Secrets And Preaching

Quid est, Quod aure auditis, praedicate super tecta? Id est, quod auditis in secreto soli, praedicate coram omnibus, nulli abscondentes verbum, quasi qui stet supra tecta et clamet. Quod est quod apostoli audierunt in mysterio? quid? Exiviit seminator seminare semen suum. Et quaedam ceciderunt secus viam, quaedam super petram, quaedam inter spinas, quaedam super terram bonam. Et loquebatur eis in parabolis, et sine parablois loquebatur eis nihil. Et accesserunt discipuli ejus ad eum secreto, dicentes: Enarra nobis parabolam. Quibus respondit; Vobis datum est nosse mysterium regni Dei, caeteris autem in parabolis, ut audientes non audiant, et videntes caeci fiant. Quid ergo? Quod tunc in mysterio solis apostolis credabatur, nunc evangelistis referentibus, at apostolis praedicantibus, quotidie in medio Ecclesiae omnibus populis enarratur. Ergo hoc est: Quod dico vobis in tenebris, dicite in lumine: id est, Quod dico vobis in secreto, praedicate coram omnibus; sicut est, ubi vocavit Dominus discipulos suos seorsum, dicens eis: Vos autem quem me esse dicitis? Responderunt: Tu es Christus, Filius Dei vivi, qui in hunc mundum venisti. Et mandavit eis, Nemini dixeritis: quia oportet Filium hominis crucifigi, et tertia die resurgere: quia si manifeste cognitus fuisset Filius Dei, nemo ausus fuisset manus injicere in eum. Et ideo crucifixus non esset, neque resurrexisset a mortuis. Propterea adhuc infernorum regnum esset in terra, et dominatio diaboli mundum totum teneret. Quid ergo? Postquam Dominus surrexit a mortuis, quid audierat Petrus in secreto, coepti coram omnibus praedicare, dicens: Deus patrum nostrorum suscitavit Filium suum Jesum, quem vos crucifixistis, et denegastis ante faciem Pilati, judicante illo dimitti. Vos vero justum negastis, et virum homicidam petistis donari vobis, principem autem vitae interemistis. Ergo hoc est, Quod in aure audistis, praedicate super tecta. Opus Imperfectum in Matthaeum, Homilia XXV Source: Migne PG 56.761

What is: 'What you hear in the ear, proclaim on the rooftops' ? 1 That is, what you hear alone in secret, proclaim before everyone, concealing the word from no one, as one who stands on the rooftops and cries out. What is it that the Apostles heard in mystery? 'A sower went out to sow his seed. And some fell beside the way, and some on stony earth, and some among thorns, and some on good soil.' And He spoke to them in parables and He spoke nothing to them unless in a parable. And His disciples approached Him alone, saying: 'Tell us about this parable.' To which He replied: 'To you has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, and the rest have parables, that hearing they do not hear, and seeing they are made blind.' 2 What then? That then the mystery was entrusted to the Apostles alone, and now the Evangelists tell of it, and the Apostles preach it, every day speaking in the midst of the assembly to all the people. Therefore it is said: 'What I say to you in darkness, speak in the light,' that is: What I say to you in secret, preach before everyone. So it was when the Lord called the disciples together among themselves and said, 'Who do you say I am?' And they replied, 'You are Christ, Son of the Living God, who has come into this world,' He commanded them to tell no one, because it was necessary the Son of Man be crucified and on the third day rise again, 3 and if they had openly acknowledged He was the Son of God, no one would have dared lay a hand on Him. And therefore He would not have been crucified, nor resurrected from the dead. By which the kingdom of hell would yet reign on earth and the power of the devil would hold the whole world. What then? After the Lord rose from the dead, what Peter had heard in secret he began to peach before all, saying, 'The God of our fathers raised His Son Jesus, whom you crucified, and maligned before the face of Pilate, who was thinking to free Him. You, however denied the righteous man and you sought to have a murderer given to you, and you slew the prince of life.' 4 This then is: 'What you hear in the ear, proclaim on the rooftops.' Opus Imperfectum on Matthew, from Homily 25 1 Mt 10.27 2 Lk 8.5-10, Mt 13.3-11 3 Mt 16.15,16, Lk 9.21-22 4 Acts 3.13-15