and when at that time the great sanctity of the sitting saints shines forth, so much more is evident the disgrace of sinners, who perhaps were able to be less displeasing, in having had hardly any association with the gathering of the righteous. For which reason, therefore, borne by hand and foot, he is cast out into the exterior darkness, 2 not only because he was a sinner, but because when he was a sinner, the merit of sanctity was demanded of him. Therefore, brothers, coming to receive the birth of the Lord, let us purge ourselves of every filth of sin, let us take our fill of His treasury with its gifts of diverse riches, so that on that holy day, wanderers are received, widows refreshed, poor folk clothed. For how shall it be that among the little servants of a lord in one and the same house, that one wears silk and one is wrapped in rags, that one is warm with food and another suffers hunger and cold, that one man belches forth yesterday's excess and another is enervated by yesterday's foodless fast? What then will be the use of our prayers? We seek to be liberated from an enemy, who practise no liberality to our brothers. We are imitators of our Lord. If He wished by grace that the poor should be our consorts in heaven, why are they not our associates in worldly things? Nor are they foreign to our providing who are brothers in the sacraments, for more rightly through them we plead our cause before God, that is, as we provide for them with our possessions, so they shall give thanks to Him. For whatever poor man blesses the Lord, he benefits him by whose deeds the Lord is blessed. And it is written about him: 'Woe to that man through whom the name of God is blasphemed,' about him again it is said: 'Peace to the man through whom the name of our Lord and Saviour is blessed.' What sort of merit does largess have when it is only found among the family and vanishes among the many in the Church the Lord; what does such a man dare seek from the Divinity, with many repeated prayers, what shall he hope to receive? Which for our help the blessed Apostle mentions, saying: 'That through many thanks be given for us.' 3 And again 'That our offering might be acceptable and sanctified in the Holy Spirit.' 4 Saint Maximus of Turin, First Homily, Before The Birth of Our Lord. 1 1 Cor 2.9, Isaiah 64.4 2 Mt 22.1-14 3 2 Cor 1.11 4 Rom 15.16