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Sermon 5: Fourth Sunday of Advent
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The Sunday SermonS of ST. BonavenTure 100 sermon 5: fourTh sunday of advenT 1. Prepare the way of the Lord. Luke 3:4. [Protheme] Master, we have worked through the night and have taken nothing; but at your word I will lower the net. Luke 5:5. If the net is the sermon by which people are taken like fish in a net, then the fisher is the preacher whose role is to lower the nets, that is, to compose the sermon, wash the nets,80 that is, to adorn the sermon, and to restore the nets, that is, to confirm the sermon with authorities: unless God commands with his word that the nets be lowered, preaching is shrouded in darkness by the obscurity of error, which is suggested when it says: through the night; it is an onerous burden given the weight of the labor which is noted when it adds: have worked; and it is unfruitful work, without benefit, as mentioned when it adds: we have taken nothing. Before all else it is necessary to ask God with a prayer, so that with his word of grace, and piety, he wash the net, that is, our sermon and ennoble it with the clarity of truth by removing the obscurity of error, with the delight of rest by removing the gravity of labor, and with the usefulness of charity by removing the unfruitfulness of the works, so that with clear understanding, delighted affections, and beneficial works, we might be able to say some things to the praise and glory, etc. 80 See Luke 5:2. SundayS of advenT 101 [Sermon] 2. Prepare the way of the Lord. John the Baptist, ever the good disciple, faithful messenger, and truthful precursor, was sent out to prepare the way of the true master, great king, and fair judge, Jesus Christ. Diligently desiring to fulfill the duty God gave him, he indicated three things in these proposed words. First he set out a challenging admonition so we may rise from the sleep of sin. Second, he included an informative directive, so we may take on ourselves the rule of good living. Third, he added the explicit motive, so we may come to the Lord with humble deference. First, he set out a challenging admonition so we might rise from the sleep of sin when it says: Prepare. Second, it includes the informative directive that we may take on the rule of good living when it adds: the way. Just as a material road is a particular rule that directs a person lest one deviate into error and leads one, instead, to his native city, so too, the spiritual way of penance is a particular rule pointing out misleading errors to a person, and guides him to the celestial homeland . Third, it adds the explicit motive so we may come to the Lord with humble deference when it adjoins: Lord. 3. But since the third concerns motivation because the purpose of our preparation pertains to the coming of the Lord, let us look, first of all, at the qualities of the Lord, let us therefore prepare the way of interior dwelling place for him, conforming both to the manifold excellence of his character and the measure of our possibility. The Lord Jesus Christ has three noble qualities in him that render him a suitable motivating force for our preparation : first, the quality of profound wisdom making him the wisest master; second, the quality of sublime power making him the most powerful king; third, the quality of equitable justice making him the most just judge. He possesses , therefore, certain knowledge with regard to good [3.89.163.156] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 16:06 GMT) The Sunday SermonS of ST. BonavenTure 102 and evil, regal government with regard to evil, and final jurisdiction with regard to the dead and the living. 4. First, Christ is the wisest master by reason of profound wisdom. Whence Psalm 146:5 states: Great is our Lord, and great is his power. There is no measure to his wisdom.He is the great Lord because he is intimately near to everything in existence.We should not think, therefore, that he is absent if we disfigure his dwelling; great is his power because he is most powerful in action. Therefore when we commit sin we should not think we can avoid punishment from him whose kingdom we defile. There is no measure to his wisdom, because he is most commanding...