The Twenty-second Sunday after Trinity
Home, 22nd Sunday after Trinity
LORD, we beseech thee to keep thy household the Church in continual godliness; that through thy protection it may be free from all adversities, and devoutly given to serve thee in good works, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Source: Sacramentary of Bishop Gregory of Rome [604 AD] The Latin used the word familia, which points to the traditional Roman family that was the basic and most important element of society. It included all in the household, inlcuding slaves, and was headed by the pater familias who was responsible for the welfare of all. This concept of the household is the basis of the Gospel story today.
Numbers xx. 14, Psalm: 123, 124, 125, 136, 138;
Philippians i. 3 & St. Matthew xviii. 21
Homily of Augustine
Numbers xx. 14
And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us: How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers: And when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border: Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king's high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders. And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword. And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing anything else, go through on my feet. And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand. Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him. And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying, Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah. Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor: And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there. And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount. And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.
Psalm 123, 124, 125 | 136, 138
Philippians i. 3
I THANK my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus. And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
St. Matthew xviii. 21
PETER said unto Jesus, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellow-servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
Augustine
Homily
Psalm CXXIII
1. ...Let this singer ascend; and let this man sing from the heart of
each of you, and let each of you be this man, for when each of you
saith this, since ye are all one in Christ, one man saith this; and
saith not, "Unto Thee, O Lord, have" we "lift up" our "eyes;" but,
"Unto Thee, O Lord, have I lift up mine eyes" (ver. 1). Ye ought indeed
to imagine that every one of you is speaking; but that One in an
especial sense speaketh, who is also spread abroad over the whole
world...
What maketh the heart of a Christian heavy? Because he is a pilgrim,
and longeth for his country. If thy heart be heavy on this score,
although thou hast been prosperous in the world, still thou dost groan:
and if all things combine to render thee prosperous, and this world
smile upon thee on every side, thou nevertheless groanest, because thou
seest that thou art set in a pilgrimage; and feelest that thou hast
indeed happiness in the eyes of fools, but not as yet after the promise
of Christ: this thou seekest with groans, this thou seekest with
longings, and by longing ascendest, and while thou ascendest dost sing
the Song of Degrees.
2. ...Where then are the ladders? For we behold so great an interval
between heaven and earth, there is so wide a separation, and so great a
space of regions between: we wish to climb thither, we see no ladder;
do we deceive ourselves, because we sing the Song of Degrees, that is,
the Song of ascent? We ascend unto heaven, if we think of God, who hath
made ascending steps in the heart. What is to ascend in heart? To
advance towards God. As every man who faileth, doth not descend, but
falleth: so every one who profiteth doth ascend: but if he so profit,
as to avoid pride: if he so ascend as not to fall: but if while he
profiteth he become proud, in ascending he again falleth. But that he
may not be proud, what ought he to do? Let him lift up his eyes unto
Him who dwelleth in heaven, let him not heed himself...
3. If, my brethren, we understand by heaven the firmament which we see
with our bodily eyes, we shall indeed so err, as to imagine that we
cannot ascend thither without ladders, or some scaling machines: but if
we ascend spiritually, we ought to understand heaven spiritually: if
the ascent be in affection, heaven is in righteousness. What is then
the heaven of God? All holy souls, all righteous souls. For the
Apostles also, although they were on earth in the flesh, were heaven;
for the Lord, enthroned in them, traversed the whole world. He then
dwelleth in heaven. How?...How long are they the temple according to
faith? As long as Christ dwelleth in them through faith; as the Apostle
saith, "That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." But they
are already heaven in whom God already dwelleth visibly, who see Him
face to face; all the holy Apostles, all the holy Virtues, Powers,
Thrones, Lordships, that heavenly Jerusalem, wanderers from whence we
groan, and for which we pray with longing; and there God dwelleth.
Thither hath the Psalmist lifted up his faith, thither he riseth in
affection, with longing hopes: and this very longing causeth the soul
to purge off the filth of sins, and to be cleansed from every
stain, that itself also may become heaven; because it hath lifted up
its eyes unto Him who dwelleth in heaven. For if we have determined
that that heaven which we see with our bodily eyes is the dwelling of
God, the dwelling of God will pass away; for "heaven and earth will
pass away." Then, before God created heaven and earth, where did
He dwell? But some one saith: and before God made the Saints, where did
He dwell? God dwelt in Himself, he dwelt with Himself, and God is with
Himself. And when He deigneth to dwell in the Saints, the Saints are
not the house of God in such wise, as that God should fall when it is
withdrawn. For we dwell in a house in one way, in another way God
dwelleth in the Saints. Thou dwellest in a house: if it be withdrawn,
thou fallest: but God so dwelleth in the Saints, that if He should
Himself depart, they fall...
4. What then followeth, since he hath said, "Unto Thee do I lift up
mine eyes"? (ver. 2). How hast thou lifted up thine eyes? "Behold, even
as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the
eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress: even so our eyes wait
upon the Lord our God, until He have mercy upon us." We are both
servants, and a handmaiden: He is both our Master and our Mistress.
What do these words mean? What do these similitudes mean? It is not
wonderful if we are servants, and He our Master; but it is wonderful if
we are a maiden, and He our Mistress. But not even our being a maiden
is wonderful; for we are the Church: nor is it wonderful that He is our
Mistress; for He is the Power and the Wisdom of God...When therefore
thou hearest Christ, lift up thine eyes to the hands of thy Master;
when thou hearest the Power of God and the Wisdom of God, lift up thine
eyes to the hands of thy Mistress; for thou art both servant and
handmaiden; servant, for thou art a people; handmaiden,
for thou art the Church. But this maiden hath found great dignity with
God; she hath been made a wife. But until she come unto those spiritual
embraces, where she may without apprehension enjoy Him whom she hath
loved, and for whom she hath sighed in this tedious pilgrimage, she is
betrothed: and hath received a mighty pledge, the blood of the Spouse
for whom she sigheth without fear. Nor is it said unto her, Do not
love; as it is sometimes said to any betrothed virgin, not as yet
married: and is justly said, Do not love; when thou hast become a wife,
then love: it is rightly said, because it is a precipitate and
preposterous thing, and not a chaste desire, to love one whom she
knoweth not whether she shall marry. For it may happen that one man may
be betrothed to her, and another man marry her. But as there is no one
else who can be preferred to Christ, let her love without apprehension:
and before she is joined unto Him, let her love, and sigh from a
distance and from her far pilgrimage...
5. "For we have been much filled with contempt" (ver. 3). All that will
live piously according to Christ, must needs suffer reproof, must needs be despised by those who do not choose to live piously, all
whose happiness is earthly. They are derided who call that happiness
which they cannot see with their eyes, and it is said to them, What
believest thou, madman? Dost thou see what thou believest? Hath any one
returned from the world below, and reported to thee what is going on
there? Behold I see and enjoy what I love. Thou art scorned, because
thou dost hope for what thou seest not; and he who seemeth to hold what
he seeth, scorneth thee. Consider well if he doth really hold it...I
have my house, he hath boasted himself. Thou askest, what house of his
own? That which my father left me. And whence did he derive this house?
My grandfather left it him. Go back even to his great grandfather, then
to his great grandfather's father, and he can no longer tell their
names. Art thou not rather terrified by this thought, that thou seest
many have passed through this house, and that none of them hath carried
it away with him to his everlasting home? Thy father left it: he passed
through it: thus thou also wilt pass by. If therefore thou hast a mere
passing stay in thy house, it is an inn for passing guests, not an
habitation for permanent abode. Yet since we hope for those things
which are to come, and sigh for future happiness, and since it hath not
yet appeared what we shall be, although we are already "sons of God;"
for "our life is hidden with Christ in God:" "we are
utterly despised," by those who seek or enjoy happiness in this world.
6. "Our soul is filled exceedingly; a reproach to the wealthy, and a
contempt to the proud" (ver. 4). We were asking who were "the wealthy:"
he hath expounded to thee, in that he hath said, "the proud."
"Reproach" and "contempt" are the same: and "wealthy" is the same with
"proud." It is a repetition of the sentence, "a reproach to the
wealthy, and a contempt to the proud." Why are the proud wealthy?
Because they wish to be happy here. Why? since they themselves too are
miserable, are they wealthy? But perhaps when they are miserable, they
do not mock us. Listen, my beloved. Then perchance they mock when they
are happy, when they boast themselves in the pomp of their riches! when
they boast themselves in the inflated state of false honours: then they
mock us, and seem to say, Behold, it is well with me: I enjoy the good
things before me: let those who promise what they cannot show depart
from me: what I see, I hold; what I see, I enjoy; may I fare well in
this life. Be thou more secure; for Christ hath risen again, and hath
taught thee what He will give in another life: be assured that He
giveth it. But that man mocketh thee, because he holdeth what he hath.
Bear with his mockeries, and thou wilt laugh at his groans: for
afterwards there will come a season when these very persons will say,
"This was he whom we had sometimes in derision." ...
7. To this we must add, that sometimes those also who are beneath the
scourge of temporal unhappiness, mock us...Did not the robber
mock, who was crucified with our crucified Lord? If therefore they who
are not wealthy mock us, why doth the Psalm say, "A reproach to the
wealthy"? If we carefully sift the matter, even these (the unfortunate)
are wealthy. How are they wealthy? Yea; for if they were not wealthy,
they would not be proud. For one man is wealthy in money, and proud on
that score: another is wealthy in honours, and is proud on that
account: another imagines himself wealthy in righteousness, and hence
his pride, which is worse. They who seem not to be wealthy in money,
seem to themselves to be wealthy in righteousness towards God; and when
calamity overtakes them, they justify themselves, accuse God, and say,
What wrong have I been guilty of, or, what have I done? Thou repliest:
Look back, call to mind thy sins, see if thou hast done nothing. He is
somewhat touched in conscience, and returneth to himself, and thinketh
of his evil deeds; and when he hath thought of his evil deeds, not even
then doth he choose to confess that he deserves his sufferings; but
saith, Behold, I have clearly done many things; but I see that many
have done worse, and suffer no evil. He is righteous against God. He
also therefore is wealthy: he hath his breast puffed out with
righteousness; since God seemeth to him to do ill, and he seemeth to
himself to suffer unjustly. And if thou gavest him a vessel to pilot,
he would be shipwrecked with it: yet he wishes to deprive God of the
government of this world, and himself to hold the helm of Creation, and
to distribute among all men pains and pleasures, punishments and
rewards. Miserable soul! yet why do ye wonder? He is wealthy, but
wealthy in iniquity, wealthy in malignity; but is more wealthy in
iniquity, in proportion as he seemeth to himself to be wealthy in
righteousness.
8. But a Christian ought not to be wealthy, but ought to acknowledge
himself poor; and if he hath riches, he ought to know that they are not
true riches, so that he may desire others...And what is the wealth of
our righteousness? How much soever righteousness there may be in us, it
is a sort of dew compared to that fountain: compared to that
plenteousness it is as a few drops, which may soften our life, and
relax our hard iniquity. Let us only desire to be filled with the full
fountain of righteousness, let us long to be filled with that abundant
richness, of which it is said in the Psalm, "They shall be satisfied
with the plenteousness of Thy house: and Thou shalt give them drink out
of the torrent of Thy pleasure." But while we are here, let us
understand ourselves to be destitute and in want; not only in respect
of those riches which are not the true riches, but of salvation itself.
And when we are whole, let us understand that we are weak. For as long
as this body hungers and thirsts, as long as this body is weary with
watching, weary with standing, weary with walking, weary with sitting,
weary with eating; whithersoever it turneth itself for a relief from
weariness, there it discovereth another source of fatigue: there is
therefore no perfect soundness, not even in the body itself. Those
riches are then not riches, but beggary; for the more they abound, the
more doth destitution and avarice increase...Let then our whole hunger,
our whole thirst, be for true riches, and true health, and true
righteousness. What are true riches? That heavenly abode in Jerusalem.
For who is called rich on this earth? When a rich man is praised, what
is meant? He is very rich: nothing is wanting to him. That surely is
the praise of him that praiseth the other: for it is not this, when it
is said, He wants nothing. Consider if he really want nothing. If he
desires nothing, he wants nothing: but if he still desires more than
what he hath, his riches have increased in such wise, that his wants
have increased also. But in that City there will be true riches,
because there will be nothing wanting to us there; for we shall not be
in need of anything, and there will be true health...
Let us pray in the words of Augustine.
Turn we to the Lord God, the Father Almighty, and with pure hearts offer to him, so far as our
meanness can, great and true thanks, with all our hearts praying his exceeding kindness, that of
his good pleasure he would deign to hear our prayers, that by his Power he would drive out the
enemy from our deeds and thoughts, that he would increase our faith, guide our understandings,
give us spiritual thoughts, and lead us to his bliss, through Jesus Christ his Son our Lord, who
liveth and reigneth with him, in the Unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
[A prayer which he was wont to use after his Sermons and Lectures.]
NPNF (V1-08) St. Augustine
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