Homily
2.4:
(4) But perhaps the hearers of the Church may say, generally it
was better with the ancients than with us, when pardon for sinners was obtained
by offering sacrifices in a diverse ritual. Among us, there is only one pardon
of sins, which is given in the beginning through the grace of baptism. After this,
no mercy nor any indulgence is granted to the sinner. Certainly, it is fitting
that the Christian, "for whom Christ died,” have a more difficult
discipline. For the ancients, sheep, he-goats, cattle, and birds were killed
and fine wheat flour was moistened. For you, the Son of God was killed. How could
it please you to sin again? And yet, lest these things not so much build up
your souls for virtue as cast them down to despair, you heard how many
sacrifices there were in the Law for sins. Now hear how many are the remissions
of sins in the gospel.
(5) First is the one by which we are baptized "for the
remission of sins.” A second remission is in the suffering of martyrdom. Third,
is that which is given through alms. For the Savior says, "but
nevertheless, give what you have and, behold, all things are clean for you.” A
fourth remission of sins is given for us through the fact that we also forgive
the sins of our brothers. For thus the Lord and Savior himself says, "If
you will forgive from the heart your brothers' sins, your Father will also
forgive you your sins. But if you will not forgive your brothers from the
heart, neither will your Father forgive you.” And thus he taught us to say in
prayer, "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” A fifth
forgiveness of sins is when "someone will convert a sinner from the error
of his way." For thus divine Scripture says, "Whoever will make a sinner
turn from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a
multitude of sins.” There is also a sixth forgiveness through the abundance of love
as the Lord himself says, "Truly I say to you, her many sins are forgiven
because she loved much.” And the Apostle says, "Because love will cover a
multitude of sins.” And there is still a seventh remission of sins through
penance, although admittedly it is difficult and toilsome, when the sinner
washes "his couch in tears,” and his "tears" become his
"bread day and night," when he is not ashamed to make known his sin
to the priest of the Lord and to seek a cure according to the one who says,
"I said, 'I will proclaim to the Lord my injustice against myself,' and
you forgave the impiety of my heart.” What the Apostle James said is fulfilled
in this: "But if anyone is sick, let that person call the presbyters of
the Church, and they will place their hands on him, anointing him with oil in
the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and if
he is in sins, they will be forgiven him. (Origen, Homilies on Leviticus
1-16 [trans. Gary Wayne Barkley; The Fathers of the Church 83; Washington,
D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 1990], 46-48)
Homily
6.5:
(2) But it we understood well what is
the ornament of the priest or, above all, the honor of his head, we would
desire not only to know and to hear the depths of the divine mysteries but both
to fulfill and to do them because "the hearers of the Law will not be
justified before God, but the doers.” As we have already said often, you too
can function as a high priest before God within the temple of your spirit if
you would prepare your garments with zeal and vigilance; if the word of the Law
has washed you and made you clean, and the anointing and grace of your baptism
remained uncontaminated; if you were to be clothed with two garments, of the
letter and of the spirit; if you were also girded twice so that you may be pure
in flesh and spirit; if you would adorn yourselves "with a cape" of
works and "a breastplate" of wisdom; if also he would crown your head
"with a turban" and "a golden plate,” the fullness of the
knowledge of God; although, I would have you know, you may be hidden and
unknown before men. "For you are the temple of the living God" if
"the Spirit of God lives in you.” What is said after this about his
consecration and anointing, we have frequently examined here and there. (Ibid.,
125-26)
Homily
8.3:
(5) But if it pleases you to hear what
other saints also might think about this birthday, hear David speaking,
"In iniquity I was conceived and in sins my mother brought me forth,"
showing that every soul which is born in flesh is polluted by the filth
"of iniquity and sin"; and for this reason we can say what we already
have recalled above, "No one is pure from uncleanness even if his life is
only one day long." To these things can be added the reason why it is
required, since the baptism of the Church is given for the forgiveness of sins,
that, according to the observance of the Church, that baptism also be given to
infants; since, certainly, if there were nothing in infants that ought to
pertain to forgiveness and indulgence, then the grace of baptism would appear
superfluous. (Ibid., 157-58)
Homily 8.10:
(12) However, observe also that the priest himself is not said to
sacrifice the hen, for this one who was leprous is not yet worthy for the
priest himself to sacrifice for him. For this reason, the blood of the hen is
not offered at the altar, but it says "the hen will be killed in a small
earthen vessel in which vessel living water has been poured," that the
water also is taken for purification and the fullness of the mystery is completed
in "water and blood" which is said "to have flowed from the
side" of the Savior; and John, no less, sets this forth in his epistle and
says purification occurs "in water and blood and spirit." Whence, I
see all this to be fulfilled here. For "the spirit" is of this hen
which is killed; the "living water," what is in the vessel; and
"the blood," what was poured over it; not that through this we· think
the grace of baptism to be repeated but that every purification of sin, like
this, which is sought through repentance, is in need of assistance of the one from
whose side "water and blood" came forth. See, therefore, how
"the living hen and the cedar wood and the scarlet cord and the hyssop are
dyed in the blood of the hen, and living water,” that from this one who is
cleansed, having been sprinkled and purified from "the water and the
blood" with which this "hen," which is sent into the field, was
colored, and sprinkled "seven times before the Lord, is made clean from
all uncleannesses which he had contracted from the infection of leprosy. (Ibid.,
169-70)
