SERMON XXXII

On the Feast of a Holy Bishop

How man should exalt and honour God’s Holy Name alone, and despise, shun and flee from his own in true humility and real resignation. That young men, growing in grace, must first be directed thereto, and then be drawn by all kinds of easy exercises and rebukes, that they may become still more resigned in all things hereafter.

In nomine meo exaltabitur cornu ejus.

“In My Name shall his horn be exalted.”

You know, dear children, that no sins are so displeasing to the God of Gods, as the haughty arrogance and the proud boasting of man in his own name; because man is thus ascribing the honour to himself, which belongs only to God, while he cannot bear his own name to be despised. God lent him that name and the honour, that other men might be improved by seeing such a dignitary or prelate, using his authority or rule solely to the Glory of God, neither seeking nor desiring his own, everywhere. This we can recognise and see plainly in the holy life, which the Bishop, whose feast we are keeping to-day, led on earth; and therefore we sing of him from the Psalter: “In My Name shall his honour be exalted”; as though God said of him: “Not in his name, because he neither seeks nor desires that, but in My Name shall his horn be exalted and lifted up.”

Now, in another place, the prophet says of God: “His name alone is exalted.” Nothing is more displeasing or abhorrent to God than the longing for a great name. This infirmity, in many men, is often so much hidden and concealed that they are scarcely conscious of the great danger in which they stand. It often comes to pass that they even despise it, and imagine that they have a right that people should hold them in high esteem; they cannot endure that anyone should say anything or do anything that affects or touches their honour, or slights them in any way. David says of such secret sins: “From my secret sins cleanse me, O Lord.” that means, cleanse me from the desire to have a great name. He says also: “Let not the foot of (that is the desire and longing for) pride come to me, let not the hand move me. There the workers of iniquity have fallen.” God will not regard anything of thine, however good it may be. St Chrysostom says: “Forsake thy great name and then thou wilt easily overcome torture and suffering.” If by some means God could induce man to feel as great, bitter and ignominious a contempt for himself, as the haughty, self-satisfied pride in which he had previously indulged, God would have obtained that which He desired; for all the things by which God corrects men inwardly take place that man may be humbled and abased in himself. If God does not succeed in bringing this to pass by such correction and abasement, He often allows these, His Friends, to fall into open shame and trouble, that they will be pitied by all men and thus be abased in their own eyes.

Now, know, that when a man is too highly exalted by other men, and more virtue or holiness is ascribed to him, and his name is held in greater repute than it ought in truth to be in the sight of God, on account of some secret sin which is known only to him and to God; see, this great and good repute can only cause him injury, shame and pain, either here or in another world. For this undeserved spiritual gift of honour offered to him, must necessarily be changed in this life into shame and mockery, if he is to preserve it otherwise in eternity. If a man neither glories in his good name, nor is well-pleased with himself (for if he be, it will be very harmful to him, and will avenge itself on him), his name will be very useful, and a blessing and help to him; for then it is pure and beneficial. Even though he have a great name, he may be preserved by the Grace of God, in fear and humility, while he acknowledges his own vileness, weakness and sinfulness. If he thinks nothing of himself on account of all these virtues, but only that he is a messenger and an unworthy servant and guardian of these gifts of God, then he looks upon himself as no better or worthier than he was before, but carries on his office simply to the glory of God and of the Holy Church, and that he may advance the salvation of his fellow men. See, how very fruitful this is in the sight of God, and what great blessings it brings to other men. Even when he is called great before worldly men, yet he is none the less nothing in the sight of God; and he feels in his heart, that he is one who desires the lowest place and possesses it at all times; and if he were deposed from his position or his honours, it would not trouble him, because to him all things are alike.

Dear children, for this reason the great repute of the superior clergy is very dangerous, and should be shunned or at least despised; because, when a man does not live up to that which he is anxious to be considered, and glories or rejoices unworthily in his name and honour, hereafter, either here or in another world, he will have to pay or atone for it with shame and sorrow, because his name was greater than his life in the sight of God.

But when some men are faint-hearted, desponding at times, on account of their great reputation, fearing that their intentions are not quite pure, and that they often think more of the dignity of their name than of the command of obedience, yet, none the less, they ought to do good, because at all times men ought to do good, and even if their intentions are not quite pure, yet they ought to strive to amend; and then their virtues will become deserving. But, if a great name is blazed abroad, and a man does good work to please others, or from evil motives, then he will become proud and arrogant, and be led astray by the desire to do anything more, unless he is called great; for in all his works he will desire the praise of men, and to be seen of them. He thus devotes himself in good earnest to show his ecclesiastical ability and his moral conduct, chiefly in the presence of other people, so that he may be seen of them. He will do nothing unless he can do it far better than all others, that he may deserve the prize.

Now, we can recognize the men who stand in this evil ground of man-pleasing, and not in faith, hope and the love of God, by noticing that they do not trust in the Love of God; they do not believe in Him, and they dare not believe that He is the faithful Helper of His true servants. Therefore they soon begin to doubt and mistrust God, and are in great danger of the very worst that can happen to them. These people may be discovered by telling them to do something for which they are unfit or are incapable. They cannot be induced to do it, for they fear that other people will notice their incapacity or unskilfulness, and will therefore think less of them, and consider them as small as they really are. All the Scriptures do not suffice to prove to them the great faithfulness of God, which He vouchsafes to those who trust in Him, so that they may be ready to leave all to God and to trust in Him, and, for His sake, to allow their unskilfulness to be made manifest. No, ten preachers would not be able to prove this to them; and therefore they continue in their hard hartedness and pride, and are unable to win any true love from right-minded men. If they would only forsake this, they might be at once enlightened with a new, peculiar, divine and joyful Light, which would cause their old wicked sadness to vanish quite away, and would gain a satisfying love for them from all the men with whom they have to deal and with whom they dwell. But, because they do not act thus, they must remain in a state of bitterness and malice towards their neighbours, so that all brotherly love is pain to them, and all good and loving deeds torment and trouble them. Therefore they are forced to seek for solitude, to separate themselves from mankind, that they may neither see nor hear anything from which trouble or sorrow could arise. They also take care not to trouble themselves about anyone, and imagine that they will thus attain to peace. Now, dear children, this is not the path of peace; for such men have much more unrest, and wicked, envious disquiet, malice and condemnation, the more they withdraw themselves and keep away from other men, hoping to be at peace in secret. For the wicked Enemy dwells in these evil, proud hearts, and never allows peace to enter there.

But if these men are ever to attain to true peace and joy, they must learn to know their own hearts, and to cleanse them from all pride and self-righteousness; and, in so far as it is seemly, to make known their weaknesses, vileness and uselessness to others, desiring to be accounted vile, useless and weak, exercising themselves therein as long and as much as they feel in their hearts that they have an evil desire for human praise. If they practice this, they will attain to true peace and love, and gain a taste for the skill in their occupations; but otherwise never. If I were to allow them to confess for three hours every day, it would not help them at all; they would still remain in a state of disquiet and sadness, hating their neighbours. The more they confessed, the more the Evil Spirit would find cause for their anger, hatred, envy, sorrow and gloom, in themselves and towards others. He even sometimes seeks out things, and brings up what was said or done ten, twenty or thirty years ago; and, by the thought of them, leads such men further astray than he had succeeded in doing by the very things themselves. They will have to endure this as long as they will not acknowledge their weakness, but desire the praise of men on account of their outward deeds and customs.

Now, people say that they must set others a good example and anger none. I say unto you, that if ye wish to set a good example to the people with whom ye consort, and to anger none, ye must show yourselves to be what ye are in truth, and let yourselves be known in truth, as far as is needful. Be pure, long-suffering and decorous, and, in kindly love, desire to be scorned and rejected, and then all will be well with you.

Oh! children, these men have been neglected in their youth; they have never been well disciplined by scorn and much opposition, but they have been allowed, at times, to see how pleased people were with what they did or seemed to be. Thus they became hardened, so that afterwards they could neither do nor wish to do anything for which they would not receive praise or fame; while nothing could be got out of them except by prayers and entreaties.

Oh! all this is most evil and pitiful; for these are they of whom the Lord says: “They have received their reward.” Those who praise them are accounted murderers before God; for they deceive and lead astray foolish men, who were good-hearted, inclined to give glory to God, and well able to do so, but who become hard-hearted, desiring human praise, thinking well of themselves and full of self-satisfaction, which causes the eternal death of the soul, its rejection and banishment from true eternal life and from all the Saints. These betrayers act thus, that by fame and praise they may bring round these foolish hearts to their will, that they may become all the more diligent in subduing temporal things to themselves, and thus to contrive that all may tend to their own advantage, for which they are hoping.

Oh! children, the desire for temporal things causes a real alienation from eternal things. If we sought first those things that would be useful to us in eternity, and which would further our salvation, undoubtedly God would not only abstain from withdrawing temporal things from us, but He would also give them back to us with increase. But, as it is, for the sake of a small advantage, we lose and betray these simple hearts, in the evil desire for human praise and our own gratification, which is the evil source of pride, and which God always resists. He never receives such men into favour, but He allows them to be driven by the Evil One into all kinds of wickedness; for there is scarcely a sin which is so inhuman that they are not tempted by it; and all arises from this devilish root of inner, proud self-satisfaction, which was not checked at first. Therefore, from youth up it has taken such deep root, that, in old age, it is hard work striving to cast out this infirmity.

Therefore, simple men who are striving to advance, must be well guarded, and instructed that they must do nothing in order to gain praise, but must do all to the glory of God, Who needeth not our praise, but Who humbled Himself, even unto Death, to gain us strength, knowledge, prudence, and many other gifts and graces, that we may work out our own salvation. Children, it would be far better and more charitable to rebuke these men, and to teach them to regard themselves as little or nothing in their own eyes, training them in the humility they rejected; for then they might become great and holy men. But by praise and fame they are spoilt; so that, later, when they are old, and we shall be anxious to teach them, they will have become so established in this evil, wicked state, that no instruction for their good can turn them. They think those who do not praise them, hateful; and they are often discontented and insubordinate to their superiors and father confessors, and remain in a state of sadness, gloom, and false suspicion. They imagine they are not sufficiently considered; no one asks after them; and they constantly refer to the great deeds that they have done, to their industry and so on. They say they have been very useful, and they tell this to other people, and complain and almost murmur if no one asks after them.

See, dear children, how all this misery is brought upon these foolish people by praise and flattery, so that their salvation even is placed in great jeopardy. He, who in this life cannot bring himself to feel peaceful, friendly, brotherly love for his neighbour, and who cannot be truly resigned and obedient to his superiors, is in great danger of losing eternal salvation. He, who is not acting thus, will not be helped by all his fastings, vigils, his singing and reading, his prostrations, mortification of the flesh, or anything else, however important it may seem. It would be far better and more useful for men to set aside all visible and outward works and discipline, till they had learnt the true and real virtues of love and resignation, and had a real desire to do all only for the love of God and of their neighbours.

Now, mark further, as soon as a man realizes that he does not care for a grand name and position, but wishes to remain always concealed, and longs for humiliation and simplicity, and to be cast off and left unnoticed among other men, then God will do great things in his name. If the man seeks for no honour, and does not desire a great name and position, and, when no one is willing to show him any honour, he is ready to accept it all and desires to take the lowest place always, then all will be well with him. See, then his great name amongst men is no longer harmful to him; but he must learn also to conquer himself in this, and be ready to hear it, so that he may gain his neighbour. For this also is a step in that inner death, that he may be able to endure this position, and learn to give up his own will even in this. He will most certainly find that he is greater in God; and God will enlighten him and fill him with Divine Light. Thus it will be found that all this is quite incomprehensible to the human understanding of those who have not walked in this way before.

But, because it is a great thing to stand upright in this way, so also is it very dangerous to fall in it and to take pleasure in one’s own name. Therefore, every man should flee from it as long as he can or may, that he may not be exalted in this life; for he whom God calls to it in this life, must pass through many a dark way that is unknown to him. He rests only in the hope of God and in confident faith, and says: “Lord, I will serve Thee; therefore I trust that there is no deception in all that is placed before me in this wonderful way, and I will bear it ever.” At times faith, hope and love fail him, and he is only sustained by his intention in all things. At times he is still conscious of, and loves in the two lowest grades, in nature and in intelligent converse, for then love lies quite concealed in the lowest grade. For as long as he is still faithful to God in some degree in the resignation of nature and speech, and is content to be resigned, while he falls into no ill-placed comfort in vice or sensuality, by which he could rid himself of suffering, all will be well. But if he seeks for gratification in the things of sense, or gives way to outward troubles, even though they be good and religious, that he may be freed from the pressure, he will bind and tear love; and then from time to time he will fall away from love, though he does not know it himself. But, most assuredly, if he stands firm in this, and is true to God in this mysterious resignation, see, he has gained the highest stage of love, though he knows it not. When he has passed through this, his heart is quite freed from self; he brings forth much fruit even in the sight of other people, and he finds that God is dwelling lovingly in him and he in God in all things.

It would be better for us to try this than to talk about it. He who does not taste it and try it, can never understand what it really is to possess God in truth. May God help us to honour and extol His Name only, and not our own, while we truly depreciate ourselves in this world in true resignation. Amen.