Quinquagesima Sunday

[Stone]

HOMILY XV. CHARITY: ITS GAIN AND LOSS
by St. Thomas Aquinas


QUINQUAGESIMA.—(FROM THE EPISTLE.)


"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity." 1 Cor. xiii. 1.

In this Epistle we are invited to the exercise of charity, and it is manifoldly commended to us chiefly for five reasons. Firstly, for its preciousness “Charity, which name signifies what is dear and precious." Secondly, the loss in its absence— "I am become as sounding brass," &tc. Thirdly, its value in this present life—"Charity suffereth long, and is kind." Fourthly, its eternity— "Charity never faileth.”  Fifthly, its dignity—"The greatest of these is charity." Now mention the first two points. 

I. On the first head it is to be noted that charity is precious on four accounts. (1) It can only come from One, and it must be given by the highest good—Rom. v. 5, "The love of God is shed abroad in. our hearts by the Holy Ghost.” (2) It belongs only to the good. S. Austin says, "Charity is a peculiar fountain; a stranger does not communicate with it.” (3) Possessing it, all good things are possessed. S. Austin says, "Mark, how great & good is charity, which being absent renders all other good things vain, but he to whom it is present has all things. (4) The possessor of charity is most dear to God, for it is of that nature that they who possess it are called dear, whence the Lord calls those living in charity the most beloved—Cant. v. 1, "Eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved."

II. On the second head it is to be noted that the absence of charity entails a threefold loss, as the Apostle here points out. (1) The best part of our nature is wasted— "I am become as sounding brass." In time the brass is worn away by giving out the sound, just as the rational creature without charity is consumed by vices. S. Austin says in the “City of God,""If we were not of & good nature we should not be harmed by vices; for what harm can they do us save to ‘deprive us of integrity, beauty, salvation, and peace?” (2) The soul without charity, being separated from God, dies "I am nothing"—that is, I am dead, I am separated from the truth, without which man is dead; 1 S. John iii. 14, "He that loveth not his brother abideth in death." (8) Every work without charity is rendered useless—"Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, though I give my body to be burned." S. Ambrose declares that he who has not charity lacks all good. From which state may we be preserved. 

HOMILY XVI. BLINDNESS AND SIGHT

QUINQUAGESIMA.—(FROM THE GOSPEL.)

“A certain blind than sat by the way-side."—St. Luke xviii. 85.

Morover, by the blind man the sinner is understood— Zeph. i. 17, "They shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord." As the blind does not see bodily, so the sinner does not see spiritually. Firstly, there are seven causes which hinder the bodily sight, which represent the seven mortal sins which produce spiritual blindness. Secondly, there are seven things which produce mental illumination.

I. On the first head it is to be noted that the seven causes of blindness and the seven sins are—(1) A swelling of the face, and this is pride; S. Austin says, "My face is swollen so greatly that it does not suffer me to see.” (2) A darkness in the air: this is envy, whence the envious are spoken of as being blind—Wisd. ii. 21, “Their own malice blinded them." It is also said of the envy of the Jews—1 Sam. xviii. 9, "Saul eyed David from that day forward." (8) A derangement of the eyes: this is anger—Ps. xxxi. 9, "Mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly." (4) Dust or anything that falls into the eye: this is avarice. Dust is of those temporal things which darken—S. Austin says, "I wandered after temporal things, and I was blinded." (5) A closing of the eyes, for no one can see who closes his eyes, or does not wish to open them: and this is a weaken- ing, for the weakened from slothfilness alone is not able to open his intellectual eyes to behold spiritual good. Betius says that the wicked accustom their eyes to darkness, they "turn them away from the light of truth; they are like those birds who see at night, but who are blind by day. (6) The .gathering round the eyes of blood and humour: this is gluttony—Prov. xxiii. 29, "Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine;" even according to the letter, -the spiritual and bodily eyes are both darkened by an excess -of wine. (7) The shadow of little spots, for occasionally a small spot or nubercula is formed in the eye and produces ‘blindness: this is luxury. S. Austin said, “Small cloudy spots "were coming up from the wine of carnal concupiscence, and they darkened my heart that the sincerity of love could not ‘be distinguished from the darkness of lust. 

II. On the second head it is to be noted that the spiritual ‘sight consists also of seven graces. (1) Of faith—S. Luke xviii. 42, “Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee." S. Austin, "Faith is the illumination of the mind, the means ‘by which it is enlightened from the First Light to behold spiritual blessings.” (2) Of humility—S. John ix. 39, "For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see:” these are humble who think that they see not. (9) Of present trial and bitterness—Tobit vi. 9, "The gall is good for anointing the eyes in which there is a little white speck.” (4) Of love of one’s neighbour—Rev. x. 18, "Eye-salve, that thou mayest see.” (5) Abundance of tears: this is illustrated by he who, being born blind, went and washed in the pool of Siloam—S. John ix. 7, "He went his way therefore and washed, and came seeing.” (6) Of fervent prayer—S. Matt. xx. 31, “Cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. ...... So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes, and immediately their eyes received sight.” (7) Of the reverential hearing of Holy Scripture—Isa. xxix. 18, “In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness.”