Homilies of Maximus of Turin (Bruni's collection) 65.1–70.1

The ending of the present life, dearest brothers, and the passion they underwent for the name of Christ, have hallowed for us the feasts of various martyrs. For we have learned from the manifold account of the ancients that some martyrs were struck down by the sword, others burned by fire, many torn by the teeth of beasts, and countless others, afflicted with various tortures, despising the death of their body, bore witness to the Christian faith. But blessed John the Baptist, in whose feast we now rejoice, was born today from a barren womb and brought heavenly joys into the world. Those confessed the Son of God, already reigning in undoubted glory; but this man, by the illumination of the prophetic Spirit, both foresaw the Lord who was to be born and showed him when born by the privilege of a singular grace. So special an election shone forth in him that he earned the right to announce the Lord before he received the beginning of birth or a tongue with which to speak. Indeed Elizabeth, that old woman and new mother, who before giving birth was rejoicing in the office of her future son, said to blessed Mary as she came to her, at the very moment of greeting: “Behold, as soon as the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the infant in my womb leapt for joy.” What miracle is this, brothers, what newness of such great joys, that Elizabeth testified she had in her womb an infant who, not yet aware of himself, already sensed the Lord's coming? Truly this is the most blessed of all little ones, who, still shut within his mother's womb, revealed with prophetic joy that the Saviour of the world was present, since he could not then do so by speech. No one is unaware, dearest ones, that every little one coming from the mother's womb cries with sad wails at the very beginning of the light; only the Lord's Baptist, beyond the law of those who are born, anticipated his birth with the exultation of joy. And how fitting it was, brothers, that he should be born of a barren mother who revealed the fruitfulness of a virgin, so that, wonderfully born, he might show forth a wonderful birth. And how astonishing and magnificent this too, that the priest Zechariah, father of the future prophet, because he did not believe the angel speaking of this very thing, lost the use of speech until, the promise fulfilled, the newborn herald of the new man loosed the bonds of his father's tongue. For the mouth which the angel had closed the son promised by the angel opened. For when the relatives and neighbors were uncertain about naming the child, the mute father, suddenly recovering his former power of speech, disclosed the proper true name that he had learned at the angel's dictation; so that, having silently awaited his birth by heavenly command, he spoke the name of the one born, and the anxious old man recognized that he was given back to himself through the one whom he had not believed would be born of him. Nor could he doubt any longer that he had been promised and born from heaven, on whose account he proved he had both lost and recovered speech. What, brothers, is more glorious than this religion? What more remarkable than this faith? In which the barren conceives, the mute speaks, and in the secret of a mother's womb little ones prelude the future joys of the whole world; for mortal nature could not keep its order under the old law when a new mystery was being prepared for the salvation of all through the new grace of the Godhead. This, then, is John, of whom Isaiah prophesied, saying: “The voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight the paths of our God.” “The voice,” it says, “of one crying.” How well he is called a voice, who with glad full mouth cried out that the only-begotten of God was coming from heaven in human flesh! Rightly is he called a voice, at whose thundering proclamation mortality, long deaf, began to hear the sacrament of human redemption. For as the venerable Baptist opened the tongue of his mute father, so too he renewed for the ears of men the hearing of saving grace. He cries in the desert, where no insolent crowd would drown out his preaching nor unbelieving hearer laugh, but only those could hear who sought the preacher of the word of salvation with care for divine worship alone, and would perceive that he spoke truly of Christ, who, for the assertion of justice, to rebuke Herod's unlawful marriage, did not fear to offend the king, did not shun the squalor of prison, did not flee being killed by the tyrant's sword. Let us hear a little more, brothers, what the Saviour's messenger preached for the advancement of us all: “Prepare,” he says, “the way for the Lord; make straight the paths of our God.” Truly worthy was blessed John, whose birth was prophetic, who by God's gift was born of parents whose posterity was despaired of. For with such authority and weight of teaching he burst out in the voice of holy preaching, both to announce the Lord's imminent coming and to direct the crookedness of evil livers into straight paths. For what is “Prepare the way for the Lord” but to prepare, with a breast cleansed of vices, the dwelling of a simple heart for the Judge coming from heaven? What is “Make straight the paths of God” but to build for yourself such ways of your actions as the Lord, coming to you graciously, may delight to walk? He prepares the way for his Lord who, spitting out the pleasures of wanton flesh and with the whole spirit of his mind lifted up to God, girds himself with the vigor of chastity. He prepares the best way for the Lord who calms his thoughts, seething with the waves of avarice, with the tranquility of a serene conscience. He prepares the way for the Lord who, trampling on the vanities of idols and the fictions of all superstitions, seeks the one worship of the living God and the faith of truth. But whoever languishes in the voluptuous enticements of this world, is mad with the desires of burning avarice, blazes into hatred of his brothers with the savage jaws of envy, and to the insult of almighty God walks as a wandering traveler on the winding paths of demons, does not prepare a way for the Lord, but, wretched man, opens a deadly entrance into himself for his enemy. These morals and a life of this kind open wide roads and very broad ways for barbarian nations to the ruin of the common safety. These morals hand over God's people to hostile nations under the yoke of miserable captivity. These morals scatter armed peoples and pull down fortified cities. In short, dearest ones: whatever power, whatever strength we see in our enemies is nourished by the corruption of our life and by our unbelief; and that is why we obtain nothing by the prayer we pour out to God, because, clinging ceaselessly to impious and depraved desires, we do not prepare the way for our Lord according to the prophetic warnings. Therefore, returning to the precepts of most blessed John, let us prepare the way for the Lord and make straight the paths of our God; so that the Lord, seeing in us meanwhile the roads of good will, the most kind shepherd, may seek out his little sheep, already wearied by many dangers; so that, as today we rejoice in the birth of the Lord's Baptist, we may rejoice in our reconciliation with our God, to whom be honor and glory.

The remembrance of all the prophets, dearest brothers, is venerable. But blessed John the Baptist, whose own birthday is honored today, so far surpassed the glory of them all that he revealed by the testimony of present truth that the Lord Jesus, our Saviour, was not only to come but had already come and was dwelling with men; for when he saw him hastening to his baptism among the mixed crowds, he said, pointing him out as with his finger: “Behold the Lamb of God; behold him who takes away the sins of the world.” How innocent is his life, or can we match by our devotion the merits of him who both first recognized and alone pointed out the coming of the heavenly Lamb! How wonderful to all is his proclamation, from whose mouth the world first heard its absolution! This, dearest ones, is the one of whom it was foretold by prophetic announcement: “The voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight the paths of our God.” For he was to cry out, as he did cry out, so that, as the herald of salvation shouted, heavenly preaching might open the long-stopped ears of mortals. Who, then, would not receive such a prophet with full admiration, whom he recognizes to have obtained so much from God that his merits were praised before his birth was formed? This one, then, was promised by an angel through the care of almighty God to the most righteous priest Zechariah, when he was far advanced in age and had despaired of the succession of the offspring he prayed for because of his very aged wife's barrenness. And fittingly a new son is given to very aged parents, who was to show the only-begotten of God to an aging and declining world, for the hope of a future youth. And how much astonishment there is in this: that Zechariah himself, believing somewhat slowly that the forerunner of the saving Word would be conceived in an aged womb, was struck dumb by the silence of sudden speechlessness, and would not have recovered his former use of speech had not the name by which the boy was to be called loosed the bonds of his closed mouth! And so it came about that the merit of the newborn son freed the priestly mouth which the trepidation of doubt had bound, and the father's restored tongue bore witness to the infant's glory. What shall I say of the strength of his self-restraint, of his love of justice, to whom, as we read, his food was not to be imitated and truth was dearer than light itself? For living in the desert, having a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt about his loins, he ate locusts and wild honey; so that, being about to rebuke men's evils, he might have no pleasure at all either in clothing or in food. Indeed, such zeal for the divine law possessed his mind that he both rebuked the depravity of a faithless generation with prophetic vigor and, by the authority of the Holy Spirit burning in him, fearlessly rebuked an erring king; and that most blessed man preferred to fall under the sword of a raging man in proclaiming justice rather than keep silent about the truth, he who had come to manifest its author. Amen.

The festival of the present day, dearest brothers, has been hallowed by the very birth of the venerable John the Baptist, who was sent into this world by heavenly dispensation not only that he himself might be exalted with prophetic glory, but also that through him the proclamations of all the prophets might be confirmed. Not undeservedly do we now venerate him with special honor, who by a special grace prophesied the Redeemer of the world last of all so that he might show him first. For he alone of the prophets was found worthy to see with his own eyes and announce as present our Lord Jesus Christ, whom the others foreknew would come after long ages; for, as the most holy Gospel relates, when the Lord came to his baptism he burst out in these words: “Behold the Lamb of God; behold him who takes away the sins of the world.” For this reason the Saviour himself said of him to the crowds: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A prophet? I tell you, and more than a prophet.” He is truly more than a prophet, since all the others were heralds of a Christ still to come, but this most approved man came as the witness of a present Lord. He is more than a prophet, to whose hands, as was granted to none of the prophets, the Son of God bowed himself to be baptized. He is more than a prophet, whose privilege of merits was so great that at one and the same moment he dipped the judge of heaven and earth, submerged in the waters, in the Jordan, saw the Holy Spirit coming in a dove, and heard from heaven the voice of the Father bearing witness. This is he whom Isaiah, foreknowing by God's inspiration, announces, saying: “The voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord.” How fittingly, dearest brothers, was blessed John proclaimed a voice, who was sent both as herald and as witness of the heavenly Word! This is he whose birth, name, and merit were foretold by the angel Gabriel. This is he too who by the judgment of the heavenly sentence is set above all mortals, as the Lord says: “There has not risen among those born of women anyone greater than John the Baptist.” How beautifully it is said that among those born of women none is greater than John; for he was in every way greater who was born of a virgin. This is he too who preferred to be struck down by a king rather than not rebuke the king when he sinned. Having considered these things, notice, beloved, how much reverence, how much devotion we ought to pay him, who, to be honored, was prophesied by the Holy Spirit, promised by an angel, praised by the Lord, and consecrated by the perpetual glory of a holy death. For it was fitting that a wonderful life should follow his mystical birth, and that a death devoted to God should close his holy and perfect life. For this reason, brothers, the Church of Christ throughout the whole world today celebrates with most joyful festival the beginnings of his birth, who, as a most faithful witness, revealed to an astonished world that eternal joys were present for mortals.

In honoring with annual feasts the most glorious leaders of the Christian faith, dearest brothers, we venerate with due religion our Lord and God himself, who is the author of this faith. For “apostles” in the Latin tongue are called “sent ones”; it is plain, then, that those who honor the ones sent honor the one who sends them, since the dignity paid to the ministers is without doubt shown to him whose ministers they are, as the Saviour himself says to his disciples: “He who hears you hears me, and he who receives you receives me.” Truly blessed are the merits of the apostles, in whom Christ declares that he himself is received and heard. Blessed too are those whose devotion, paid to the apostles, returns to Christ. Holding, then, brothers, the faith of so great a promise, let us exult with faithful joys over the sufferings our fathers underwent for confessing Christ; for he who rejoices over the death of the martyrs does not doubt that the martyrs reign with Christ after death. Let us honor with most devoted zeal the most reverend fathers of all the churches, Peter, I mean, and Paul, for whom, by the grace of Christ, their death today became a birthday, for whom the end of life gave the beginning of living; for whom, as the apostle Paul says, “to live was Christ, and to die gain.” To live was surely Christ for them, for whom there was no life without Christ. To live was Christ for them, because all that they lived profited Christ's churches. And to die was gain for them, who by such a death bought themselves eternal life. To die was gain for them, whose corruption was followed by incorruption, and the losses of the present time by perpetual gains. But now, dearest ones, I think it necessary to speak of their own special virtues, as far as the dryness of my tongue and the slenderness of my talent allow, or rather as the merciful God grants. This, then, is that Peter who, by confessing that Christ the Lord is the Son of the living God, laid for us the strongest and unconquered foundations of believing. For when the Lord asked who men said he was, he answered: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”: that is, you, Lord, were made Christ from the flesh of a virgin, who are the everlasting Son of the living God; you, Lord, were born a man from men, who in unthinkable majesty are God with God; you are the Christ, who, coming to the passion for our redemption, remain impassible with the Father. Who, then, could ever have raised the gaze of human sense to so great a secret of incomprehensible Deity, had not the truth of this saving faith shone forth from Peter's mouth? Who could equal, even with great eloquence, the glory of his merits, from whom the faith of the adorable divinity both began for us and endures? What is more glorious than so great a man, who brought forth the faith of the inscrutable secret by speaking, taught it by living, confirmed it by suffering? And to show how great the magnitude of this confession was, the Saviour said to him: “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven; and to you I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” Who, then, could have perceived that Christ, through the flesh and born in the flesh, is the Son of the almighty Father, had not the Father himself graciously revealed it to us from heaven through Peter? This confession gave him to receive the keys of the kingdom of heaven before he entered the gates of heaven. But lest any earthly thought, brothers, disturb you about the keys of the kingdom entrusted to Peter, after the manner of our keys: the key of heaven is Peter's tongue, because by assessing the merits of each, the apostle closes or opens the kingdom of heaven to each. So this key is not fitted by the hand of a mortal craftsman, but is the power of judging given by Christ. Indeed he says to them: “Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; and whose you retain, they are retained.” This is Peter, whom the seas, subjected to his feet, proved to be most confident in Christ; for he asked as a faithful man, and earned as a beloved one, that new steps on the waves be given him by his Lord; and he seemed to tremble only so that human frailty might recognize how great the distance is between the Lord and the servant, since flesh weighed down by sins sinks, but the foot of the spotless one does not know how to sink. Likewise, so that Peter, walking on the waters with fearless foot and reaching Christ, should not perhaps be made equal to the powers of his Lord. But why do we say he trembled so greatly, since his small trembling profits him toward a greater faith? For as Peter believed that at his Lord's command he could be upheld by the waves, so too, while sinking, he believed that he would be saved by the power of the same Lord. Truly wonderful is the faith of blessed Peter even when he trembles, for not even the fear of pressing danger could disturb it; for by crying out as he sinks, “Lord, save me,” he distrusted himself, not doubted the Lord. Let no one, then, count this fear of most glorious Peter as a fault: for this fear, though it disturbed his first faith, yet adorned in him the confidence of a restored belief. This is Peter, to whom Christ the Lord gladly granted a share in his own name. For as, according to the apostle Paul's teaching, the rock was Christ, so through Christ Peter was made a rock, as the Lord says to him: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church.” For as in the desert water flowed from the rock for the Lord's thirsting people, so for the whole world, wearied by the dryness of unbelief, a fountain of saving confession sprang from Peter's mouth. This is Peter, to whom Christ, about to ascend to the Father, entrusted his sheep and lambs to be fed, so that those whom he had redeemed by the mercy of his love, this man might keep by the strength of his faith. And rightly the Son of God, the judge of hidden things, entrusted the sheep to be fed and guarded to him whom he knew lacked neither zeal nor faith in nourishing the Lord's flock. This is Peter who, when he was led to the cross as a disciple of the Crucified, asking to be crucified with his body reversed, did not fear the passion, but declined equality with the Lord's cross, to show all that he kept even amid torments the virtue of admirable humility and the discipline of the new mystery. How untroubled, dearest ones, did Peter go to the cross, who, driving away the fear of death, sought a manner of dying in so bitter a passion! And what shall I say of most glorious Paul, in whom the Lord chose the faith of his name while he was persecuting that very faith? While, like a fierce persecutor, he was laying waste the Christian Church, Christ found in that still hostile breast a heart friendly to himself; and while he was seizing Christians for temporal punishments, he himself was seized for perpetual grace, and suddenly became a shepherd from a wolf, a guardian from a robber, a defender from an enemy … neither Paul, with the purpose of a malicious mind, persecuting the Lord's [Church], nor was it hidden from Christ whom he was choosing in Paul. This is Paul who, called out by Christ's voice from heaven, his eyes in which Jewish unbelief had been dulled, did not lose the keenness of sight but changed it; he lost his eyes and received them back; so that at one and the same time the punishment of blindness went forth against the persecutor and the grace of the calling God enlightened the chosen one; for the Lord said to him from heaven: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” That is: why do you persecute me, Saul? What iniquity of mine has stirred your hatred against me? Is it because I gave light to the blind, because I healed the sick, because I drove out demons, because I fed hungry crowds with five loaves? Or because I raised the dead from their tombs? Or perhaps rather because I promised the heavenly kingdom to my faithful? But if you doubt that I can give what I promise, look, if you can, at the place from which I call you and how. But why do you persecute me, Saul? Or what will you gain by persecuting me? Will your persecution have any effect against one reigning in heaven? Can you harm me at all, whom you cannot see? For I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute, who have exchanged earth for heaven, the cross for a kingdom, death for everlasting life. Of all this your sight, taken from you now and soon given back, will persuade you that you must not doubt. And most blessed Paul, restrained by sudden blindness, yet understanding the majesty of the one speaking from heaven, at once became faithful, ceased from persecution, and acquired new eyes for beholding Christ. This is Paul who, in reward for his virtues beyond human merit, was caught up to the third heaven and learned heavenly secrets, so that the future teacher of the churches might learn among the angels what he would preach among men. Or who would not believe him, without punishment, who speaks of the Lord's sacraments not only what he has heard but testifies to what he has seen? By how great a grace of our God this was done, brothers, that he who was called to the apostolate from heaven had his apostolate consecrated in heaven! And after all, this is Paul, who most humbly submitted to be cut by the sword of the faithless, for Christ's honor, the neck which he had proudly raised against Christ's name; nor was he reluctant to die for him whom he had often proved to live and reign after death. And so it came about that Rome received most glorious Paul, who among various nations had fought countless battles for the faith of Christ in great struggle, to a triumph as the conqueror of the world. These, then, are the most blessed Peter and Paul, who, preaching with one spirit the sacrament of the heavenly kingdom, under the suffering of one day consecrated their teaching with their holy blood and a most courageous death; who also, made as it were the leaders of all the churches, by heavenly dispensation came to Rome and laid up their most sacred bodies in the citadel of that city which had obtained the leadership of the whole world; so that Christ, showing the power of his might, placed the leaders of his kingdom where the world had the head of its empire.

With the joy of the apostolic birthday of Peter and Paul, dearest brothers, whose most blessed sufferings we rejoice in today, the Church of Christ exults more gladly throughout the whole world; which, though it is sure that it is adorned by the martyrdom of all its saints, yet sees that the very fathers of the faith and teachers of the martyrs triumphed over this world. For what is more remarkable than Peter, who, placed in the flesh, went beyond the measure of the flesh and confessed Christ Jesus to be the true Son of the living God; and what still lay hidden in the breast of all mortals Peter's tongue first confessed in new speech? What, my brothers, is more magnificent than Peter, to whom, by the merit of so great a confession, while he was still in a corruptible body and had not yet himself ascended into heaven, it was granted to close and open the heavenly kingdom? What is loftier than his faith, who, when the Lord walked on the waters, forgetting the human condition, both asked and earned that a way be given him on the waves; and so great was the confidence of his mind that he believed he could do by faith what he knew was impossible for man by nature? That he afterward began to sink was necessary, it seems to me, lest the frailty of the flesh, made equal to Christ by the height of so great a miracle, should perhaps grow proud to its own ruin. It was certainly of bodily weakness that he feared a little later; yet who would doubt that it was of inimitable faith that the trembling wave of the sea, unshaken by human steps, upheld him as he came down from the boat? But now let us come to most blessed Paul, whose fullness of faith is no less, so that the Saviour, foreknowing all, chose him as in a way his own special leader to enlighten the hearts of the nations. For he was so outstanding in learning, so powerful in strength of mind, so holy in innocence and integrity, that at one and the same time the priests and leaders of the Jews, out of zeal for the old law, sent him with authority to persecute the Christians, and Christ called him from heaven for the comfort of the Church and the support of all believers; whose eyes were blinded by the Lord so that, having received the grace of truth, they might shine with heavenly keenness and a clearer light; and so that the future leader of the Christian name might notice that Christ, whom he was persecuting, had the power to blind and to enlighten. To pass over the other things that make him wonderful to the whole world, who could estimate the glory of that one thing, which suffices for all his praises: that while he lived among men, by a special grace of the Godhead, paradise was open to him and heaven passable? What, then, brothers, is more perfect than this teacher, who learned in heaven what he would teach on earth? What more truthful than this witness, who, his eyes raised above the heavens, was granted to see and approve what he would afterward promise to those who would believe? These, then, are the astonishing merits of the apostles Peter and Paul; advancing through these miracles, they consecrated their apostolate to our Lord and God by the shedding of their devoted blood.

The inseparable faith and twin passion of the most blessed apostles Peter and Paul, brothers, we must celebrate with all devotion, because a praiseworthy life brought them to a most glorious end, and a wonderful death passed them on to perpetual life. And though faith stands out in Peter and teaching excels in Paul, yet Paul's teaching is the fullness of faith, and Peter's belief is the foundation of teaching; and so great a condescension of heavenly election visited them that the one became a teacher from a fisherman, the other a defender from a persecutor. But in this the majesty of almighty God must be extolled, who by wonderful inspiration gave the grace of teaching to the unlearned, and made the enemy love what he had hated and assert the faith he was attacking. He did not take away the one's fishing but changed it; he blinded the other's eyes so that, receiving a purer light, he might see beyond human sight with the keenness of a most clear mind. How great, then, was Peter's merit with his God, that after the oars of a small boat the helm of the whole Church was handed to him? Or how greatly do we believe Paul pleased Christ in the ministry of his apostolate, when he could please him so much as a persecutor? For he pleased him because he was striving not with the zeal of a wicked breast but with the unwary devotion of simple ignorance. Indeed, as soon as the Spirit of truth was poured into his senses, he showed at once that he had not raged out of hatred for Christ but had erred innocently out of love for his fathers' law. What, then, shall I say of him above all, when he himself is his own most faithful witness? Not wishing to boast his own praises, and eager to proclaim Christ's majesty, he modestly confesses what was done in him. For he says, as if of someone else: “I know a man in Christ fourteen years ago, whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows, caught up thus. And I know such a man, whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows, that he was caught up into paradise and heard secret words which it is not lawful for a man to speak.” What is more magnificent than this apostle, who, placed in the midst of mortals, was given to go above the heavens and allowed to return to earth? What is more blessed than this man, who among the secrets of paradise was found worthy to learn what neither a man's tongue could speak nor anyone deserve to hear? And since the things he taught are of such sublimity that the human mind cannot grasp them, how great do we think the glory of what he says he was not allowed to disclose? What shall I say of Peter, whose righteousness was so approved by God, and to whom such power of judging was given, that the heavenly judgment was placed in his decision? Consider, then, and judge how great the honor is with which the apostle Peter is to be revered by us, whose sentence pronounced on earth the equity of the everlasting Judge does not reject. And so attend carefully to the magnitude of his glory, to whom, while the keys of the eternal kingdom are entrusted, it was granted to close and open heaven. The venerable passion of these men, dearest ones, is celebrated today throughout the whole world; today Rome honors their martyrdom with most joyful throngs; and she who once impiously persecuted their blood now, devoted, glories in their special patronage.