HOW THE WORD OF GOD IS TO BE
DESIRED AND SOUGHT
Blessed are those who truly wish to
know the commands of Christ. This remarkable hunger and
desirable thirst is a gift of God. The hunger and thirst is
sincere if we are willing to hear the word of God with patience and
love.
Action is better than mere
knowledge; but it is necessary to know before acting. One must
know exactly what he wished. We must first learn so that
afterwards we may fulfill.
If you truly thirst and hunger, you
will not be content just to listen during homilies. You must
seek it every moment as something rightly your due.
Preachers are told to preach
ceaselessly: "Show my people their sins. If you do not, I
will require his blood at thy hand." The apostle says,
"For three days and three nights, I did not cease to
admonish everyone of you."
The apostle was so fearful of this
obligation that he preached day and night. "Preach the
word. . .in season and out of season; reprove, entreat,
rebuke." "In season. . ." i.e. when people are
willing to listen and "Out of season. . .", even when they
are not willing.
The word of God must be offered to
those who are willing to listen: it must be forced upon those who
are averse to it. "You must double with good deeds what
you have received in word."
You must feel it when your dosage
of God's words is delayed. The body is fed three times a day;
and the soul is fed once a week?
There must be a desirable
restlessness for the words of Scriptures. For when God sees
that the hearers are slothful because of worldly distraction and the
preachers are equally slothful in preaching the word of God, God
". . .sends a famine on hearing the word of
God."
So preachers must preach well and,
you, the hearers, be gentle in your obedience and persevere in good
works.
St. Caesarius of Arles, Sermo. 4
(10-21-04)
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