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34 SERMON 02 LAUDA ET LETARE Another Sermon on Advent Zechariah 2.14: “Sing praise and be glad, daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord. Sermo T IS AS St. Bernard says: “While I often think of the burning desire of the fathers who expected Christ’s coming, I feel shame in myself.” For someone who considers the sighs of those who were imploring, the desires of those who were expectant, and the joy of those who announced the coming of the Savior, can well become aware of his own tepidity in respect of the benefit already received that proceeds from his coming [cf. Rv 1.7, 3.16]. Isaiah implored this coming with a frequent sigh, in Is 16.1 [Vg]: “Send out the lamb, Lord, (the ruler of the world),” and elsewhere: “O may you rend your heavens (and come down)” [Is 63.19]. Jeremiah expected him with great desire: “The Lord will make something new upon the earth: (a woman will encompass a man)” [Jer 31.22]. Zechariah preached with tremendous joy, as is clear from the saying mentioned at the beginning. Here the Prophet does three things: (1) First, he shows the affection of the holy fathers who preceded the coming of the Savior, continually persisting in their praises of him, where he says: “Sing praise and be glad, daughter of Zion.” (2) Second, the Son of God himself coming down from the heavens: “Behold , I come.” (3) Third, him humbly appearing in human flesh: “And I will dwell in your midst.” E (1) So, first the joyfulness of the coming is presented, which is shown by a double and perfect gladness [cf. Jn 15.11]. Note, in view of this, that three things are required for a perfect gladness . (1.1) First, that the mind is elevated to a divine benefit; this is mentioned where it says: “Daughter of Zion.” (1.2) Second , that the affection is enlarged by spiritual joy, which is mentioned where it says: “Be glad.” (1.3) Third, that the tongue is excited to the favorable gift of the divine praise, where it says: “Sing praise.” For if you carefully consider the divine benefits, then you will be a daughter of Zion; if you sing of the divine announcements in exultation, and praise them in thanksgiving with delight, your joy will be perfect;1 if spiritual gladness is born from this consideration, you will rejoice, daughter of Zion. And this is what the Prophet taught, saying: “Sing praise and be glad, daughter of Zion.” (1.1) So, first, for perfect gladness it is required that the mind be elevated to a divine benefit, which is mentioned when it is said: “Daughter of Zion.” Zion, after all, is interpreted as “watchtower” [cf. Is 21.8], and, understood in a spiritual way, she always signifies the soul of someone who is contemplating [cf. Ps 130.6]. For a man 2 came in order to announce the coming of his Lord by means of preaching, as we read in Is 52.7: “How beautiful (upon the mountains) the feet of the ones who announce and preach peace;” and then: “of the one who says to Zion: ‘(The Lord) your God will reign.’” For such a person deserves to hear the divine preaching who does not want but to become conversant “from Christ and with Christ”3 [cf. 1 Jn 1.3]. Therefore the Lord says in Mt 21.5 and Zec 9.9: “Say to the daughter of Zion,” that is, to the soul that tends towards contemplating the benefits of God through meditation : “Your king is coming for you.” I interpret this as: Tell that person who desires to hear the joy of his coming because 1. Because the object of our joy is something perfect and present: Thomas’s Commentary on John 15.11 (c.15 lectio 2 n.5) and ST II–II 28,3. 2. In the original Latin text a word is missing. 3. De Christo et cum Christo: the inverted commas are in the Latin text, but where this quotation is from is not exactly clear; it could be that Thomas refers to the last words of the Eucharistic prayer: per ipso, cum ipso et in ipso: “through him, with him, and in him.” SERMON 02 35 [18.117.216.229] Project MUSE (2024-04-25 02:06 GMT) of the consolation it brings.4 Isaiah says: “Rejoice...

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