Humility And Penitence

Christus hodie in schola eruditionis evangelicae per filium prodigum nobis comptetentissime proponit poenitentiae et humilitatis exemplum. Qui cum afficeretur gravissima fame, cogitavit redire ad patrem, et inter mercenarios unus esse. Quis est qui dilapidat omnia bona vivendo luxuriose, nisi peccator quilibet, qui bona gratuita et naturalia peccando corrumpit, et perdit? Sed reversus ad cor, et justitiam incipiens esurire, humiliat se in oculis suis: et de filiali dignitate ad mercenarii sortem devota humilitate descendit. Beati quidem sunt, qui esuriunt justitiam; quoniam ipsi saturabuntur. Esurientes, inquit, implevit bonis. Qui enim divitias temporales appetunt, non satiabuntur eis. Haec est aqua de puteo Samariae: de qua qui biberit, sitiet iterum. Haec aqua non reficit, quia non sufficit. Divites eguerunt, et esurierunt: inquirentes autem Dominum non minuentur omni bono. Cibus autem justitiae dum plus appetitur, plus dulcescit. Unde et ille qui factus est nobis a Deo sapientia et justitia dicit: Qui edunt me adhuc esurient: et qui bibunt me, adhuc sitient. Non est tamen ita insatiabilis appetitus justitiae, sicut amor pecuniae: nam in istis est appetitus sine satietate: in illa est satietas sine attaediatione. Unde propheta: Ego in justitia apparebo in conspectu tuo: satiabor dum apparuerit gloria tua. Qui ergo esurit in praesenti, satiabitur in futuro. Sed nunquid omnes illi esuriunt justitiam, qui desiderant esse justi? nequaquam. Sunt enim plerique mali, qui desiderant esse justi: sed victi et vincti pec candi consuetudine adhuc pascunt porcos, nec revertuntur ad patrem, desiderant et suspirant non amare quod amant: et compuncti ad justitiam, delectationem peccati amplectuntur: nec recedunt a malo qui ad bonum desiderio fervent. Quod compunguntur ad bonum, quaedam gratia est vocationis, non justificationis. Justitia enim non affectu aestimanda est, sed effectu et consensu. Quae, inquit Apostolus, participatio est justitiae cum iniquitate, aut quis consensus templo Dei cum idolis? Siquis deplorat vitam quam perdidit, et justitiae consentit: jam justitiam esurit, jam ad patrem reverti proponit, jam pedem in viam rectam posuit, et ad meliora suspirans dicit: Utinam dirigantur viae meae ad custodiendas justificationes tuas. Et licet desideret, amplius tamen appetit dicens: Concupivit anima mea desiderare justificationes tuas in omni tempore. Laborat ad profectum, ut veniat ad perfectum. Videt enim pater suus a longe, quoniam longe a peccatoribus salus: sed venienti et laetabundus accedenti occurrit. De tali cursu loquitur Isaias: Occurristi, inquit, laetanti, et facienti justitiam, in viis tuis recordabitur tui. Pius pater si juxta meritum responderet, oculos suos declinaret ab eo: ad preces illius obsurdesceret: et ei turpitudinem praeteritae conversations objiciens, ipsum graviter objurgaret. Sed humilitate filii fractus et victus, deponit duritiam, induit misericordiam: et rigorem, quem meruerat filius, convertit in gratiam. Petrus Blenensis, Sermo XV De Facienda Poenitentia Source: Migne PL 207.603b-604b

Today in the school of evangelical teaching Christ proposes with the prodigal son a most fitting example of humility and penitence. 1 He who when he was afflicted with grave hunger, thought to return to the father and become one of his hired labourers. Who is he who dissipates all his goods on luxurious living, if not the sinner who corrupts and ruins every natural and gratuitous good in sin? But here he turns to his heart, and he begins to hunger for righteousness, and he humbles himself in his own eyes, and from the dignity of a son he lowers himself with sincere humility to the lot of a hireling. Certainly they are blessed who hunger for righteousness because they shall be satisfied, 2 'He has filled with good things,' she says, 'those who hunger.' 3 For those who desire temporal things, they shall not be satisfied by them. That is the water from the well of the Samaritan woman, from which he who drinks will thirst again. 4 This water does not refresh because it does not satisfy. 'The rich hunger and thirst, those who seek the Lord do not lack any good.' 5 The more the food of righteousness is desired, the more it satisfies. Whence even He who was made wisdom and righteousness for us by God says, 'They who eat me, shall yet hunger, and they who drink of me, shall yet thirst.' 6 However it is not that the appetite for righteousness is insatiable, like the love of money in which the appetite cannot be sated, but in the former the satiety never becomes jaded. Whence the prophet says, 'In righteousness I shall appear in your sight. I shall be satisfied when your glory shall appear.' 7 Therefore he who hungers in the present, he shall be satisfied in the future. But is it not that all who hunger for righteousness, desire to be righteous? Not at all. They are very many wicked folk who desire to be righteous, but overthrown and bound by the habit of sinning they are yet feeding the pigs. They do not return to the father. They desire and sigh that it were not that they love what they do love and they are distressed for righteousness, but they embrace the pleasures of sin. They do not withdraw from evil who have a keen desire for the good. That they are troubled for the good, shows a certain grace of calling, not justification. Righteousness is not to be thought a feeling, but an act and agreement. The Apostle says, 'What part has righteousness with wickedness, or what agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?' 8 If someone deplores the life which ruins, and he consents to righteousness, then he hungers for justice, now he proposes to return to the father, now he has placed his foot on the right way, and sighing for better things he says; 'That my ways were directed to the guarding of your justifications.' 9 And as one has desired, one hungers more, saying, 'My soul has conceived a desire for your justifications all the time.' 10 He labours to advance, so that he might come to perfection. Then his father sees him from afar, because 'salvation is far from sinners,' 11 But at his coming the father is overjoyed and hurries to meet with him. And concerning such a journey Isaiah says: 'You have come rejoicing, you have made righteousness, in your ways he shall remember you.' 12 If a pious father responded according to merit, his eyes would turn from this son, he would dismiss his pleas, he would cast before him the vileness of his former way of living, and vehemently rebuke him. But he is touched and conquered by the humility of the son. He lays aside hardness, he endows himself with mercy, and the rigor which the son deserved, he turns into favour. Peter of Blois, from Sermon 15, On Penitence 1 Lk 15.11-32 2 Mt 5.6 3 Lk 1.53 4 Jn 4.13 5 Ps 33.11 6 Eccle 24.29 Vulg 7 Ps 16.15 8 2 Cor 6.16 9 Ps 118.5 10 Ps 118.20 11 Ps 118.155 12 Isiaah 64.5