1Addressing monks, the preacher says the enemy within is overcome only by humility and love, after the example of Christ who humbled himself for love of us; humility makes one obedient to God.
2True humility is shown to God, not paraded before men; it should be followed by obedience and mutual love, as the members of a body help each other.
3Love, humility and obedience imitate Christ; the soul must side with Christ the physician and God's command against the sickness of sinful habit.
4The monk under the abbot's light yoke is freed from worldly anxiety; he should accept what the abbot gives as from God, and the brothers should correct one another as abbots to each other.
5Fasting and austerities are useful to tame the flesh but become pride if boasted of, like the Pharisee's works; the only way to God is humility, obedience and love.
About this work
Author
Anonymous
Attribution
pseudonymous · Printed in PL 18 under the name Novatus Catholicus (a 'sentence of Novatus'); the ascription and date are uncertain, and the monastic setting (an abbot and his brothers) points to the later 4th century or after; Migne dates it 'anno Domini incerto'. Check CPL and the date before publishing.
Standing
Not honoured as a saint or in a church calendar by the Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant traditions. Anonymous or pseudonymous work read and used in the church of its time.
Date
uncertain (4th-6th century?) (disputed) · Undated in PL 18; if it proves later than 451 it must be dropped.
Written at
Unknown (disputed)
Language
Latin
Genre
homily
Reference system
section (consecutive numbers of about 260 words; Migne's column letters are not preserved)
SBL abbreviation
Humil.Not yet checked
Clavis
CPL (not yet checked)
Text from
J.-P. Migne, ed., Patrologiae cursus completus, series Latina 18 (Paris, 1844-1855) (Printed edition in the public domain; digital text CC BY-SA 4.0)