Lessons 7-9 from the Divine Office of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Bishops, Confessors: Luke 10: 1-9; Homily 17 on the Gospels by St. Gregory the Pope.
Lessons 7-9 from the Divine Office of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Bishops, Confessors: Luke 10: 1-9; Homily 17 on the Gospels by St. Gregory the Pope.
.
At that time, the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before His face into every city and place, whither He Himself would come. Therefore said He unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth labourers into His harvest. Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: and heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
-------------------------------------------------
Dearly beloved brethren, our Lord and Saviour doth sometimes admonish us by words, and sometimes by works. Yea, His very works do themselves teach us: for that which He doth silently His example still moveth us to copy. Behold how He sendeth forth His disciples to preach by two and two: since there are two commandments to love, that is, a commandment to love God, and a commandment to love our neighbour: and where there are not two, the one, being alone, hath not whereon to do the Lord's commandment. And no man can properly be said to love himself: for love tendeth outward toward our neighbour, if it be the love whereto the Gospel doth oblige us.
Behold, the Lord sendeth forth His disciples to preach by two and two: and thus doing, He doth silently teach us that whosoever loveth not his neighbour, such an one it behoveth not to take upon him the office of a preacher. Well also is it said that He sent them before His Face into every city and place whither He Himself would come. The Lord followeth His preachers: first cometh preaching, and then the Lord Himself cometh to the house of our mind, whither the word of exhortation hath come before: and so cometh the truth into our mind.
Therefore to preachers saith Isaiah: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight an highway for our God. And again the Psalmist saith: Spread a path before Him that rideth upon the West. The Lord rideth upon the West; above that from which in death He veiled His glory hath He royally exalted that glory that excelleth, even the glory of His rising again. He rideth upon the West, Who, being risen again from the dead, is throned high above the death to which He bowed. Before Him, therefore, that rideth upon the West, we spread a path, when we set forth His glory before the eyes of your mind, to the end that He Himself may come after, and Himself enlighten the same your minds by His presence and His love.