Comment on John 25,16
I came in humility, I came to teach humility, I came as a model of
humility. Whoever comes to me is incor****ated in me.
Whoever comes to me becomes humble; whoever adheres to my will will be
humble, for such a person does not perform his or her own will, but the
will
of God. And therefore he or she will not be cast out.
--St. Augustine -- Sermon on John 25, 16
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May 9th - Hermas of Rome
(First or second century), author of the book called "The Shepherd"
(Poimen,
Pastor), a work which had great authority in ancient times and was ranked
with Holy Scripture. Eusebius tells us that it was publicly read in the
churches, and that while some denied it to be canonical, others
"considered
it most necessary". St. Athanasius speaks of it, together with the
Didache,
in connection with the deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament, as
uncanonical yet recommended by the ancients for the reading of
catechumens.
Elsewhere he calls it a most profitable book. Rufinus similarly says that
the ancients wished it to be read, but not to be used as an authority as
to
the Faith. It is found with the Epistle of Barnabas at the end of the New
Testament in the great Siniatic Bible Aleph (fourth century), and between
the Acts of the Apostles and the Acts of Paul in the stichometrical list
of
the Codex Claromontanus. In accordance with this conflicting evidence, we
find two lines of opinion among the earlier Fathers. St. Irenĉus and
Tertullian (in his Catholic days) cite the "Shepherd" as Scripture.
Clement
of Alexandria constantly quotes it with reverence, and so does Origen, who
held that the author was the Hermas mentioned by St. Paul, Romans 16:14.
He
says the work seems to him to be very useful, and Divinely inspired; yet
he
repeatedly apologizes, when he has occasion to quote it, on the ground
that
"many people despise it". Tertullian, when a Montanist, implies that Pope
St. Callistus had quoted it as an authority (though evidently not as
Scripture), for he replies: "I would admit your argument, if the writing
of
the Shepherd had deserved to be included in the Divine Instrument, and if
it
were not judged by every council of the Churches, even of your own
Churches,
among the apocryphal and false." And again, he says that the Epistle of
Barnabas is "more received among the Churches than that apocryphal
Shepherd"
(De pudic., 10 and 20). Tertullian was no doubt right, that the book had
been excluded at Rome from the Bible Instrumentum, but he is exaggerating
in
referring to "every council" and to a total rejection, for the teaching of
the "Pastor" was in direct contradiction with his own rigid views as to
penance. His earlier use of it is paralleled by the Acts of Sts. Perpetua
and Felicitas, before the end of the second century, but there is no trace
of it in St. Cyprian, so that it would seem to have gone out of use in
Africa during the early decades of the third century. Somewhat later it is
quoted by the author of the pseudo-Cyprianic tract "Adv. aleatores" as
"Scriptura divina", but in St. Jerome's day it was "almost unknown to the
Latins". Curiously, it went out of fa****on in the East, so that the Greek
manuscripts of it are but two in number, whereas in the West it became
better known and was frequently copied in the Middle Ages. A Greek
tradition
says that Saint Hermas was bishop of Philippi and a martyr
Contents
The book consists of five visions, twelve mandates, or commandments, and
ten
similitudes, or parables. It commences abruptly in the first person: "He
who
brought me up sold me to a certain Rhoda, who was at Rome. After many
years
I met her again, and began to love her as a sister." As Hermas was on the
road to ***ae, he had a vision of Rhoda, who was presumably dead. She told
him that she was his accuser in heaven, on account of an unchaste thought
he
had once had concerning her, though only in passing; he was to pray for
forgiveness for himself and all his house. He is consoled by a vision of
the
Church in the form of an aged woman, weak and helpless from the sins of
the
faithful, who tells him to do penance and to correct the sins of his
children. Subsequently he sees her made younger through penance, yet
wrinkled and with white hair; then again, as quite young but still with
white hair -- this is the Church of the forgiven. Lastly, she shows
herself
all glorious as a Bride -- this is the Church of the end of the days. In
the
second vision she gives Hermas a book, which she afterwards takes back in
order to add to it. He is to give this writing to the presbyters, who will
read it to the people; another copy is for "Grapte", who will communicate
it
to the widows; and a third is to be sent by Clement to the foreign
Churches,
"for this is his office". We see here the constitution of the Roman
Church:
the presbyters set over different parishes; Grapte (no doubt a deaconess)
who is connected with the widows; Clement, the pope, who is the organ of
communication between Rome and the rest of the Church in the second
century
is well known to us from other sources. The fifth vision, which is
represented as taking place twenty days after the fourth, introduces "the
Angel of repentance" in the guise of a shepherd, from whom the whole work
takes its name. He delivers to Hermas a series of precepts (mandata,
entolai) as to the belief in one God, simplicity, truthfulness, chastity,
long-suffering, faith, fear, continence, confidence, cheerfulness,
humility,
good desires. These form an interesting development of early Christian
ethics. The only point which needs special mention is the assertion of a
husband's obligation to take back an adulterous wife on her repentance.
The
eleventh mandate, on humility, is concerned with false prophets who desire
to occupy the first seats (that is to say, among the presbyters). It is
possible that we have here a reference to Marcion, who came to Rome about
142-4 and desired to be admitted among the priests (or possibly even to
become pope). After the mandata come ten similitudes (parabolai) in the
form
of visions, which are explained by the angel. The longest of these (ix) is
an elaboration of the parable of the building of a tower, which had formed
the matter of the third vision. The tower is the Church, and the stones of
which it is built are the faithful. But in Vis. iii it looked as though
only
the holy are a part of the Church; in Sim. ix it is clearly pointed out
that
all the baptized are included, though they may be cast out for grave sins,
and can be readmitted only after penance.
The whole book is thus concerned with the Christian virtues and their
exercise. It is an ethical, not a theological, work. The intention is
above
all to preach repentance. A single chance of restoration after fall is
given
to Christians, and this op****tunity is spoken of as something new, which
had
never been clearly published before. The writer is pained by the sins of
the
faithful and is sincerely anxious for their conversion and return to good
works. As a layman, Hermas avoids dogma, and, when incidentally it comes
in,
it is vague or incorrect. It has been thought with some reason that he did
not distinguish the Son from the Holy Ghost, or that he held that the Holy
Ghost became the Son by His Incarnation. But his words are not clear, and
his ideas on the subject may have been rather misty and confused than
definitely erroneous. A Greek tradition says that Saint Hermas was bishop
of
Philippi and a martyr.
See Continuation and Bibliography at:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07268b.htm
Saint Quote:
Do not be vexed at the contradictions you meet in ordinary intercourse,
for
they give an op****tunity to practice the most precious and amiable
virtues,
which Our Lord has recommended to us. Believe me that true virtue is no
more reared in outward repose, than good fish in the stagnant water of a
swamp. How shall we prove our love for God, who has suffered so much for
us, if not among contradictions and repugnances?
-St. Francis de Sales
Bible Quote
8 O God, when thou didst go forth in the sight of thy people, when thou
didst pass through the desert: 9 The earth was moved, and the heavens
dropped at the presence of the God of Sina, at the presence of the God of
Israel. (Psalm 67:8-9)
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Dear Lord
You are wonderful in everything you do. In marvelous ways You take the
full,
rich life of the plant and carefully fold it into tiny seeds. You form the
seeds according to many different shapes and sizes and colors, so that man
can know what kind of growth will come of them. When they are placed the
earth they may look dry and dead, but when they are watered by the
life-giving rain and nourished by the warm sun, they lose all their
lifeless
look and grow in an almost miraculous manner. By the power You gave them,
they take the dead minerals of the earth and build up the nouri****ng,
tasty
foods that men need to sustain life.This week, dear Lord, we will plant
these seeds of (wheat, corn, or whatever it may be) that You have given
us.
Bless them, and watch over them, and bring them to the full growth and
rich
harvest that You wish to bless us with.But, should You not allow them to
come to full harvest, we accept Your will humbly. We trust that You will
nevertheless watch over us and make the seeds of grace that You have given
us grow to flower and fruit in the full Christian life that You intend for
us here and hereafter.
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