Sermons on the Song of Songs

Hearing discovered that which escaped the sense of sight. The eye was imposed upon by the colour, but the truth entered the mind through the avenue of the ear. For the eye pronounced Christ to be weak, unsightly, miserable, a Man condemned to a most ignominious death. But the ear recognised that He was beautiful, that He was the Son of God, not, however, the ear of the Jews, because they were “uncircumcised in ears.” With good reason, therefore, did St. Peter cut of the external ear of the servant, in order to open a way for truth, that the truth might emancipate him, that is, might make him free. The Centurion also was uncircumcised, but not in ear, since from one cry of the dying Saviour, he recognised in Him the Lord of Majesty amidst so many evidences of weakness. And as he believed what he did not see, he did not contemn that which met his eye. It was not what he beheld that made him believe, but what he heard, because “faith cometh by hearing.” It were more fitting, indeed, that truth should enter the soul by the upper windows of the eyes. But this, O my soul, is reserved for the next life, when we shall see “face to face.” Meantime, let the remedy find its way into our minds through the same aperture as the malady of old; let life follow in the tracks of death; let light travel in the path of darkness; and let the antidote of truth enter by the same door as the poison of the old serpent, and heal the eye, which is “troubled,” in order that it may serenely contemplate Him Who is inaccessible to trouble. So let the ear, which was the first gate open to death, be also the first open to life. Let the hearing, which was the means of destroying the sight, be made the means of its restoration; because unless we believe we shall not be able to understand. Consequently, merit belongs to hearing, and reward to sight. Hence the Psalmist sings, “To my hearing Thou shalt give joy and gladness.” For the Beatific Vision is the reward of faithful hearing, because it is by faithful hearing that we merit the Beatific Vision. Again, the Lord says, “Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.” Now, the eye that is to behold God must first be purified by the faith that “cometh by hearing,” as we read, “purifying their hearts by faith.”

In the meantime, then, until the sense of sight is fully prepared for its most perfect functions, let the hearing be aroused and exercised in receiving truth. Happy the man of whom Truth Itself bears witness, saying, “At the hearing of the ear he hath obeyed Me!” For I shall then only be worthy to see, if before seeing I shall have been found obedient. Securely shall I gaze upon my Lord, if He has already received the service of my obedience. How blessed was he who said, “The Lord hath opened my car, and I do not resist, I have not gone back!” Here you have a pattern of voluntary obedience, and also an example of perseverance. For he who docs not contradict is prompt to obey; and he has perseverance who turns not back. Both virtues are necessary, since “God loveth a cheerful giver,” and “he that shall persevere unto the end he shall be saved.” Would that the Lord would open my ear, that the word of truth might enter my heart, and purify my eye, and prepare it for the blissful Vision! Then I, too, might say to God, “Thine Ear hath heard the preparation of my heart.” Then might I, too, with His other obedient servants, hear from Him, “And you are clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” For not all who hear are cleansed, but only those that obey. “Blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.” Such a heedful hearing is required by Him Who commands, saying, “Hear, O Israel.” And it is this hearing of obedience that he offered who said, “Speak, Lord, because Thy servant heareth.” The same is promised by the Psalmist, when he says, “I will hear what the Lord God will speak in me.”

“Hearken, O daughter, and see.” So speaks the Holy Ghost, my brethren, wishing thus to make us understand the order He observes in leading souls to perfection, first instructing the ear and afterwards delighting the vision. Why, then, do you strain your eyes for the sight of the divine beauty, when you ought rather to be preparing your ears to receive the divine truth? Are you yearning to see Christ? But it is necessary to hear Him first, and to hear of Him, so that when you do see Him, you may be able to say, “As we have heard, so have we seen.” Through so narrow and so small an opening as the aperture of the eye you cannot surely hope to take in a glory so immense. But you may do by hearing what is impossible to sight. Being then a sinner, I could not see God when He called, saying, “Adam, where art thou?” Yet I heard Him. But if the hearing be found pious, vigilant and faithful, it will restore the lost vision. Faith will certainly purge the eye “troubled” by impiety; and the eye that has been closed by the sin of insubordination will be opened by the merit of obedience. This the Psalmist acknowledges as having occurred in his own case, when he sings, “By Thy commandments I have had understanding.” For the observance of the divine precepts gives back the understanding which had been lost through transgression. And notice in the case of holy Isaac, how in his old age his hearing, as we read, was more perfect than any of the other senses. Dim were the eyes of the Patriarch, unreliable his faculties of taste and touch. Only his hearing continued unimpaired. And what wonder if the ear is percipient of truth, since “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ”? For the word of Christ is truth. “The voice, indeed,” said Isaac, “is the voice of Jacob.” Nothing more true. “But the hands are the hands of Esau.” Nothing more false. Thou art here in error, holy Patriarch. The resemblance of the hands deceives thee. Nor is there discernment of truth in thy taste, although it is true in its estimate of savour. For how can that faculty be said to pronounce truly, since it judges the food eaten to be venison, which, in reality, is only the flesh of the domestic kids? Much less oughtest thou to look for truth in the testimony of thine eye which perceives nothing at all. There is neither truth in the eye, nor true wisdom. “Woe to you,” says the Prophet, “who are wise in your own eyes.” Surely that cannot be true wisdom which is thus accursed. It is the “wisdom of this world,” which is “foolishness with God.”