The Homilies of Saint Jerome, Volume 1 (1–59 on the Psalms)

5. Homily 5 On Psalm 14 (15)

HOMILY 5 ON PSALM 14 (15) Lent: To those preparing tor baptism OST OPPORTUNELY do we read the fourteenth psalm; so timely is its place in the proper course of the liturgy that it seems to fall there almost by plan. The psalm is read, moreover, in its regular sequence. This has happened, I think, by the dispensation of God, so that what would be of special profit to you might be read aloud today in the normal process of exegesis. You have heard the fourteenth psalm, and its title is 'A psalm of David: David is our Christ, as we have said so many times. Besides, we read in Exodus1 that on the fourteenth day a lamb is sacrificed; on the fourteenth day when the moon is a full moon, when its light is at its brightest. You see Christ is not immolated except in perfect and full light. Because, therefore, on the fourteenth day, the lamb is to be sacrificed by you, the prophet is now wondering , and asks: '0 Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?' You are they who desire to make your house in the tent of the Lord. 'Who shall dwell on your holy mountain?' Notice what it says: 'Who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy mountain?' Not first on the mountain and, then, afterwards in the tent; but first in the tent and thereby on the mountain. A tent is not a fixed abode; a tent does not have a foundation, but is moved hither and thither with the nomad. That is why it says 1 Exod. 12.6. 38 HOMILY 5 39 'paroikfa'-sojourn-and not 'habitatio'-dwelling.2 '0 Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?' Because it is a tent, that is why 'paroikia' is used. Let us see, therefore, what is this tent that is a mountain. We said that a tent does not have a foundation , but is a temporary dwelling place; a house, however, has a fixed foundation. The tent seems to me to be the church of this world. Now the churches that you see are tabernacles, for we are not here as permanent dwellers, but rather as those about to migrate to another place. If 'this world as we see it is passing away,'3 and it says elsewhere that 'heaven and earth will pass away';4 if, then, heaven and earth will pass away, how much more will the stones of the churches that we see also pass away? Now that is why churches are tabernacles, because we are going to migrate from them to the holy mountain of God. What is this holy mountain of God? It says in Ezechiel against the prince of Tyre: 'Thou hast been cut off as one slain from the mountain of God.'5 'Who shall dwell on your holy mountain?' Since, then, we are going to migrate from the tabernacles to the mountain, we ought to get acquainted with those who are going to migrate to God's holy mountain. The words: 'Who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy mountain?' are the words of one seeking an answer. As the prophet has asked the question, the Holy Spirit responds. And what does He say to the prophet? 'Do you wish to know, o prophet, who will sojourn in My tent, or who will dwell on My holy mountain? Listen to what follows, and if you heed, you will dwell on My holy mountain.' You, therefore, who wish to sojourn in the tent and ascend the mountain of God, need not my words. Hear what the Lord has answered the prophet; obey His commands and you will ascend into the holy mountain of God: 'He who walks blamelessly and does justice.' Likewise in Psalm 118, it says: 'Happy are they 2 Cf. Letter 106.3, PL 22.839 (643). 3 1 Cor. 7.31. 4 Matt. 24.35. 5 Cf. Ezech. 28.16, LXX. 40 SAINT JEROME whose way is blameless.'6 Right there in the very beginning it says: 'Happy are they whose way is blameless.' Just as in that psalm it says: 'whose way is blameless,' so here in our psalm it says: 'He who walks blamelessly.' Moreover, he who walks is on the way. 'He who walks blamelessly.' Understand what is being commanded. The Holy Spirit did not say, he who arrives at...