The Sunday Sermons of St. Bonaventure

Sermon 47: Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

penTecoST and The SundayS afTer 495 sermon 47: TwenTieTh sunday afTer PenTeCosT 1. Lord, come down before my son dies. John 4:49. [Protheme] You, who are seated upon the Cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Dearly beloved, the words in this second proposed verse are from David himself in Psalm 79:2.831 In them the extraordinary understanding of divine power is described as strong and stable given the fortitude of authority, precious and noble given the height of sublimity, and splendid and delightful given the beauty of clarity. Moreover that it is virtuous and stable given the fortitude of authority is mentioned, when it says: You, who are seated; it is noted that it is precious and noble given the height of sublimity, when it adds: upon; and it mentions that it is splendid and delightful given the beauty of clarity, when it includes: Cherubim. Indeed Cherubim is interpreted as the plentitude of knowledge.832 That it is therefore virtuous and stable given the fortitude of authority, is manifested to those who are zealous without error with the rectitude of truth; that it is precious and noble given the height of sublimity, is manifested to those who are productive without rancor with an abundance of charity; and that it is splendid and delightful given the beauty of clarity, is manifested to those made gracious with the 831 Ps 79:2-3 reads: “You who are seated upon the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.” 832 See CCSL lxxii, 80: “Cherubim means almost all, or vermiculated picture, or great knowledge.” The Sunday SermonS of ST. BonavenTure 496 beauty of chastity. That it is manifested however to those who are productive without rancor with an abundance of charity is mentioned, when it says: shine forth before Ephraim; for Ephraim is interpreted as stability and sustenance ;833 that it is manifested to those who are zealous without error in the rectitude of truth is noted, when it says: Benjamin; in fact Benjamin is interpreted as the son of the right hand or son of strength;834 that it is manifested to those who enjoy favor with the beauty of chastity is mentioned, when it adds: Manasseh; for Manasseh is interpreted as one who is astounded or forgetful835 and it signifies those, in whom carnal concupiscence is confounded , as if forgotten. Dearly beloved, desiring then to explain the divine word, let us ask the giver of all good things,836 that in the ministry of his word he may make us virtuous and stable with the fortitude of authority, precious and noble with the abundance of charity, and gracious and delightful with the beauty of sanctity; so that in the end it may be manifested to the stable and virtuous with the rectitude of truth, manifested to the noble and precious with an abundance of charity, and manifested to the delightful and gracious with the beauty of honesty or chastity. [Sermon] 2. Lord, come down before my son dies. That ruler conducts himself in the manner of a prelate, whose control is ineffective over the son, that is, his subordinate, who grows infirm. He is displayed in the previously proposed verse in an orderly fashion, because in this preceding verse, first the affectionate invocation of magnificent excellence is sent ahead, when it says: Lord; second, the 833 See CCSL lxxii, 81: “Ephraim means increasing or fruitful.” 834 See CCSL lxxii, 159: “Benjamin means son of the right hand.” 835 See CCSL lxxii, 160: “Manasseh means forgetful or astounded .” 836 See James 1:5. penTecoST and The SundayS afTer 497 specific insinuation of imminent indigence is included, when it adds: before my son dies; third, the devout petition of assisting mercy is united with it, when it introduces : come down. The first seizes benevolence, the second manifests indigence, and the third implores mercy. 3. It says then: Lord, where it commends the excellence of virtue. Certainly that excellent and magnificent power, which is conveyed in the designation Lord, can be seen for three reasons: first, by reason of insuperable power in prevailing; second, by reason of inscrutable wisdom in knowing; third, by reason of indescribable mercy in pardoning; and so, because of the magnificence of power he is rendered terrifying to enemies, because of the splendor of wisdom, honorable to servants and friends, and because of the clemency of mercy, desirable to the miserable and needy. 4...