“Remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen.” He has released their terror. For although their teacher be in bonds, yet “grace” releases him. This too is of grace, the granting him to be put in bonds. For hear Luke saying, The Apostles returned “from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name.” For both to suffer shame, and to be put in bonds, is indeed to be “counted worthy.” For, if he that has one whom he loves, deems it gain to suffer anything for his sake, much rather then is it so to suffer for the sake of Christ. Repine we not then at our tribulations for Christ's sake, but let us also remember Paul's bonds, and be this our incitement. For instance: do you exhort any to give to the poor for Christ's sake? Remind them of Paul's bonds, and bemoan your misery and theirs, seeing that he indeed gave up even his body to bonds for His sake, but you will not give a portion even of your food. Are you lifted up because of your good deeds? Remember Paul's bonds, that you have suffered nought of that kind, and you will be lifted up no more. Covetest thou any of the things that are your neighbor's? Remember Paul's bonds, and you will see how unreasonable it is, that while he was in perils, you should be in delights. Again, is your heart set upon self-indulgence? Picture to your mind Paul's prison-house; you are his disciple, his fellow-soldier. How is it reasonable, that your fellow-soldier should be in bonds, and thou in luxury? Are you in affliction? Do you deem yourself forsaken? Hear Paul's bonds, and you will see, that to be in affliction is no proof of being forsaken. Would you wear silken robes? Remember Paul's bonds; and these things will appear to you more worthless than the filth-bespattered rags of her that sits apart. Would you array you with golden trinkets? Picture to your mind Paul's bonds, and these things will seem to you no better than a withered bulrush. Would you tire your hair, and be beautiful to see? Think of Paul's squalidness within that prison-house, and you will burn for that beauty, and deem this the extreme of ugliness, and wilt groan bitterly through longing for those bonds. Would you daub you with pastes and pigments, and such like things? Think of his tears: a three-years space, night and day, he ceased not to weep. With this adorning deck your cheek; these tears do make it bright. I say not, that you weep for others, (I wish indeed it could be even so, but this is too high for you,) but for your own sins I advise you to do this. Have you ordered your slave to be put in bonds, and were you angry, and exasperated? Remember Paul's bonds, and you will straightway stay your anger; remember that we are of the bound, not the binders, of the bruised in heart, not the bruisers. Have you lost self-control, and shouted loud in laughter? Think of his lamentations, and you will groan; such tears will show you brighter far. Do you see any persons rioting and dancing? Remember his tears. What fountain has gushed forth so great streams as those eyes did tears? “Remember my tears”, he says, as here “bonds.” And with reason he spoke thus to them, when he sent for them from Ephesus to Miletus. For he was then speaking to teachers. He demands of those therefore, that they should sympathize also, but of these that they should only encounter dangers.
What fountain will you compare to these tears? That in Paradise, which waters the whole earth? But you will have mentioned nothing like it. For this fount of tears watered souls, not earth. If one were to show us Paul bathed in tears, and groaning, would not this be better far to see, than countless choirs gayly crowned? I am not now speaking of you; but, if one, having pulled away from the theater and the stage some wanton fellow, burning and drunken with carnal love, were to show him a young virgin in the very flower of her age, surpassing her fellows, both in other respects, and in her face more than the rest of her person, having an eye, tender and soft, that gently rests, and gently rolls, moist, mild, calmly smiling, and arrayed in much modesty and much grace, fringed with dark lashes both under and over, having an eyeball, so to speak, alive, a forehead radiant; underneath, again, a cheek shaded to exact redness, lying smooth as marble, and even; and then any one should show me Paul weeping; leaving that maiden, I would have eagerly sprung away to the sight of him; for from his eyes there beamed spiritual beauty. For that other transports the souls of youths, it scorches and inflames them; but this, on the contrary, subdues them. This makes the eyes of the soul more beauteous, it curbs the belly: it fills with the love of wisdom, with much sympathy: and it is able to soften even a soul of adamant. With these tears the Church is watered, with these souls are planted; yea, though there be fire sensible and substantial, yet can these tears quench it; these tears quench the fiery darts of the wicked one.
Remember we then these tears of his, and we shall laugh to scorn all present things. These tears did Christ pronounce blessed, saying, “Blessed are they that mourn, and blessed are they that weep, for they shall laugh.” Such tears did Isaiah too, and Jeremiah weep; and the former said, “Leave me alone, I will weep bitterly”: and the latter, “Who will give my head water, and my eyes fountains of tears?”; as though the natural fount were not enough.
Nothing is sweeter than these tears; sweeter are they than any laughter. They that mourn, know how great consolation it possesses. Let us not think this a thing to be deprecated, but one to be even exceedingly prayed for; not that others may sin, but that, when they sin, we may be heart-broken for them. Remember we these tears, these bonds. Surely too upon those bonds tears descended; but the death of the perishing, of those that had bound him in them, suffered him not to taste the pleasure of the bonds. For in their behalf he grieved, being a disciple of Him that bewept the priests of the Jews; not because they were going to crucify Him, but because they were themselves perishing. And He does not this Himself alone, but He thus exhorts others also, saying, “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me.” These eyes saw Paradise, saw the third heaven: but I count not them so blessed because of this sight, as because of those tears, through which they saw Christ. Blessed, indeed, was that sight; for he himself even glories in it, saying, “Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?”; but more blessed so to weep.
In that sight many have been partakers, and those who have not so been, Christ the rather calls blessed, saying, “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed”; but unto this not many have attained. For if to stay here for Christ's sake were more needful than to depart to Him, for the sake of the salvation of others; surely then to groan for others' sakes, is more needful even than to see Him. For if for His sake to be in hell, is rather to be desired, than to be with Him; and to be separated from Him for His sake more to be desired than to be with Him, (for this is what he said, “For I could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ”, much more is weeping for His sake. “I ceased not,” he says, “to admonish everyone with tears.” Wherefore? Not fearing the dangers; no; but as if one sitting by a sick man's side, and not knowing what would be the end, should weep for affection, fearing lest he should lose his life; so too did he; when he saw any one diseased, and could not prevail by rebuke, he thenceforward wept. So did Christ also, that happily they might reverence His tears: thus, one sinned, He rebuked him; the rebuked spat upon Him, and sprang aloof; He wept, that haply He might win him even so.
Source: Homilies on Colossians (New Advent)