Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Last Sunday of the Year

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31–46)

For as much as God differs from a human being, so a heavenly judgment differs from an earthly one. For the splendor of an earthly judge rests on his appearance, but the majesty of Christ the judge rests in truth, as the prophet attests: “Our God comes manifestly, he does not keep silence, before him is a devouring fire, round about him a mighty tempest.” He says, “manifestly,” no longer veiled in the body as before so that scarcely even the good people could recognize him, but he will come manifest in glory so that even the evil people will confess him against their will, so that whoever despised him in his humility may recognize him in his power. And those who did not want to know how sweet his mercy is will perceive how dire his wrath is. “Our God … does not keep silence.” He did not say, “And he will be silent,” showing that he will keep quiet about himself, but his very glory will speak about him.…

Because he granted the grace to know him to all nations, he will rightly judge in each instance, so that neither the good will lose the fruits of their goodness without the doctrine of truth nor the evil will escape the punishment for their evil because of the excuse of ignorance. For just as at night the full shape of items does not appear but even a gem seems like a rock and a rock is thought to be a gem, so also before the coming of Christ the difference between human hearts is not apparent but also the evil are endured as if they were good and the good are despised as if they were evil. And whenever the illumination of the gospel has been preached and come to all nations, then the quality of all their wills has been revealed and all the nations rendered without excuse. And so then all people will be gathered justly to judgment because whoever gives a commandment beforehand implicitly proclaims that there will be a future judgment.…

You gave what you could not always hold on to; receive those things you may possess forever. Quite rightly you who sowed one thing on earth will receive a hundredfold in heaven. For the righteousness of people cannot earn as much as the kingdom of heaven was created to be, but it is based on the power of God that was able to prepare it. For if he had wanted to create the kingdom of heaven according to the limits of human righteousness, he would have created it at any rate after the works of human beings had been done. But now because he established the reward of the saints not according to what human beings deserve but according to his bountifulness, so before he created the saints in this age, he prepared the kingdom of heaven in heaven. For this reason he burdens with such labors those whom he knows to be his before the foundation of the world, and he makes them labor so long until they are made worthy of the heavenly kingdom because the kingdom of God is not plundered in accordance with the moderate capacity of people, but people are elevated in accordance with the greatness of the kingdom.…

“Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire.’” It is as though he could not endure their presence or to look on them, so he says, “Depart from me.” For just as carnal people delight to see the carnal appearance of the world, but if we see some things broken or deformed in any way, it is as though our sight has been wounded, so also God, who delights in the holiness of souls, cannot bear to look at sinful souls, as though he were weighed down by them. It is as though he were to say to them, “You are like rottenness and filth, nor can I endure you as long as you are standing in my court.”

Incomplete Commentary on Matthew 54.33–34, 41

Mass and the Unwashed Masses

Peter J. Scaer posted this on Facebook earlier today, 11/21/2023, and it is too good not to share.

Mass and the Unwashed Masses

Is the church's liturgy only for a few, for the educated, the cultured, and well read? Hardly. Though the liturgy, by its very nature and mystery invites education, catechesis, and teaching. In fact, the liturgy is great for little children who can't yet read, and for those who never learned. The liturgy is wonderful for those who eyesight has dimmed, whose capacity isn't what it used to be. The liturgical rhythm enters into the soul's deepest places, embeds itself within the mind and heart.

Why is it that the average Roman Catholic in the pew does not believe in the real presence? It's not because of what the church says, but by the casual way in which the supper is offered and distributed. The same I'm sure goes for us in the LCMS. Say that Christ's offers his true body and blood, but then, if the ministers are dressed as if they were sales people, if they treat the elements like fast food, if bodily reverence is nowhere to be found, people will get the message. It must not be all that special.

The American Evangelical world of course has no clue in such matters. If baptism is just a commitment ceremony, and if the supper is a reenactment, then a certain seriousness may be called for, but there's no reason for solemnity. For much of the Big Box church world, there is nothing approximating the Temple. (No wonder, they hope it's rebuilt.) Could we imagine the High Priest entering the Holy of Holies in street clothes, big smile on his face after an inspirational life lesson, music from the praise band? But we do have something holier still. If we believed in the priesthood of all believers, truly believed it, then we would encourage the awe and reverence appropriate to God's dwelling among us, Christ's giving of flesh and blood, a font from which springs forth life and forgiveness.

The church service has never been about, should never be about, defining a class of people as high class, but should be conducted in a way that is appropriate to the proceedings. Standing up for the gospel is an act of reverence, as when grandma enters the room. Kneelers offer an opportunity for bodily posture that matches spiritual reality. The judge, robed in black, approaches the bench, and the courtroom is hushed into silence. A pin dropped is noise too loud for the ceremony of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The church service is all about sacred space, the Lord of all speaking and working among us. The church is our home, but Christ is the head of that home, and being in the Father's house means something. Little Children rightly feel comfortable there, for it is their home, they are the baptized, and the Lord's arms are wide open in embrace, and his hand is given for them in blessing. But we should never grow so casual as to be disdainful, so that we might lose awe, and forget where we are. Indeed, it is said that Ronald Reagan never entered the Oval Office without jacket and tie. May seem a bit much. But it was his way of reminding himself of the sacred duty with which he had been entrusted. And so also the sacred liturgy does well to be in harmony with the sacred things that we confess are taking place.

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost

For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:14–30)

Who is the man who sets out for foreign parts but our Redeemer, who departed to heaven in the body he had taken on? Earth is the proper place for his body; it is transported to foreign parts, so to speak, when he establishes it in heaven. The man setting out for foreign parts entrusted his goods to his servants, for he granted his spiritual gifts to those who believed in him. To one he entrusted five talents, to another two, to another one. There are five bodily senses, sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. The five talents represent the gift of the five senses, that is, knowledge of externals; the two talents signify theory and practice; the one talent signifies theory alone. ...

The Lord who dispensed the talents returns to demand an account, because he who now generously bestows spiritual gifts may at the judgment inquire searchingly into what was achieved; he may take into account what everyone has received, and weigh up the gain we bring back from his gifts.

The servant who returned with two talents was praised by his master. He was led to his eternal reward when his master said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant. Because you have been faithful about a few things, I shall put you in charge of many. Enter into the joy of your master. All the good deeds of our present life, however many they may appear to be, are few in comparison with our eternal recompense. The faithful servant is put in charge of many things after overcoming all the troubles brought him by perishable things. He glories in the eternal joys of his heavenly dwelling. He is brought completely into the joy of his master when he is taken into his eternal home and joined to the company of angels. His inner joy at his gift is such that there is no longer any external perishable thing that can cause him sorrow. …

The useless servant called his master hard, and yet he neglected to serve him for profit. He said that he was afraid to put out the talent for interest, when he should have been afraid only of bringing it back to his master without interest. For many people in the Church resemble that servant. They are afraid to attempt a better way of life, but not of resting in idleness. When they advert to the fact that they are sinners, the prospect of laying hold of ways of holiness alarms them, but they feel no fear at remaining in their wickedness. …

Consider then, dearly beloved, that you will pay interest on this money you have received, on these words. Take care to be eager to understand from what you hear also other things you do not hear. Make connections between one thing and another, and so learn for yourselves how to do other things than those you have already learned from the preacher’s words. …

We must be certain that no slothful person is safe from the consequences of receiving a talent. No one can truly say, ‘I have not received a talent, and there is no reason I should be compelled to give an account.’ Even the very little that any poor person has received will be counted as his talent. One person has received understanding, and owes the office of preaching to his talent. Another has received earthly possessions and is under obligation to distribute alms from his properties. Another has received neither understanding of inner things nor many possessions, but has learned a skill which sustains him; in his case his skill is counted as a talent. Another has acquired none of these things, but perhaps he has merited acquaintance with a rich person and has received the talent of acquaintance: if he tells him nothing on behalf of the poor, he is condemned for keeping back his talent. Therefore the one with understanding must take care not to remain silent, the one with an abundance of possessions must watch that he is not slow in showing mercy, the one with a skill must be especially zealous to share his craft and usefulness with his neighbor, the one with an opportunity to speak with a rich person should fear to be condemned for keeping back his talent if he does not intercede with him on behalf of the poor when he can.

In truth the Judge who is to come will exact from each of us as much as he gave. So that everyone may be free from anxiety about the account he must give for his talent when the Lord returns, let him consider daily, with trembling, what he has received. The time is now near when the one who set out for foreign parts will return. He who departed far from this earth where he was born went away, so to speak, into foreign parts; but he will truly return to demand an accounting for his talents. If we are listless in performing good deeds he will judge us more severely concerning those gifts he has bestowed on us.

Let us then bear in mind the things we have received, and be careful in trading with them. Let no earthly care deter us from our spiritual work, lest we provoke the talent’s master to anger by hiding our talent in the earth. As the judge is now weighing his sins, the lazy servant digs up his talent from the earth, since there are many who withdraw themselves from their earthly desires and works when they are dragged to eternal punishment by the chastisement of the judge. Let us be watchful, then, before we must render an account of our talent, so that when the Judge is already approaching to strike us, the profit we have made may plead for us.

Gregory the Great, Gospel Homily 18

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” (Matt 25:1–-13)

The wise virgins are those who, having taken an opportune moment for action while in the body, initially prepared themselves to meet the Lord. But the foolish virgins, who were careless and negligent, had concern only for the circumstances of the moment. Forgetful of God’s promises, they carry no hope of the resurrection in themselves. Because these foolish virgins could not go out to meet the bridegroom with lamps unlit, they implored the ones who were wise to share some of their oil. The latter responded that they could not give them any because perhaps there would not be enough for everyone. In other words, no one should be supported by another’s works and merits. It is necessary for each of us to purchase oil for his own lamp. The wise virgins urged the foolish to go back in order to buy oil, even if the latter would be late in obeying the commandments of God. They intended to make themselves worthy by having lamps lit for their meeting with the bridegroom. While they were waiting, the bridegroom made his entrance. Together with him the wise virgins, now ready with their lighted lamps and veiled, entered the wedding feast. In other words, the wise virgins entered into heavenly glory at the very moment of the coming of the Lord in his splendor. And because there is now no longer an opportunity for repentance, the foolish run, pleading that the door be opened to them. But the bridegroom answered them, “I do not know you.” For the foolish did not come to render service to the one arriving, nor did they present themselves at the sound of the blowing trumpet, nor did they remain with the wedding party as it entered. Rather, they procrastinated, and they lost the opportunity for entering the wedding feast.

Hilary of Poitiers, Commentary on Matthew 27.5

The Lord indicates that the devil sows weeds among sleeping people, namely, among those who through negligence are overcome by their infidelity as by a kind of lethargy and fall asleep in respect to the divine commands. The apostle says concerning them, “For they who sleep, sleep at night, and they who are drunk, are drunk at night. But let us not sleep, as do the rest, but let us be wakeful and sober.” Surely those foolish virgins about whom we read in the Gospel were weighed down by their lethargy and infidelity. Since they did not take oil for their vessels, they were unable to meet the bridegroom. Hence the devil, this enemy of the human race, is always extremely zealous to sow weeds among the wheat. But he who watches for the Lord constantly with a faithful mind, once the sleep of infidelity has been banished from him, will not be preoccupied by this nighttime sower.

Chromatius, Tractate on Matthew 51.1

Responding to Error

In a prior post,^* I brought forth Vincent of Lérins’ governing theme to hold fast to “what has been believed everywhere, always, and by all” and to “follow the principles of universality, antiquity, and consent,” but what happens if a divergent instruction surfaces? What does a believer do? The proposed solution is given in Commonitories 3 via a series of questions leading to the proper conclusion.

What, therefore, will the Catholic Christian do if some members of the Church have broken away from the communion of universal faith? What else, but prefer the sanity of the body universal to the pestilence of the corrupt member?

Vincent begins with individuals in a local church or a church within a denomination/synod that goes rogue in teaching or practice. In such a situation the best course is to eschew the error, enticing though it may be, and cling to the safe harbor of certainty. This seems simple, but it leads to the next question which deals with systemic error.

What if a new contagion strives to infect not only a small part but the whole of the Church? Then, he will endeavor to adhere to the antiquity which is evidently beyond the danger of being seduced by the deceit of some novelty.

There have been aberrant teachings affecting swaths of believers including Gnosticism, Arianism, Nestorianism, and more recently, Pietism and Revivalism. What should be done if these contagions become epidemic, threatening the whole of Christ’s body? Flee novelty. For example. when Arius and Nestorius brought forth their ideas, they were compelling with both systems still being followed today in different sections of Christendom. The necessary treatment was someone like Irenaeus, Athanasius, or Cyril of Alexandria who would “Stand in the ways and see, and ask about the eternal pathways of the Lord. See what the good way is and walk in it." (Jer. 6:16 LXX) Since these teachings still inflict damage within Christendom and requires ongoing vigilance, we look to what should be done for an error that has become inbred.

What if in antiquity itself an error is detected, on the part of two or three men, or even on the part of a city or a province? Then, he will take care to prefer the decrees of a previous ecumenical council (if there was one) to the temerity and ignorance of a small group.

As mentioned by the lead-in, there have been and will be occasions when spiritual overseers are negligent or lax and allow error that becomes an embedded tenet for the next generation(s). When these are discovered, the proper approach should be to search out the correct doctrinal position set down in prior generations rather than continuing with the offshoot, then ask why the offshoot occurred. Church history is replete with examples of those who thought the church had become lax or negligent, left the established Church, and set out to form something new with examples from the second-century Montanus to the nineteenth-century John Nelson Darby, plus Thomas and Alexander Campbell. While these men recognized an indifference or disregard of piety, their solutions were to eschew what had been handed down and start afresh with new gatherings. Better would have been to re-examine the apostolic teaching as delivered from trusted, venerable sources recognized by the Church catholic, most notably the ancient ecumenical councils. But what if there is no official decision to fall back on?

Finally, what if such an error arises and nothing like a council can be found? Then, he will take pains to consult and interrogate the opinions of his predecessors, comparing them with (one another only as regards the opinions of) those who, though they lived in various periods and at different periods and at different places, nevertheless remained in the communion and faith of the One Catholic Church, and who therefore have become reliable authorities.

As he will discover, he must also believe without hesitation whatever not only one or two but all equally and with one and the same consent, openly, frequently, and persistently have held, written, and taught.

As one would expect, ecumenical councils did not address all the issues that might arise in a church body, nor were they intended to do so, leaving room for local or regional councils to further determine what was necessary. For those errors not previously covered, the writings of faithful men across diverse periods and locales would be researched to determine a solution. One would expect a certain harmony of teaching when comparing Clement of Rome to John Chrysostom, Basil the Great to Ambrose of Milan, Ephrem the Syrian to Bede. Out of this comparative work, one should find agreement or sufficient rapport to adduce a correction.

After the above reading, I can expect some to be thinking, “He sure sounds Roman Catholic.” No, it sounds like the Reformation era. While it is true that the church of Rome has relied on history and tradition to build their body of doctrine, they have no mechanism for correcting bad doctrine: what has been decreed or directed must be true because decisions from the papal see cannot err—even when they obviously do. The corrective principles outlined by Vincent are more in line with what Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, et al strove to provide in the “Augsburg Confession” with the follow-up “Apology of the Augsburg Confession” and then in the assembled works that make up the entire Book of Concord. Reformed and Presbyterian picked up on this, recognizing its wisdom under the slogan “The Church must always be reformed” (Ecclesia Semper Reformanda, often shortened to Semper Reformanda), not that the Church must always be remaking itself, rather there needs to be a regular examination and assess if we have strayed from catholic, apostolic teaching.

^* This second entry is long overdue.

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to All Saints' Sunday

And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matt. 5:1–12)

Not without cause did the Lord mention higher up hungering and thirsting for justice. He instructs us so to thirst in our desire for justice that for its sake we should despise the world’s persecutions, the punishments of the body, and death itself. He is proclaiming the martyrs above all, those who for the justice of faith and the name of Christ endure persecutions in this world. To them a great hope is promised, namely, the possession of the kingdom of heaven. The apostles were chief examples of this blessedness, and all the just people who for the sake of the justice of the law were afflicted with various forms of persecution. By the merit of their faith they have reached the heavenly kingdom. … Not only should we patiently endure all the criminal treachery of the persecutors that can be contrived in a time of persecution for Christ’s name against the just, and the various reproaches that can be heaped upon us, and the punishments that can be applied to the body, but we should even welcome them with the joy of exultation in view of the coming glory. For He says this: “Rejoice in that day and exult; I tell you that your reward in heaven is great.” How glorious is the endurance of this persecution, the reward for which the Lord says is laid up in heaven! And so, taking into consideration the reward of the proposed glory, we should be ready with devout faith for every endurance of suffering, so that we may deserve to be made sharers in the glory of the prophets and apostles, through Christ our Lord, who is blessed in the ages of ages. Amen.

Chromatius, Tractate on Matthew 17.8–9