The Academic Sermons (The Fathers of the Church, Mediaeval Continuation, Volume 11): Mediaeval Continuation, Volume 11)

Sermon 08: Puer Jesus

87 SERMON 08 PUER JESUS Sermon on the First Sunday after Epiphany1 Luke 2.52: The boy Jesus advanced in age and wisdom and in grace with God and the people. Part 1: Prothema HE BOY JESUS advanced in age and wisdom and in grace with God and the people” [Lk 2.52]. All the things together that the Lord has done or undergone in the flesh are salutary lessons and examples. Hence we read this in Jn 13.15: “I have given you an example, that whatever I have done you may do likewise.”2 And because there is not any age from which the way of salvation is absent—and to the highest extent this applies to the years in which one comes to discernment —the adolescence of Christ is made an example for adolescents.3 Growth and progress are proper to adolescents. Therefore, the progress of Christ is made an example for adolescents . “ 1. Since we find many texts from the Catena Aurea in this sermon, we presume that it was given in the second period in which Thomas taught in Paris (1268–1272). 2. Cf. ST II–II 174,6 (last sentence of the corpus); III 37,1,2 and 46,3 (referring to 1 Pt 2.21). Also SCG IV 36 (Nihil . . . aut nobis imitandum fuit; quoting Mt 11.29 and Jn 13.15) and 54 (. . . necessarium fuit homini . . . a Deo humanato et doctrinam et exempla virtutis acciperet: Jn 13.15). Whereas the examples which Aristotle gives in his logical works should not be given much attention: ST I 67,2,2. 3. Thomas’s audience consists, for the major part, of students. He presents the boy Jesus as the example for their lives: following him in everything is the road that leads to salvation. 88 THOMAS AQUINAS But, to begin, let us ask God to enable us to say something about the progress of Christ for the honor of God and for the salvation of our souls. Part 2: Sermo “The boy Jesus,” et cetera. If we want to consider these words carefully, we will find in them four progresses of Christ, namely , (1) the progress of age in regard to the body, (2) the progress of wisdom in regard to the intellect, (3) the progress of grace with God, and (4) the progress also of grace in view of his living together with the people. E (0) Truly, all these progresses are amazing, yes, even full of astonishment and amazement. (0.1) For we must be amazed that eternity advances in age, for the Son of God is eternity4 and from eternity. Psalm 117 and Psalm 119: “In eternity, Lord, your truth remains” [Ps 119.90, 160; cf. 117.2]. (0.2) Likewise, we must be amazed that the truth advances in wisdom, because the progress of wisdom is knowledge of the truth, whereas Christ is himself the truth, as we read in Jn 14.6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”5 (0.3) Likewise we must be amazed that the One from whom grace originates advances in grace; Christ is the One who renders grace. Thus we read in Jn 1.17: “Grace and truth came through Christ.”6 (0.4) Likewise we must be amazed that the One who exceeds all people advances with the people. Even more, the people ought to advance in grace with him. Ps 113.4 says: “The Highest is he above all the nations.” How, then, would Christ advance in these respects? I say 4. Insofar as Christ is God, what is said in ST I 3 applies to him. Since God is perfectly one, he is what he has (ST I 3,4 and 6): God is good and goodness, eternal and eternity, et cetera. 5. Also Jn 18.37–38; cf. the quotation from Psalm 119 in 0.1. By reason of the hypostatic union, the man Jesus Christ shared in God’s omniscience (ST III 10,2, 11,1). 6. ST I 73,1,1; III 2,11, 27,5 (Christus autem est principium gratiae, secundum divinitatem quidem auctoritative, secundum humanitatem vero instrumentaliter), 38,3. SERMON 08 89 that if we want to consider this properly, immediately the reason regarding his progress in age comes to our mind: (ad 0.1) the eternal Son of God willed to become temporal, so that he could advance in age...