Gripla - 20.12.2016, Qupperneq 256

GRIPLA256
is healed, it must die. Likewise: more dangerous is the soul’s weakness,
which induces eternal death, than the body’s, which only induces temporal
death. this medicine tends to work through opposites, as Gregory says:
“As in the art of medicine, hot is cured by cold and cold by hot, so our Lord op-
posed contrary medication to the sins, such as continence for the inconstant, gen-
erosity for the miserly, gentleness for the irascible, humility for the proud” [Hom.
ev. II,32,1]. Behold the physician, it is clear how much he truly followed
his own medicine. With how much chastity, abundance, clemency, and
humbleness he operated, will surely be mentioned in his legend. Let us
therefore honour our physician, i.e. saint Þorlákr, by loving his medication,
because what he made for himself, he did for our benefit. Ecclesiasticus:
“The most High has created medicine out of the earth, and a wise man will not
abhor it” [Sir 38:4].
Thirdly, he should be honoured as a master by his students, as is said
about Daniel: “Have a seat, and teach us, because God gave you the honour of
old age” [Dn 13:50]. Honour truly, because “although he had been perfected by
studying briefly, he filled a long time by teaching” [Ws 4:13]. Let us therefore
honour such a doctor by perfecting his doctrine, because everyone will be
perfect, if he is as his master. for there is praise of the doctor in the perfec-
tion of his hearer. But alas, how little does it yet appear that we Christians
are in the schools of Christ or his saints! for we have learned little or noth-
ing on perfection. Yet the Lord himself nevertheless says: “Learn of me”
etc. [Mt 11:29]. But alas, we have rather learned of him, who teaches cru-
elty than piety, and that is deplorable, because no animal would do savagery
against his own kind except man. therefore, since we have rather learned
bad than good things, we should fear that our master Christ will punish us
hard, when he will have asked for the reason of the lesson.
therefore, affirm the lesson, because the book is dangling before our
eyes, in which there are written the obedience and humility of Jesus Christ
and the abstinence, so that we have compassion according to the saying of
Bernard: “How sweetly do you, good Jesus, associate with mankind, how abun-
dantly do you deign to bestow many and great things, how bitterly did you suffer,
that it may suck honey from rock and oil from the hardest stone when embracing
the entreaties of the cross” [serm. 2,7]. Let us therefore pray etc.