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| The Nativity of Christ, from the Floreffe Bible, British Library, Add MS 17738, fol. 168r (ca. 1170, Belgium) |
From the Speculum Ecclesiae of Honorius Augustodunensis (early 12th cen.)[1]
Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice! Let the mountains break into songs of praise, for the Lord has comforted his people and will have mercy on his poor (Ps 95[96].11 / Is 49.13).[2] It is right that the heavens are bid to be glad today, for today they have gained the illumination of new light and new joy. Today indeed heavens’ King has willed to visit the earth with his presence and to restore through humans the loss incurred in heaven by the angels’ fall.[3] So at once the heavens have shown their cheerful joy to the world by sending forth a shining star in honor for their King. It is also right to urge the earth to rejoice today, for the Truth that sprung up from the earth (Ps 84.12[85.11]) has come today to free her from the curse and to unite humankind, born from the earth, with the angels in heaven. The earth has made her great exultation known to the world today by pouring forth from her womb a spring of oil for her God, who is born from her bosom, and offering it to those who look in wonder [4] The mountains, too, are urged to break into song in praise of God.[5] The mountains are the patriarchs and prophets, who transcended human merits by their holy way of life like mountains that rose high above the plains of the earth. Today they have broken into song in praise of God, for what the patriarchs once foretold in figures and the prophets in Scripture, they rejoice today to see fulfilled—that the people of the Gentiles who walked in the darkness of ignorance have seen today the great light of God’s eternal Wisdom (Is 9.2). And on those who dwell in the land of the shadow of death—that is, hell—light has risen (Is 9.2): Christ is born, the splendor of the everlasting Father;[6] after coming down for them and snatching them from the darkness, he drew them towards eternal light.
The righteous, too, insofar as God will dwell within them, are called heavens, for the sun of wisdom, the moon of eloquence, and the stars of the virtues shine in them. These heavens have been glad today, for their desire—what they have for so long wished for with so many prayers—has been fulfilled in Christ’s birth today, and they have felt the approach of their reward. But by the earth one understands sinners, in whom have sprung up the thorns and thistles of sin (Gn 3.18). These are urged to rejoice today, for through Christ[7] they deserve to be called to pardon. I have not come, he said, to call the righteous, but sinners (Mt 9.13). The mountains, meanwhile, are the angels who broke into sweet songs of praise to God[8] this day, as to their King born on earth they sang with voices echoing above, Glory in the highest (Lk 2.14)![9] They also happily declared peace to people of good will (Lk 2.14), from whom they knew their diminished number would be made whole again.
The sun, too, has quite happily put on a new gleam today, because it has seen the Sun of righteousness (Mal 4.2) that gives it light arise upon the earth to which it gives light. Indeed, a scarlet ring gleaming far and wide shone today around the sun’s light, a sure sign that the Sun of life,[10] having risen up in death’s darkness, has resolved to adorn the world with the scarlet of his blood.[11] It is also said that a wild animal spoke today with a human voice, indicating that the mouth of the Gentiles, silent until then, ought to be opened in praise of God.[12] When the Gentiles saw the star, they were amazed and prepared themselves to offer gifts to the newborn King.
Today the whole of creation has raised itself to happiness, for the Son of heaven’s King has come today from the palace of heaven into the prison of the world on behalf of a lost servant and brought joy to the whole universe. Rightly indeed has the whole world put on today a new dance, for the Lord has comforted his people (Is 49.13). His people are the humble, the meek,[13] the chaste, the modest, the merciful, the patient, and those who love God[14] and neighbor. Because these people had dwelt in sorrow, in that they had for so long been scattered from heavenly happiness, today they are consoled by the Lord, because today through Christ, not only the gates of paradise, which had been closed because of disobedience, but also the doors of heaven are unlocked for them. This is also promised them by the angel: “For he shall save his people from their sins” (Mt 1.21).
He will also have mercy on his poor (Is 49.13). The poor are people like me, who have failed[15] to do the Lord’s commands and insatiably clung their whole life to every sin. Because they bemoan that they are wretched and stripped of righteousness, they desire wholeheartedly to be freed by him from the wretchedness of their sins and punishments. They are his[16] poor because they know that they cannot be saved except by God’s grace alone. Therefore, the Lord has mercy on them when he promises them the hope of pardon, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand for you” (Mt 4.17).[17] Therefore, the festive cheer of today’s light is shared by the righteous and the sinners, for a crown is promised to the righteous if they persevere in their righteousness, while pardon will be granted to the sinners if they fly from wickedness to repentance.
My friends, don’t let it seem a burden to you if this sermon continues a while longer and with greater detail. If someone were to come here from another people and dwell here as a pilgrim, and then someone else whom they knew were to come from their homeland, they would eagerly and effortlessly offer to listen to whatever that person had to report about their homeland and their friends or fellow citizens. All of you are here on pilgrimage; therefore, you ought to listen very intently to what is proclaimed to you about your homeland, the heavenly Jerusalem,[18] and what is told about God[19] your Father, the Church your mother, and your fellow citizens, the angels and saints. Nevertheless, because you are tired today from the unusually long service and the harshness of the bitter cold squeezes at some of you, I want, as much as a I can,[20] to share with you briefly how the Son of God[21] came into this world to free the human race from the devil’s power.
As the Gospel relates (cf. Lk 1.1-20), at that time Caesar Augustus ruled the Roman Empire. He had made subject to his authority all the kingdoms that the ocean’s edge girds and bounds on every side. He published an edict that the whole world should undergo a written census, and he had promulgated this decree such that every person should return to the homeland where his family originated, and that any[22] should freely recoup the inheritance that he had unjustly lost.[23] Once there, each person should recite his family genealogy to the provincial judge, and so the notary’s witness would mark him for the census. At that time, there was a certain man of Bethlehem named Joseph, who was betrothed to Mary,[24] a holy virgin of God,[25] who, although her parents were poor, was descended from royal stock. Because of poverty, he had moved from Judaea into Galilee and settled in the town of Nazareth to make a living. As the entire population throughout the world journeyed therefore to land of their birth at the bidding of the Emperor’s edict, Joseph too went to declare the census with Mary, his betrothed, to Bethlehem, the city of King David, because both he and the Virgin were descended from the noble stock of David’s family.[26] And since, because of the crowd of gathered guests flowing in from everywhere, there was no dwelling place in the entire city that had room, and since they did not at that time have family wealth, when they could not find lodging, they stayed in the street.
Then the fullness of time had come[27] (Gal 4.4) when God had determined to look down from heaven onto earth (Ps 101.20[102.19]), and that night the blessed Virgin gave birth with no pain or mess to him who holds the whole world in his hand.[28] Wrapping him in swaddling clothes, she laid him for the time being in a manger, which perhaps Joseph or some other fellow travelers[29] had prepared for the animals in the street. Soon the heavens proclaimed his birth with a new star to celebrate, and the earth with rejoicing, for immediately, springs of oil burst forth from the depths of the earth. The angels too appeared to people with an immense light and, singing a joyous hymn, declared that the King of heaven was born on earth. These are the solemnities of this sacred day, to be celebrated by both angels and humans.
Now, my dear friends, I want very briefly to unlock for you the mysteries of these things, of why the Only-Begotten of God wished to visit the world[30] in such a way. When that powerful king imposed the bridles of his empire upon all the people, this signifies that the newborn King had determined to draw the entire world with the reins of faith[31] beneath the yoke of the Gospel. When the world shone, meanwhile, with the greatest peace, this signifies that Christ, the true Peace, appeared on earth,[32] and he would loose the enmities between God and humans and by his blood return human nature to angelic dignity.[33] When all traveled back to their native land, this signifies that all ought to be turned back through Christ to the homeland of paradise. Their lost inheritance is returned to them, for the lost possession of paradise is restored to the faithful through Christ. Individuals are recalled by their descendants and thus are enrolled in the written census, for the faithful who confess by faith and works that their roots are in paradise, deserve to be confirmed by Christ for the heavenly kingdom with the anointing of chrism. We also read that some were killed who did not know their line of generation, for of course those who do not believe in the Church’s practice of regeneration perish in an eternal death. To Caesar the people paid a denarius, which was supposed to carry his image and be the weight of ten coins, for all who desire to be reformed in the image of their Creator ought particularly to keep the Ten Commandments of the Law without delay.
That Christ willed to be born in the street signifies that, because for our sake he became an exile from the homeland of heaven, he came to a foreign place. Although all things were his own and he came unto his own (Jn 1.11), still this world, so full of troubles, was quite different from his glory. He is born at night because, though he would later come openly (Ps 49[50].3), he comes now in secret, unrecognized as God. He is wrapped in swaddling clothes and by his death looses our loincloths stitched together from the leaves of sin (Gn 3.7). He is laid in a manger—namely, in the animals’ food trough—because his body is given to the faithful for the food of life (cf. Jn 6.48-59). Over the manger are said to have stood an ass and an ox, for certainly the people of the Gentiles (which are understood by the ass) and the people of the Jews (which are understood by the ox) are brought together by faith to the feast of Christ’s body. A star shone brighter than the rest, for the Holy of Holies has today enlightened the world. A spring of oil burst forth from the earth in Rome and ran in a bountiful stream into the Tiber River, for the pure Virgin brought forth today a spring of mercy that flowed forth bountifully into the human race. The angels presented themselves to people with a great flash of light and singing hymns of praise, for they prefigured that they would be, through the King born today, for an eternal light and perpetual praise of the Creator.
These are the sacrosanct mysteries that Holy Church honors today by rejoicing in the Lord with the angels. And three masses are celebrated today, signifying that humans are saved by Christ’s birth throughout the three ages—the patriarchs before the Law, the prophets under the Law, and the faithful under grace.
Today, the daylight begins to get longer and the shadow of night to get shorter, for surely the splendor of eternal light[34] that appears today has put to flight the darkness of vices or sins from the human race and enlightened the world with the radiance of the virtues and called it forth to the undying light.
Finish here if you wish; but if time permits, add this:
This singular Nativity,[35] my dear friends, was anticipated by the first Man, who came forth as an individual form from the pure earth. He then foretold this Nativity, saying: A man shall leave his father and his mother and cleave to his wife (Gn 2.24). For Christ left his Father in heaven and Synagogue, his mother on earth, and cleaved to his wife, the Church. This was also prefigured by the patriarchs, as Isaac was foretold by an angel and born from a barren old woman.[36] Isaac, who is called “joy,”[37] is Christ, who is the complete joy of the faithful. The prophets all foretold this in many ways. Even the very beasts portrayed in figures that it was to come. The unicorn is said to be the fiercest of beast with only a single horn. To capture it, place a virgin girl in a field, and when it comes to her and lays down in her lap, it is caught. By this beast Christ is portrayed, through its horn is grasped[38] his unconquerable strength. When he laid down in the Virgin’s womb, he was caught by the hunters, that is, he was found in human form by those who love him.
Therefore,[39] dear friends, because the Son of God willed to come down from heaven to you[40] in prison, and to redeem you from the tyrant’s captivity, turn away with all your strength from serving the wicked lord who gives to his serfs nothing except eternal suffering; and hand yourselves over whole-heartedly to the lordship[41] of the best Lord, who offers his serfs eternal joys. God the Father had only one Son [and][42] did not want him to be the sole heir, [so] he sent him after the runaway serf into exile, so that when the serf returns with the Son, he could give him the King’s palace. Flee to him, all of you, with your whole effort, serve him with all your strength, that you might eventually celebrate this festive season with the angels forever. Amen.
Of St. Anastasia:[43]
The blessed martyr Anastasia increases our votive joys this holy day. She was a noblewoman of the Romans—but she abandoned all her wealth out of love for Christ, stood by the Christians held in prison and gave to them whatever they needed. Then she was imprisoned by the pagans, afflicted with many tortures, and finally had her head cut off for Christ’s sake. [44]
Of St. Eugenia:
To this is added today the holy virgin and martyr Eugenia. Her father, Philipp, was a senior imperial official[45] sent from Rome to Alexandria, where he governed the whole of Egypt under his authority. But his daughter secretly left his palace with two of their servants, Protus and Hyacinth, and entered a men’s monastery wearing a man’s clothing. After she became abbot there, she gleamed through many miracles. Since no one recognized that she was a woman, she was solicited by some housewife to for illicit sex. When she rebuffed the advances, she was accused by that woman[46] before a judge, who happened to be her father. When he threw all the Christians with her into jail, Eugenia was tortured for the illicit act. After a long discussion with her father, for Christ’s glory she tore off the clothing she was wearing and presented herself, the prince’s daughter. He was quickly converted with his whole household to God, [47] later became bishop, and not long after was beheaded for Christ upon the altar where he celebrated Mass. But fire from heaven devoured the woman who had accused [Eugenia], together with all of her household. After this, her mother, Claudia, came to Rome with her daughter Eugenia, and her two sons Sergius and Bachus,[48] and the two eunuchs Protus and Hyacinth. Sergius and Bachus became proconsuls and counts[49] and many were converted to the faith[50] by them. Many married women also were converted by Claudia, and many virgins by Eugenia. Furthermore, when many soldiers were converted by Protus and Hyacinth, they were killed for Christ’s name. Eugenia, meanwhile, after many contests and various sufferings, was sacrificed this day, her blood outpoured, an offering for Christ. And because Christ willed to come down to earth, he gave to humans, but also to these young girls, the power to mount to heaven. Commend yourselves to these and to all the saints, that through their merits, after this pitiable life you might rejoice with them[51] in the eternal solemnity.
[1] This sermon has been translated from the text in Patrologia Latina 172, cols. 815-820, in consultation with several manuscripts, especially the following: ↩ [2] The amalgamation of Ps 95[96].11 with Is 49.13 owes to a Responsory for the First Sunday of Advent (CAO 7068), perhaps also under the influence of the use of Ps 95[96].11 as an Offertory Antiphon for Christmas (CAO 3567). ↩
[3] Tradition holds that when Lucifer was cast out of heaven with his followers, an empty space among the choirs of angels was left, to be filled by humankind as the tenth choir of heaven; see Elucidarium 1.6 (PL 172, col. 113). ↩
[4] The spring of oil is one of the seven signs of the Nativity at the end of Hrabanus Maurus, Homily 163 (PL 110, col. 468A-B). ↩
[5] Dei: MSS; Domini, PL 172, col. 815B. ↩
[6] Cf. St. Ambrose’s hymn, Splendor paternae gloriae. ↩
[7] per Christum: MSS; om. PL 172, col. 815C. ↩
[8] Dei: MSS; Domini, PL 172, col. 816A. ↩
[9] Gloria in excelsis: MSS; add Deo, PL 172, col. 816A. ↩
[10] vitae: MSS; justitiae, PL 172, col. 816A. ↩
[11] The scarlet ring and talking beasts also come from Hrabanus Maurus, Homily 163 (PL 110, col. 468A-B). ↩
[12] Dei: MSS; Domini, PL 172, col. 816B. ↩
[13] humiles mites: MSS; mites humiles, PL 172, col. 816B. ↩
[14] Dei: MSS; Domini, PL 172, col. 816B. ↩
[15] neglexerunt: PL, Lyell 56 et al.; contempserunt, Admont 131 et al. ↩
[16] eius: MSS; etiam, PL 172, col. 816C. ↩
[17] vobis: PL, Admont 131 et al.; om. Lyell 56 et al. ↩
[18] The foundational conceit of life in this world as a pilgrimage from one’s heavenly homeland was developed by St. Augustine of Hippo in The City of God. ↩
[19] Deo: MSS, om. PL 172 col. 817B. ↩
[20] quia estis hodie fatigati de longioris officii insolentia et quosdam vestrum constringit etiam asperioris frigoris inclement, cum brevitate quanto potero brevitate volo: MSS; PL 172 col. 817B offers here a bowdlerized text. ↩
[21] filius Dei: MSS; om. PL 172, col. 817B. ↩
[22] patrimonium quod quilbet: MSS; patrimonium quodlibet, PL 172, col. 817C. ↩
[23] These details of the census come from Hrabanus Maurus, Homily 163 (PL 110, col. 467A-B). They may be influenced by the concept of the Jubilee year from Lv 25. ↩
[24] Mariam: PL and Lyell 56; but most MSS omit the name here. ↩
[25] Dei: MSS; Domini, PL 172, col. 817C. ↩
[26] Joseph’s descent is given in the genealogy of Mt 1.1-17; Mary’s descent was understood to be implied by the genealogy of Lk 3.23-38. ↩
[27] advenerat: MSS; advenit, PL 172, col. 817D. ↩
[28] Cf. Is 40.12; and the third verse of Venantius Fortunatus’ hymn, Quem terra, pontus, aethera. ↩
[29] conviantes: most MSS; convivantes, PL 172, col. 817D. ↩
[30] mundum: MSS; nos, PL 172, co. 818A. ↩
[31] Cf. Gregory the Great, Moralia 6.31.4 (PL 76, col. 574A). ↩
[32] in terris: MSS; om. PL 172, col. 818A. ↩
[33] Cf. Eph 2.14-16; Honorius’s Sermon for Easter Day (PL 172, col. 933B); and Hrabanus Maurus, Homily 127 (PL 110, col. 390A). ↩
[34]“the splendor of eternal light”: from the Magnificat antiphon for December 21, O oriens (CAO 4050); cf. Wis 7.26. ↩
[35] nativitas: MSS; nativitatis festivitas, PL 172, col. 819A. ↩
[36] Cf. Gn 17.15-21. ↩
[37] The traditional etymology is that Isaac means “laughter”; cf. Gn 18.12-15 and 21.6. ↩
[38] accipitur: MSS; exprimitur, PL 172, col. 819B. ↩
[39] Igitur: MSS; Legitur, PL 172, col. 819B. ↩
[40] vos: MSS; nos, PL 172, col. 819B. ↩
[41] dominio: most MSS; om. PL 172, col. 819B. ↩
[42] PL adds et quia, which is not found in the MSS. ↩
[43] December 25 is also the feasts of the Sts. Anastasia and Eugenia. In Lyell 56, their stories have been added in a later interpolated leaf, whose text includes minority readings shared by PL. ↩
[44] capite pro Christo est caesa: most MSS; flammis pro Christo est iniecta: Lyell 56 and PL 172, col. 820A. ↩
[45] dux patricius: most MSS; patricius, PL 172, col. 820A. ↩
[46] ab eadem: MSS; om. PL 172, col. 820A. ↩
[47] ad Deum: MSS; om. PL 172, col. 820B. ↩
[48] Most MSS give Sergius and Bachus as the names of Claudia’s sons; some (and PL) name them as Sergius and Avitus. ↩
[49] comites: most MSS; om. PL 172, col. 820B. ↩
[50] ad fidem: MSS; om. PL 172, col. 820B. ↩
[51] cum eis: MSS; om. PL 172, col. 820B. ↩
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Merry Christmas ! 🕊
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