A light kindled by the eternal light
Tuesday at Matins:
From a Letter by St Augustine, Bishop & Doctor
I exhort you not to be too much troubled by those offenses which were foretold as destined to come, that when they came we might remember that they had been foretold, and not be greatly disconcerted by them. For the Lord himself in his Gospel foretold them, saying, “Woe unto the world because of offenses! For it must needs be that offenses come; but woe unto that man by whom the offense comes!” These are the men of whom the Apostle said, “They seek their own, not the things that are Jesus Christ’s.” There are, therefore, some who hold the honourable office of shepherds in order that they may provide for the flock of Christ; others occupy that position that they may enjoy the temporal honours and secular advantages connected with the office. It must needs happen that these two kinds of pastors, some dying, others succeeding them, should continue in the Catholic Church even to the end of time, and the judgment of the Lord. If, then, in the times of the Apostles there were men such that Paul, grieved by their conduct, enumerates among his trials, perils among false brethren, and yet he did not haughtily cast them out, but patiently bore with them, how much more must such arise in our times, since the Lord most plainly says concerning this age which is drawing to a close, that because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold. The word which follows, however, ought to console and exhort us, for he adds, “He that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved.”
Concerning the good shepherds he thus speaks: “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it gives light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Concerning the bad shepherds he admonishes the sheep in these words: “The Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: all, therefore, whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.” When these are listened to, the sheep of Christ, even through evil teachers, hear his voice, and do not forsake the unity of his flock, because the good which they hear them teach belongs not to the shepherds but to him, and therefore the sheep are safely fed, since even under bad shepherds they are nourished in the Lord’s pastures. They do not, however, imitate the actions of the bad shepherds, because such actions belong not to the world but to the shepherds themselves.
In regard, however, to those whom they see to be good shepherds, they not only hear the good things which they teach, but also imitate the good actions which they perform. Of this number was the apostle, who said: “Be followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” He was a light kindled by the Eternal Light, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and was placed on a candlestick because he gloried in his Cross, concerning which he said: “God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Moreover, since he sought not his own things, but the things which are Jesus Christ’s, while he exhorts to the imitation of his own life those whom he had begotten through the Gospel, he yet severely reproved those who, by the names of apostles, introduced schisms, and he chides those who said, “I am of Paul; was Paul crucified for you? Or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?”
