Dom Prosper Gueranger:
The Son of God is soon to ascend to His Father. He has said to his Apostles: “Going, teach all nations: preach the Gospel to every creature.” Thus, then, the Nations are not to receive the Word from the lips of Jesus, but through His Ministers. The glory and happiness of being instructed directly by the Man-God were for none but the Israelites, and even for them for only three short years.
The impious may murmur at this and say in their pride: “Why should there be men between God and us?” God might justly answer: “And what right have you to expect me to speak to you myself, seeing that you can otherwise be as certain of my Word as though you heard it from myself?” Was the Son of God to lose His claim to our Faith unless he remained on this earth to the end of time? If we reflect on the infinite distance there is between the Creator and Creature, we will detest such a blasphemy. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater (1 John v. 9), and how can we reject it? Can we call that testimony human, which was given by the Apostles, when, in proof of their being sent by God, they showed the power conferred on them by their Divine Master of working miracles? Of course, the pride of reason may rebel. It may protest and refuse to believe men who speak in God’s name. Did not the very Son of God meet with more unbelievers than believers? And why? Because He affirmed Himself to be God, yet showed nothing exteriorly but His human nature. So that there was an act of faith to be made, even when Jesus Himself spoke, and pride might rebel and say: “I will not believe,” just as it will do when the Apostles speak in His name. The two cases are alike. God demands of us, as long as we are in this world, that we give Him our faith, and faith is not possible without humility. God confirms His word by miracles, but man has always the power to resist, and for that very reason faith is a virtue.
If it be asked why, when God took His Son from this earth, He did not commission His Angels to teach us in His name, instead of giving such a sublime office to men, frail and mortal as we ourselves are who receive their teaching? The reason is that man could not be raised up from the state of degradation into which he had fallen by pride except by submission and humility, and consequently it was fitting that the ministry of the Divine Word should not be entrusted to Angels, inasmuch as our pride might have been flattered by our having, for our teachers, beings so noble and exalted. We believed the Serpent when he spoke to us, and we had the pride to think that we might one day become Gods: our merciful Creator, in order to save us, has imposed it as a law on us that we should yield submission to men when they speak in His name. These men, therefore, are to preach the Gospel to every creature, and he that believes not, will be condemned.
O Word of God! You heavenly seed planted in the field of the Church, how fruitful have you not been! Yet one little while, and the harvest will be ripe. Faith will have spread throughout the world. The faithful shall be found in every land. And how came they by the faith? By hearing, answers the great Apostle of the Gentiles (Romans x. 17). They heard the Word and they believed. How honoured above the rest of our senses is our hearing, at least in this present life! Let us listen to Saint Bernard speaking on this subject. “One would have thought that the Truth would have entered into our souls by that noblest of our senses, the eye: but no, my soul! That is reserved for the future life, when we will see, face to face. For the present, let the remedy come in by the same door through which crept the malady. Let life, and light, and the antidote of truth, come to us in the track previously taken by death, and darkness, and the serpent’s poison. Thus the troubled eye will be cured by the ear, and will see, when calm, what she cannot when troubled. The ear was the first door of death. Let it be the first to be opened to life. The ear took away our light. Let it now restore our light, for unless we believe, we will not understand. Hearing, therefore, is the instrument of our merit. Sight is to be our reward. Observe, too, how the Holy Ghost follows this order in the spiritual education of the soul: he forms the ear before he gladdens the eye. He says to her: “Hearken, Daughter, and see! Forget your eye, for the present: it is your ear I now ask for. Do you wish to see Christ? First hear him. Hear what is said of Him: that so, when you see Him, you may say: As we have heard, so have we seen! (Psalms xlvii. 9) The brightness is immense. Your eye is weak and you cannot bear the splendour. But what your eye cannot do, your ear can. Only let this ear of yours be fervent, and watchful, and faithful. Faith will give to your eye the clearness it lost by sin. Disobedience shut it, but obedience will open it.”
