But are you handsome and beautiful? This is the boast of crows! You are not fairer than the peacock, as regards either its color or its plumage; the bird beats you in plumage, it far surpasses you in its feathers and in its color. The swan too is passing fair, and many other birds, with whom if you are compared you will see that you are nought. Often too worthless boys, and unmarried girls, and harlots, and effeminate men have had this boast; is this then a cause for haughtiness? But are you rich? Whence so? What have you? Gold, silver, precious stones! This is the boast of robbers also, of man-slayers, of those who work in the mines. That which is the labor of criminals becomes to you a boast! But do you adorn and deck yourself out? Well, we may see horses also decked out, and among the Persians camels too, and as for men, all those who are about the stage. Are you not ashamed to boast yourself of these things, if unreasoning animals, and slaves, and man-slayers, and effeminate, and robbers, and violaters of tombs, share with you? Do you build splendid palaces? And what of this? Many jackdaws dwell in more splendid houses, and have more noble retreats. Do you not see how many, who were mad after money, have built houses in fields and desert places, that are retreats for jackdaws? But are you proud on account of your voice. You can by no means sing with clearer and sweeter tones than the swan or the nightingale. Is it for your varied knowledge of arts? But what is wiser than the bee in this; what embroiderer, what painter, what geometrician, can imitate her works? Is it for the fineness of your apparel? But here the spiders beat you. Is it for the swiftness of your feet? Again the first prize is with unreasoning animals, the hare, and the gazelle, and all the beasts which are not wanting in swiftness of foot. Have you traveled much? Not more than the birds; their transit is more easily made, they have no need of provisions for the way, nor beasts of burden, for their wings are all-sufficient for them; this is their vessel, this their beast of burden, this their car, this is even their wind, in short, all that a man can name. But are you clear sighted? Not as the gazelle; not as the eagle. Are you quick of hearing? The ass is more so. Of scent? The hound suffers you not to surpass him. Are you a good provider? Yet you are inferior to the ant. Do you gather gold? Yet not as the Indian ants. Are you proud because of your health? Unreasoning creatures are far better than we both in habit of body, and in independence; they fear no poverty. “Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns.” “And surely,” He means, “God has not created the irrational animals superior to ourselves.” Do you mark what want of consideration is here? Do you observe the lack of all investigation? Do you observe the great advantage which we derive from an investigation of the points? He, whose mind is lifted up above all men, is found to be even lower than the irrational creatures.
But we will have pity upon him, and not follow his example; nor because the limits of our mortal nature are too narrow for his conceit of himself, will we proceed to lower him to the level of the beasts that are without reason, but will lift him up from thence, not for his own sake, for he deserves no better fate, but that we may set forth the lovingkindness of God, and the honor which He has vouchsafed us. For there are things, yes, there are things wherein the irrational animals have no participation with us. And of what sort are these? Piety, and a life based on virtue. Here you can never speak of fornicators, nor of effeminate persons, nor of murderers, for from them we have been severed. And what then is this which is found here? We know God, His Providence we acknowledge, and are embued with true philosophy concerning immortality. Here let the irrational animals give place. They cannot contend with us in these points. We live in self-command. Here the irrational animals have nothing in common with us. For, while coming behind all of them, we exercise dominion over them; for herein lies the superiority of our dominion, that, while coming behind them, we yet reign over them: that you might be instructed that the cause of these things is, not yourself, but God who made you, and gave you reason. We set nets and toils for them, we drive them in, and they are at our mercy.
Self-command, a compliant temper, mildness, contempt of money, are prerogatives of our race; but since thou who art one of those blinded by presumption hast none of these, you do well in entertaining notions either above the level of mankind, or beneath the very irrational creatures. For this is the nature of folly and of audacity; it is either unduly elevated, or on the other hand it is equally depressed, never observing a proper proportion. We are equal to angels in this respect, that we have a Kingdom pledged to us, the choir, unto which Christ is joined. He that is a man may be scourged, yet does he not succumb. A man laughs at death, is a stranger to fear and trembling, he does not covet more than he has. So that they all who are not like this are beneath the irrational animals. For when in the things of the body you would have the advantage, but hast no advantage in the things that concern the soul, how are you anything else than inferior to the irrational animals? For bring forward one of the vicious and unthinking, of those that are living in excess and to self. The horse surpasses him in warlike spirit, the boar in strength, the hare in swiftness, the peacock in grace, the swan in fineness of voice, the elephant in size, the eagle in keenness of sight, all birds in wealth. Whence then do you derive your title to rule the irrational creatures? From reason? But you have it not? For whosoever ceases to make a due use of it, is again inferior to them; for when though possessing reason he is more irrational than they, it had been better if he had never from the first become capable of exercising reason. For it is not the same thing after having received dominion to betray the trust, as to let pass the season to receive it. That sovereign, who is below the level of his guards, had better never have had on the purple. And it is the very self-same thing in this case. Knowing then that without virtue we are inferior to the very irrational animals, let us exercise ourselves therein, that we may become men, yea rather angels, and that we may enjoy the promised blessings, through the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom, etc.
Source: Homilies on Philippians (New Advent)