In the Office of Lauds, the Commemoratio serves as a solemn remembrance of the saints and the virtues they embody. Today, reflecting on Sirach 31:8-11 and Luke 12:35-40, we see a profound call to detachment from the world and vigilance in awaiting the Lord, themes deeply rooted in the writings of the Church Fathers and the spiritual ethos of the monastic tradition.
Blessed is the Man Who is Found Without Blemish (Sir 31:8-11)
“Blessed is the rich man that is found without blemish: and that hath not gone after gold, nor put his trust in money, nor in treasures. Who is he, and we will praise him? for he hath done wonderful things in his life.” (Sirach 31:8-9)
The Book of Sirach presents to us the image of a man who, though possessing wealth, does not allow himself to be ensnared by it. This echoes the teaching of St. John Chrysostom, who warns:
“Not he who has wealth is rich, but he who has no need of wealth.” (Homily on Lazarus and the Rich Man)
True blessedness is not found in material possessions but in the freedom of the soul from their tyranny. The Fathers remind us that even those who possess wealth must use it as stewards, not as masters of their own fortune. St. Cyprian of Carthage urges:
“Riches, when they are not used rightly, are a bond which keeps the soul from God.” (De Opere et Eleemosynis)
Sirach speaks of the praise and remembrance of the just man, whose righteousness does not perish but is remembered by generations. This echoes the Psalmist: “The just shall be in everlasting remembrance” (Ps. 111:7). Such a one is blessed not for his possessions but for his virtue, for he has passed the test of detachment.
Let Your Lamps Be Burning (Luke 12:35-40)
“Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning. And you yourselves like to men who wait for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open to him immediately.” (Luke 12:35-36)
The Gospel exhorts us to watchfulness, the spiritual vigilance that characterizes the wise servant. St. Gregory the Great, in his Homilies on the Gospels, warns that spiritual negligence is more dangerous than physical slumber:
“The sleep of the body is a natural necessity, but the sleep of the soul is a negligence of the heart.” (Hom. in Evang. XIII)
To be watchful is to live in constant readiness for Christ’s coming, whether at the hour of death or the final judgment. St. Cyril of Alexandria emphasizes that Christ’s instruction to “gird the loins” is a call to spiritual discipline, akin to the Israelites’ readiness on the night of the Passover (Exodus 12:11):
“To have the loins girt signifies an active, ready mind, and the burning lamp is the enlightened understanding.” (Commentary on Luke, Sermon 92)
The faithful servant does not wait in idleness but in active charity, as taught by St. Augustine:
“He who watches with a lamp burning is one who both believes and acts rightly.” (Sermon 103)
The Parable’s warning—“at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man comes”—reminds us of the uncertainty of death and judgment. St. Ephrem the Syrian, in his ascetic writings, urges:
“At evening, recount your works; at morning, consider the judgment. Always let your conscience be clear before the Lord.”
This echoes the daily rhythm of the Divine Office, where Lauds calls the soul to awaken in readiness for God’s presence.
Living in the Spirit of the Commemoratio
These readings, in the light of the Commemoratio ad Laudes tantum, invite us to honor those saints who lived by these principles: men and women who renounced attachment to the world and remained ever-watchful for their Lord. Their memory is not mere recollection but a call to imitation.
May we, like them, be found without blemish, our lamps ever burning, that when the Bridegroom comes, we may open to Him immediately and enter into His joy.
Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina.