Gregory the Dialogist

But when the statement of our Redeemer from another reading is brought to mind, a very complex question arises for us from the words of this reading. For in another place, when asked by his disciples about the coming of Elijah, the Lord replied: "Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. And if you wish to know, John himself is Elijah." But when John was asked, he says: "I am not Elijah." What is this, dearest brothers, that what Truth affirms, the prophet of Truth denies? For "He is" and "I am not" are very different from each other. How then is he a prophet of Truth if he does not agree with the words of that same Truth? But if the truth itself is carefully examined, what sounded contradictory between them is found not to be contradictory. For the angel says to Zechariah concerning John: "He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah." He is said to be coming in the spirit and power of Elijah because just as Elijah will precede the second coming of the Lord, so John preceded the first. Just as the former will be the precursor of the Judge, so the latter was made the precursor of the Redeemer. John therefore was Elijah in spirit; he was not Elijah in person.

(Hom. in Ev. 34. 12) But Dionysius says, that it is from the ranks of the lesser Angels that these are sent to perform this ministry, either visibly or invisibly, for that those higher ranks have not the employment of an outward ministry.

(Mor. ii. 3.) And therefore the Angels always behold the face of the Father, and yet they come to us, for by a spiritual presence they come forth to us, and yet by internal contemplation keep themselves there whence they come forth; for they come not so forth from the divine vision, as to hinder the joys of inward contemplation.

(Hom. in Ev. xxxiv. 3.) This refers to the Creator of man Himself; for a hundred is a perfect number, and He had a hundred sheep when He created the substance of Angels and men.

(ubi sup.) The Evangelist says they were left on the mountains, to signify that the sheep which were not lost abode on high.

(ubi sup.) We must consider whence it is that the Lord declares that He has joy rather over the converted sinners, than over the righteous that stand. Because these last are often slothful and slack to practise the greater good works, as being very secure within themselves, for that they have committed none of the heavier sins. While on the other hand those who have their wicked deeds to remember, do often through the compunction of sorrow glow with the more heat in their love of God, and when they think how they have strayed from Him, they replace their former losses by gains following. So the general in a battle loves best that soldier who turns in his flight and courageously presses the enemy, than him who never turned his back, yet never did any valorous deed. Yet there be some righteous over whom is joy so great, that no penitent can be preferred before them, those, who though not conscious to themselves of sins, yet reject things lawful, and humble themselves in all things. How great is the joy when the righteous mourns, and humbles himself, if there be joy when the unrighteous condemns himself wherein he has done amiss?

"Which of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does he not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the one that was lost?" Behold, with wonderful dispensation of mercy, the Truth gave a similitude which man might recognize in himself, and yet which pertained especially to the very author of mankind. For since one hundred is a perfect number, he himself had a hundred sheep when he created the substance of angels and men. But one sheep was lost when man, by sinning, abandoned the pastures of life. He left the ninety-nine sheep in the desert because he left those supreme choirs of angels in heaven. But why is heaven called a desert, unless because desert means abandoned? For man abandoned heaven when he sinned. The ninety-nine sheep remained in the desert while the Lord was seeking one on earth, because the number of rational creatures, namely of angels and men, which had been created to see God, was diminished by the perishing of man, and so that the perfect sum of sheep might be made whole in heaven, lost man was being sought on earth. For what this evangelist calls "in the mountains," signifies in the heights, because indeed the sheep that had not perished stood in the lofty places.

We must consider, my brothers, why the Lord declares there is more joy in heaven over converted sinners than over the just who stand firm, unless it is what we ourselves know through daily experience of observation: that very often those who know themselves weighed down by no burden of sins do indeed stand in the way of justice, commit no unlawful acts, yet do not anxiously long for the heavenly homeland, and grant themselves as much use of lawful things as they remember having committed no unlawful ones. And very often they remain sluggish in practicing the highest goods, because they are quite secure in themselves that they have committed no graver evils. But on the contrary, sometimes those who remember having done certain unlawful things, pierced with compunction by their very grief, burn ardently with love of God, and exercise themselves in great virtues, seek out all the difficulties of holy struggle, abandon all worldly things, flee honors, rejoice when insults are received, burn with desire, long for the heavenly homeland; and because they consider that they have strayed from God, they compensate for preceding losses with subsequent gains. Therefore there is greater joy in heaven over a converted sinner than over a just person standing firm, because a commander in battle also loves more that soldier who, returning after flight, vigorously presses the enemy, than the one who never showed his back, and never performed any deed of valor. So too the farmer loves more that land which after thorns brings forth abundant crops, than that which never had thorns and never produces a fertile harvest.

(Hom. in Ev. xix, 1.) Or; The Master of the household, that is, our Maker, has a vineyard, that is, the Church universal, which has borne so many stocks, as many saints as it has put forth from righteous Abel to the very last saint who shall be born in the end of the world. To instruct this His people as for the dressing of a vineyard, the Lord has never ceased to send out His labourers; first by the Patriarchs, next by the teachers of the Law, then by the Prophets, and at the last by the Apostles, He has toiled in the cultivation of His vineyard; though every man, in whatsoever measure or degree he has joined good action with right faith, has been a labourer in the vineyard.

(ubi sup.) The morning is that age of the world which was from Adam and Noah, and therefore it is said, Who went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. The terms of their hiring He adds, And when he had agreed with the labourers for a denarius a day.

(ubi sup.) The third hour is the period from Noah to Abraham; of which it is said, And he went out about the third hour; and saw others standing in the market-placeidle.

(ubi sup.) He that lives to himself, and feeds on the delights of the flesh, is rightly accused as idle, forasmuch as he does not seek the fruit of godly labour.

(ubi sup.) The sixth hour is that from Abraham to Moses, the ninth that from Moses to the coming of the Lord.

(ubi sup.) The eleventh hour is that from the coming of the Lord to the end of the world. The labourer in the morning, at the third, sixth, and ninth hours, denotes the ancient Hebrew people, which in its elect from the very beginning of the world, while it zealously and with right faith served the Lord, ceased not to labour in the husbandry of the vineyard. But at the eleventh the Gentiles are called. For they who through so many ages of the world had neglected to labour for their living, were they who had stood the whole day idle. But consider their answer; They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us; for neither Patriarch nor Prophet had come to them. And what is it to say, No man hath hired us, but to say, None has preached to us the way of life,

(ubi sup.) They get alike a denarius who have wrought since the eleventh hour, (for they sought it with their whole soul,) and who have wrought since the first. They, that is, who were called from the beginning of the world have alike received the reward of eternal happiness, with those who come to the Lord in the end of the world.

(ubi sup.) Or; To bear the burden and heat of the day, is to be wearied through a life of long duration with the heats of the flesh. But it may be asked, How can they be said to murmur, when they are called to the kingdom of heaven? For none who murmurs shall receive the kingdom, and none who receives that can murmur.

(ubi sup.) Or because the old fathers down to the Lord's coming, notwithstanding their righteous lives, were not brought to the kingdom, this murmur is theirs. But we who have come at the eleventh hour, do not murmur after our labours, forasmuch as having come into this world after the coming of the Mediator, we are brought to the kingdom as soon as ever we depart out of the body.

(ubi sup.) And because the attainment of this kingdom is of the goodness of His will, it is added, Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? For it is a foolish complaint of man to murmur against the goodness of God. For complaint is not when a man gives not what he is not bound to give, but if he gives not what he is bound to give; whence it is added, Is thine eye evil because I am good?

(ubi sup.) There be very many come to the faith, yet but few arrive at the heavenly kingdom; many follow God in words, but shun Him in their lives. Whereof spring two things to be thought upon. The first, that none should presume ought concerning himself; for though he be called to the faith, he knows not whether he shall be chosen to the kingdom. Secondly, that none should despair of his neighbour, even though he see him lying in vices; because he knows not the riches of the Divine mercy.
Or otherwise. The morning is our childhood; the third hour may be understood as our youth, the sun as it were mounting to his height is the advance of the heat of age; the sixth hour is manhood, when the sun is steady in his meridian height, representing as it were the maturity of strength; by the ninth is understood old age, in which the sun descends from his vertical height, as our age falls away from the fervour of youth; the eleventh hour is that age which is called decrepit, and doting.

They then who have neglected till extreme old age to live unto God, have stood idle to the eleventh hour, yet even these the master of the household calls, and oftentimes gives them their reward before other, inasmuch as they depart out of the body into the kingdom before those that seemed to be called in their childhood.

The kingdom of heaven is said to be like a householder who hires workers to cultivate his vineyard. But who more fittingly holds the likeness of a householder than our Creator, who rules those whom he created, and possesses his elect in this world just as a master possesses his subjects in a house? He has a vineyard, namely the universal Church, which, from righteous Abel to the last elect who will be born at the end of the world, has sent forth as many branches as it has produced saints. This householder, therefore, hires workers to cultivate his vineyard at dawn, the third hour, the sixth, the ninth, and the eleventh, because from the beginning of this world until its end he has not ceased to gather preachers to instruct the faithful people. For the morning of the world was from Adam to Noah, the third hour from Noah to Abraham, the sixth from Abraham to Moses, the ninth from Moses to the coming of the Lord, and the eleventh from the coming of the Lord to the end of the world. In this last hour the holy apostles were sent as preachers, who received their full wage though they came late. Therefore the Lord has never ceased to send workers to instruct his people, as if to cultivate his vineyard, because both earlier through the patriarchs, and afterward through the teachers of the law and the prophets, and finally through the apostles, while he cultivated the character of his people, he labored, as it were, through workers in the cultivation of the vineyard. Although, in whatever measure or degree, whoever lived with right faith and good action was a worker of this vineyard.

But at the eleventh hour the Gentiles are called, to whom it is also said: Why do you stand here idle all day? For those who, after so long a time of the world had passed, had neglected to labor for their life, stood idle, as it were, all day. But consider, brothers, what they answer when questioned: For they say: Because no one has hired us. Indeed, no patriarch, no prophet had come to them. And what does it mean to say: No one has hired us for labor, except: No one has preached to us the ways of life? What then shall we, who cease from good work, say in our excuse, we who came to the faith almost from our mother's womb, who heard the words of life from the very cradle, who from the breasts of holy Church have drunk the draught of heavenly preaching along with the milk of the flesh?

We can indeed also distinguish these same diversities of hours according to the stages of ages for each individual person. For the morning of our understanding is childhood. The third hour can be understood as adolescence, because the sun, as it were, advances higher as the heat of age increases. The sixth hour is youth, because the sun is fixed as if at its center, while in that age the fullness of strength is established. The ninth hour is understood as old age, in which the sun descends as if from its high axis, because that age declines from the heat of youth. The eleventh hour is that age which is called decrepit or advanced. Hence the Greeks call the very elderly not γέροντας but πρεσβυτέρους, to indicate that those whom they call more advanced are more than old. Therefore, since one person is led to a good life in childhood, another in adolescence, another in youth, another in old age, another in decrepit age, workers are called to the vineyard at different hours, as it were.

Examine your ways, therefore, dearest brothers, and see if you are already workers of God. Let each one weigh what he does, and consider whether he labors in the Lord's vineyard. For they labor for the Lord who think not of their own things but of the Lord's gains, who serve with zeal of charity, with eagerness of piety, who are watchful for gaining souls, who hasten to lead others along with themselves to life. For he who lives for himself, who feeds on the pleasures of his flesh, is rightly reproached as idle, because he does not pursue the fruit of divine work. He who has neglected to live for God even until the last age has stood idle until the eleventh hour, as it were. Hence it is rightly said to those who are sluggish until the eleventh hour: Why do you stand here idle all day? As if it were openly said: If you did not wish to live for God in childhood and youth, at least come to your senses in the last age, and come to the ways of life, even if late, when you will not have much labor ahead. And such ones, therefore, the householder calls, and often they are rewarded first, because they depart from the body to the kingdom before those who seemed to have been called from childhood.

But it can be asked how those who are called to the kingdom even at a late hour are said to have murmured. For no one who murmurs receives the kingdom of heaven, and no one who receives it can murmur. But because the ancient fathers, up until the coming of the Lord, no matter how justly they had lived, were not led to the kingdom unless He descended who would open the gates of paradise to men by the interposition of His death, their murmuring was this very thing: that they both lived rightly for the sake of receiving the kingdom, and yet were long delayed in receiving the kingdom. For those whom the places of hell, however tranquil, received after their righteousness was completed, for them indeed it was both to have labored in the vineyard and to have murmured. Therefore they receive the denarius as if after murmuring, who after long periods in hell arrived at the joys of the kingdom. But we who come at the eleventh hour do not murmur after our labor and receive the denarius, because after the coming of the Mediator, coming into this world, we are led to the kingdom as soon as we depart from the body, and we receive without delay what the ancient fathers deserved to receive with great delay.