Puer Iesus The Boy Jesus Sermo in prima Dominica post Epiphaniam Sermon on the First Sunday after Epiphany Sermo in prima Dominica post Epiphaniam fratris Thomae de Aquino. Luce 2:52 Luke 2:52 Puer Iesus proficiebat aetate et sapientia et gratia apud Deum et homines. The boy Jesus advanced in age and wisdom and in grace with God and the people. Prothema Prologue Cuncta quae Dominus fecit vel in carne passus est documenta et exempla sunt salutaria, unde in Iohanne: hoc exemplum dedi vobis ut quemadmodum ego feci ita et vos faciatis; et quia unicuique aetati, maxime annos discretionis attingenti, non deest via salutis, ideo adolescentia Christi adolescentibus proponitur in exemplum. Proprium autem adolescentum est augmentum et profectus, ideo ad exemplum adolescentum proponitur profectus Christi. All the things together that the Lord has done or undergone in the flesh are salutary lessons and examples. Hence we read this in John 13:15: I have given you an example, that whatever I have done you may do likewise. And because there is not any age from which the way of salvation is absent—and to the highest extent this applies to the years in which one comes to discernment— the adolescence of Christ is made an example for adolescents. Growth and progress are proper to adolescents. Therefore, the progress of Christ is made an example for adolescents. Ut autem aliquid dicere possimus de profectu Christi quod sit ad honorem Dei et ad salutem animarum nostrarum, in principio rogemus Dominum. But, to begin, let us ask God to enable us to say something about the progress of Christ for the honor of God and for the salvation of our souls. Sermo Sermon Puer Iesus etc. Si diligenter velimus verba ista considerare, quatuor in eis inveniemus Christi profectus, scilicet The boy Jesus. If we want to consider these words carefully, we will find in them four progresses of Christ, namely, profectum aetatis quantum ad corpus, (1) the progress of age in regard to the body, profectum sapientiae quantum ad intellectum, (2) the progress of wisdom in regard to the intellect, et profectum gratiae quantum ad Deum, (3) the progress of grace with God, et profectum etiam gratiae quantum ad hominum convictum. and (4) the progress also of grace in view of his living together with the people. 0. Re vera omnes isti profectus sunt admirabiles, immo stupore et admiratione pleni; 0. Truly, all these progresses are amazing, yes, even full of astonishment and amazement. 0.1. admirandum enim est quod aeternitas aetate proficiat, quia Filius Dei est aeternitas et est ab aeterno. Psalmista: in aeternum, Domine, permanet verbum tuum. 0.1. For we must be amazed that eternity advances in age, for the Son of God is eternity and from eternity. Psalm 117 and Psalm 119: in eternity, Lord, your truth remains (Ps 119:90, 160; cf. 117:2). 0.2. Item admirandum est quod veritas in sapientia proficiat, quia profectus sapientiae est cognitio veritatis, et Christus ipsa veritas est, unde in Iohanne: ego sum via, veritas et vita. 0.2. Likewise we must be amazed that the truth advances in wisdom, because the progress of wisdom is knowledge of the truth, whereas Christ is himself the truth, as we read in John 14:6: I am the way, the truth, and the life. 0.3. Item admirandum est quod gratiae factor proficiat in gratia, et Christus gratiae est actor, unde in Iohanne: gratia et veritas per Christum facta est. 0.3. Likewise we must be amazed that the one from whom grace originates advances in grace; Christ is the one who renders grace. Thus we read in John 1:17: grace and truth came through Christ. 0.4. Item admirandum est quod qui omnes homines excedit, quod apud homines proficiat; immo magis homines debent proficere apud illum. Psalmista: excelsus est super omnes gentes. 0.4. Likewise we must be amazed that the one who exceeds all people advances with the people. Even more, the people ought to advance in grace with him. Psalm 113:4 says: the highest is he above all the nations. Quomodo igitur proficiet Christus in istis? Dico quod si recte velimus considerare de profectu aetatis in promptu ratio apparet. How, then, would Christ advance in these respects? I say that if we want to consider this properly, immediately the reason regarding his progress in age comes to our mind: Ad 0.1. Aeternus Dei Filius temporalis fieri voluit ut secundum aetates proficere posset. Isaias: parvulus natus est nobis. Si natus est ut parvulus, quare ergo non cresceret ut parvulus? Ad 0.1. the eternal Son of God willed to become temporal, so that he could advance in age. Isaiah 9:5 says: a little child is born unto us. If he is born as a little child, why then would he not have grown as a little child does? Ad 0.2–4. Alii profectus Christi maiorem difficultatem habent. Christus naturam humanam integram assumpsit; secundum carnem parvulus natus est, non secundum animam, quia ab initio conceptionis suae beatissima eius anima Deo unita plena fuit omni gratia et veritate. Unde in Iohanne: vidimus gloriam eius gloriam quasi unigeniti a Patre, plenum gratia et veritate. Plenus fuit omni gratia et veritate quia unigenitus Dei; sed ab initio conceptionis fuit unigenitus; ergo tunc fuit plenus gratia et veritate et perfectus virtute. Ieremias: femina circondabit virum, non aetate sed mentis perfectione; sed quomodo dicitur proficere sapientia et gratia? Ad 0.2–4. The other progresses of Christ contain a greater difficulty. Christ took on the full human nature: according to the flesh he was born as a little child, but not according to the soul. For, from the beginning of his conception, his most blessed soul was full of every grace and truth, because it was connected with God. Thus we read in John 1:14: we have seen his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. He was full of every grace and truth because he was the only-begotten Son of God. Well, from the beginning of the conception he was the only-begotten Son. Hence from the very beginning he was full of grace and truth and perfect in virtue. Jeremiah 31:22: a woman will encompass a man; not in age, but as for the perfection of the mind. But in what is meant by advancing in wisdom and grace? Dicendum est quod aliquis dicitur proficere in sapientia, non solum quando acquirit maiorem sapientiam, sed quando magis manifestatur in ipso sapientia. Verum est quod Christus a principio conceptionis suae plenus fuit sapientia et gratia, sed non manifestavit eam a principio, sed quando alii consueverunt. In sapientia tunc dicitur proficere, non in se, sed quantum ad effectum quo in aliis proficiebat. We must say that someone is said to advance in wisdom, not only when he acquires a greater wisdom, but also when the wisdom in him is more evident. It is true that Christ from the beginning of his conception was full of wisdom and grace, but he has not shown it from the beginning, but at an age when others usually show it. In that case we speak of advancing in wisdom, not in the absolute sense of the word, but in view of the effect through which he advanced amidst other people. Si voluisset ostendere sapientiam suam cum fuit septem annorum, potuissent homines dubitasse de veritate naturae humanae assumptae, et propter hoc Christus aliis voluit conformari. Unde Apostolus ad Philippenses: exinanivit semet ipsum formam servi accipiens in similitudine hominum factus. Christus se parvum fecit nostram parvitatem accipiendo; ut se parvum vere ostenderet in similitudinem hominum factus est. Apostolus: in terris visus est et cum hominibus conversatus est, et quando primo solet apparere in homine iudicium sapientiae, tunc Christus primo manifestavit sapientiam suam, scilicet cum esset annorum duodecim. Paulatim igitur et non <subito> voluit ostendere sapientiam suam ut veritas naturae humanae in ipso aprobaretur et ut daret nobis exemplum proficiendi in sapientia. If he had willed to show his wisdom when he was seven years of age, people could have doubted the truth of the assumed human nature. And because of this, Christ wanted to be similar to others. Thus the Apostle says in Philippians 2:7: he has emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being made in the likeness of men. Christ has made himself little by taking on our littleness, in order to show that he truly was little: he was made in the likeness of men. Baruch 3:38 reads: he is seen on earth, and he has lived with the people. At the time when a sign of wisdom normally appears for the first time in a human being, Christ manifested his wisdom for the first time, namely, when he was twelve years of age: thus little by little. He did not will to show his [full] wisdom, so that the truth of the human nature in him would be acknowledged and in order to give us an example of advancing in wisdom. Quadruplex igitur ut dictum est Christi profectus, scilicet So, fourfold, as was said, is Christ’s progress, namely, aetatis, (1) of age, sapientiae, (2) wisdom, gratiae (3) grace, et conversationis humanae. and (4) the human life. 1. Primo prosequamur de profectu aetatis Christi qui est corporis, et proponitur nobis in exemplum ut proficiamus aetate corporis et mentis sicut ipse, quia vacuus est profectus aetatis in corpore si non sit in anima, unde simul agitur de profectu aetatis Christi et sapientiae et gratiae, quia si non proficit homo profectu mentis cum aetate corporis, quatuor sequuntur ex hoc inconvenientia 1. Let us first take a look at the progress of Christ’s age, which is physical. It is set as an example for us so that we may advance in the age of body and mind as he did, because the progress of age in the body is empty if there is no progress in the soul as well. Therefore, we discuss the progress of Christ’s age and of his wisdom and of his grace in one and the same sermon. Because if someone does not advance through a progress of the mind together with the progress of the body, four improper things would follow: quia hoc est monstruosum, (1.1) it would be monstrous, damnosum, (1.2) damaging, grave sive laboriosum, (1.3) burdensome or troublesome, et periculosum. and (1.4) dangerous. 1.1. Primo dico: proficere aetate corporis et non mentis est monstruosum. Homo componitur ex anima et corpore sicut corpus componitur ex ceteris menbris, sed ponamus quod aliquod corpus crescat in uno menbro et sit puerilis in aliis menbris: hoc est monstruosum. Similiter quando aliquis est vir secundum corpus et non secundum mentem. Propter hoc dicit Apostolus: cum essem parvulus sapiebam ut parvulus, loquebar ut parvulus; cum autem factus sum vir evacuavi ea quae erant parvuli. Parvuli cogitant de ludo et huiusmodi. 1.1. First, I say, advancing in age of the body and not of the mind is monstrous. A human being is composed of a soul and a body, just as the body is composed of various members. But imagine that a body would grow in one member and would be little in the other members. This is monstrous. Likewise, when someone is a man according to the body and not according to the mind. Because of this the Apostle says in 1 Corinthians 13:11: when I was a little child, I understood as a little child, I spoke as a little child; but now that I have become a man, I have left the things that belong to a little child. Little children think of playing and the like. Verum est quod Dominus mandat quod simus sicut parvuli, in Matteo dicens: nisi conversi fueritis et efficiamini sicut parvuli non intrabitis in regnum caelorum. Aliquid debemus retinere de parvulis quia parvuli non sunt malitiosi et sunt humiles; aliquid debemus abicere de parvulis quia parvuli carent sapientia, unde Apostolus: nolite parvuli effici sensibus sed malitia parvuli estote, sensibus perfecti. It is true that the Lord ordered that we be like little children, saying, in Matthew 18:3: unless you will be converted and become like little children, you will not enter into the Kingdom of the heavens. There is something in little children that we ought to preserve, because little children are not wicked and they are humble. But there is another thing in little children that we should get rid of: the lack of wisdom. Because of this the Apostle says in 1 Corinthians 14:20: do not become little children with your mind, but be little children in respect of wickedness.