Sermons on the Song of Songs

The death of faith, my brethren, is its separation from charity. You believe in Christ. Then do the works of Christ, that your faith may live. Let your faith be animated by love, and its sincerity proved by virtuous actions. Do not stoop to the earth by worldly conduct, you whom a heavenly faith holds erect. You say that you abide in Christ. Therefore you “also ought to walk even as He walked.” But if you seek your own glory, if you are jealous of the prosperity of others, if you speak evil of the absent, or retaliate injuries, in this you are not imitating Christ. To such false Christians I say: You proclaim by your words that you know God, and yet you deny Him by your deeds. Surely you have not acted well but wickedly in giving your tongues to Christ, and your hearts to the devil. Hear, therefore, what the Almighty says of such: “With their lips they glorify Me, but their heart is far from Me.” No, you cannot be righteous, since you make so unrighteous a division. You are unable to lift up your heads, pressed down as they are by the yoke of Satan. Neither have you the power to draw yourselves erect, being “dominated by iniquity.” For your “iniquities are gone over” your “head, and as a heavy burden are become heavy upon” you. For “Wickedness is seated upon the talent of lead,” according to the Prophet Zachary. You now understand that even right faith cannot make a man righteous unless it “worketh by charity.” And he who is without charity has not wherewith to love the Spouse. But neither are works, however right, sufficient to render the heart righteous, without right faith. For who would call him righteous that is not pleasing to God? But “without faith it is impossible to please God.” He who is not pleasing to God cannot be pleased with God, since no one that is pleased with God can be displeasing to Him. Moreover, whoever is displeased with God, shall also be displeased with His Spouse. In what way, then, can he be righteous, who loves neither God nor the Church of God? For it is to the Church the “young maidens” say, “The righteous love thee.” Since, therefore, neither faith without works, nor works without faith are sufficient for righteousness of soul, let us, my brethren, who have right faith in Christ, endeavour to make our ways and our wills also right. Let us lift up both our hearts and our hands to God that we may be found completely righteous, proving the rectitude of our faith by the righteousness of our actions. So shall we be lovers of the Bride, and the friends of the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ Our Lord, Who is over all things, God blessed for evermore. Amen.