Sermones dominicales super evangelia et epistolas

the fathers of the Old Testament, who were afflicted because of vehement desire. And therefore by these fathers of the Old Testament, so that they might be perfected, no longer walking in the legal shadow, nor should the soul be afflicted by the hope of one coming, because hope which is deferred afflicts the soul. Proverbs 13. Would that you might rend the heavens and come down. Isaiah 63. It was desired by the successors and the moderns, so that they might be saved in his faith and merit, no longer descending into hell, because after his Advent all who believe in him ascend to the heavens, to remain in the life of glory. John 3: God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that all who believe in him may not perish, but have eternal life. This Advent, indeed, as a very magnificent thing and also a thing full of wonder, was for a long time previously announced by the oracles of many prophets. Among whom a certain prophet by the name of Zechariah, from the number of the twelve prophets, divinely taught, miraculously announced the predicted Advent and spoke well and certainly of the present thing, saying: Exult greatly, daughter of Zion; rejoice, daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, your king comes to you, just and a savior; he is poor and riding upon an ass and upon a colt, the foal of an ass. Matthew, however, recounts this prophecy, although the words differ slightly. And because today's gospel is read today only because of this prophecy, which truthfully and devoutly expresses the Advent of Christ, therefore I will pursue only this prophecy as it is taken from Matthew in the sermon. For this gospel is sung on Palm Sunday, in which those things which are contained in the gospel happened literally, therefore this gospel is taken there according to the letter and the meaning.

¶ In this prophecy, as it is taken from Matthew, three things are principally contained. First, a good announcement is commanded to the preachers, there: Tell. Second, to whom the good announcement should be announced is subjoined, there: daughter of Zion. Third, the miraculous Advent of the Savior himself is announced, there: Behold, your king comes to you, meek.

¶ First, therefore, a good announcement is commanded to the preachers when it is said: Tell. Namely, you preachers, who are the mouth of God through whom God himself speaks for salvation. Jeremiah 15: If you will separate the precious from the vile, you shall be as my mouth. Matthew 13: For it is not you that speak, but the Holy Spirit. And therefore it is the custom of the Church that today all prelates should preach. And all the faithful ought to go today to the preaching, so that they may hear the good announcement, which God promised to man and truthfully fulfilled. And they ought to tell this good news of the incarnation of the Son of God. Neither should the preachers be silent, nor should other faithful fail to listen because of negligence. 1 Corinthians 9: Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. That is, if I do not say the good announcement. For the gospel is the same as "good announcement," from "eu" which is "good," and "angelos" which is "messenger." 4 Kings 7: This day is a day of good news. If we are silent and unwilling to announce it, we will be accused of wickedness. Tell the story briefly and truly: just as at that time Samaria was besieged and placed in the strongest distress. For the head of an ass was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a measure of dove's dung, that is, the bladder because of the grains hiding therein, was sold for five pieces of silver; and women ate their own children, as 4 Kings 6 shows. So before the Advent of God, the whole world was pressed by many and great distresses; and the food of souls, namely the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the virtues and the word of truth, were too expensive. And the enemies, killing the sons, sacrificed them to idols, which was more wicked than even eating them. Men were also infirm, not strong in virtue to resist evil, nor to progress in good, held under the servitude of vices. They were also ignorant and shamefully erring, believing creatures to be the Creator, and most foolishly paying divine honors to them; therefore they were held under the power of the devil. Because of all these things, they descended into hell in death, there to be eternally tormented. And thus the abyss of human misery was in need of the Advent of the Son of God, seeking the abyss of divine mercy so that it might be liberated from all these things, to be transferred to the life of grace. For the day of the Advent was a day of good news, which we should by no means hide, but reverently and devoutly announce to the peoples. And this is what God commands, saying: Tell. That is, announce and preach the day full of joy, grace, and mercy, because our Savior has now come. Isaiah 61: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me; he has sent me to evangelize the poor, to heal the contrite of heart, and to preach to the captives indulgence, and to the shut, opening; and to preach an acceptable year of the Lord and a day of vengeance to our God, to comfort all who mourn, and to place consolation for the mourners of Zion: to give them a crown instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, a cloak of praise instead of a spirit of sadness. For joy is doubled for us. To the ancients it was said: Our Savior will come; but to us it is said: Our Savior has now come. But hope which is deferred afflicts the soul. Proverbs 13. And therefore the ancient fathers desired to the highest degree what we now have. Bernard: Thinking most frequently of the ardor of the desire of the fathers sighing for the presence of Christ in the flesh, I am confounded and pricked in myself, and now I can barely contain my tears; so ashamed am I of the time and the sluggishness of these miserable times. For which of us feels joy according to the gift of grace shown, as much as the mere promise had inflamed the ancient saints? And