Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

[Stone]

Homilies of St. Thomas Aquinas


HOMILY IX. THE HOLY NAME
FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

"Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him."— Coloss. iii. 17.

The Name of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ is here noted of in three ways—Firstly, it is to be ever thought of. Secondly, it is to be ever used. Thirdly, it has manifold power.

I. On the first head it is to be noted that the Name of God is to be used on five occasions—(1) In walking—Ps. xx. 7, "We will remember the Name of the Lord our God." (2) In praying—S. John xvi. 23, “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My Name, He will give it you." (3) In speaking; (4) in working—of these two, the text. (5) In hoping—Ps. xxxix. 5 (Vulg.), “Blessed is the man whose trust is in the Name of the Lord."

II. On the second head it is to be noted that the Name of God is to be used in five ways. (1) It is to be retained in the heart, and so become a cause of joy—Ps. xxvi. 8, "The desire of our soul is to Thy Name." (2) It is to be heard by the ear, and so cause delight—Job xxix. 11, "When the ear heard me, then it blessed me.” (8) It is to be carried in the hand, and so be a lever of strength— Prov. xviii. 10, “The Name of the Lord is a strong power." (4) It is to be written on the forehead, as a mark of honour; it will make a man (Isa. lviii. 13) "holy of the Lord, honourable."

III. On the third head it is to be noted that the manifold virtue of this Name is expressed in eight particulars in the text—(1) In It were all things created. (2) By It are the demons put to flight. (3) By It were all infirmities healed. (4) Through It were sinners justified. (5) By it are the sad made joyful. (6) By It are the tempted helped. (7) Through It are the just increased in grace. (8) All who call upon It are saved. Note, that this Name enlightens the reason; soothes anger; delights the desire. The inhabitants of the world unseen, fear It; of the earth, adore It; of Heaven, praise It. It spoils Hades; It liberates the earthly; It exalts the heavenly. 

HOMILY X. THE TARES AND THE WHEAT.

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY.—(FROM THE GOSPEL.) 

“Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn."—.S. Matt. xiii. 30. 

In these words five things are noted—Firstly, the sin of the wicked, “tares.” Secondly, their punishment, "bind them in bundles to burn them."  Thirdly, the goodness of the righteous, “the wheat.” Fourthly, their glory, “gather into My barn.” Fifthly, the abundance of God's “barn.”

I. On the first head it is to be noted that the tares are of three kinds, corresponding to three sins—(1) They are darnel, which signifies luxury. Darnel perverts the state of the reason just as luxury does—Ezek. xxiii. 9, "Upon whom she doted;” Hos. iv. 11, "Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart;” 1 Kings xi. 3, "His wives turned away his heart." (2) They are vetch, which is bitter, which signifies avarice, and which afflicts the covetous in a wonderful way—Eccles. v. 13, 14, “Riches kept by the owners thereof to their hurt. But those riches perish by evil travail.” There is a “sore evil" in collecting them; a worse in hoarding them; the worst of all in losing or leaving them. (3) They are wild oats, which on account of their uselessness signify pride—Job xi. 12 (Vulg.), “A vain man is lifted up into pride.” Truly tares are indeed evil.

II. On the second head is to be noted their punishment, "bind them in bundles,” &c., of which three points are to be considered—(1) They will be bound with eternal chains, “bind them;” (2) they will be bound together “in bundles” —of these two, Wisd. xvii. 17, “ They were all bound together with the chain of darkness.” (3) They will be burnt, "to burn them ”—Psa. lxvi. 24, "Neither shall their fire be quenched." From five particulars can be learned the greatness of this punishment by fire: (1) It burns, yet is not consumed—Wisd. xix. 20, "The flames wasted not the flesh of corruptible animals." (2) With the heat, cold is also mingled—S. Matt. xiii. 42, “Into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing” (from excessive heat) “and gnashing of teeth " (from intense cold). So the Gloss. (3) It will most cruelly afflict—S. Austin says, “So much hotter will it he than our fire; as our fire is than mere painted fire." (4) It will be eternal—S. Matt. xxv. 41, “ Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire." (5) It will be heat without splendour—Ps. xxix. 7, "The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire." In a flame is both light and heat; the Lord will divide it so that the heat alone remains.

III. On the third head is to be noted the goodness of the holy (the wheat), three forms of which will be here mentioned—(1) It is white on account of purity; (2) it is red on account of charity—of these two, Cant. v. 10, “ My Beloved is white and ruddy.". (3) It is heavy by gravity of manners—Ps. xxxv. 18, “I will praise Thee among much people."

IV. On the fourth head is to be noted the glory of the Saints, “gather the wheat into My barn "— which is (1) spacious, for the sake of pleasantness; (2) refreshing, for the sake of joy; (3) enduring, on account of eternity. Of the first, Ps. xxvi. 8, “Lord, I have loved the habitation of Thy house, and the place where Thine honour dwelleth." Of the second, Ps. cxii. 8, "Wealth and riches shall be in His house." Of the third, 2 Cor. v. 1, “An house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." 

V. On the fifth head is to be noted the abundance of the “barn ”— it is full of corn and wine and oil. (1) Corn is the joy of the vision of the Son—Ps. lxxxi. 16, "He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat;" S. John xu. 24, "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die." (2) Wine is the joy of the vision of the Father— Ps. civ. 15, "Wine that maketh glad the heart of man." (3) Oil the joy of the vision of the Holy Spirit—Ps. xlv. 7, “Thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” The “oil of gladness” is God the Holy Ghost. Of these three, 2 Chron. xi. 11, “Store of victual and of oil and wine.” Gen. xxvii. 28, "God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine.”