St.

Theodore the Studite

MAGNA CATECHESIS
27
THE TWENTY-SEVENTH
DISCOURSE FROM THE
MAGNA CATECHESIS
The time has come for the
sowing of earthly seed, of
corn and of other things. We
see men going forth to work
from the end to the
beginning of the night,
taking all care that they may
sow what is best and most
productive, that the needs of
the body may be supplied.
And shall we, the
husbandmen of spiritual
seed, sleep our time away,
and neglect to sow what we
should? How then should we
bear everlasting hunger?
What excuse can we give for
our idleness?
Let us awake, then, and sow
more zealously and more
plentifully than the sowers of
natural seed! For he that
soweth sparingly shall reap
sparingly, and he that
soweth in blessing shall reap
blessings.
What do we sow! Petitions,
prayer, supplications,
thanksgivings, faith, hope,
love. These are the seed of
piety, and by them the soul
is nourished.
With the natural seed the
husbandman can only be
patient, awaiting the early
and the latter rain. But of
our seed we are the masters
to cause rain and dew -- our
weeping and contrition -- at
our will, and as much as
pleases us. Since this is
within our choice, I beseech
you, brethren, let us also
sow much and let us water
very much, and let us
increase the fruits of
righteousness that when the
spiritual harvest of the
unseen world shall come, we
may fill our hands and our
laps with sheaves, and may
cry aloud: "The blessing of
the Lord is upon us. We have
blessed you out of the house
of the Lord. Thou shalt eat
the labours of thy hands.
Thou art blessed, and it shall
be well with thee."
So far about these things. I
wish to remind you, brethren,
that the nights swell out as
the days diminish. And as by
watchings the body declines,
so by much sleep does the
flesh grow in fatness. And as
the flesh becomes fat, the
passions increase along with
it. What shall we say then?
Each of you has a psalm, an
exercise, a prayer. Let all
things be attended to in
order, all for the edification
of the soul, for the
strengthening of the spirit,
that Satan may not tempt
you by intemperance.
But I say this not as to sleep
alone, but also as to food
and drink, and it may be as
to other things. To keep to a
fixed order without deviation
is the best means to keep
ourselves whole and
uninjured.
Now that the Emperor is
returning from his campaign,
thoughts arise in our hearts,
as we ask: "How will it go
with the things of the Church?
that is to say, with our own
affairs?" But it is written:
"Cast thy care upon the Lord,
and He shall bring it to
pass," [Ps. 54:23(55:22)].
And "If God be for us, who
can be against us?", [Rom
8:31]. He cared for our lives
in former years, drawing us
out of manifold temptations
and afflictions. So again may
He care for us in days to
come.
Only let us walk worthy of
the Gospel, having our
citizenship in heaven. For we
are strangers and sojourners
upon earth. We have no part
nor lot therein. For who,
coming from eternity, has
remained in the world, that
he might inherit anything?
Have not all who have come
in gone out as from a
strange land? For this is but
a place of sojourning. Our
true home and heritage and
abiding place is in the world
to come. May we come
thither and be accounted
worthy to inherit with all the
saints the kingdom of
Heaven in Christ Jesus our
Lord, to whom be the glory
and the power with the
Father and the Holy Spirit
now and for ever. Amen.