[Expositio Epistolae I ad Timotheum, in: Patrologia Latina, vol. 117, col. 860]
Haymo (or Haimo) of Halberstadt, a Benedictine monk of rare discipline and piety, was a distinguished ecclesiastic of the ninth century, whose life was wholly devoted to the service of the Church and the interpretation of sacred doctrine. Though the particulars of his nativity are veiled in obscurity, his early formation at the famed Abbey of Fulda placed him under the spiritual and intellectual tutelage of Rabanus Maurus, with whom he studied also at Tours under the venerable Alcuin. Returning to Fulda, he exercised administrative duties as chancellor and is presumed, by reason of his learning, to have served as a master of theology. In the waning days of 840, Haymo was elevated to the bishopric of Halberstadt, likely from his station at Hersfeld. Spurning secular entanglements, he heeded Rabanus's counsel recorded in De Universo, committing himself to the cura animarum with unfeigned diligence. He labored tirelessly for the spiritual edification of his flock, abstaining from courtly affairs and partaking in but one ecclesiastical synod—the Council of Mainz in 847. Haymo’s literary corpus, preserved in Migne’s Patrologia Latina (vols. 116–118), includes exegetical commentaries on Psalms, Isaiah, the Twelve Prophets, the Pauline Epistles, and the Apocalypse. Though lacking originality, his works bear the imprint of patristic fidelity and moral exegesis. His De amore coelestis patriae and epitome of Eusebius further evidence a soul yearning for the heavenly homeland. He reposed in the Lord on 26 March 853.
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I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority. The blessed Apostle directing these words to Timothy, in him delivered to all bishops and presbyters, and to the whole Church the form how they ought to celebrate the solemnities of masses, and pray for all men; which form or example the whole Church now retains. For supplications are whatsoever precedes in the solemnities of masses, up to that place where the priest begins to consecrate the mysteries of the body and blood of the Lord, saying: Thee therefore, most merciful Father, we beseech, etc . . . Prayers are those which the priest pours forth in the consecration of the Eucharist up to the fraction of the body of the Lord, namely when the priest places a certain particle into the chalice. Intercessions are episcopal benedictions, which the bishop says over the people, invoking the name of God upon them, which is drawn from the Old Testament. For through Moses the Lord said to the priests: Ye shall invoke my name upon the children of Israel and I will bless them. Giving of thanks are the praises which the priest renders to God the Father after the people have communicated, who has deigned to give them the mysteries of the body and blood of His Son for salvation and redemption. And lest perhaps someone should say: We ought not to pray for infidel kings and judges and dukes, because they are pagans, the Apostle commanded to pray for all men, inspired by the same Holy Spirit by which also Jeremiah the prophet, who sent an epistle to the Jews who were in Babylon that they should pray for the life of king Nebuchadnezzar and his sons, and for the peace of the city to which they had been led captive, saying: Therefore ye ought to pray for them, because in their peace shall be your peace. Similarly also the Apostle gives reasons why he commands such things: That we may lead a tranquil and quiet, that is peaceful, life in all godliness and honesty. Godliness is the worship and religion of almighty God. Therefore the servants of God must pray for the king's life and the peace of the kingdom, that they themselves may more freely be able to be devoted to the worship and religion of God, because often while enemies drive the servants of God from their proper seats, and wars and seditions rage through kingdoms, they cannot be intent upon the culture of God in all things as in time of peace. Godliness also is the mercy which we ought to bestow upon the poor and needy. If therefore we are plundered by enemies, we cannot exercise the work of mercy, because he who has not whence to sustain his own misery or himself cannot bestow mercy upon another. But that we may have whence to give alms, we must pray for the life of the king and princes, and for the peace of the kingdom, and that we may lead our life, that is conduct it, in all chastity of body. In time of peace chastity can be preserved somehow and with minimal difficulty, but when the kingdom is plundered by robbers and enemies, it can by no means be preserved, because the masters who have been plundered fulfill their will and uncleanness with the captives as they please, nor can they resist. Wherefore we must pray for the safety and life of faithful kings and princes, that being preserved for a long time, they may have peace and kingdom, and may advance more and more for the better. For the unfortunate also we must pray, that they may recover from infidelity, and pass over to faith.
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, understand that we pray for all men, Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. Since the Psalmist says: Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he; and the Apostle: Who will have all men to be saved, it must be asked why all men are not saved? To which it must be said, because it is true what the Psalmist says. For he spake, and it was done, similarly he wills to save all men who are saved, and who through mercy seek to be saved. For the Apostle put the whole for the part, as also in the Gospel, where the Lord says: And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. For he did not draw, nor does he draw all men to himself, but all things, understand the elect, and from all races and nations, and from every sex and condition from kings even to the beggar, from the perfect even to the child or infant of one day. Nevertheless no one can be saved unless the Lord wills, because he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy. For if all men had remained in their perdition, it would be the righteous judgment of God; but that his mercy and power might be shown, because he himself is able to save all men, in those who perish he shows his righteous judgment and in those who are saved his mercy. For his grace prevents us that we may will, our will ought to accord with his will, and then he himself will give the power, and from this that we join our will to his will, we are worthy of recompense. Nevertheless all must be attributed to his grace whatever good we do. Who will have, he says, all men to be saved, understand who are saved, and to come to the knowledge of the holy Trinity, which is the highest and substantial truth.
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. The Lord Jesus in one person is true God and true man; if he were only God, he could not be our mediator: because he himself in the nature of Divinity, is of one substance with the Father. On the contrary, if he were only a pure man, he would by no means be mediator between us and God the Father, because he would be a sinner and like all of us. Therefore he who was God took our humanity: and through this because he was conceived, born, and lived without sin, being true God and man, dying innocently for us, he became our mediator, because no one is God and man, except he alone, for a mediator cannot be except between two parties. But he is an evil mediator who generates discords between two; but a good mediator generates and procures peace, as the Lord Jesus between us and God the Father.
Who gave himself a ransom for all, understand the elect. What ransom? himself.
Who gave also testimony, understand of our resurrection and ascension to eternal beatitude, in due times, that is in the time when he rose and ascended to heaven. He gave testimony of resurrection, because as he himself died, and rose on the third day, and afterwards ascended to heaven, so we believe we shall rise on the day of judgment, and pass to the joys of the heavenly kingdom, as he himself promised.
Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, that is in hope of resurrection, that I may announce it.
I will therefore that men pray every where. If the Apostle wills, God wills who dwells in him; because he is a vessel of election. Lest perhaps some should think that prayer ought to be made only in the Church, the Apostle says: I will that men pray in every place: in fields, in woods, in houses, on a journey. Nevertheless he does not command to pray in shameful places, such as a dunghill, nor in public places, namely in the forum, or in the streets, except for the sake of a journey, that he may be placed on a journey, lest such a one be reproved with the Pharisees, to whom the Lord says: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets.
Lifting up holy hands to heaven pure from homicide, from rapine, from theft, from perjury, without wrath and doubting, that is discord.
In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, not adorned with gold, or gems or pearls, but he says adorned, that is suitable to themselves; because none is more suitable than white, such as fine linen, but (which becometh women, understand that garment they should have, professing godliness) with good works, that is showing that they hold religion and worship of God through good works.
Let the woman learn in silence, understand what she is ignorant of, with all subjection, not in church, nor with pride, but in the house.
But I suffer not a woman to teach. In her own sex a woman is permitted to teach in her house, and boys also in church however she is forbidden. And why this? because she ought to be subject to the man, because she was made from his body; or also therefore it is not permitted to her to teach, because she is more fragile in sex than the man, and it must be guarded lest, as Eve being seduced by the serpent brought death to the world, so also easily falling into error, she may draw others to the same error.
And Adam was not deceived, understand the first, by the serpent: but the woman being deceived, understand the first, was in the transgression, that is was subject to the penalty of transgression.
Notwithstanding she shall be saved, understand the woman, in childbearing, if they continue in faith perfect and charity of God and neighbor and holiness, that besides her husband she may not know another through her own, with sobriety or with temperance. The woman shall be saved through childbearing, that is through good works, if she shall have had charity, mercy, hospitality, and other such things, which blessed Gregory wishes to be understood by children. Otherwise: shall not the woman be saved more, if she shall remain in chastity? Certainly; but if she shall have borne children, and shall have educated them in faith and religion of almighty God, and shall have led them to the perfection of good life: if she has done anything wrong, she shall be saved for the labor which she has studied to bestow upon them.
This is a faithful saying that is true, either preceding or following, or human saying, as it is had in Greek, that is pleasant, grateful and acceptable.