Gripla - 20.12.2016, Blaðsíða 255

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Appendix 3: Translation into English
on the blessed Bishop Þorlákr.
“Worthy of this honour is he whom the King would wish to honour” [Est 6:11],
Esther. although according to the old testament reading, the words which
I have set out are said of Mordecai, whom king ahasuerus honoured tem-
porally, they can – understood allegorically – be applied to this saint, i.e.
blessed Þorlákr, whom the King of Kings Christ has exalted and honoured
eternally. But since according to the apostle “it is befitting to honour all” [1
tm 6:1], (it is), however, particularly (befitting to honour) him, whom we
know to be honoured by God, in as much as he should be honoured like
a father by his children, or a physician by the infirm, a master by his stu-
dents, a prelate by his subjects. for he was our father by governing (us) in
grace, our physician by saving (us) from sin, our master by educating (us)
in doctrine, our prelate by governing (us) in life.
on the first (sub-theme) Exodus: “Honour thy father and thy mother: that
thy days may be long upon the land” [Ex 20:12]. this is the commandment
of God. therefore (honour) much more your spiritual father, because the
bond of grace is stronger than that of nature. It is a smaller benefit to lead
into being than to lead into well-being, because through this (conduct),
God is feared as a parent, God who commands one to honour one’s par-
ents. He should honour, I say, parents and serve as masters those who
generated him in the flesh or in the spirit, as the apostle says: “Through the
gospel he generated you” [1 Cor 4:15]. Let us therefore honour our spiritual
father by imitating his virtues. “We are the children of our saints” [tb 2:18],
and “the knowing son [is] the father’s glory” [Prv 13:1]. the blessed John says:
“I know no greater joy than to see that my children walk in truth” [3 Jn 1:4].
Hence the Lord says: “If you were Abraham’s children, you should do the works
of Abraham” [Jn 8:39]. ambrose: “Anyone is called the son of the one whose
labour he does” [serm. XXX,1]. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may
see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” [Mt 5:16].
Secondly, he should be honoured as a physician by the infirm. Ecc-
lesiasticus: “Honour the physician for the urgent need” [Sir 38:1]. So if we
honour the physician for the need of our bodies, (we should honour) much
more the spiritual physician for the need of the souls. for the need of the
sanity of the soul is greater than that of the body, because whatever body
FORGOTTEN PREACHING