On John the Baptist

REBUKING TEACHING

   The fourth teaching is rebuking [increpativa], by denouncing vices and sins, saying, “You brood of vipers, who has showed you to flee from the wrath to come?  Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of penance,” (Mt 3:7-8). Note “brood of vipers;”  the Gloss says here that vipers draw venom from the womb of their mother and are naturally poisonous. Such is the condition of the Jews, so John calls them a brood of vipers, saying, “You brood of vipers, who has showed you to flee from the wrath to come?” as if to say, no one.  ” Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of penance,” that is you should do penance measured against the quality and quantity of your sins. Note how the Jews are deceived just as now many Christians are deceived saying,” Has not God promised to Abraham and to his offspring his blessing? (Gen 22). But God was saying this because of the Messiah, the son of Abraham according to the flesh. Therefore Christ said to the Jews: “If you be the children of Abraham, do the works of Abraham,” (Jn 8:39).  Many Christians of wicked life are victims of this blindness and error, who do no penance for their sins, and when thy are rebuked they reply, “He that believes and is baptized, shall be saved,” (Mk 16:16).  Do you want to know how stupid this is?   The Lord is preparing a wedding banquet which he has proclaimed through the whole earth. “Whoever has been faithful to me and shall have clean hands, shall dine with me.”  There is told the story of the peasant etc. Same for the Lord and our king Jesus Christ, on behalf of whom it has been proclaimed. “He who believes etc.”  If then a man at the moment of death, believes, and has clean hands, he goes to the banquet. He is OK.  Otherwise, there remains the pitchfork of hell, because these words, “He who believes and is baptized,” does not refer to the past time, but to the conjoined future.  You have believed and have been purified in baptism.  But since then you have been dirtied etc.  It is necessary therefore that when the man goes to the banquet he believe and have clean hands. Therefore Isaiah said: “Wash yourselves, be clean,” (Is 1:16).  Put down that vain confidence.   From this rebuking teaching St. John is said to be the “The voice of the Lord breaking the cedars,” (Ps 28:5), that is, the proud.  

Sermon for Christmas Eve

SENSE EXPERIENCE

   I say first, that the Virgin Mary was found pregnant by her espoused Joseph through sense experience.  All knowledge is had through some sense perception.  Through sight we recognize colors; through hearing, sound; through the sense of smell, odors; through taste, flavors; through touch, hard or soft, hot or cold.  If you say to someone “How do you know this?” He replies: “Because I have seen or heard it,” etc. It is clear therefore that all our cognition is through the senses. The Philosopher [Aristotle], “Sense is not deceived about the proper object, especially sight unless there is a defect.”  On account of this honorable judges make a great difference between eyewitnesses and hearsay [de auditu], or belief [credentia].  An eyewitness is greater.  And so Christ rebuked the Jews who refused to believe, saying, “We speak what we know, and we testify what we have seen, and you receive not our testimony,” (Jn 3:11).  Note “what we know” namely, I and the holy prophets, “we speak,” in this way, from sight.  The Virgin Mary was found by her espoused Joseph to be with child.  Imagine  how after Mary had conceived, filled with joy she went to visit Elizabeth her cousin [literally, her related sister], who was pregnant with John the Baptist, as the angel had told her.  She stayed with her for three months, as Luke says, (cf. Lk 1:56). 

Christmas Sermon

“There is born to us etc.”  From the beginning of the world up to the birth of Christ there has never been heard such good news, nor so useful for mankind like the news of the proposed theme, “This day, is born to you a Savior,” (Lk 2:11) etc.  To all who were lost and damned and sentenced to hell. The declaration of this blessed Nativity I deal with in five conclusions.

1.      First, that this blessed Nativity was from of old ardently desired by the saints.

2.      Second, that this blessed Nativity was cruelly unappreciated by the Jews.

3.      Third, that this blessed Nativity was celebrated powerfully by God.

4.      Fourth, that this blessed Nativity was humbly hidden by the Virgin Mary.

5.      Fifth, that this blessed Nativity was broadcast publicly by the angels saying, “This day, is born to you a Savior,” (Lk 2:11).

   And anyone who, curiously, might wish to preach all five conclusions, would be excessively prolix.  And all are touched in the theme, in which there are five conditions. The first, therefore, is touched by the first saying. The second in the second. The third in the third, and so on for the others.

2. CRUELLY UNAPPRECIATED

The second conclusion says that  this blessed Nativity was cruelly unappreciated by the Jews.  History says that when Joseph and the Virgin were in the city of Bethlehem they found no hospitality nor any house nor hospice that was willing to receive them.  Three reasons are alleged for this.  First because they were the last to arrive and they had to go slowly on the way.  So whoever comes late, often seems to be angry.  Secondly although the city of Bethlehem was small, it nevertheless teemed with many in military service and citizens and nobles, all who were of the tribe of David who had been born in this city. They had made reservations in advance for their lodgings.  A third reason was avarice of the hoteliers. When they got a look at Joseph, the poor man with his pregnant wife, thought that they would fill up a whole room and that there would be little profit from them. Therefore, etc.

  Most likely, when Joseph entered through the gate of the city, with the Virgin riding on the donkey, he would head immediately to the first inn lest he would have to pass through the whole city seeking whether they might find a place there. When they asked who and how many were in the party they saw that there were only two, with an ox and ass, thinking, we will earn little, they told them to move on because there is no place here for you.  At the next inn, the answer was that there were no vacancies. Imagine Joseph’s anxiety here and the shame of the Virgin Mary, thus going from door to door. But the Virgin patiently put up with it and comforted Joseph. Finally they came to another inn where they said that all was full for such a gentleman and for expectant one etc.

  Seeing that they couldn’t buy lodging, Joseph searched that out of love of God some private home would take in that pregnant woman near to childbirth, but he did not find one in the whole city, and so they said to him, “Old man, you are indeed concerned about your wife, but why did you put her in this situation, so pregnant?”  And the poor man wept. At which the Virgin [said], “Father let us be patient, and we shall find some  hospital.” So they looked for a hospital seeing if they might be received out of love of God.  The nurse replied, “You are healthy, and this house is for the sick. You are not able to be received here, and so spare us.”  

   Since  the hour was late and they had not yet found a place Joseph said, “O Lord these are my sins.”  Then they found a cave [porticulum] along a public road in which there was a manger, where visitors sometimes stabled their animals.  The Virgin said, “Father, we shall stay here, because it is not right to go through the village at this hour.”   Joseph said, “O woe!  We shall never find a house.”   The Virgin Mary said, “Father the whole world is the house of God, so let us stay here.”

  Then Joseph, with the greatest reverence assisted the Virgin from the donkey and entered the refuge [porticum] and Joseph rolled out a blanket [flatiatam] which he had brought on the donkey as a tent for privacy, and he went to buy some straw and charcoal because of the cold. And from a little straw he made a bed for the Queen of Heaven, saying, “O Lord what will you say to me, that I have placed your mother on such a bed,”  and in this place they stayed for at least thirteen days.  The Gloss on Matthew 2 said that the kings from the east found Christ the King still there in that cave.

   Behold the palace of the queen of paradise. Behold how that glorious birth was little appreciated by the Jews.  God had revealed this to Jeremiah the prophet who, weeping, said in the person of the Jews, “We have sinned against thee. O expectation of Israel, the Savior thereof in time of trouble: why will you be a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man turning in to lodge? Why will you be as a wandering man, as a mighty man that cannot save?” (Jer 14:7-9)  Thus this prophecy was fulfilled. So much for the second conclusion.

MORALITER (a moral aside)

   Who of you does not say now in his heart, ” Oh, if I had been there then, and had known him, I would have received him into my home,”  etc.  Would that you would not be in the same condemnation or cruelty with the Jews.  Have you ever today seen a pregnant young woman in this village with Joseph and never took them in?   The  consecrated host which the priest brings forth, like Joseph, is the virgin pregnant with the Son of God.  Who of you receives him by communicating devoutly?  None, I believe.   With sincere reflection you should prepare for yourselves the home of your conscience through contrition, confession, and satisfaction. Many excuse themselves like the Bethlehemites saying: I have to welcome a great soldier, namely Sir Chicken,  Lord Kid,  and Mister Pig.  Another says I have to receive a great and noble lady, namely Lady Hen,  another Madam Partridge, etc. but they do not receive the Lord Jesus Christ. About which John in the Gospel said, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God,” (Jn 1).

4. HUMBLE AND HIDDEN

  The fourth conclusion states that this blessed Nativity happened to a Virgin, humble and hidden. History says that as soon as Christ was born, his body shone like the rising sun, and the night became as midday, and so it was light.  Think how many, who were not sleeping, and wondering about such a brightness, sought to see the source of the light and ran toward such a great spectacle of light. The Virgin sensing the excitement of the people placed the child in the manger.  Jews came to see the source of the light. Some of them said prophecy says that when the Messiah will be born, “night shall be light as day,” (Ps 138:12).  Others asked if this might be he. Some said, be quiet; don’t make much of it. If Herod finds out, he will kill us. So that out of fear of Herod they did not dare receive the Messiah King.  Of this light the prophet said, ” The people that walked in darkness, have seen a great light: to them that dwelt in the region of the shadow of death,” of the sin of ingratitude, “a light has risen for them,  You have multiplied the nation,” to see the light, “and have not increased the joy,” (Is 9:2-3), because no one brought him or the Virgin a gift. Of that light it is said, it is pointed out when it is said, and it follows, ” For a child is born to us, and a son is given to us,” not the Father, nor the Holy Spirit (v. 6).

SCRIPTURAL TRUTH

  As for the first, it was prophesied that he would be placed between the animals and humbly be adored.  Think what kind of joy the blessed Virgin had when she saw her son adored by an ox and ass. And how sad when she saw him ignored by the Jews. And so was fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah saying, “Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken. I have brought up children, and exalted them: but they have despised me. The ox knows his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel has not known me,”  (Isa 1:2-3).

Sermon on the Feast of the Epiphany

Mt. 2:1-12 Douay   When Jesus therefore was born in Bethlehem of Juda, in the days of king Herod, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem. 2 Saying, Where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to adore him. 3 And king Herod hearing this, was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And assembling together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where Christ should be born. 5 But they said to him: In Bethlehem of Juda. For so it is written by the prophet:

   6 And thou Bethlehem the land of Juda

   art not the least

   among the princes of Juda:

   for out of thee shall come forth the captain that shall rule my people Israel.

7 Then Herod, privately calling the wise men, learned diligently of them the time of the star which appeared to them; 8 And sending them into Bethlehem, said: Go and diligently inquire after the child, and when you have found him, bring me word again, that I also may come to adore him. 9 Who having heard the king, went their way; and behold the star which they had seen in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the child was. 10 And seeing the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11 And entering into the house, they found the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they adored him; and opening their treasures, they offered him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having received an answer in sleep that they should not return to Herod, they went back another way into their country.

DILIGENTLY PREPARED THEMSELVES

   The first point is to tell how these three holy kings aptly prepared themselves.  We need to know what God promised Abraham and the holy patriarchs, that he would send his son, born into this world of a virgin, true God and true man.  About this he gave clear prophecies, not only to the Jews in Judea, but also to diverse parts of the world, as a sign that he would come not only to save the Jews, as they falsely believe, but also all those believing in him and obeying him. 

   He especially sent prophecies to the eastern regions – where there were great prophets and wise men – through the prophet Balaam saying: “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not near. A star shall rise out of Jacob and a scepter shall spring up from Israel: and shall strike the chiefs of Moab,” (Num 24:17).   Note: “I shall see him,” Christ,  whom he saw not in himself but through his successors; “I shall see him, but not now,” because from the text of the bible there were 1,500 years from Balaam to Christ.  But these three kings were from their own time [genere], and he gave them signs saying: “A star shall rise out of Jacob,” from the promised land, “and a scepter shall spring up from Israel,” the Messiah king savior, and he “shall strike the kings of Moab,” which is so interpreted. It [Moab] signifies the devil who is the father of sinners, to whom Christ said: “You are of your father the devil,” (Jn 8.44),  “the kings of Moab,” i.e. of the devil or of Lucifer.

    And there are seven princes who are the captains of the seven capital sins: 

·        The first prince, and captain of pride is called Leviathan, in Job 40, (v. 20).  He is the king over all the sons of pride. 

·        The second prince, and captain of avarice is called Mammon, about whom Christ spoke in Matthew 6:24: “You cannot serve God and mammon.”

·        The third prince, and captain of lust is called Asmodeus, about whom we read in Tobit 3:8: “And a devil named Asmodeus had killed them,” namely the lusting [bridegrooms].

·        The fourth prince, of envy is called Beelzebub. Luke, 11:15 ” He casts out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of devils,” The word was about the envy of the Jews of Christ.

·        The fifth prince, of gluttony is called Beelphegor.   Ps. 105:28: “They also were initiated to Beelphegor: and ate the sacrifices of the dead.”

·        The sixth prince, of anger is called Baalberith. Judges 9:4:  “..out of the temple of Baalberith: wherewith he hired to himself men.”

·        The seventh prince, of sloth is called Astaroth.  I Kings 7:3:  “Put away the strange gods from among you, Baalim and Astaroth: and prepare your hearts unto the Lord.”

Proceeded With Courage

    And then was fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, saying: “Arise be enlightened, O Jerusalem: for your light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold darkness shall cover the earth, and a mist the people: but the Lord shall arise upon you, and his glory shall be seen upon you. And the Gentiles shall walk in your light, and kings in the brightness of your rising,” (Is 60:1-2).  The gentles speak to the Jews as if to a person sleeping saying: “Arise” city of Jerusalem, “be enlightened,” with the brightness of the light of faith, “for your light is come,” the Christ.  Note: “And the Gentiles shall walk in your light,” not just the Jews.

Sought Him Discreetly

The third point is how these three holy kings sought Christ discreetly, the place of the birth of Christ, after they had been in the city of Jerusalem.  When the kings were near the city, think how there was a disturbance in the city, especially because Herod, who was a new king, and a foreigner to the people of Judah, feared for himself, and kept himself apart from them.  Think how Herod immediately sent for the kings to find out who they were, and whom they sought, and why they had come.  The kings replied that they had come to seek the newly born king of the Jews.  You can imagine that someone warned them “Do not tell, otherwise Herod would follow you.”  They did not deny the truth. “We have seen his star in the east, and have come to adore him,” (Mt 2:2).  Chrysostom: “Consider the devotion of the kings.  They have not yet seen Christ, and they are prepared to die for him.”  Herod had asked why they had come. Think what fear and pain entered into his ear, especially because he was already afraid of this.  And he had heard of the wonders which would happen at the birth of the Christ, on account of which he considered himself ruined and destroyed.  About this the Evangelist Matthew writes: “[Herod] hearing this, was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him,” (Mt 2:3).  But he hid his malice, feigning joy at the birth of Christ.  And because the kings of the east had come in simplicity, and unarmed, he permitted them to enter the city and received them honorably. 

   Next, he said to them, “My lords, why have you come?”  They replied, “We seek the whereabouts of the one who has been born king of the Jews.”  See what peril they placed themselves in.  Herod, dissimulating, said, “I have heard something of this, but I don’t know whether it is certain that he has been born.”  The kings replied: “It is certain, because we have seen his star in the east.”  Then Herod said: “And now, my lords, what do you wish?”  They responded, “We have come with gifts to adore him.”  Then Herod, in a loud voice, eagerly  asked of them the time when the star appeared to them. In private he asked them, “Tell me exactly the day and time of his birth.  And I, with my masters, doctors and rabbis shall tell you of the place where he has been born, that we all might come to adore him.”  O deceiver!  With his other hand he already was readying the sword, that he might cut him down if he could. And gathering all the chief priests and the scribes he consulted them as to where the Christ would be born.  They all agreed and responded it was in the city of Bethlehem according to the prophet Michea: “And you, Bethlehem Ephrata, are a little one among the thousands of Judah: out of you shall he come forth to me he who is to be the ruler in Israel,” (Mic 5:2).  Note “who is to be the ruler,” ruler in virtues, by the example of his behavior and preaching.  Then Herod informed the kings of the place, and sending them to Bethlehem said: “Go and diligently inquire after the child, and when you have found him, bring me word again, that I too may come to adore him,”(Matt. 2:8).   O betrayer!  Enemy of the Church!  Wicked Herod, why do you fear the Christ to come?  He who rules [gives] the celestial kingdom does not seize a mortal kingdom.  Thus the holy kings sought him discreetly and with great diligence.

adored him profoundly

When they were near Bethlehem, the judges and officials of Bethlehem, who had heard of their arrival, came to meet them saying, “What do you wish? And why do you come here?”  They replied, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?  We have seen his star in the East and we come to adore him.”  They said, “We know no other king but Herod.”  O liars!   That star illumined those three kings, and the sun, that is, Christ, was not able to illuminate them.  Their sinfulness was blinding them, placing an obstacle on the night of the nativity, when [light] was shining.  And the star was seen by all, as Maximus says in his sermon for today.  “Rightly one star shone, the rays of which a faithless people were not able to hide, nor hide its truth; where the very heaven of the universe shone forth with a sidereal light to the eyes of everyone.”  Think when the Jews looked at the star, how it brought devotion to the good, and instilled terror on the wicked.  How they wondered because it did not shine from very high up.  The kings followed it and entered the city and finally came to the place where the child was.

     The star stood above the place where the child was.  And the kings were amazed when they did not see a palace there, or a noble house, and they looked at each other saying, “How is it that the star is not moving?”  Maximus says that the star emitted new and brighter rays, which told the kings “Here is the king whom you seek.”  The kings dismounted from their horses and beasts, and one of them coming to the entrance of the cave lifted up the door-covering a little, and aske, “Who is here?”  He saw the Virgin knitting and sewing. The other two kings approached, and when they saw the Virgin Mary, they immediately were seized with great devotion.  She said to them, “My lords, what do you seek?”  They asked: “Do you know where the one is who has been born King of the Jews, because we wish to adore him.”  The Virgin Mary did not say that she did not know, but she said, “Lords, the great ones, the rabbis and rectors of the city ought to know.”  She spoke the truth, and immediately the kings hearts were fully inflamed.  And again going out they looked for the star.  It was standing immediately overhead, and not moving.  It was even more beautiful.   They returned to the Virgin and they said to her, “Have you a son?”  She responded, “Yes, my lords.”  “How long is it since you gave birth?”  She replied, “Lords, today is the thirteenth day.”  The kings said “Dear young woman, please show him to us.” Then the Virgin, knowing that they had come with good intentions, picked up the child from the manger, and held him out to them. They said: “What is his name?”  The Virgin Mary replied, “Jesus.”  In hearing the name they prostrated themselves and adored him saying, “O Savior, it is good that you have come. O Lord such is your humility that you have wished to come in a stable of this miserable world.  You who are infinite in divinity, are now confined in humanity.  You who are Creator, have become a creature.  You who are immortally and invulnerably safe, have become vulnerable and mortal.  O Lord this is such a grace!”  And weeping they kissed his feet. Then adoring the mother, they said, “O Chamber of Paradise, Temple of God, Chalice of the Holy Spirit. O Blessed, you have brought to us a Savior.”

On the Six Stone Water Jugs at Cana

Jn 2:1 (Douay trans.) And the third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee: and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 And Jesus also was invited, and his disciples, to the marriage. 3 And the wine failing, the mother of Jesus saith to him: They have no wine. 4 And Jesus saith to her: Woman, what is that to me and to thee? my hour is not yet come. 5 His mother saith to the waiters: Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye. 6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three measures apiece. 7 Jesus saith to them: Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.

   “Now there were set there six water pots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews,” (Jn 2:6).  This theme gives me a motive and reason for declaring what those things are  which God ordained to purify our souls so that they might enter into paradise.  But first let us salute the Virgin Mary, etc.

Sermon on the Purification of Mary

As the fullness of grace flowed from Christ on to His Mother, so it was becoming that the mother should be like her Son in humility: for “God gives grace to the humble,” as is written James 4:6. And therefore, just as Christ, though not subject to the Law, wished, nevertheless, to submit to circumcision and the other burdens of the Law, in order to give an example of humility and obedience; and in order to show His approval of the Law; and, again, in order to take away from the Jews an excuse for calumniating Him: for the same reasons He wished His Mother also to fulfill the prescriptions of the Law, to which, nevertheless, she was not subject. 

   Practically and plausibly we should here explain how she was exempted from that law, because on the fortieth day from the birth of her son, as it is today, she came to the temple of the Lord, in which were standing the generous and rich women, and the poor and simple, and the virgins, each group separately. And the Jews observe this custom today.  The Virgin Mary, however in her entry into the temple considered,  thinking with whom should she associate, because although she was generous and most noble, of the tribe of David, nevertheless she was poor and simply clothed, because she had given her whole dowry out of love of God and all the gold which the kings of the orient had given to her, and she was willing to live by her own hands. Therefore if she joined with the rich women, they could have said to her, “Go to your own place.  Dear God, the wife of a poor carpenter wants to associate herself with us! etc.”  If with the virgins, although she would have been a virgin, they would have said to her, “And you, who have a husband and son wish to come with us?  How about this!”  Therefore she put herself with the simple and poor women, and so was fulfilled a certain prophecy which the Holy Spirit predicted through the mouth of Solomon saying, “As the lily among thorns, so my love,” supply “is,” ” among the daughters,” (Song 2:2).  We have here an example of humility.  Whoever exalts himself, because whoever wishes to be at the head table in dinner parties etc.  And so the Virgin Mary, queen of paradise, takes her place at the back.  And so Mary says, “Because he has regarded the humility of his handmaid,” – she doesn’t say “the charity” or, “the virginity.” – “For behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed,” (Lk 1:48).  And this was first humility which today she practiced in fulfilling the law. 

MEETING WITH SIMEON

   As for the third, this feast inasmuch as it touches St. Simeon, is said to be the day of the meeting with Simeon.  Practically. Then at the time when the Virgin gave birth to her son, all the Jews skilled and learned in the law held for certain that the Messiah was born, because they were seeing the time assigned by the prophets and fulfilled, but they did not know him.  And because of this  John the Baptist said, “There has stood one in the midst of you, whom you know not,” (Jn 1:26).  And so many were praying that he might show himself to them, especially Simeon, holy and just.  “And he had received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.”  And knowing the prophecy: “And presently the Lord, whom you seek, and the angel of the testament, whom you desire, shall come to his temple,” (Mal 3:1), because of this he came to the temple every day.  And when he saw a woman carrying a child, he inquired, “Is it a boy or a girl?  And the Holy Sprit said nothing to him until this day, when he said to him, “Today you shall meet the Messiah king in the temple; you shall see him.”  And so after a good sleep he rose in the morning, and went to the temple, purifying himself, and praying, because when the king ought to enter his home, his home should be decorated.  And so the church sings: “Adorn thy bridal chamber, O Sion, and receive Christ the King, and with great devotion, expect to see him,” (John Damascene: Antiphon for the Feast of the Presentation). 

On Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving

   Today’s epistle agrees with the gospel.  It tells how the Jews, in the time of Isaiah the prophet, as is found in Isaiah 58, had great tribulations in Jerusalem of drought, famine, locusts and such. The rulers of the city ordered that all would fast for some days, and the more they fasted, the worse the troubles grew, on which account they came to the temple and praying said, “Why have we fasted, and you have not regarded.  We have humbled our souls, and you have not taken notice?” – by accepting it.  And God responded to them through Isaiah the prophet, “Behold in the day of your fast your own will is found,” (Isa 58:3) – note, he did not speak of God who commanded to forgive and love enemies –”and you exact of all your debtors. Behold you fast for debates and strife, and strike wickedly with the fist. Do not fast as you have done until this day, to make your cry to be heard on high. Is this such a fast as I have chosen: for a man to afflict his soul for a day? … will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord?” (Isa 58:3-5).  Note, enemies are called “debtors.”   This is clear when it is said, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors,” our enemies (Mt 6:12).  The debts are recalled  through the desire of revenge. 

PENITENCE OF MATERIAL AFFLUENCE

   Second, I say that Christ warns lest penitential justice happen before men, from our material affluence [de abundantia temporali], which happens through restitution and almsgiving.  And this Christ shows in the second part of the gospel, Matthew 6, when he says, “Therefore when you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the Synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honored by men. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. But when give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. That your alms may be in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you,” (Mt 6:2-4).   To explain this text note how, the Jewish rabbis and Pharisees of old did not care about heavenly  glory but about temporal and terrestrial glory, and so everything whatsoever they did they did only before men.  And when they were to give alms, first it was cried out through the city, and they followed the crier that they might hear the praises from the people saying, “O how pious is this man!” and they delighted in these praises.  Behold vainglory! And so Christ said about them, “Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.”  So that great reward is lost which God promised to persons of mercy saying, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy,” (Mt 5:7).  When the soul which gives alms or other goods out of vainglory, comes to judgment before Christ, immediately it will be remitted to hell, saying that it has already received its  reward here.  If it is asked, therefore, what manner should we hold to in giving alms, this Christ shows saying, “But when you give alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing,” (Mt 6:3).

PENITENCE OF THE SOUL

   I say, third, that in the third part of the gospel, Christ our Lord shows how to do penitential justice from a rational soul, not before men, but secretly.  “And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the Synagogues and corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men: Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. But you when you shall pray, enter into your chamber, and having shut the door, pray to your Father in secret: and your Father who sees in secret will repay you,” (Mt 6:5-6).  This is said about the manner of praying of the ancient hypocrites in the Synagogues, villages and street corners, where people would gather so they might be seen. O about these blessed ones, about whom Christ in the gospel said, “Amen I say to you, they have received their reward,” (Mt 6:5).   O stupid ones, that such a precious Jewel, as is prayer, they give away for such a paltry and contemptible price.  And so Christ shows us how to pray saying, “But you when you shall pray, enter into your chamber, and having shut the door, pray to your Father in secret: and your Father who sees in secret will repay you,” (Mt 6:6). 

Sermon for the First Sunday of Lent

TIME

   I say secondly, etc. that the duration of forty days was sufficient.  For the text says that he fasted forty days and forty nights.  And why does it say forty nights?  I respond that this is said to differentiate the fast of the Jews who of old fasted through the day, and at night would eat their fill, just as the Muslims do.  Do not believe that the fast of Christ in that forty days and forty nights was like that, because he consumed nothing. 

Sermon for the Second Sunday of Lent

   Now, good people, let us examine this in a practical way.  These two, standing with Jesus, Moses and Elias, adored Jesus, knowing Jesus to be God and man, and they wondered much why he would permit himself to be chained and bound by the Jews, even if for sinners, since he could have accomplished his task by a single word.  Filled with admiration, since he it was who gave glory to the angels and to all the others, they were saying, “O God, how great is this charity.”  Each of them discussed every aspect of his passion and detailed its excesses.  The passion is said to be “excessive” because of the extremes of sufferings and love which he has shown to us, for, God, indeed is rich in mercy and because of this exceeding charity and mercy he has loved us, according to what is said in Ephesians, 2, “But God, (who is rich in mercy,) for his exceeding charity wherewith he loved us,” (Eph 2:4). See how gloriously this transfiguration is celebrated.  Behold, the first tent.  Here we rest against the attack and the temptation of the devil.  And this is the literal sense.

Sermon for the Third Sunday of Lent

THE FIRST ARGUMENT – WITH THE WOMAN AT THE WELL

   And when Christ was alone at the fountain –the hour was noon — a woman from the city of Samaria came to draw water. She found Christ there, and she did not greet him, recognizing that he was a Jew by his clothing, for Jews were not talking to Samaritans, just as we Christians do not talk with unbelieving Saracens. Christ began the disputation, saying, “[Woman,] give me a drink,”(v. 7).  She, looked at him with a fierce eye, began to argue with Christ, saying, “How do you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a  drink,? For the Jews do not communicate with the Samaritans,(v. 9) I shall certainly not give you a drink.” 

   Such was the power of Christ’s words that the woman bowed to him, and already contrite in heart with humility and reverence said, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor have to come here to draw,” (v. 15). Then Christ responded, “You want some of this water?”  The woman replied, “Yes, lord.”  “Go to the city, and call your husband, and come back here,” (v. 16). She said,” I have no husband,” and Christ said, “Well have you said, ‘I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands: and he whom you now have, is not your husband. He is a bully and a lecher [ruffianus et ribaldus], and you are his mistress.” And he told her the names of all her husbands, and their characters, and what work they did. This one was called such, and had such a job, and died in this way, and so on with the others. “But this one which you now have is not your husband but a lecher and you too are a lecher.” Then she began to cry out, “O Lord, Lord clearly I see that you are a prophet (v.19) and you know everything that I have done (cf. v.39). Spare me, because I called you a Jew.”  The conclusion of the first disputation. Note she first called him a Jew, and later she calls the Lord a prophet. So much for the literal sense of the first disputation.

  The fourth secret, or the fourth question is shown in this, when the woman says, “How do you, being a Jew, etc.” (Jn 4:9). How does the woman know that Christ is a Jew? Response: that she recognized him by his speech in the same way as Peter was recognized on the night of the passion. “Surely you are also one of them; for even your  speech betrays you,” (Mt  26:73). 

SECOND ARGUMENT – THE SAMARITAN WOMAN WITH CHRIST

   The second argument, of the Samaritan woman with Christ begins with her boldness. And to understand this disputation you should know that between the Jews and the Samaritans there was an ancient question as to where they should pray, in Jerusalem or there, on Mount Gerazim.  The Jews said “in Jerusalem,” because thus God commanded.  The Samaritans however said “on this mountain,” because the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob worshipped there. The Samaritan woman seeing Christ to be a prophet, who revealed her secrets to her, thought, “O this one tells you the truth.” To seek the solution to this subtle question, she begins the by saying: “Our fathers adored on this mountain, and you say, that at Jerusalem is the place where men must adore,” (v. 20).  “Since you are a prophet , what do you say about this question?”

    In his reply Christ acknowledged two opinions.  First, that the truer opinion was that of the Jews, because although the patriarchs had adored there, nevertheless the place of prayer had been moved.  The second opinion, that one can worship in every place, because God is everywhere.  Then Christ replied: “Woman, believe me, that the hour is coming, when you shall adore the Father neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem. You adore that which you do not know; we adore that which we know, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour comes, and is now, when the true adorers shall adore the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father also seeks such to adore him. God is a spirit; and they who adore him, must adore him in spirit and in truth,” (vv..21-24).  And so Jesus resolved the question against the Samaritan woman.

Sermon – The Cure of the Man Born Blind

MALICIOUS ATTACKS

   The second point of the gospel is about a malicious attack.  The Jews held four attacks or examinations about the cure of the blind man.  The first was of the bystanders, the second, of the Pharisees, the third of the parents, and the fourth was by the high court [lit.: princes].

 — As to the first, it must be noted that after the bystanders saw him who had been blind coming without a guide, and without a staff, and that he was seeing clearly, they said to each other, “Is not this the one who sat and begged? Some said: This is he. But others said: No, but he looks like him. But he himself said: I am he,” (vv. 8-9).

 — As for the second, which was of the Pharisees, who having heard about it, asked him how it was that he could see.  He told them everything, saying, “That man called Jesus made clay,” out of spittle, “and anointed my eyes, and said to me: Go to the pool of Siloe, and wash. And I went, I washed, and I see,” (v. 11).  So they led him to the Pharisees.  “It was the sabbath.” To them he gave the same story. Then the Pharisees said of Christ, ” This man is not of God, who keeps not the sabbath. But others said: How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them,” (v. 16).

 — The third examination was of the parents to whom the Pharisees said, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind?” How then does he now see? His parents answered them, and said: “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: But how he now sees, we know not; or who has opened his eyes, we know not: ask himself: he is of age, let him speak for himself. These things his parents said, because they feared the Jews,” (vv. 19-22), because the parents fearing the sentence of excommunication which the Jews imposed, had not dared to say who enlightened him, and so the sign was complete which Isaiah had promised, “God himself will come and … then shall the eyes of the blind be opened,” (Isa 35:4f).

 — The fourth dispute was with the high court [lit.: princes of the law], to which the healed blind man had been led. They said to him, “Give glory to God,”  that is, you should not say that this man cured you, because he is a sinner,” (v. 24).  He replied, ” If he be a sinner, I know not: one thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see,” (v. 25).  They then said, ” What did he do to you?” tell us, etc.  “Will you also become his disciples?  They reviled him therefore, and said: You be his disciple; but we are the disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses: but as for this man, we know not from whence he is,” (vv. 27-29). He said to them, “Why, herein is a wonderful thing, that you know not from whence he is, and he has opened my eyes. Now we know that God does  not hear sinners: but if a man be a server of God, and does his will, him he hears.” (v. 30f)  They replied, “You were wholly born in sins, and you dear to teach us? And they cast him out,” (v. 34), excommunicating him.  This cured blind man was a holy man called Saint Cedonius [Celidonius, Sedonius], who with Mary Magdalen, Martha and Lazarus came to the province of Marseilles, etc.

GRACIOUS APPROVAL

   The third point is the gracious approval of the miracle, from which comes the theme, “And falling down, he adored him.” (v. 38). After the blind man now cured was thrown out by the Jews and excommunicated, no one dared to receive him in their homes, not even his parents, nor even to speak with him, nor to give him a light, or anything. He said to himself, “O miserable wretch, if we can only find that holy prophet Jesus who cured me, at least I would have his company.”  Christ however knowing his tribulation and his good desire came to him on the street saying, “Do you believe in the Son of God? He answered, and said: Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him? And Jesus said to him: You have both seen him; and it is he who is talking with you. And he said: I believe, Lord. And falling down, he adored him, (vv. 35-38).  Christ welcomed him into his company. He can say with David, “For my father and my mother have left me: but the Lord has taken me up,” (Ps 26:10).

   Third, the Muslims hold that land for the consolation of Christians, because through this it is realized that that land is not the final goal of Christians, as it was of the Jews. But the heavenly homeland is the final goal of Christians, gained for us by the merit of the passion of Christ. Thus the Apostle, in Hebrews, last chapter: ” For we have not here a lasting city, but we seek one that is to come,” (Heb 13:14). To which Jesus leads us, etc.

Sermon On the Raising of Lazarus

HUMANLY RELUCTANT

   The first situation is human reluctance. The apostles were afraid that Christ would try to raise  Lazarus, for they all could be stoned in Jerusalem, and so they were discouraging Christ from going to Bethany which is near Jerusalem, where Lazarus had died.  The promised land had been divided into three provinces: Judea,  Galilee and  Samaria.  Christ had many enemies in the province of Judea and they frequently wanted to kill him. He had denounced the notorious sins, and vices of the Pharisees, the princes and the priests, and he was proving himself to be divine.  But because the hour of his passion had not yet come, he withdrew from the province of Judea and came to the province of Galilee where he was beloved.  In the mean time Lazarus died in the province of Judea. So Jesus said to the apostles, “Let us go into Judea again,” (Jn 11:7).  The apostles, afraid of the situation, said to Christ, “Rabbi, the Jews but now sought to stone you: and you are going there again?” (v.8).  See here the human reluctance, but indirectly, because it is human to fear carnal death. Then Christ told them that Lazarus, his friend, had died, so he wanted to go there. 

   To counter their fear he said to them, “Are there not twelve hours of the day?”  If you ask, “And how is this to the point?”  I say, very much so, and according to all four of the senses of sacred scripture. 

   First according to the literal sense. When Christ said these words it was the time of the vernal equinox, which came after the 25th of March. That was the same day he had been conceived. Fifteen days before his passion, Christ said these words, “Are there not twelve…, etc.”  Literally, a day has twelve hours, as if Christ wished to say to the apostles, “You should know that the rancor or ill will of the Jews against me already has changed, for just as the day and time changes from hour to hour, so also the heart of man changes, because therefore they have already  changed [their minds], not only twelve hours ago, but many days ago, therefore, etc.  This Christ said by way of rebuking the bad opinion which they had of the Jews, because a man ought always to presume the best about his neighbor, according to that in Luke 6, “Judge not, and you shall not be judged,” (v. 37).

    “Are there not twelve, etc.” is allegorical when the saying or deed is understood to be about that which a man should believe. According to this explanation Christ is called “day.” Note, because just as morning and evening make one day, according to Genesis 1: “…and there was evening and morning one day,” (v. 5). So God and man make one person of Christ.  Morning is the [day’s] beginning, so also the divinity is the beginning of all things.  I am, “the beginning, who also speak unto you,” (Jn 8:25).  Christ, as man was the evening and end of all things.  Because God made daylight first, second the firmament, third the plants, fourth the sun and stars, fifth the birds and fishes, sixth the beasts, and seventh he made man.  When therefore the Son of God took on humanity, then  “there was evening and morning one day,” i.e. God and man have  become one person.  Hence the church sings, “Whose wisdom joined in meet array the morn and eve, and named them Day,” (Hymn: Lucis creator optime).  About this one David says to God the Father, “By your ordinance the day goes on,” (Ps 118:91).

   This day has twelve hours, namely the twelve apostles, Luke 6, “And when day was come, he called his disciples unto him; and he chose twelve of them (whom also he named apostles),” (v. 13)   The first hour was Peter, and so on for the rest.  In the same place it is clear in the text when he said,  “Are there not twelve hours, ” i.e. twelve Apostles are for the day, that is of Christ, which is to say just as the hours do not dismiss the natural day, nor days the hours, rather the hours follow the day inseparably, so neither ought you dismiss me, nor I you, rather I defend you.  He did just that on the night of the passion, when he said to the Jews, “If therefore you seek me, let these go their way,” (Jn 18:8).  Behold the day, that is how it defends the hours.  So he said to the Father, “Of those whom you have given me, I have not lost any one, ” (Jn 18:9).

PRINCIPALLY EFFECTIVE

   The fourth ceremony was when he said, ” Lazarus, come forth ” because he was ” bound feet and hands with winding bands ” according to Jewish custom.

   The fifth ceremony was when he said, “Loose him, and let him go.” “Many therefore of the Jews,…had seen the things that Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees, and told them the things that Jesus had done.” vv. 45-46

Sermon for Palm Sunday

RECEIVED HONORABLY

   The first point today is about the honor and solemnity which the Jews showed. In the temple they praised and blessed Christ coming into the city of Jerusalem, where he was received honorably with great joy and festivity.  Very remarkable.  I find that Christ came to Jerusalem often and for many reasons, and there was never any celebration nor honor given like today.

   Read how he sent two disciples from Bethphage, according to the Gloss, Peter and Philip, for the donkey and colt, etc.  A tethered ass signifies the Jewish people, the Synagogue bound by the chain of the law of Moses, which chain has three links, namely the three kinds of precepts: the ceremonial precepts which order a person toward God; second, the judicial precepts, which order one to the neighbor; third, the moral precepts which order a person regarding himself, how everyone should live.   The colt which had not yet had been tied, nor had ever borne a burden on its back, signifies the Gentiles, who had no chain of law around their neck, nor burden of precepts on their back.  It signifies that Christ not only had come to redeem and save the Jews, abut also the Gentiles and pagans.   Thus he observed this ceremony, because he wished first to ride on the ass, which he had to untie, because at the time of the Messiah-king all prefiguring and ceremonies should cease. Second, he wished to ride on the unbroken colt, not out of necessity, but that the scripture and prefiguring should be fulfilled.  Because the Gentiles also should be converted to Christ.  Thus the Apostle, “and whosoever believes in him shall not be confounded,” (Rom 9:33).

REPRESENTED APPROPRIATELY

   A third way it can be considered according to judicial perversity, because the Jews had been honored by God, the sons of the prophets and patriarchs, the people chosen by God and yet so strongly they had rebelled against their God.  In this respect the passion of Christ gives us an occasion for compassion  for that reprobate people, destroyed and damned by the passion of Christ.  And from this point of view the passion of Christ is read in church on Tuesday.  And in this way the prophet Zacharias considered the passion of Christ, saying: “What are these wounds in the midst of your hands? And he shall say: With these I was wounded in the house of them who loved me,” (Zach 13:6).

Sermon on Holy Thursday

MEMORIAL

    Then he commanded Moses that he would build an ark, covered with purest gold inside and out, and on top there were two Cherubim who held the propitiatory, that is the table of gold, and within the ark were the two tablets of the law, the staff of Aaron and a jar of manna.  The entire Jewish people adored, not the wood of the ark, nor the gold, but God, because in that form or figure he wished to be adored. The reason is, just as the ark held that which was contained in it, so God would keep and conserve that people, as long as they believed in him and obeyed him.  And when they were carrying it the people adored, and today the Jews ridicule us when we adore God in the host.

   Then at the time of the kings, after king Solomon at God’s command built the temple and put the ark in the holy of holies of the temple, nor could it be seen, God wished to be adored in another form, namely, in the figure of a cloud, 3 Kgs 8: “The Lord said that he would dwell in a cloud,” (v. 12).  And Solomon and all the people were not adoring the cloud, but God in that form. Reason: because then he wished to be adored in the form of a cloud, for just as a cloud cools against the heat of the son, so at the time of Solomon the Jews had a great refreshing period of peace and quiet with all its enemies.

OFFERING

   See here the perpetual offering, and it is of such a power that in the whole world there is not any other sacrifice remaining, only that one, because with its coming, all other sacrifices ought to cease.   So neither Muslims [Agareni], nor Jews nor other pagans have any sacrifice, for God does not allow that there be any other sacrifice in the world.  And so the prophecy of Malachi is fulfilled, “I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts: and I will not receive a gift of your hand. For from the rising of the sun even to the going down, my name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place there is sacrifice, and there is offered to my name a clean oblation: ” (Mal 1:10-11).  It speaks to the priests of the old law. This text [auctoritas] ought to be written in gold letters.  Note, “in every place.”  The Jews dared not offer sacrifice but only in Jerusalem, under pain of death. And it is called a “clean oblation,” on the other hand the oblation of the Jews, unclean.  The priests of the Jews are butchers, etc., but the Christian oblation is clean. Priests should take care that the altar cloth and the corporals are clean, and the hosts are clean and the wine, chalice etc.  In this holy sacrifice God comes down every day, and although he does not depart from heaven, just as the rays of the sun descend, and comes in through every open window, and nevertheless does not separate from the sun or from the heavens.  “Behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world,” (Mt 28:20).

REFRESHMENT

   But Christ came, who instituted food, and spiritual food for souls, namely this holy sacrifice, which is not only an offering, but also for spiritual refreshment. In this food souls are restored and strengthened in devotion and virtues.  Nor should you believe that this food would go down just into the stomach of the body to be digested there, but rather into the stomach of the soul, namely, the memory. About this food David prophesied saying: “And [God] had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them the bread of heaven. Man ate the bread of angels: he sent them provisions in abundance,” (Ps 77:24-25).  First he speaks of the manna of the Jews, where it says, “And had rained down manna,” namely from the clouds and not from the empyrean heaven, but from the aerial heaven.  Then he speaks of this sacrament, “and had given them the bread of heaven.”  He is not speaking of  manna like the Jews speak, because angels do not eat the manna.  Note “bread;” this cannot be understood of manna, because it was just one food, but of this sacrament in which is the body of Christ, soul, divinity, powers and influences of all good things. Therefore he says “bread”, and thus the church sings: ” The Bread of Angels becomes the bread of men; The Bread of heaven ends all prefigurations: What wonder! a poor and humble servant consumes him, the Lord.” [Thomas Aquinas: Panis angelicus].

Sermon on Good Friday

” We have a law; and according to the law he ought to die,” (Jn 19:7).

   This passage is found in John 19, and is recited today in the passion of the Lord.  Daily through the whole week the passion of Jesus Christ has been represented and remembered, but much differently today than on the other days.  It was represented before as something already past. And so at Mass we said, “At that time…,” etc.  But today it is recited like it is happening now, and we are eyewitnesses.  And so today “At that time” is not said, but today we simply begin, “He goes forth,” (Jn 18:1) in the present tense.  And there is a reason for the difference, because a present thing moves the heart of men more that something past, like a fly stinging us now more than a sting from the past.  And so that we might sense its sweetness and our souls might be compassionate with the death of Christ, it is represented today like something present. So the [divine] Office and sermons take place as if Christ is seen now to be on the cross, that we might perceive, according to what God says, “Remember my poverty, and transgression, the wormwood, and the gall,” (Lamentations 3:19).  Note: “poverty” because he was crucified naked.  And the prophet responds in the person of the Christian people, “I will be mindful and remember, and my soul shall languish within me,” (Lam. 3:20).  “I will be mindful,” namely of the past, “and remember,” as if it were in the present. Therefore just as I said, we speak as if we are looking at Jesus Christ crucified now. 

   What about the sorrow of the Virgin Mary.  You know that you do not greet [cheerfully] a grieving person, nor does one dare to say words of joy to a person drowning in sadness. So we shall not salute her in our usual way [with the Hail Mary], because it would cause her sorrows to increase.  She would say, “Why do you say ‘Hail,’ because  I am full of all grief and pain, bitterness and misery,” etc.  If we were to say, “The Lord is with thee,” she would say, “The Lord is not with me, because they have taken him from me and crucified him.”  If we would say, “Blessed,” she would say, “Why do you call me ‘blessed,’ because everyone speaks ill of me.” And so we shall not salute her.  But less we preach without devotion, let us turn to God hanging on the cross crucified saying, “We adore you O Christ and we bless you, because by your cross you have redeemed the world,” etc.

   “We have a law,” etc. as above. For the declaration of the proposed text and the introduction of the matter for preaching, it must be known that in sacred theology there is this question: Whether some other work of Christ besides his death would have been sufficient to redeem mankind, or whether it was necessary that he should die?  And this question is decided by the holy doctors  of theology through two conclusions.

   The first conclusion is, if we speak according to the dignity of the divine person and according to the holiness of his divinity and humanity, we say that any work whatsoever and any effort [taedium], even without death, would have been sufficient to redeem mankind.  And the reason is because Jesus Christ, insofar as he is God, had in his actions infinite power.  Same also  because of the holiness of his humanity, to the extent that just one prayer or tear, or one drop of blood, without death, would have sufficed to redeem humanity.  And David understands this conclusion in Ps 138 which begins, “Lord, you have proved me, etc.” in the verse where he says, “I will praise you, for you are fearfully magnified: wonderful are your works, and my soul knows right well,” (Ps 138:14).  David is speaking in the spirit of prophecy of the messiah king. And he says, “fearfully”, and this because of the infinite power of divinity, and “magnified,” because of his humanity.

   The second conclusion is, if we speak of Jesus Christ according to the plan of God embedded [inserta] in the law of Moses and the prophets, then it was necessary that he should die, so that death might be redeemed by death, because, after man has been handed over to death because of the sins of a man, namely Adam, and after Christ wished to free mankind, it was necessary that he should die.  Whence Christ by his death has freed us from a double death, namely from the spiritual death of the soul through baptism, and from the death of the body at the end of the world after resurrection.  This God revealed to Moses in the book of Numbers 35, when he commanded that if one has killed someone by accident he should flee to a city of refuge — which were six, three this side of the Jordan and three beyond — and that there he could await the death of the high priest, and at his death he could then return a free man.  In this it is seen that there was given a reason for desiring the death of the high priest.  The text nevertheless says, “and he shall abide there until the death of the high priest, who is anointed with the holy oil,” (Num 35:25). 

   One might ask who is this killer, and where are these cities of refuge, and who is this high priest? It must be said that the killer is every sinner.  In the old testament, Ezek 18 says, “The soul that sins, the same shall die,” (Ez 18:4).  The sinner is a killer by accident, and not voluntarily,  not deliberately, because he who sins with pride or commits other sins, does not indent to kill his soul, because no one deliberately acts for evil.  But the sinner takes pleasure in sin, as for example in pride or another sin, from which sin the death of the soul follows by accident. This sinner is a killer, because he kills the principal part of a man, namely the soul.  Therefore he cannot enter that city Jerusalem, our mother above, i.e. heaven,  but he must flee to a city of refuge.  And so all the dead after completing their penance went to limbo, and were not able to go to the city of Jerusalem, however good they might have been, until the high priest  who is our Lord Jesus Christ would die.  David says about him, “You art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech,” (Ps 108:4).  Heaven had been closed, for in Genesis 3 it is said that after the sin of the first man, God, “placed Cherubim before the paradise of pleasure,  and a flaming sword, turning every way, to guard the way to the tree of life,”(Gen 3:24). 

   Hence, St. Thomas, [Summa theologiae,] III Pars, q. 49, a. 5, where he pursues this image says at first that the ancient fathers through their good works merited to enter the kingdom of heaven through faith in the passion of Jesus Christ, according to Heb 11 “by faith conquered kingdoms, wrought justice,” (Heb 11:33), through which they also would be cleansed of their personal sins, to the extent that it pertained to the healing of their own person.  Not however did the faith or justice of someone suffice to removing the obstacle which was the condition of the whole human race.  This was removed through the outpouring of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Thus before the passion of Christ, no one was able to enter or access the celestial kingdom by obtaining eternal beatitude which consists in the full enjoyment of God.  Christ merited for us the entrance to the kingdom of heaven. 

   It is clear therefore that it was not absolutely necessary for Christ to die as says the first conclusion, which also St. Thomas says in III, q. 45, a. 1.  He posits that because he could have freed men in another way. But according to his preordained plan, expressed through the prophets, and foreshadowed through figures in the old law, it was necessary that Christ die so that the scriptures would be fulfilled. And this is what Luke says in 22: “And the Son of Man indeed goes, according to that which is determined,” (Lk 22:22).  And Luke 24: “These are the words which I spoke to you, while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me,” (Lk 24:44).  And because it has been written, for that reason it was necessary that Christ suffer and rise from the dead.  This St.Thomas has in the same place. 

   And therefore this sermon’s theme is proposed not in the person of the Jews unjustly seeking the death of Christ, but it is proposed in the person of all the prophets who say, “We have a law,” because in their written law a bronze serpent and paschal lamb were figures of the death of Christ, therefore that scriptures might be fulfilled, and the kingdom of heaven opened, Christ according to that law ought to die.  The theme, therefore, is clear.

  Now it is necessary to declare how the passion of Christ took place for our redemption and reconciliation.  To understand this we should note that just as in the sin of Adam there were six circumstances or conditions, so in the passion of Christ there were six circumstances or conditions, corresponding to the sin.

First there was a physical meal,

Second a binding of the person,

Third, human condemnation,

Fourth, social compassion,

Fifth, dying for a time,

Sixth, an earthly burial.

DINNER

   First, in the passion of Christ there was a physical dinner.  Before his passion Christ wished to eat with his apostles.  Reason: for just as the sin [praevaricatio] of Adam began with eating, when Adam ate of the forbidden fruit, so Christ to show that he had come to reform the evil of Adam, wished to eat with his apostles.   Practically speaking, note how the apostles, Peter and John, as Luke makes clear, ch. 22, said to him, “[Rabbi] Where do you wish  that we prepare for you to eat the Passover?” (Mt 26:17).  In that year the Passover of the Jews was on Good Friday, and the solemnity began on the evening before, when they ate the paschal lamb with bitter herbs.  Thus they said to him, “Rabbi. Where do you wish  that we prepare for you to eat the Passover?”  He replied to them saying that they were to go to the city, Jerusalem, to the house of a certain good man, his secret disciple.  “And he sent Peter and John,” (Luke 22:8).  Peter and John told the lord of the house that their master, Christ, had sent them to him. And he replied, “O blessed are you who are the disciples of the savior, and what do you wish?”  They said, “You already know how our master, although he is the Lord of all things, nevertheless wishes to be poor. He sent us to say that he wished to celebrate the Passover in your house.”  The man was most grateful to God for such an honor, that the savior wished to celebrate the Passover in his house.   He showed them the large dining room which he had prepared for them saying, that he wished to pay for all the necessities and make the preparations. “And you should return to him and warn him lest he come by daylight, because the chief [priests] had issued a death sentence against him, and they wished to seize him.”

   So Christ arrived at a late hour and secretly entered the city.  Think how that good man, the lord of the house, reverently greeted Christ when he arrived, thanking him, because it pleased him to come to his house. He wished to wait on Christ and offer water to wash his hands, but Christ refused.  Then Christ gave the blessing of the table, “The eyes of all [hope in you, O Lord: and you give them meat in due season],” (Ps 144:15). [The traditional monastic prayer before meals.] And he sat down at the table with the apostles. 

   The evangelists did not report that the Virgin was in the room, but indeed they do say that she was present at the passion, so she was in Jerusalem on the day of the Passover, and also at the passion of Christ. The evangelists say this.  Therefore, some devout contemplatives believe it to be likely that she also wished to be at the dinner with her son. He had withdrawn with the apostles to the city of Ephraim near the desert.  The Virgin thinking that her son would be at the paschal feast in Jerusalem as he was accustomed to do, on the previous night had come joyfully to Jerusalem hoping to hear a sermon from her son on Passover day.  She went directly to the house of Mary Magdalen to find out what was happening with her son.  Magdalen said that he was in a citizen’s house with his disciples.  The Virgin Mary said, I would like to ask that we go to him.  Magadalen however who knew the whole business, wished to keep her back until the next day, but the Virgin insisted on going. So Mary Magdalen, Martha, and Lazarus accompanied her to that house. Magdalen knocked at the door.  Think how frightened that citizen was that the Jews were coming to arrest Christ.  He said to Christ, “Your mother wishes to come in,” He agreed. The Virgin entering said to her son, “O son, I wanted to see you very much.”  And she scolded John, her “grandson” [nepote] because he had not shared with her news of her son. He made an excuse, saying that they were in a different town. 

    Christ however invited  his mother to eat with them. Christ knowing that his passion was approaching, at the end of the meal said farewell to his mother lest she be present.  But she wanted by all means to remain with her son. Christ did not permit it.  Then the virgin invited him with the apostles to lunch the next day because she was throwing a big feast for Passover, and because on that day, namely Friday she had conceived him.  Christ, knowing the “dinner” that was being prepared for him, did not explicitly tell his mother all that would happen on the next day, but responding gently said, “Mother you and I shall eat together tomorrow at the same table,” namely of the passion of Christ, “and of the same food,” namely of sorrow.  But his mother did not understand this.  Thoroughly comforted and content she departed.  Think how Magdalen, who knew everything, was saying, “Lord tomorrow an evil meal awaits you and us.”  And if this is not told by the evangelists, it nevertheless is not contrary to the gospel, and the devout doctors and saints have written in this fashion of these things, so it ought piously to be believed. It is much like the things that were going to happen.

    After his mother’s departure Christ did four things.  First he told his apostles about his passion, as Luke says, “And he said to them: With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you, before I suffer.  For I say to you, that from this time I will not eat it, till it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And having taken the chalice, he gave thanks, and said: Take, and divide it among you: For I say to you, that I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, till the kingdom of God comes…The hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. And the Son of man indeed goes, according to that which is determined: but yet, woe to that man by whom he shall be betrayed,” (Lk 22:15-18, 22).

  Think how the apostles hearing these words were sad and desolate and each was saying, “Is it I?” that is to say, “I should kill myself now, for I would have a lesser punishment.”  Christ however did not wish to reveal the sin of Judas publicly, which had been hidden, but secretly he revealed it to John who asked, “Who is he who shall betray you?” (Jn 21:20).  Jesus said that he to whom he would give a portion of bread…saying, “The Son of man indeed goes, as it is written of him,” (Mt 26:24)  I say also to you more, that, “All you shall be scandalized in me this night. For it is written: — by Zechariah (13:7) the prophet —  I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be dispersed.” (Mt 26:31).  Then Peter, more passionate than the others said, “Although all shall be scandalized in you, I will never be scandalized,” (Mt 26:33). He believed he was speaking the truth, because at that time he had a good heart, but out of weakness later he sinned.  To him Christ said, “Amen I say to you, that…before the cock crows, you will deny me three times,” (Mt 26:34). Then Christ said to Peter comforting him, “I have prayed for you, that your faith does not fail,” that is, in the end.  Then Peter was consoled.

   Second Christ rose from the table, as John (ch. 13) said, and put on an apron and poured warm water into a basin for washing the feet of the apostles. He came to Peter first.  “Lord,” Peter said,” do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered, and said to him: “What I do you do not know now; but you shall know hereafter,” (Jn 13:6-7).  Peter said to him “You shall never wash my feet. Christ answered him: If I do not wash you, you shall have no part with me,” (v. 8).  In which he shows that we ought to wash away the uncleanness of temporal affections. Then Peter said, “Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head,” (v.9).  Christ said to him, “He who is  washed,” i.e. through baptism, “needs only to wash his feet,” i.e. of earthly affections, “but is wholly clean. And you are clean, but not all. For he knew who he was that would betray him; therefore he said: You are not all clean.” (vv.10-11).  And he washed the feet of all the apostles who were weeping, even of Judas, who he started with [after Peter], as some say, so that he might be inclined to repentance.  Then he said to them, “You call me Master, and Lord; and you say well, for so I am,” (Jn 13:13).  ” For I have given you an example,” i.e. of humility, “that as I have done to you, so you do also,” (v. 15).

   Third he instituted the sacrament of the altar, wishing to put an end to the sacrifice of the old law and to institute the sacrifice of the new law. After the washing of feet, he returned to the table and took up a plate of unleavened bread and consecrated and first communicated himself, then the apostles. as the priest does, because first he communicates himself then others.  The text of Mat 26: “And while they were at supper, Jesus took bread,” and giving thanks, “blessed, and broke: and gave it to his disciples, and said: Take, and eat. This is my body.” (v. 26), “which shall be delivered for you,” (Cf  I Cor 11:24).  Peter asked him, “Lord this bread is your body?”  Christ replied, “Peter, there is nothing left of bread. It is my body. Eat.”  After he ate he said, “O Lord it completely comforts me. Never has my soul found such sweetness in any food.”  All the other apostles received communion, and even Judas. Then the devil entered into him to possess him more fully, because he who unworthily receives communion, welcomes the devil.  Jesus said to Judas, “What you do, do quickly,” (Jn 13:27).  The apostles did not understand, believing that he was speaking to him about some task he had to do.  Then Christ ordained the apostles and made them priests, saying, “As often as you do this, do it in memory of  me,” (Cf  I Cor 11:24f).  Likewise “taking the chalice,” after they had eaten, ” he gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying: “Drink you all of this. For this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for [you and for] many.., ” (Mt 26:27).

   Fourth he proceeds to give the apostles some good lessons which John calls his testament, saying, “A little while, and now you shall not see me,” (Jn 16:16), therefore  bear with tribulations and persecutions patiently, because, “If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you,” (Jn 15:20).  I send you the spirit of truth. (v. 26)  And having finished speaking, he prayed for them saying, “I pray for them,” (Jn 17:9).  The apostles couldn’t stop weeping.

   See here the physical dinner for our reformation, just as there had been one in the sinning. And so the prophecy of Moses was fulfilled about this meal saying, ” And they shall eat the roasted flesh that night,” (Ex 12:8).  “They shall eat,” namely Christ and the apostles, “the flesh,”  etc.

BOUND

   Second, in the passion, Christ was personally tied up, when he was arrested and bound in person in the garden.  Reason: because just as in the sin, after Adam ate there was a binding through sin in the terrestrial garden of paradise, where before they had been free with original justice, so too Christ, to show that he came for the reforming of the sin of Adam, wished to be arrested and bound.  Practically, now having sung a hymn of thanksgiving, specifically, “I will praise thee, O Lord, ” (Ps. 110:4) [the traditional monastic prayer after meals], he expressed his gratitude to the master of the house, because Christ is not ungrateful, saying that he should persevere in good works, and that he would receive him in the house of his glory, and then “he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron,” (Jn 18:1). so named from the cedar trees there. Note that the valley of Josaphat is between the Mount of Olives and Jerusalem. And down the middle of the valley of Josaphat passes the brook of Cedron. He entered the garden where he had gone often. The moon was full — according to the law, Ex 12, the Passover was always at the time of the  full moon.  Mark says that “he began to fear and to be heavy.” (Mk 14:33).  This was to show his true humanity which naturally flees from death.  Seeing this the apostles said to themselves, “O Lord, what is happening?”  Christ said, “My soul is sorrowful even unto death,”  (v.34), and this because of the flight of the apostles, because of the sorrows of his mother and for the destruction of the Jews, and so he said this, “My soul is sorrowful…”  The remedy is to pray.  So, “Watch, and pray that you enter not into temptation,” (v. 38), because I am going to do the same. 

   And so distancing himself a stone’s throw away (Lk 22:41) he prayed three times for the three intentions. “Father, all things are possible to you: remove this chalice from me,” (Mk 14:36).  In this prayer Christ shows himself to have true humanity which naturally flees from death, but Christ was ready for death giving us an example that in tribulations we should conform ourselves to the divine will.   Second he asked for his resurrection saying, Father, “Let this chalice pass from me,” i.e. of the measured passion from God the Father, may it pass, i.e. last only three days, and his glorious resurrection might come. And so he says “Father, let it pass from me.”  About this Hilary says, “He does not seek that it not come, but that it pass from him to the martyrs, so that the courage and patience of his martyrdom would pass to the martyrs and they would become courageous and  patient in enduring martyrdom for him.  Because of this prayer, the holy martyrs, Lawrence, Vincent, Catherine, Agnes and others were brave in patiently enduring martyrdom.”

   Luke then says, “And being in an agony,” (Lk 22:41) not of sensuality against reason, because such struggle was never in Christ—it is only in us—but the agony was of sensuality against the object of the passion.  Christ saw clearly [principaliter] all the sufferings of his passion which his sense nature was shunning.  So his veins were so pressured from the memory of the passion they began to exude blood. 

   Then angels came to comfort him, not that he needed it , because he was stronger than the angels, but the angel paid him the honor that he ought to show to his Lord, like a shield-bearer comforting his much stronger lord before he entered battle.  He said to Christ according to the mind of devout holy doctors, “Lord this passion is not contrary to your will. You yourself have planned it with the Father and the Holy Spirit for the salvation of believers and obedient followers.  Therefore the holy fathers joyfully await you in limbo. From this passion a great glory is prepared for you. Because of this you shall be the universal judge over all creatures.”

   After the angel left Christ came to his disciples and “found them sleeping for sorrow,” (Lk 22:45),  and he said to them, “Arise, let us go,” (Mt. 26:46).  “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh weak,” (Mt 26:41).

   And the Jews came with swords and clubs.  Then Peter asked Christ, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” (Lk 42:29).  Christ replied that we should not defend ourselves with weapons, but with patience.  Then the traitor Judas, who had given them a cue, lest they arrest James, who looked like Christ, in place of Christ, said to Christ, “Hail, Rabbi. And he kissed him,” (Mt 26:49), for Christ was accustomed to kiss his disciples when they first returned to him. But Christ turned his face and said to Judas, “Judas, do you betray the Son of man with a kiss?” (Lk 22:48), which is to say, “Wretched man [miser], think of the damnation prepared for you today.” 

   He approached the Jews and asked “Whom do you seek?” (Jn 18:4).  They answered: “Jesus of Nazareth,” (v. 5).  Wishing to humble them he said, “I am he,” [Ego sum] which is the proper name of God.  And upon hearing that name all the Jews fell down on the ground.  This is how Christ showed that they could not arrest him unless he wished to be arrested.  Think how the apostles were rejoicing when the Jews fell down, saying to themselves that Christ would not be arrested.  Chrysostom says, “Consider Christian how much power is in Christ about to be judged, that the one to be judged, has so much power by a single word.”  Therefore he says, “No one takes my soul from me,” namely unwilling (Cf Jn 10:18).  With Christ’s permission they got to their feet.  Christ again asked them: “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am he.  If therefore you seek me, let these go their way.”  (Jn 18:8). 

    Then “they laid hands on Jesus, and held him,” (Mt 26:49).  Christ said to them, ” You have  come out as it were for a robber, with swords and clubs, to apprehend me. I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not lay hands on me.” (Mt. 26:55),  “but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” (Lk 22:53).

   Then Peter, as if desperate, wishing to die for Christ, drew his sword and wanted to kill one of this servants.  He ducked his head, and Peter cut off his right ear.  Christ said to him, “Put up thy sword its scabbard. The chalice which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?” (Jn 18:11).  “How then shall the scriptures be fulfilled?” (Mt 26:54).  He restored his ear to him. 

   Then the apostles seeing Christ arrested and bound, fled, fearing that they too would be arrested. Think how each was saying to himself: “O wretched one, now is fulfilled the scandal  which he had predicted. O wretched one, I so deny my master and without a blow I desert him.”  “O wretched one,” John says, “what shall I say to your mother?” And he returned to Christ. Peter, seeing that John was returning, also returned and followed at a distance to witness the end.    Some say that when Christ, arrested, entered through the gate of the city of Jerusalem, the stone images of the roman emperors which were sculpted there bowed down to Christ, saying, “Lord, rational men bound you, and we insensible ones adore you.”

   See here, the binding of Christ. And the prophecy was fulfilled (Lamentations 4) in the person of the prophet of old, “The breath of our mouth, Christ the Lord, is taken in our sins: to whom we said: Under your shadow we shall live among the Gentiles,” (Lam 4:20)

CONDEMNATION

   Third, in the passion of Christ there is human condemnation.  Before four judges Christ was condemned, namely before Annas, Caiaphas, Herod and Pilate.  Reason: because the sin of Adam mankind was condemned to corruption under the four elements, for if Adam had not sinned, fire would not have harmed us, nor would air convey bad impressions, nor would there be storms against us, nor would water drown us, nor would earth harm us as we worked or traveled on it. 

    So Christ to make satisfaction for us, so that after the day of judgment we would be free from these corruptions of the elements, wished to be condemned before four of the aforesaid judges.  Practically speaking, Christ, arrested and bound, was lead, first before Annas the priest who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year, a most intense enemy of Christ.  Fortunately John was known to them, because he used to bring him orders of fish.  John’s father would send him. Because the wicked judge freely received that service, so the door maid allowed John to enter. He also got permission for Peter to come in with him.  The door maid said to Peter, “Are not you also one of this man’s disciples?” (Jn 18:17). He denied him out of fear of arrest.  Then he approached the fire with the rest.

   Then Annas questioned Christ about two matters, namely about his teaching and his disciples. saying, “Is not the teaching of Moses sufficient?  It seems that you are wiser than God,” etc., and,  “You wish yourself to be the captain of the people, why so?”  Christ replied to the first question about his teaching saying, “I have spoken openly to the world: I have always taught in the Synagogue, and in the temple, where all the Jews gather; and in secret I have spoken nothing. Why do you ask me?  Ask them who have heard what I have spoken unto them,” (Jn 18:20-21).  And he replied to the second question, but just then the servant of the priest “struck Jesus a blow, saying: Do you answer the high priest so?”  And he knocked him to the ground.  After he had gotten up Jesus said to him, “If I have spoken evil, give testimony of the evil; but if well, why do you strike me? “  (Jn 18:23), which is to say you do not know whom you strike, but you will know on judgment day. 

   Peter seeing how Christ was struck, wept.  They said to him, “Are not you too one of his disciples?” (v. 25). He denied it, and said: “I am not,” (v. 26).  One of the servants of the high priest (a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off) says to him: Did I not see you in the garden with him?” (Jn 18:25-26)   Then Peter not only denied Christ but also swore and cursed saying that he did not know him.  O Peter, where are the words of the promise which you made?  I am prepared to be jailed with you and to go to my death.  And if it is necessary that I die with you I shall not deny you, etc.   “Although all shall be scandalized in thee, I will never be scandalized,” (Mt 26:33).  O how badly you have kept your promise. And the cock crowed. And Christ turning, gazed on Peter, which is to say, “Peter, you have denied me.”  Then Peter “Going forth, wept bitterly,” (v. 33).  The Master of History (Peter Comestor) says that Peter hid himself in a certain tomb, and whenever a cock crowed Peter would always weep.  So he always carried a towel. He denied Christ only because of fear. What about you who deny him and rebel out of malice? 

   Then Annas having seen that the cock crowed, considering that it was late night, passed sentence that Christ  should be led before Caiaphas, and so it happened.  Think how Christ was received there, where his enemies were gathered, saying, “Wise guy [Ribalde], how often did you confound us in your sermons!”  They brought forward many false witnesses against him.  The judge said to him, “Listen, they present so much adverse testimony against you.”  Jesus however did not respond.  Reason: because when suffering from lying testimony it is better to remain silent than to say anything.  Again the judge said, “Why do you not speak?  I demand that you, under oath, tell us if you are the Christ.”  Then Christ, out of respect for the name of God said, “You have said it–supply, the truth–because I am the son of God and the messiah, the savior of the world.” “Nevertheless hereafter you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming in the clouds of heaven,” (Mt 26:65) “Then they all said: Are you then the Son of God? He said: You say that I am,” (Lk 22:70).  Hearing this Caiaphas, signaled blasphemy by rending his garments, saying, “He has blasphemed!” (Mt 26:65), “Have you heard the blasphemy?  What does it seem to you?” And he condemned him saying he deserved to die.  “Then they spat in his face and struck him blows,” (v. 67), and so held him through the whole night. 

   And today, in the first hour of the morning, they led him to Pilate, handing him over to the secular jurisdiction for the death sentence, accusing him and saying, “We have found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding [people] to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he is Christ the king.” (Lk 23:2).  “Pilate asked him, saying: Art you the king of the Jews? But Christ answering, said: You say it.” (v. 3) –supply, “the truth.”  “And Pilate said to the chief priests and to the scribes: “I find no cause in this man”. But they were more earnest, saying: “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.”  Then Pilate asked if the man were from Galilee?  And when he understood that he fell under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him away to Herod, who was also himself at Jerusalem, in those days,” (Lk 23:2-7). 

   Herod was pleased.  For a long time he had desired to meet Jesus and to witness his miracles. He hoped  to see some sign from him, not out of devotion, but as amusement.  And he had a number of questions for Christ to answer.  First he said to him, “I have heard that you know how to change water into wine; so do it in front of me.” He had a large jug of water brought in saying, “Change it.”  But Christ said nothing to him. Rather he looked down on him like a fool.  Then Herod said, “I have heard that you know how to multiply loaves of bread. Do  it for me.”   He did nothing.  Again, “I have heard that you can walk on water. Do it for me.”  But Christ said nothing to him.  Herod said to him, “Don’t you know that I have the power to free you?”  Christ said nothing to him.  “And Herod with his guard treated him with contempt, and mocked him, put a white garment on him, and sent him back to Pilate. And Herod and Pilate became friends with one another, that very day; for they were enemies before. (Lk 23:11-12).

   “And Pilate, calling together the chief priests, and the magistrates, and the people, said to them: You have presented this man to me as one who perverted the people. Having examined him before you, I find no cause in this man, in those things wherein you accuse him.  No, nor Herod either. For I sent him to him.  Look, nothing worthy of death is found in him,” (Lk 23:13-15).

   The devil, seeing Christ’s great patience, and the joy of the holy fathers in limbo, and wishing to thwart the passion of Christ appeared in a dream to Pilate’s wife, still in her bed sleeping, so that through the woman’s intervention our redemption might be impeded. She was threatened.

She had to persuade her husband so in no way would he kill that good and just man.  Then Pilate, as much out of love for his wife, as also because he knew that they had handed him over out of  envy, worked to free Christ, all the while striving to keep the good will of the Jews.

    He wished to free him for four reasons.  First because of his innocence, which he had determined by his private meeting with Christ. When he asked if he had forbidden tribute to Caesar, Christ replied “No.”  Moreover he had said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,” (Mt. 22:21). Again, when asked if he were the king of the Jews, Christ replied, “My kingdom is not of this world.” (Jn 18:36).  “The Jews wanted to make me king after the meal which I had provided for them, but I fled.”  Then Pilate said to the Jews, “I find no reason for a  death sentence for this man. But they cried out saying, “Crucify him!  Crucify him!” 

   Second, Pilate wished to free Christ using the exemption which the Jews had from a privilege granted by the Emperor, that on the Passover they were able to set free one prisoner, whomever they asked for.  Reason: because on that day the people of Israel were freed from slavery in  Egypt, and so in memory of that liberation they had obtained this privilege.  Pilate was arranging for Christ to be freed using this privilege, saying, “But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover; do you wish, therefore, that I release  the king of the Jews to you? Then they all cried out again, saying: Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber,” (Jn 18:39-40), and a murderer.

   Third, he wished to free Christ out of compassion.  Pilate knew that he was arrested out of envy and malice of heart, out of the  misery of those beset with envy.  Thus Pilate said to Christ, “I see that the whole people have turned against you out of envy, so I shall have you scourged, so that their malice for you may be transformed, lest you die.”  Christ replied, “Do whatever you wish.”  Then Pilate took Jesus and bound him naked to a column, according to the Master of  History, so tightly that one hand does not touch the other hand, for the space of two palms, but wrapped and tied by cords. He was whipped so fiercely, that from the soles of his feet to the top of his head no part of his blessed body was unmarked, except only his tongue, which would pray and bear witness for sinners and the thief on the cross. And so scriptures were fulfilled which had predicted that the Son of Man would be handed over to the people and whipped and spit on. 

    According to some, there were four soldiers whipping him,. The first two, according to Jerome in the Gloss, had prepared switches with thorns and sharpest brambles by which to puncture his skin.  When these two were tired, the other two would take up whips, at the tips of which there were nodules with sharp points attached for ripping his holy skin.  The other two had chains with  hooks at their ends, to tear out flesh.  Hence Eusebius and Chrysosom on this text,  “The discipline [i.e. whipping] of our peace was upon him.  They say that Christ was wounded by this discipline in a triple way, namely hard, because of rods and thorns, and harder because of the nodules on the whips, and hardest because of the iron chains. Since, according to doctors, there are 276 bones in the human body, Christ was so whipped that each bone received a triple blow, one from the rods, another from the whips, the third from the chains.

   When he was untied, Christ wished to put on his own garments, but they wouldn’t permit it.  The soldiers taking Jesus, led him from the whipping post into the atrium where they gathered the whole cohort.  And they clothed him in a rough, old purple garment, as a sign of royal majesty, for kings wear purple.  Shaping a crown of marine [marinis] thorns, which have sharper and longer spines than other thorns, they pressed it on his head, cruelly wounding it in 72 places.  It was shaped like a cap [ad modum pilei] so that wherever it contacted the head, the spines penetrated to the skull.  These contacts, according to Isidore, were concave on the inside drawing up the blood of Christ.  They put a reed in his right hand like a royal scepter, and they mocked him and began to genuflect before him and to salute him in derision saying, “Hail king of the Jews,” which is to say, “You call yourself king of the Jews, Now you are crowne.”  And spitting on him they struck him at will. For this reason the church, when praying for them, does not have us genuflect, as with the prayers for the pagans and for others. 

   And then Pilate went out again and said, “Look, that you may know that I find no cause in him, I bring him forth to you (Jesus therefore came forth, bearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment.) And [Pilate] said to them: Behold the Man, ” (Jn 19:4-5). Which is to say, “Here is the man who says he is your king, as you allege.  It is enough for you that such abominable contempt be laid on this man for this accusation,” etc. When the priests and ministers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify, crucify him!” which says, “That punishment was not sufficient. We ask that he be crucified,” and “We want no other death but crucifixion,”  since, according to Chrysostom, crucifixion was so ignominious that one crucified would be remembered only as cursed.  And that David bewails saying, “I am poured out like water,”  (Ps 21:15), because the smell of every liquid remains in the empty jar, except for water. They wanted his name to be forgotten, as St. Thomas says on this text, therefore they sought that he be crucified. 

     Pilate however said, “Take him yourselves, and crucify him: for I find no cause in him. The Jews answered him: We have a law; and according to the law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore had heard this saying, he feared the more,” (Jn 19:6-8), not the law, because he was a Gentile, but lest by chance, according to Jerome, it was true that he had a divine origin, and so he would have committed an enormous crime by whipping him.

   Pilate wanted even more certainty.  Again he entered the pretorium with Jesus and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?  of divine or human generation?”  Jesus did not reply because of the difficulty of  the question, for Pilate was not sufficiently ready to accept the answer.  “Pilate therefore said to him: Do you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to crucify you, and I have power to release you?”  With these words Pilate condemned himself. “Jesus answered: You should not have any power against me, unless it were given you from above. Therefore, he who has delivered me to you, has the greater sin,” (Jn 19:11)  Augustine says that whoever sins from avarice, sins more that he who sins from human fear.  “From henceforth,” i.e. from this case, ” Pilate sought to release him,” (v. 12), as a clever man seeing that he had cleared him of sin, and lest he should kill an innocent man, he was seeking an opportunity to dismiss  him, as he had done before.

   “But the Jews,” seeing him, “cried out, saying: If you release this man, you art not Caesar’s friend. For whosoever makes himself a king,” etc.  “Now when Pilate had heard these words, he brought Jesus forward, and sat down in the judgment seat, in the place that is called Lithostrotos, and in Hebrew Gabbatha. And it was the preparation day [parasceve]…,” that is, the first solemn day on which they prepared food for the Sabbath. On the Sabbath itself it is not permitted to prepare food because of the solemnity, but only on the preceding day, Friday, therefore every  Friday was called the evening of the Passover [parasceve], “at about the sixth hour,” (Jn 19:13f). Because on the sixth day man was created.  And Pilate said: “Behold your king. But they, “as if hysterically, “cried out: Away with him; away with him; crucify him! Pilate said to them: Shall I crucify your king? ” which is to say, “Indeed, from this shall be generated great shame, when it is told that you crucified your king.”  The priests replied: “We have no king but Caesar,” (v. 15).   Then Pilate realizing that he was incurring the indignation of the people, and of Caesar, granted them their petition. 

   “And as he was sitting in the place of judgment, his wife sent [a message] to him, saying: Have you nothing to do with that just man,” (Mt 27:19).  I have endured much this night because of this holy and just man.  Then the devil recognized the fruit of the passion of Jesus Christ from the joy of the souls awaiting in limbo which from many prophets were hoping that they be redeemed.  Pilate seeing however that he was making no progress, but a great riot was breaking out, taking water washed his hands before the people saying: ” I am innocent of the blood of this just man; look you to it. And the whole people answering, said: His blood be upon us and our children ” (Mt 27:19).  O what a terrible legacy did these stupid people leave. The heritage remains to this very day.  For, as a sign of this claim, when Jewish boys are born, of the race which cried out such, they have their right hand full of blood positioned on their heads.

   So Pilate, shaken with fear released Barabbas the murderer to them.  Jesus, however, scourged, he handed over to their will, to be crucified, contrary to the law of justice.  Pilate’s sentence of  Jesus read: “Jesus, seduced the people, blasphemed God, calling himself Christ, to be the king of the Jews, judged and condemned to be nailed to the cross.”  And because today is offered the  a [alpha]  and  w [omega], the beginning and the end, therefore on these days the church omits the usual beginnings and endings of the hours [of the Divine Office].

COMPASSION

   Fourth in the passion of Christ is social compassion, because not only Christ endured the passion and the sorrows of the heart, but also the Virgin Mary his mother, and many others.  Reason: because Adam did not suffer the evils of his sin alone, but also Eve.

   The sentence of death was issued. Next they mocked him.  They clothed him in purple and dressed him in a way that would make it more recognizable that he was going to his death, so he would be jeered at all the more.  And then, without doubt, Christ experienced afresh extreme pain, because that purple garment had become encrusted, and deeply embedded in the wounds of the scourging. It could not be ripped off without excruciating pain.  You can imagine, especially when his tunic was torn away, that all his wounds were reopened, and this was a harsher penalty than scourging, or even the crown.  Fresh bleeding began, and his whole body was coated in red.  And laying the cross on him, they led him out of the city.

   Because the glorious passion of Christ extends itself not only to the Jews but also to all, as a sign of this, he wished to suffer outside of the city.  O how many good things the blessed Jesus always did for this city.  For all these things, to disgrace him more, they laid the cross on his own shoulders to carry.  St. Bernard: “O silent [inauditu] spectacle, never heard, seen or done, that some thief or malefactor would be forced to do this, that he carry his own yoke, only the savior, so the passage of Isaiah was fulfilled: ‘and the government is upon his shoulder,'” (Isa 9:6). 

   This was prefigured in Isaac, who when he went to be sacrificed by his father, carried the wood on his own back (See Gn 22:6).  There we find that the Lord said to Abraham: “Abraham, Abraham. And he answered: Here I am.  He said to him: Take your only begotten son Isaac, whom you love, and go into the land of vision: and there you shall offer him for a holocaust upon one of the mountains which I will show you. So Abraham rising up in the night, saddled his ass: and took with him two young men, and Isaac his son: and when he had cut wood for the holocaust he went his way to the place which God had commanded him,” (Gn 22:1-3)  This was a figure of the passion of Christ, because Abraham signified the Father in divinity, who offers his only begotten Son on the altar of the holy cross in redemption for all us miserable sinners.  And just as Isaac, the son of Abraham, obedient to the will of his father, carried on his own shoulders the wood of the holocaust, so the Son of God, our savior Jesus, patiently like an innocent lamb, carried the yoke of the holy cross laid upon his shoulders. 

   And because the Jews had so weakened him with blows, strokes, and mockeries, not to mention the scourgings and crowning, he was not able to carry the cross very long or very far, because he was totally spent and exhausted. So he fell under the cross.  No wonder, from the blood shed from all his veins, which flowed from the wounds of the scourging and thorns, and the immensity of the cross which was fifteen feet high and ten feet across.  Going out to the place they call Calvary, as he was being led there, he found he could not continue.  They picked out a man, Simon of Cyrene by name, coming from the village, father of Alexander and Rufus.  They seized him and forced him to carry his cross. They, not moved by mercy, but that they might more quickly get on with the execution, had him carry the cross after Christ.  Nor should anyone judge this to be contrary to the perfection of Christ, as true God and true man.  The divinity of Christ yielded to his humanity suffering from all the human weaknesses, not wishing to favor itself in anything which would alleviate his punishment. The condition of human weakness demanded that the man Christ would fail under such a burden, so exhausted by the whole night, and weakened by the outpouring of blood.  No surprise, because when even under lesser stress, think of the journey elsewhere [through Samaria], when he sat down to recover his strength [at the well] on the mountain, Jn 4.

   Learned doctors believe that this news, that Christ her son had been condemned to death, was first told to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was then at the home of Mary Magdalen. With how much heartfelt pain and anxiety of the soul did she receive this news.  The faithful mother pondered it all in her heart.  Nevertheless she never did anything indecent to her modesty or deflecting from her virginity.  Nor is that fable true, by which the wicked would seem to injure the glorious Virgin, which says that the Virgin ran here and there from house to house like a hysterical woman, to where Christ was being taken, and as a sign of her anxiety she tore her hair out, peering through windows, wringing her hands, and wailing pitifully.  There are many other such tales, all of which are false and frivolous.  Reason: otherwise many women would have been more perfect than the Virgin Mary, namely Sophia, the mother of the seven sons, and many other such.  But since there are three manners of weeping.  Some express excessive sorrow in exterior works, like Eli, (1 Kgs 4) who hearing that  the ark [of the covenant] was captured and his two sons killed, fell over backwards, and died of a broken neck.  Some suffer nothing harmful, yet because of a certain honesty they let out a cry of pain like the cry of some animal, like young women at the death of her misshapen babies, and old women [ut iuvenculae de morte virorum deformium et vetulorum].  But both afflict themselves in vain. The first, without inordinate emotion, is thought well of by all.  The second, the more insanely they act, the less faith they show.  So the Virgin mother discovered the third human way, which with bitter taste of sorrow in her heart, did nothing wrong or indecent, neither forgetting her catholic faith, and virginal modesty.   In her alone remained faith in the resurrection of her son.  So she moderated the incomparable pain, and she did nothing that was undisciplined.  Origen in a certain sermon on the passion says: All the pain conceived in the Blessed Virgin by the passion of Christ, she so kept within the cloister of her soul, that neither excessive impatience or exterior sign of something inordinate came from her, unless insofar as a flow of tears from her maternal eyes which revealed her crushing anxiety.  Hence she had the maximum compassion with Christ. 

   Bernard described the lamentable procession saying, “When, he says Christ was so led forth, there was a crowd of people following him, just as when thieves and malefactors are led to death.  Some went laughing, others mocking, others throwing dirt on him.  Looking up, he sees the yoke laid on his shoulders, pressing heavily on him.  Looking behind, he sees his mother with the great crowd of people and of women who follow, who wept and lamented him out of their great compassion.  “But Jesus turning to them, said: Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not over me,” (Lk 23:28).  “Because I freely choose to die, and because of the divine plan, which ordains that I die in such a way, and because of the utility of my death, that by dying I destroy death.”  He commands [them] to weep for past and future sins, the cause of the passion, which makes Christ suffer in the order of justice.  It is necessary that he suffer these sorrows for our salvation.  This Bernard.  “But weep for yourselves, and for your children. For behold, the days shall come, wherein they will say: Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the breasts that have not given suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains: Fall upon us; and to the hills: Cover us.” (Lk 23:28-30).  He was speaking of the assault of the Romans by Titus and Vespasian, princes of Jerusalem in the year 42 after the ascension of the Lord [70 AD], destroying it to the ground, when so great a slaughter occurred, that the blood of those killed flowed like a river through all parts of the city.  And the city was taken on the day of Passover, and all the Jewish officials killed.  And thirty were sold for one denarius. And in the siege of the city 1,100,000 died from famine and the sword, and 80,000 sold to slavery or dispersed. And so was verified that curse which they had said to Pilate:  “His blood be upon us and our children,” (Mt 27:25).  Christ wept for that disaster on Palm Sunday. The famine was such at the time of the siege, that mothers were eating their children, as Josephus says, who was actually there, although he had hidden in the clefts of the rocks until the persecution ceased.

   Jesus was also speaking of the final judgment, when, out of fear “they begin to say to the mountains: Fall upon us; and to the hills: Cover us over.”  For he adds the clause. “For if in the green wood they do these things,” that is, in me.  Christ is said to be green wood, because, [he is] green in the root of his divinity, in the stem of his humanity, in the branches of his  virtues, in the leaves of his words, in the fruit of good works.  “In the dry,” that is the sin which lacks the moisture of grace, the fruit of justice, the healthy growth of constancy, “what shall be done?” (Lk 23;31), that is, “How much punishment do you think they deserve?”  The compassion of his mother and the women are clear from this.

DEATH

   Fifth in the passion of Christ is temporal death, because he wished to die on the cross.   Although the other sufferings of Christ would have been sufficient to redeem mankind, nevertheless he yet wished to die. Reason: because from the sin of Adam we not only have troubles, sorrows and sufferings, but also death, Gen. 2: ” For on the very day you shall eat of it, you shall die the death.” (Gn 2:17).  And this manner is more convenient. Hence the holy doctors and especially St. Thomas III, q 46, a. 2 says there indeed were for God other possible ways of redemption, absolutely speaking, because Luke 1 says, “Because no word shall be impossible with God,” (Lk 1:37) and Isaiah 59 saying, “Behold the hand of the Lord is not too short that it cannot save,” (Isa 59:1).  And so there were many other ways possible to God, as Thomas says at the third argument. If God had freed man without any satisfaction from sin, it would not have been against justice, because the sin was committed against him, and so he acted with mercy.  But it would not have been a more convenient manner, as Thomas says in the same place, same question, article 3, because Augustine says in XIII De Trinitate: “There was no other more suitable way of healing our misery” than by the Passion of Christ. “Hence absolutely it was not necessary that Christ should die, but out of necessity of the end,” as he says in the same question, in article 1.  And this can be understood in two ways.  First from our part who through his passion have been liberated according to that in John 3: “So must the Son of man be lifted up:  That whosoever believes in him, may not perish; but may have life everlasting,” (Jn 3:14-15).  Second on the part of Christ himself who through the humility of the passion merits the glory of his exaltation, and through this it is clear what Luke says, last chapter: “Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and so to enter into his glory?” (Lk 24:26).  

[Here Vincent quotes the entire body of article 3 from St. Thomas’ Summa, ]

   “But in this that man was delivered by Christ’s Passion, many other things besides deliverance from sin concurred for man’s salvation.

   In the first place, man knows thereby how much God loves him, and is thereby stirred to love Him in return, and herein lies the perfection of human salvation; hence the Apostle says: “God commends His charity towards us; for when as yet we were sinners… Christ died for us,” (Rom 5:8).

   Secondly, because thereby He set us an example of obedience, humility, constancy, justice, and the other virtues displayed in the Passion, which are requisite for man’s salvation. Hence Peter says: “Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example that you should follow in His steps.” (1 Peter 2:21)

   Thirdly, because Christ by His Passion not only delivered man from sin, but also merited justifying grace for him and the glory of bliss. We have….confidence in the entering into the holies” i.e. of the faithful, ” by the blood of Christ,” (Heb 10:19).

   Fourthly, because by this man is all the more bound to refrain from sin, when he thinks himself redeemed by the blood of Christ from sin, according to that in I Cor 6: “For you are bought with a great price. Glorify and bear God in your body,” (I Cor 6:20).

   Fifthly, because it redounded to man’s greater dignity, that as man was overcome and deceived by the devil, so also it should be a man that should overthrow the devil; and as man deserved death, so a man by dying should vanquish death. as it says in I Cor 15: ” Thanks be to God, who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ,” (v. 57)  It was accordingly more fitting that we should be delivered by Christ’s Passion than simply by God’s good-will. This St. Thomas q. 46, a. 3.

   Practically speaking this is how they led Christ with the cross which he was carrying on his shoulder.  Two other criminals were led with him to be executed on the hill of Calvary.  And when they arrived there they said to him, “Get undressed,” and he did it.  The soldiers “took his garments, (and they made four parts, to every soldier a part,) and also his coat. Now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They then said to one another: Let us not cut it, but let us cast lots for it, [to see] whose it shall be; that the scripture might be fulfilled, saying: They have divided my garments among them, and upon my vesture they have cast lots,” (Jn 19:23-24).  Then, “They crucified him, and with him two others,” (v 18).

   Think when they crucified him as the Virgin was witnessing the hammering of the nails, how they pierced her heart.  And when the cross was raised, the people backed away.  Then the Virgin with John and Magdalen approached the foot of the cross, and drops of blood from her son were falling on the head of the Virgin.  Think of the pain of Christ and the compassion of his mother. Then Christ prayed for his crucifiers, saying, “Father, ignore [ignosce] them, because they do not know what they do.”  The Virgin Mary hearing her son, raised her eyes and beheld him bloodied from head to feet.  The thief who was hanging on a cross to Christ’s right,  seeing that Christ was praying for his executioners, and considering the patience of Christ, found faith in Christ and contrition in his heart for his sins, and said tearfully to Christ, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom,” (Lk 23:42). “I do not say that you spare me now, because I am not worthy, but afterwards I shall be in purgatory, then remember me.”  To whom Christ replied, “Amen I say to you, this day you shall be with me in paradise.” (v. 43).

   Question: Why one of the two thieves crucified with Christ was converted and not the other?  Reason: some allege that it was the shadow of his arm which fell upon him and converted him. Authority:  From the lesser reference to the shadow of Peter, as is clear from Acts 5.  No wonder then that the shadow of Christ saved the soul of the thief. 

   The Virgin seeing her son speaking to the thief said, “O son, you have spoken to the thief and you say nothing to me who am dying here with you?”  Then Christ wishing to comfort his mother, nodded to John with his head and said, “Woman, behold you son.” And to John, “Behold your mother,” honor her and serve her as your mother. (Cf Jn 19:26f).  The Virgin might have replied, “O son, what kind of comfort, what kind of exchange is this, to give the son of the Creator for the son of a fisherman, the son of God for a son of Zebedee.  O my son, now it is fulfilled the prophecy of Simeon saying, ‘your own soul a sword shall pierce,'”(Lk 2:35).  Then Christ began to say, “Eli, Eli, that is  My God, my God,” look on me, “why have you forsaken me?” (Mt 27:46),  that my friends have deserted me, the apostles and disciples.  And if someone had asked of him, “O Lord where are the blind whom you gave sight to, where the sick whom you cured?  where the possessed, where the lepers whom you cleansed? where the dead whom you raised? where the apostles whom you honored?” He would have answered, “All have abandoned me.”

  And when all things were fulfilled, it was the ninth hour, and he cried out: “I thirst,” (Jn 19:28). The Virgin replied, “O son, I have only the water of my tears.”  Then someone with a sponge stuck on a reed gave him vinegar mixed with gall. And when he tasted it he said: “It is consummated,” (v. 30) namely the work and the mystery of human redemption.  The Virgin replied, “O son, my sorrows are complete.”  Then Christ with a loud voice cried out, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit,” (Lk 23:46).  And bowing his head, as if bidding farewell to his mother, gave up the spirit. 

   It is a wonder that the Virgin Mary did not drop dead, but immediately there followed consolations and comforting remedies, because darkness fell over the whole land, because the sun removed the bright clothing of its clarity and put on darkness, and there was an earthquake and rocks were split open, and many bodies of the saints who were sleeping arose.  And the centurion was converted saying “Truly this was the son of God,” (Mt 27:54). And the people were striking their breasts saying, “O misery, what have we done.” These fruits of the passion which the Virgin was seeing consoled her. 

   See here his temporal death, because he wished to die that he might free us from eternal death, and would give us glorious life according to the prophet Isaiah 53: “He has delivered his soul unto death, and was reputed with the wicked: and he has borne the sins of many,” (Isa 53:12).

BURIAL

   Sixth in the passion of Christ is an earthly burial.  Reason: because from the sin of Adam mankind was not only condemned to death but also to the tomb and dissolution and corruption.  Gen. 3: “for you are dust, and into dust you shall return ” (Gn 3:19).  So Christ wished to be buried but not corrupted, according to that of David: “Nor will then give your holy one to see corruption,” (Ps. 16:10).

   Because it was Passover, the Jews, did not wish his body to remain on the cross on the sabbath. It was a feast, and they have the commandment of God in Lev. 23:6ff.  Therefore lest their feast day be dishonored, and the solemnities begin on the evening of that day–that sabbath was a great feast day—Pilate commanded that their legs be broken so that they might die more quickly.  Because this festival of unleavened bread is entirely joyful, and for these seven days men and women lead processions around the circuit of Jerusalem singing the Canticle of Moses,  “Let us sing to the Lord: for he is gloriously triumphant,” (Ex. 15:1-19),  in remembrance of the time when he freed them from slavery to the Egyptians and to Pharaoh, drowning his army in the Red Sea.  Therefore lest such a solemnity be spoiled by the spectacle of the corpses near the city, they asked that they be taken down.

   “The soldiers therefore came; and they broke the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with him. But after they came to Jesus, when they saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers..,”who according to Isidore was called Longinus, according to the Master of History, and was not able to see whether Jesus was dead, because he had cataracts on his eyes, took his lance and plunged it into the heart of Christ,” and immediately,” miraculously, “there came out blood and water,” (Jn 19:33-34),  and running down the shaft of his spear touched his hand.  Immediately upon contact he received perfect sight, and  having converted to the faith lived for 28 years as a monk. When a persecution of Christians arose, having become a bishop, he was crowned with glorious martyrdom, and so ascended to heaven.  This solder did this with good intentions and out of compassion. And so God interiorly and exteriorly illuminated him, since he was blind.

   This wound, according to Alexander of Hales, was not thrust into Christ in that part in which there might be a bone, namely a rib, but it was below, into the soft flesh and between the ribs and the arms, and so thrusting up it struck the heart. Reason: because Christ was hanging on high and the soldier was standing on the ground.  So if the lance had struck around the ribs, it would have broken a rib because of the size of the lance.  But according to John, who saw it and bore witness to it, and his testimony is true: “For these things were done, that the scripture might be fulfilled: You shall not break a bone of him. Exod 12,” (Jn 19:36),  “And again another scripture says: They shall look on him whom they pierced,” (v.37). 

   Why is it portrayed in that way?  It must be said that pictures are the scriptures of the laity.  Therefore so that more expressly for the laity, the lance pierces the heart of Christ, as a sign, that out of the heart our sins are forgiven to us through his death. These two miracles happened after death, namely the flow of blood and the cure of the blind soldier.  Blood in a dead man coagulates, but not in Christ, so that it might be shown that he had power in his body even without his soul. 

   And there are three opinions about soul, that it would be in the blood, in the head and in the heart.  The first opinion holds that when the blood flows out of the body, the soul is accustomed to flee the body. But the second, because the soul seems to show a greater force of its powers in the head. Others however because they have seen the heart of a man first living and ultimately dying. And so they look effectively in these three places, although Christ did not sense this wound, because he was already dead.  All these things happened at the ninth hour.  Thus the church sings Nones [Divine Office for the afternoon] to give thanks.

   After this had happened, it was already late, i.e. the evening hour. There was a nobleman by the name of Joseph of Arimathea, a city in Judea, who was a captain, and wealthy, a good and just man, from the fact that he was a disciple of the Lord, secretly however because of fear of the Jews.  He had not agreed with the decision and the deeds of others, because he awaited the kingdom of God.  He boldly went in and approached Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, that he might take it.  The evangelists  report all these things to express the goodness and reverence of this Joseph.  Heaven had arranged that he be rich, so that he would be able to pay for the Lord’s tomb. That he be a nobleman and a captain, i.e. in charge of ten soldiers, so he could  approach the procurator.  Just and good, so he would be worthy to receive the body of Christ.  A disciple, but not one of the twelve, since all believers in the early church were called disciples.  Boldly, because he did not fear the Jews.  And they believed that he did this not just because he was a disciple, but out of devotion.

   He asked for the body of Jesus, because it was not permitted to bury the bodies of condemned criminals without the permission of the prefect.  Pilate however wondered if he had already died.  His wonder, according John, proceeded from levity and vanity of heart.  No one else wondered with Pilate why Jesus had died quickly, while the thieves were still alive, because he had endured many cruelties through the whole night and morning, while the thieves were left undisturbed.  And summoning,  i.e. calling, the centurion, he questioned him if he was already dead.  When he had understood from the centurion that he was, he gave the body of Jesus to Joseph. 

   He came and took the body of Jesus.  He came, and also did Nicodemus who first had come to Jesus by night, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.  They received the body of Jesus and wrapped it in clean linens with spices, and they wrapped it in a clean shroud which had been newly purchased, in the manner of Jewish burials. This ointment, by its bitterness, protected the cadaver from worms and corruption, and decay.  From which it is clear, according to Chrysostom, that these two did not yet have full and perfect faith, not understanding that Psalm, “Nor will then give thy holy one to see corruption,” (Ps 15:10).  Hence if the body of Christ had lain in the tomb to the last day, it would not have been burned, or decayed, because it was embalmed with divinity.

   This burial according to Bede and Origen was done in the presence of his mother Mary, who with her arms, sweetly embraced the body of her son, as piously believed, and kissed his wounds with an outcry of inexplicable maternal affection.  Jesus however for the consolation of his mother was so glorified that no wounds or bruise appeared in his body except the five wounds of his hands, feet and side which he kept, not because of his inability to heal them, but so that he might show to the apostles and especially to Thomas, Judas, and to confound wicked Christians in the final judgment in the sight of the Father and for rejoicing the blessed by the vision of his redemption.  These wounds did not dishonor the glorified body, for they shone forth brighter than the sun in the firmament of heaven.  And because the body had been wrapped in linens, so in the church, the custom grew that the altar be covered [consecretur] not with lace or textured gold, but with a clean white linen cloth [sindone].

   Thus although this anointing of Christ was done with honor, and reverence by friends and those who loved him, nevertheless, taken by itself it was exceedingly miserable task, because namely the Lord of such nobility, was handled like a corpse, although Christ because of the divine person’s presence [suppositum] was not a corpse. The crown of glory lies prostrate.  As a sign of this to give thanks the church instituted the saying of Vespers [Evening Prayer].

   “Now there was in the place where he was crucified, a garden; and in the garden a new tomb, wherein no man yet had been laid,” (Jn 19:41), and it was carved out of stone. This monument was Joseph’s. In a garden the Lord was arrested, in a garden he now is buried, to show that in virtue of his passion we are freed from the sin which Adam had committed in the garden of delights. According to the divine plan he was placed in “a new tomb, wherein no man yet had been laid” lest his resurrection would  be ascribed to another who was placed there first. Just as in the virgin’s womb no one was conceived before him, or after him, so according to Augustine, no one before him or after was buried there.  “Therefore, because of the preparation day [parasceve] of the Jews, because the tomb was near at hand, they laid Jesus [Christ],” (Jn 19:42).  Friday had come to an end and Saturday was beginning.  According to Jerome, the Jews begin to count the following day from the preceding evening.  So, because it was late, they could not bury the body farther away, fearing the arrival of the Sabbath.  Not disrespectfully but honorably the Jews bury their dead, because according to the prophecy of Isaiah 11: “And his tomb shall be glorious,” (Isa 11:10). 

[Another lengthy borrowing from St. Thomas’ Summa theologiae]

   So, St. Thomas III, q. 51, a. 1  Whether it was fitting for Christ to be buried.

 
   First, to prove the truth of his death. No one is placed in a tomb unless already the truth of his death is certain. Therefore Pilate before he gave permission that Christ be buried, with a diligent inquiry learned that he was already dead, as is clear from Mark 15.

   Second, because the hope of resurrection is given through him to those who are in the tomb.[Cf Jn5:25ff] 

   Third, as an example of those who through the death of Christ spiritually die to sins, namely who  are hidden from the” turmoil of men.” [Cf Ps 30:21]  Whence it is said in Colossians 3: “For you are dead; and your life is hid with Christ in God,” (Col 3:3).  Hence the baptized who through the death of Christ die to sins, are as if they are buried with Christ through immersion, according to that in Romans 6: “For we are buried together with him by baptism into death;” (Rom 6:4). This Thomas.

   “And Joseph rolled a large stone to the door of the tomb,” and withdrew (Cf. Mk 15:46). And the women, who had come with him from Galilee, followed after, seeing the monument and seeing how and where the body of Jesus was placed. They were sitting opposite the tomb.  In the group were Mary Magdalen and the other Mary, who diligently, and with great affection planned how they could reverently to enter the tomb, once the sabbath was over, to thoroughly anoint the body of Jesus a second time with prepared ointments.  It is manifestly clear that they too were doubting in faith, because they believed that he would not rise.  The Blessed Virgin Mary in whom was true and certain faith, did not come with them for the anointing.  For this reason the church devotes Saturdays throughout the whole year to a special devotion to her.

   On the day after the preparation day, the high priests and the Pharisees met with Pilate saying: “Lord, we have remembered,” (Mt 27:63),  It is noteworthy that the Jews acknowledged Pilate as their lord, reduced to the service of foreigners, even by flattering him so that thy might more easily seek his favor, said, “Lord, …the seducer said,” – amazing, that their envy had not yet ceased.  “Seducer,” rightly they were calling him by that name, according to Jerome, but they did not intend in the correct way. There is an evil seduction, from virtue into error.  They tried to label Christ so, but they lied falsely. There is another meaning, from falsity into truth, from vices into virtues, in this way Christ was the seducer of the faithful.  “After three days I will rise again. Command therefore the tomb to be guarded until the third day: lest perhaps his disciples come and steal him away, and say to the people: He is risen from the dead; and the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said to them: You have a guard; go, guard it as you know.  And they departing, made the tomb sure, sealing the stone, and setting guards,” (Mt 27:64-66).   The guard  by gentile soldiers was not sufficient for them, even though they had affixed the stone over the tomb entrance with their seals and chains.  In memory of this tomb the church instituted Compline [night prayer of the divine Office].

   Since on the cross Christ handed over his spirit to the Father, he soon went to hell, that is to the limbo of the fathers, for their comfort, and for the confusion of the demons.  And on the third day he rose from the tomb.  The Jews gave the soldiers a considerable sum of money so they would testify that he was stolen by his disciples. (Cf. Mt 28:12-13)  But after they had taken the money, they still told what had happened.  Soldiers are not able to remain silent. For they confessed that they had seen a choir of angels, and that they had accepted money from the Jews. Vincent [of Beauvais] in his Speculum tells that Joseph of Arimathea that very evening when he buried the Lord, was jailed by the Jews, but the Lord freed him. 

   From these words it is clear the reason, the manner and the order of the whole series of events of the Lord’s passion according to the intention of the evangelists, in order and according to the letter, which I have followed entirely, and I have described them according to the sequence of true facts. May Jesus grant us that through our grieving at his passion we might arrive at the glory and joy of the blessed resurrection.  Amen.

Sermon for Holy Saturday

  A second image is more beautiful and clear, of a piece of crystal to the ray of sun which completely is filled with light and the brightness of the sun. For which reason if it is divided into two parts, the whole clarity of the sun remains with each divided part.  So too with the humility of Christ, purer than crystal, illumined by the light and brightness of divinity, which broken in death, the whole divinity remains inseparably with each divided part, hidden, namely with the body in the grave, and with the soul in limbo or in hell. “His brightness shall be as the light; horns are in his hands: There is his strength hid: Death shall go before his face.,” (Hab 3:4f).  In which is found three times of Christ, namely the time of his preaching, where ” His brightness shall be as the light,”. Second is the time of his bitter passion, ” horns are in his hands,” namely of the nails in his hands. And [third] the time of his death, where,” There is his strength hid,” namely his divinity, which was hidden with his body in the tomb and with his soul in limbo.  Note, ” Death shall go before his face ”  Before the passion of Christ death itself followed from the persecution of the Jews, not that death would have something in Christ, and Christ was followed until it caught him.  But after his resurrection death went before him.  So he says “Death shall go before his face,”  Of this hiding Isaiah also speaks: “Verily thou art a hidden God, the God of Israel the savior.,” (Isa 45:15). Of this hiding speaks the theme,  ” your life,” that is divinity is hidden with Christ. 

Easter Sermon

   The second supplication was of the holy prophets, namely, Moses, Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, others saying Psalm 67:2  “Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered,” namely, demons and the soldiers who watch over his tomb, “and let them that hate him flee from before his face,” like the Jews, who flee the face of Christ even today.

   The sixth was of the saints of the New Testament: John Baptist, the Holy Innocents, Joseph, and the good thief saying, “Arise, O God, judge your own cause: remember your reproaches with which the foolish man has reproached you all the day.” Ps. 73:22.  Note Eve spoke “judge my cause,” and John and others say “your cause”:  Each speak the truth in different ways, because as I say, John and the saints of the New Testament say:  “Arise O God,” and “judge,” etc.  For the Jews when they heard it said that Christ shall rise on the third day, laughed, and ridiculing said: “He cannot come down from the cross and escape the tomb,” and they placed guards, lest the disciples steal his body;  and they were hurling many insults at Christ, on this account they say, “Arise O God, judge your cause” and the Jews were silent who believed he did not have the power of rising. And why Eve said “my case,” is already is explained in the fifth petition.

   Then reading Psalm 56:9 where it says and David speaks in the person of a father to son saying,  “Arise, O my glory, arise psaltery and harp,” Response of the son to the father: “I will arise at dawn.”  Note that the father calls his son three times. Namely, his glory, psaltery and harp on account of three [things] which Christ had in his life. First God the Father calls Christ his “glory” and this because Christ in this life, in all that he said and did procured the honor of the Father. Second he calls him “psaltery.”  A psaltery or lyre has ten strings and it is an instrument for a small room and doesn’t make much sound and stands for the  law of Moses, which like a small instrument was given only to the Jewish people, which consisted in the ten commandments, like ten strings.  To this Christ was extremely obedient. So he said, ” I am not come to destroy [the law], but to fulfill it,” (Mt 5:17).  From such obedience he is called by the father a “psaltery.”  Third he is called a “harp.”  The harp signifies the law of the Gospel.  Why? Because it has a louder sound and is easier to hear. Such was the gospel law, which was heard through the whole world. “Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth,” etc., (Ps 18:5, Cf  Rm 10:18).  The son responds to the father, “I will arise at dawn.”  Imagine, when the virgin Mary knew the time of resurrection, how she arose from prayer, to see if it was dawn, and saw that it was not.

Sermon 2 on Easter

FREED 

   Second, we should rejoice and praise him, because he has liberated us from the captivity of hell.  For a captive rejoices much at his liberation and we should rejoice over our liberation from hell.  For the jail of hell is fire, and eternal fire, and the punishment is inflicted there without measure by the devil, and his minions living there. This hell God destroyed when he descended into hell. Ps 106, “Because he has broken the gates of brass, and burst the iron bars,” (Ps 106:16).  The gates of brass of hell are the desires [cupiditates] and vicious habits of men, which do not allow those imprisoned to escape.  Christ shatters the iron bars with his power.  We have a figure of this from Judges 16, about Samson, who “…went also into Gaza, and saw there a woman a harlot, and went in unto her.  And when the Philistines had heard this,” they placed guards there, “and watching there all the night in silence, that in the morning they might kill him as he went out.  But Samson slept till midnight, and then rising he took both the doors of the gate, with the posts thereof, and the bolt, and laying them on his shoulders, carried them up to the top of the hill, ” (Judg 16:2-3).  Where Gregory in the Gloss asks “What is signified in this deed. Samson signifies the redeemer; what is Gaza but hell?  what the Philistines but the faithless Jews? who when they say Christ dead and his body laid in the tomb, posted a guard there, and they rejoiced that they had captured the author of life. But Christ straightaway [recte] destroyed the enclosure of hell, just as Samson the gates in Gaza. And Samson in the middle of the night broke out alone, but he also carried away its gates, because our redeemer rising before daylight, not only exited from hell a free man, but also destroyed the enclosure of hell.   He took the gates and raised them to the top of a mountain, because by rising he broke the enclosure of hell and by ascending penetrated to the kingdom of heaven.  Not only did Christ destroy hell, but also he diminished the power of the devil. For from the beginning of the world before the passion of Christ the devil freely went about the earth, that he might seduce all peoples, and so Christ therefore bound him.  Apoc. 20: “And [the angel] laid hold of the dragon the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.  And he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should no more seduce the nations, till the thousand years be finished,” (Rev 20:2-3).  The Interlinear Gloss has “Angel,” Christ, apprehended the “dragon” for the violence of his harming, the “serpent” for deceptions, “old,” because from the beginning of the world he has done harm, who is the “devil” coming down, and “Satan,” that is, the adversary, and “bound  him,” that is  deprived [him] of his prior power, and “cast into the abyss, and shut him up and marked with a sign,” that is he put on him the sign of the holy cross, so that “he would not seduce more people,” until the thousand years be accomplished,” that is until Antichrist comes. 

ASSURED: APPEARANCES

   Third we should rejoice and give him praise, because through his resurrection he gave us the certitude of knowledge. For he rejoiced much who saw the one desired for a long time.  First he cannot appear or be seen clearly. Reason is because in a book with tiny letters [subtilis litterae]. the careful eye cannot read well, and so there is laid over itself with a crass body and obscure, but when a clear and lucid body is placed over it, it is read better, because indeed it appears larger, just as when  a crystal or magnifying glass is held over it.  The Son of God is a book containing in himself what is necessary for the salvation of mankind.  He also is the book of life, and the testament of the most high, and the acknowledgement of truth.  But this subtle book is his divinity; so that no created intellect can read there in the present life. Ex 33: “for man shall not see me and live,” (Ex 33:20).  After the incarnation this book was bound with coarse and rough hide, namely a mortal body.  Therefore the divinity cannot be read nor be seen hiding under such a body.  Therefore the Jews were wishing to stone him saying: “For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy,”  ( Jn 10:33).

   These three women show a great devotion in three ways.  First, they wished to anoint Christ, where it is said that they “bought sweet spices,” (Mk 16:1), that is aromatic oils, so that coming [to the tomb] they might anoint Jesus. Out of great devotion they wished to anoint  the body of Christ.  It was the custom of the Jews to anoint the bodies of the dead, that they might be preserved from decay and from putrefaction, and from worms.  But these women were deceived, because the body of Christ had been embalmed [balsamatum] by his divinity, and so if it had laid in the ground for a million years, it would never have putrefied, or decayed, nor would it have generated maggots. Psalm: “nor will then give your holy one to see corruption,” (Ps 15:10). So in this they show very well their love for the dead Christ, a love which they had for the living Christ. 

    Where it says, “the first day of the week, [una sabbatorum],” it is to be understood the first day of the Sabbath, which is now called Sunday. The Jews name days one way, the Romans another and the church still another. The Jews name them from the Sabbath, saying first of the Sabbath, second of the Sabbath etc, and this out of reverence for the Sabbath, in which God rested from his work, and which he then sanctified.  The Romans name the days from the planets and especially from that which rules the first hour, because the sun dominates the first hour of Sunday, it is called the Day of the Sun, and so of the others.  The church names days from “ferias” saying Feria Prima, Feria Secunda, Feria Tertia, etc., and so for the rest.  Feria is the same as rest [cessatio]. Hence the ancients called a solemn day a ferial, because they rested from servile work.  Or it is called feria for offering sacrifices, because in the festive days they offered sacrifices.  But on the other hand the Church now calls every day a ferial, because for all time there is a cessation from sacrificial victims.  The ceremonial precepts of the old law were in force up to the passion of Christ, but from then on, they are dead, and after the spread of the Gospel, they are deadly, as St. Thomas says I-II, q .103, a. 3, and II-II, q. 87, a. 1 and q. 93, a. 1 and in IV Sent., dist 1 & 2.

   These are the four endowments or nobilities which our bodies receive from God, through the mediation of the soul in glory.  And in order that he might convince us, he wishes in the present to show them in his body for a time, while he was still in the world.  For he had subtlety, when he emerged from the closed womb of the virgin.  Agility, when he walked over the waves of the sea. Mt 14 and Jn 6.  Clarity, when on Mount Thabor he was transfigured, and showed the glory of clarity to his disciples. Mt 17.  Impassibility, when  he escaped from the hands of the Jews who wished to cast him down or to stone him. Lk 4 and Jn 8.  If therefore in the resurrection we desire to be renewed by these ennoblements of the body, which the Lord showed in his body before the resurrection, and after the resurrection had permanently, it is necessary that we should so walk in newness of life.

Sermon 1 for Whitsunday, the Octave of Easter

   At this apparition of Christ, Thomas was not with the other disciples.  They said to Thomas, “We have seen the Lord,” (v.25)  He replied, saying, “Unless I shall see in his hands,” etc.  As if he were saying, “He has now risen?  I certainly do not believe.  Because when he hung on the cross still alive and the Jews were saying to him, ‘If  he is the king of Israel,’ etc., they were offering  him their conversion, he was not able to descend from the cross.  How therefore now dead could he come out of the sealed and guarded tomb?  I say to you that unless I shall see,” etc.  See how filled with doubt and unbelief Thomas was, so that if he had died in such unbelief, he would have been eternally damned.

   How is the devil expelled?  I reply, through baptism.  Therefore when the creature ought to be baptized, the priest does not permit him to enter the church until he is conjured or exorcized saying,  “I exorcize you, etc. Go out accursed devil.”  From this the conclusion is inferred, that all Jews and infidels belong to the devil [sunt daemoniaci], because they are not exorcized. Therefore in baptism he is expelled, so when driven out and the room cleaned, Christ comes through grace.  Behold the first coming of Christ in the creature.  Authority. “This is he that came by water and blood, Jesus Christ: not by water only, but by water and blood. ” (1 Jn 5:6).  Note: “by water and blood,”  If it is said, “I was often at baptisms and I saw no blood there, ”  I reply: that by virtue of the blood of Christ baptism has its power and efficacy. Augustine. “Such is the power of that water, that it touches the body, and the soul is washed,”  which is to say by the blood of Christ.

Sermon on the Good Shepherd

Second, Christ for keeping his sheep, provides dogs who hunt down the wolves of hell. The dogs are all who have the office of preaching. Demons are more afraid of and are are more terrified by the clamor and barking of preaching, than wolves are of the barking of dogs. It is a greater dignity to be such a minister and watchdog � because it is the apostolic office on behalf of the flock of Christ �� than to be a patriarch or prophet. Authority: Job in the person of Christ crucified, said, “But now the younger in time scorn me, whose fathers I would not have set with the dogs of my flock,” (Job 30:1).� Note, “But now,” namely in the midst of the passion, “the younger in time scorn me,” namely the� Jews who were then were, “whose fathers,” the patriarchs and prophets, “I would not have set with the dogs of my flock,” namely with the apostles, because the apostles were of greater dignity, and the apostolic men, than the patriarchs and the prophets.� Note therefore how great is the office of preaching, and with how much vigilance is it to be exercised by manly barking [viriliter latrando].� So David, in Ps 67:23-24, “The Lord said: I will turn them from Basan, I will turn them into the depth of the sea: That your foot may be dipped in the blood of your enemies; the tongue of your dogs be red with the same.”�� Note, “The Lord said: I will turn them,” namely, sinners, “from Basan,” i.e. from confusion.� “I will turn them into the depth of the sea,” i.e. by bitter contrition. And how does this happen?� David replies, “That your foot,” the body, “may be dipped in the blood,” of the passion, “and the tongue of your dogs,” of the preachers preaching of the passion of Christ, “of your enemies,” supply the sheep are freed by him, namely by Christ, and not by virtue of the preaching.

Sermon on the Ascension

 Finally he left the desert and began publicly to preach to the whole people. So he said before Annas, “I have spoken openly to the world: I have always taught in the Synagogue, and in the temple, whither all the Jews resort; and in secret I have spoken nothing,” (Jn 18:20).

Sermon on Pentecost 1

Another said on Saturday he shall come, because on that day we were dispersed, so that no one stayed with another. Thus today, so that we might be united together. Seeing however that Saturday passed and he had not come, and now that their calculations of the days had failed and since they were afraid of the Jews, the text says, “The disciples were gathered together, for fear of the Jews,” (Jn 20:19), think how with good reason they were sad and desolate.

When finally the Virgin Mary came out of her room and saw all the apostles and disciples weeping she said to them, “What is this my sons? Why are you weeping?  Because my Son now reigns in heaven.”  And they said to her, “Our Blessed Mother, your Son promised to send the Holy Spirit to us, saying, ‘I will not leave you orphans among the Jews’ but now ten days have passed since he ascended and he has not yet sent us the Holy Spirit.” The Virgin Mary replied, “Don’t you doubt my children, because my Son does not have the limiting condition of ordinary men, who in poverty recognize their friends, and when they are prosperous and honored, they no longer care or even remember them. But I shall give you the reason why he has not yet sent the Spirit. Are you unaware that when God delivered the people of Israel from captivity in Egypt, he descended on the fiftieth day in the form of fire on Mount Sinai to give the law?” And the apostles said, “Blessed Virgin, we know this well.” And the Virgin replied, “This was a figure, that my Son on the day of his resurrection delivered from the captivity of hell all those believing in him and obedient to him. Today is the fiftieth day from the resurrection of my Son. So he will send the Holy Spirit now. So turn yourselves, all, to devout prayer, because that which has been ordained by God, is accomplished by prayers and devout orations.”

Sermon for Trinity Sunday (1)

The second case or condition is when the lesson of the master is contrary to general or usual experience, that is, when it exceeds all custom and vision.  This case St. John states in chapter 6, where Christ teaching his disciples, among other things, said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is my flesh,” (Jn 6:51-52).  Behold, the teaching of Christ.  This teaching exceeds all ordinary experience, that a man would give his flesh to others to eat and nourish them. This is never seen, or approved, or heard of.  Therefore those unwilling to accept this teaching argued among themselves, and forming a question asked: “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (v. 53). And then the master explained to them how he was the Son of God, true God and man, and how the bread would be converted into his flesh, and the wine into his blood, under the appearance of wine, and how this food indeed confers eternal life to those using it.  A similar opinion in  John, ch. 7, explains that when Jesus himself was teaching in the temple, the Jews knowing that he never had been a master nor had he studied, and he was teaching the wonders of sacred scripture, seeing this to be against the general custom of men and experience, they asked in amazement and said, “How does this man know scripture, having never learned?” (Jn 7:15).  Jesus, however, solving this question for them, said, “My doctrine is not mine, but of him that sent me. If any man do the will of him; he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. He who speaks of himself, seeks his own glory,” (Jn 7:16-18).

   The third case  is when the lesson of the teacher is contrary to the commandment or counsel of sacred scripture, and this is when it goes beyond divine revelation.  This case St. John explains in ch. 7, where he says that our teacher Jesus Christ, speaking and teaching to the Jews, among other things, said to them that he, the Son of Man, was the true Messiah, and he had to be raised up and hung on a cross.  See the teaching of Christ. This reading seemed to the Jews to contradict and exceed divine revelation and sacred scripture.  Since indeed sacred scripture says the Christ or Messiah or the Son of Man would never die, and Christ said and taught that he would die on the cross, he seemed to teach contrary to sacred scripture.  And so the Jews  not daring to seize him asked the question: “We have heard out of the law, that the Christ abides for ever; and how do you say: The Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” (Jn 12:34).  And then Christ explained to them how he was able to die according to his humanity, but he would live in eternity according to his divinity.  So, the third case.

Sermon on the Trinity (2)

John 3   Douay trans.

1 And there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night, and said to him: Rabbi, we know that thou art come a teacher from God; for no man can do these signs which thou dost, unless God be with him. 3 Jesus answered, and said to him: Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Sermon 2 on Corpus Christi

SIGHT

     First, the passion of Christ is represented to the sight, because the Lord wished that crosses be erected not only in churches or religious places, but in Christian lands also outdoors along the roads.  Reason.  That when you pass by on the road and you see the cross, you remember the passion of Christ, saying, “O Lord for love of me you were willing to suffer on the cross.”  Do not think that the crosses are in church or on the road so that you would adore the wood or stone, gold or silver, as the Jews thoughtlessly allege, but so that we may adore Christ crucified whom they commemorate.

   For us it is like this story.  If a father or brother of someone was impaled on a pitchfork, and then buried.  When the brother or son of the one hung up walked by that pitchfork and saw it, he would be completely upset and disturbed in himself, thinking that on this pitchfork my father or brother was impaled.  So for us when we see the cross, we should immediately think, that on such a cross the Redeemer, my father and brother, was hung, and we should adore, saying, “We adore you, O Christ, etc.”  

   Isaiah the prophet, five hundred years before Christ, was saying, “All you inhabitants of the world, who dwell on the earth, when the sign shall be lifted up on the mountains, you shall see, and you shall hear the sound of the trumpet,” (Isa 18:3).  Note “when the sign shall be lifted up,” he does not say “which sign.” Therefore when he says simply,  “sign,” par excellence, it is understood of the sign of the cross, just as when we refer to the “Philosopher” absolutely, we understand it to be Aristotle; when we say “Apostle,” Paul is understood par excellence.  The same in the matter of the sign of the cross. Note “the sound of the trumpet” because when a Christian sees the cross, immediately in his heart these three should sound, “Jesus of Nazareth, Son of the living God, have mercy on me a sinner, etc.”  Behold the sign for the eyes for seeing, and for remembering the passion of Christ,  

   Note that for 1,500 years before the passion of Jesus Christ the Jews already were adoring the cross, as is found in Numbers 21.  Note the story of the serpents, from the fact that the Jews were murmuring against Moses and Aaron. And God sent serpents, etc. Moses prayed to God for the people  “And the Lord said to him: Make brazen serpent, and set it up for a sign: whosoever being struck shall look on it, shall live,” said the king that, “Moses therefore made a brazen serpent, and set it up for a sign: which when they that were bitten looked upon it, they were healed.” (Num 21:8-9).  Behold the first sign.  Therefore “Do this,” namely, erecting a cross, “in commemoration of me,” (1 Cor 11:24)

   But some touch Christ in other ways, namely with the sword of the tongue by attacking, by cutting, swearing and denying, blaspheming.  These are worse than the Jews who did not break a bone.  Such touch is not penitential but criminal.  Rulers, be warned, that this vice be corrected.  Otherwise behold what God says to rulers, “They that rule over them treat them unjustly, says  the Lord, and my name is continually blasphemed all the day long,” (Isa 52:5).  Therefore don’t be surprised if you have troubles.

Sermon on the Call of Matthew

FRUITFUL INVITATION

   As for the second, namely the fruitful invitation.  It is said  how after he restored all, he remained at home and with some money from a just man, he wished to host a great dinner for Christ, so that he might do as religious do when they enter an order, etc.  Of this banquet we read in Luke 5, “And Levi made him a great feast in his own house,” (Lk 5:29).  St. Matthew’s name was Levi.  The details of this banquet is told in the text of Luke 5, “And there was a great company of publicans, and of others, that were at table with them,” (v. 29).  The intention of St. Matthew was that these also be converted.  This reason St. Jerome states.  St. Matthew was thinking, “If he converted me who was so wrapped up in business, he can also convert these.”  It is told how it was arranged by Christ that the gates would be open and the apostles would sit near the doors, and Christ amidst the publicans said the verse, “The eyes of all, ” (Cf Ps 144:15, the friars’ prayer before meals), and he sat himself down at the table with them.  Then was fulfilled the prophecy, Can. 2:3: “As the malus,” that is the apple, “is among the trees of the woods,” namely without fruit, “so my beloved among the sons.”  And during the pause between courses [inter cibum et cibum], as happens in great feasts, Christ in the manner of a lecture was saying, “Now hear this, we ought to praise God very much, who has made so much for the service of mankind, namely all animals and all fruit.”  And those sinners listened carefully, and although at first they laughed, they began to weep etc.  And after they had eaten the cooked food  Christ said, “Now think if this corruptible food gives such a taste etc., what ought it be from the incorruptible food of heaven, because when the king give to his servants such savory food, what are those foods which he keeps for himself?”  So from these publicans many were converted to God and wept.  Also after they ate, cooked in water [? coctum in aqua], so much so that it is believed that all of those were converted. Such was the power of the words of Christ.  And when they were almost at the end of dinner, the Pharisees looking in, because the doors were opened, said to his disciples, because they were eating near the door, ” Why [does your master] eat and drink with publicans and sinners?” (Lk 5:30). As if they were saying. “It is clear what he is like. Tell me with whom you go with, and I will tell you what you do.” Hearing this Christ called them to him. And they, puffed up, were before him saying, “What do you want?”  Christ said, “You say to me when in a certain city there are many sick, who needs a doctor, the healthy or the sick?” And they, understanding, preferred not to respond.   And Christ, “Do you not wish to answer?  I say to you, the healthy do not need a doctor, but those who are ill.” (Cf. Lk 5:31).  This one was sick with pride, and now is cured, and that one with avarice, and so of the others.  Therefore Augustine says, “The great doctor from heaven comes to us, because great is the one lying sick through the whole world.  Then he says, ” I came not to call the just, but sinners,” (v. 32).  And the Jews, in confusion, withdrew.  Clear then is the fruitful invitation, for because of the fact that he was converted, he worked to convert others.

   If you wish to learn morally through a question, what was the reason why St. Matthew alone converted that nation, namely all of Ethiopia, and Egypt, and since now there are so many preachers, what is the reason why we are not converting the Jews of today, etc.  It is said that the apostles lived a holy life and preserved good teaching, and they wanted nothing more than the honor of God and the salvation of souls.  So the Apostle said, “But having food, and wherewith to be covered, with these we are content,” (1 Tim 6:8).  In these times we are deficient in our lives, because we men do not wish to hear daily the miracles of the saints, etc., and neither do we [preach] good teachings, just that of the poets etc.  Nor do we care for the salvation of souls, but only for  things and friends, etc.  The same for clergy selling sacraments.  Not only are the infidels not converted, but even the faithful are scandalized [pervertentur] and lose their faith.  Therefore the Apostle, “For all seek the things that are their own; not the things that are Jesus Christ’s,” (Phil 2:21).

Sermon on Matthew

   See here the virtuous kindliness of Christ, because since this woman ought to be punished because she approached against the law, cf Leviticus 15, Christ not only did not punish her but even consoled her. And in this part should be planted aromatic herbs, namely political ethics, which are for the good rule of the community.  And for this two points must be made.  First, who is this woman who has etc.?  This woman is the community, which abounds in notorious sins.  Notable and notorious sins are called bloody in sacred scripture.  Authority:  David, who sinned gravely by lust and homicide, because there are consequences, and he believed etc. Therefore it was said to him: “Come out, come out, you man of blood, and you man of Belial,” (2 Kg 16:7), and he asked pardon of God saying, “Deliver me from blood,” Ps 50:16.  How is this corruption of the community cured?   I say by touching the cloak of Christ, which is sacred scripture.  Reason, because just as by clothes a person is covered, so by sacred scriptures Christ.  Therefore the Jews alone saw the clothing.  Of this garment Isa. “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, and my soul shall be joyful in my God: for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation: and with the robe of justice he has covered me,” (Isa 61:10).   Note when it is said in the plural, “with the garments,” because sacred scripture is not contained in one book, but in many.  Second he says “with the robe of justice,” because all sacred scripture is one, by which  Christ is clothed.  If therefore the community here suffers from a flow of blood, and already stinks of ill fame, and is slipping gradually and goes to destruction, the remedy is to touch the hem of Christ, namely sacred scripture, by doing those things which it says against the six deadly sins, and so it will be cured.  The first sin is diabolical superstition.  Second, blasphemy of divine things.  Third the neglect of holy days.  Fourth, gambling.  Fifth, hidden orgies [lupanaria secreta].  Sixth criminal gangs.  The community is not imperiled from secret sins.

Sermon on the Feast of SS. Peter & Paul

   And the theme is taken up again.  The text for the theme and the basis of our sermon requires some literal explanation.  For which it must be known that Peter, before he was the disciple of Christ, the apostle and universal Pope, was called Simon, but after he was a disciple of Christ, and an apostle, Christ constituted him as Pope and his universal vicar and gave him the name Peter.  Just as happens even now, when the Pope is elected, his name is changed, as if he is changed into another person, and new creature, so Christ did, Matt 3, and he imposed upon Simon the name Peter.  Peter’s father was called John and sometimes in a gross manner he is called Joanna, and sometimes diminutively Joannet, sometimes he is commonly called Jona.  Just as we commonly make in our language about some proper name, so the Jews were calling the father of Peter. And so Christ also named him.  Sometimes, commonly, he is called Joannes, as where, “Simon of John [Simon Joannis],” i.e. son of John, “do you love me?” (Jn 21:15,16,17).  Sometimes in an expanded way, “Thou art Simon, the son of Jona,” (Simon, filius Jona, Jn 1:42). Sometimes in a shortened way, as where, “Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona,” son of Jona, that is Joannet (Mt 16:17).  The theme is clear then, according to the literal exposition, and I am in the matter to be preached in the theme.  Peter is called with two names and two names are used, namely Simon, and Bar-Jona, and each name has two interpretations, in which four virtues are shown in Peter, because of which he is blessed in heaven, namely

            Prompt obedience

            Harsh penitence

            Right intention

            And hard passion.

PROMPT OBEDIENCE

   See the prompt obedience of Peter.  It is said here against the defect of this world.  For all are called by Christ, namely Christians, Jews, Muslims, and we refuse to go.  He calls us by enlightening our hearts, giving recognition of sins, and immediately we ought to follow him, but it happens to us as it did to Samuel, who was called by God and he went to Eli.  Note the story 1 Kg 3:4-5.  Not so Job did, he said,  “You shall call me, and I will answer you,” (Job 14:15).  Against such Christ said, “I called, and you refused: I stretched out my hand, and there was none that regarded,” (Prov 1:24).

Sermon on St. James, Apostle

Second, his father is to be left behind, namely he about whom Jesus Christ said to the Jews, “You are of your father the devil,” (Jn 8:44). They say how he begat sons of a wicked wife, whom he had taken from the beginning, namely of disobedience.  They say how he was created in great dignity. and he was holier at that time than Michael.  But because he was disobedient, wishing equality with God, then he took that wife, and from that same aforesaid wife begat a thousand thousands of children, demons obeying him and consenting in sin.  Finally from the same wife he generated Adam and Eve, and today daily he begets, when he tempts men that they act against the commandments of God.  When you perceive such things, immediately go after Christ, and you shall be able to say with David,”My father and my mother have left me: but the Lord has taken me up,” (Ps 26:10).

Second he returned to Jerusalem, there he found the other disciples and apostles gathered, and he began to dispute there against the Jews and the priest of Hermes.  They rose up against him by saying, “We will dispute with him.  He never studied or wished to preach.  It is said how St. James was preaching about the Trinity, how he was one God in essence and triune in persons. etc. , proving this by reasons and authorities and miracles. But the Jews and teachers were spoke out against him, deriding him: “It seems, indeed, that you are a fisherman, and never knew the scriptures, ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord,’ (Dt 6:4).” It is told how he replied to them, offering an analogy from the one sun, where there is the Father generating, namely the substance, and the Son namely the ray generated, and the Holy Spirit, namely the heat.  Again in the aforesaid citation there are found three words, namely Lord, which is the name of power, which is attributed to the Father, God, the name of wisdom, which is appropriated to the Son, and  Our, the name of goodness, which is attributed to the Holy Spirit. 

Second he preached that Christ is God and man, and the Jews contra, because it is against the  scripture, “O Israel, if you wilt hearken to me,  there shall be no new god in you: neither shall you adore a strange god,” (Ps 80:9-10).  I reply that although Christ began to be man recently, he however did not begin to be God recently.  It is said to be like the son of a king or emperor now ten years of age, when he becomes a soldier he nevertheless does not become anew the son of the king etc.

Third when he preached about the passion of Christ, then the Jews opposed:  “Why this? Since Moses said, ‘The Lord is as a man of war, Almighty is his name,’ (Ex 15:3).  And besides, if he had been omnipotent, why is it necessary that he suffer and die?  Could he not remit all by saying: ‘Let us henceforth be friends.’?”  I reply that mercy and justice are in God essentially, but in us, accidentally.  And therefore just as God cannot dismiss his essence, so neither his mercy and justice.  If he had forgiven all, where was his justice?  If all were damned by the rigor of his justice, where would have been his mercy?   So he wished to find a way, that he might show simultaneously both his infinite mercy and his justice.  The mercy was shown because he, innocent and without fault, willed to suffer.  Justice however, by paying a most sufficient price etc., “Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows,” (Is 53:4).

Fourth when he was preaching about the sacrament of the altar, etc. And the Jews opposed: “You say that the gentiles might come to your sacrifice, and you make them adore bread and wine, when nevertheless scripture says, “You shall love the Lord thy God with your whole heart, and with your whole soul, and with your whole strength,” (Dt 6:5).  I reply that from the beginning of the world up to the end, God wished to be adored in a corporeal form, since God in his substance cannot be seen, as in the time of Moses in the ark [of the covenant], and in the cloud, etc., and now in this image.  Bread gives life.  And about the use of bread David said, “Exalt you the Lord our God,” this is said to clergy, “and adore his footstool,” (Ps 98:5), i.e. the consecrated host, this is said for all the people.  So the Jews were not able to contradict him, moreover St. James triumphed over all, and the prophecy of Christ was fulfilled, “For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist and gainsay,” (Lk 21:15).

CELESTIAL DWELLER

     Third I say that he grew as a celestial dweller, which is shown when it is said, “He grows up into a holy temple in the Lord,” (Eph 2:1).  “Who is like to you, O people, who are saved by the Lord?” (Dt 33:29). This is especially said of the apostles.  Just as St. James was the first apostle to exercise the evangelical mission, so he was the first of the apostles who entered paradise.  And here it can happen such a consequence, because just as he is called James the Greater, although the other was older by some days, so also he entered paradise first and can be said to be greater than the other apostles.  It is called his martyrdom.  The Jews seeing that they could not overcome him with arguments, resorted again to king Herod, who desiring to please the Jews, issued a sentence of beheading against St. James.  It is told that as he was led to martyrdom, he cured a man suffering from dropsy.

On the Assumption of the BVM   Sermon I

THIRD ACTIVE WORK – SOLLICITOUS

    The third work of the active life of Blessed Martha is shown when it is said, “, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.  Literal meaning. Blessed Martha was very solicitous of the service of Christ, it seemed to her that all from the house was had not been sufficient, so she ordered about her servants, relatives and friends.  Allegorically this is properly appropriate to the virgin Mary because just as the first work of Martha for the Virgin Mary for procreation, and the second for conservation, so this third in the passion of Christ, in which Martha, i.e. the lady was solicitous.  O who can express [Mary’s] anxiety and turmoil which she had in the passion of her son. 

1) First the Virgin Mary was solicitous of the salvation of the human race, but because she know no other future way but through the ignominious death of her son,  she was devastated by maternal compassion, and was between two millstones, when she thought that no one could be freed from the bond of sins nor from the chains of the devil unless her son was bound by the Jews. etc.  Behold her emotional turmoil. 

2)  Also she knew that no man could escape that hard sentence of eternal damnation which shall be given in the [last] judgment — “Depart from me, you cursed,” Mt. 21:41– unless her son had tasted death. So she was disturbed.

3)  She was also solicitous lest anyone be speared on the fork of hell, but because it could not happen unless first her sun was suspended on the fork of a tree, etc.  So she was disturbed.  

4) She was solicitous  because no one could be released from the company of the devil, but this could not happen unless first her son was associated with robbers.  And so her turmoil.  

5) And she was solicitous that men, exiled from heavenly paradise could enter there –see her disturbed spirit — because it could not happen unless her son would be raised up from Jerusalem. 

6) Also she was solicitous that men would have the crown of glory, — behold her turmoil — because her son first had to be crowned with thorns. 

7) Finally,  she was solicitous, because men could not have eternal life, — behold her turmoil — in order for them to have it, her son had to die.

It is clear why it is said “Martha Martha, i.e. lady, lady, you are solicitous…etc.

THIRD CONTEMPLATIVE WORK – DESIRING UNION

   The third work of the contemplative life of Blessed Magdalen is that which the theme says, “Mary hath chosen the best part.” Behold here is today’s story. It is said that when after 12 years passed and  — according to others 24 — the virgin once was praying, saying “O son for how many years have I been among the Jews, and the apostles are dispersed throughout the world, and so [now] may you receive me with you.” She was weeping.  Christ here gives an example in his mother of desiring paradise, because he wished that paradise be ardently desired.

Sermon on Perseverance

   “He who shall persevere.” etc.  Authority: St. Gregory, an excellent doctor of the holy church wishing to declare the virtue and perfection of good works, briefly said so in his Easter homily, “The virtue of good works is perseverance.”  The reason is: Geometers say that the spherical figure is not perfect until the circle is completed to the point from which it began, or until the end is joined to the beginning.  Give an example at hand in the manner from [compassu]   So Christ is the beginning and the end of all things.  Whence he says  Rev 1, “I am Alpha and Omega,” – The first letter of the Greek alphabet is alpha and the last , omega.  In the alphabet of the Jews the first letter is aleph, the last thau.—  He wishes to say ,”I am Alpha and Omega,” that is I am the beginning and the end of all good.  If therefore Christ is the beginning of a good life, therefore it should also end in him, because “All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made,” Jn 1:3,  otherwise it would be a minor thing to begin a good life unless it is  continued. Therefore Gregory says  “The virtue of a good life is perseverance.”  Therefore the theme says, “He who shall persevere,” namely from day to day, from week to week, from month to month, from year to year, “unto the end,” that is Christ, “he shall be saved,” (Mt. 10:22).  See the declared theme.  Now, good people, out of love for you I have sought out in sacred scriptures how many ways, in general, in which we ought to persevere unto the end, and I have found in three:

            First, by doing good diligently,

            Second, by bearing evils patiently,

            Third, by praying to God reverently

Therefore whoever shall persevere unto the end in these three, will be saved. The rest we shall see one at a time.

Sermon on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross

   About this David in the person of Christ says, “My enemies are grown strong who have wrongfully persecuted me: then did I pay that which I took not away.” (Ps  68:5). Note, here two things are touched upon in this verse of David, namely the evil intention of the Jewish enemies of Christ who were not intending satisfaction, but the persecution of Christ.  Therefore he said,  “My enemies are grown strong who have wrongfully persecuted me.”  Second, the intention of Christ is touched upon.  So he says, “then did I pay, etc.”

  First I say, etc. and this immediately when he was born, from Herod the king, who when he heard of the signs and miracles surrounding the birth of Christ: of the angels singing, “Glory to God in the highest,” of the brightness of the night, the visit of the shepherds, the adoration of the animals, the star and the arrival of the three kings, etc., and the prophecy of Anna and holy Simeon that he was the true Messiah, Herod thought to kill him, lest he lose his kingdom, for he was a foreigner and he was afraid that one day the Jews would rise up against him..  On this account he sent armed men into the town of Bethlehem to kill all the children, because he did not know who this Jesus was.  But Christ willed to flee into Egypt.

   Third, I say that he was in danger of death by stoning, as is clear in John 8, when Christ was preaching to the Jews and declared to them his divinity saying, “Amen, amen I say to you: If any man keep my word, he shall not see death for ever. (v. 51) Abraham, …and the prophets are dead. Whom do you make thyself?” (v. 53)   Christ was speaking of the death of hell and the Jews were thinking of bodily death.  And Christ speaking more clearly of divinity said, “Amen, amen I say to you, before Abraham was made, I am, ” (v.58)  “I am” is the name of the divinity. “I AM WHO AM,” (Ex 3:14).  The Jews hearing that he said that he was God, wished to stone him.  The text says that Christ hid himself, that is, he made himself to be invisible to them, and they searched for him asking “Where is he?”  But the Virgin Mary and the Apostles, seeing him followed. 

  Fifth I say that he was in danger of death by crucifixion.  This is the death he chose.  So the Jews said in counsel, “This man Jesus cannot die by the sword, nor by being thrown down, nor etc.  Therefore we shall see whether we can kill him on a cross.”  And when Christ was in Galilee, the Jews readied the cross in Jerusalem.  Christ knowing this called out to his disciples and said to them, “Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be betrayed to the chief priests and the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death. And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked, and scourged, and crucified,” (Mt 20:18-19).  He fled from the other deaths, but he came promptly to this one.  And in the garden he went out to the Jews saying “Whom do you seek?” which is to say “You may take me, because this death pleases me.”  Again when sentence was passed on him to be crucified, “And bearing his own cross, he went forth to that place…,” (Jn 19:17) as if to say,  “I do not appeal, rather this death pleases me,”  and he received the cross.  It is said how he was obedient on the mount of Calvary, when he was asked to undress himself, and more like that.  Behold the love for the death of the cross, as if he were saying, ” But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord,” (Gal 6:14). 

Sermon on the Last Judgment

Our sermon will. be on today’s gospel, which consists entirely in the doctrine and instruction of Jesus Christ Himself. In this gospel He warns us of the great evils and tribulations which are to come at the end of the world, and tells us of the signs which will precede His coming in judgment. This subject will, I think, be of service to us. Let us begin with the Hail Mary.

   “There will be signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars.” By study of Holy Scripture and by factual experience we know that when any great and heavy affliction is about to come on the world, often some warning sign is shown in the sky or in the upper air. And this happens by the mercy of God, so that people forewarned of impending tribulation by means of these signs, through prayer and good works, may obtain in the tribunal of mercy a reversal of the sentence passed against them by God the judge in the heavenly courts; or at least by penance and amendment of life, may prepare themselves against the impending affliction.

   So, before the coming of any great mortality, phantom battles are seen in the sky; before famine there are earthquakes; and before a country is laid waste dreadful portents are seen. We are told of the terrible signs shown to the Jews for a length of time before the destruction of Jerusalem under Antiochus. “And it came to pass that through the whole city of Jerusalem for the space of forty days there were seen horsemen running in the air, in gilded raiment armed with spears like bands of soldiers. And horses set in ranks, running one against another, with the shakings of shields, and a multitude of men in helmets, with drawn swords, and casting of darts, and glittering of golden armor, and of harness of all sorts,” (2 Macc 5:2,3). After this, Antiochus plundered the temple and slew the Jews. Therefore we read in Exodus: “And shall multiply signs and wonders in the land of Egypt,” (Ex 7:3).

   Now among all afflictions, three of the greatest and most terrible are shortly to come upon mankind: first, the affliction of Antichrist, a man but a diabolical one; second, the destruction by fire of the terrestrial world; third, the universal judgment. And with these tribulations the world will come to an end. Therefore, according to the rule of divine Providence, as set out above, before these three, there will be warning signs in the heavens, in the sun and in the moon and in the stars, as is set out in our text.

   The first affliction to come on the world in a short space of time is the advent of Antichrist, a diabolical man, who will bring distress on the whole world as is implied in. today’s gospel where it is said: “And upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves.”

   In my text there are four clauses in which we are warned of the four ways in which Antichrist will deceive Christians. The first clause is this: “There will be sign, in the sun.” You must know that in Holy Scripture Christ is called the Sun, and this is because, by the evidence of your own eyes, the sun is among the most beautiful of the creatures made by God. Taking the word etymologically, we have: S-O-L (Super omnia lucens), “Shining above all things.” In the same way, Christ is more beautiful than all the saints, and shines above them all in the brightness of glory, not only inasmuch as He is God, but also as man. And as all the stars receive their light from the sun, who depends on nothing for its own brightness, so all the saints receive from Christ the brightness of glory, strength, sanctity, wisdom, understanding and influence. This is the reason why Christ is called the Sun, and under the same name of “Sun” God the Father sent Him into the world, saying: “But unto you who fear my name the Sun of justice shall arise” (Mal 4:2). This is not said of the natural sun. For the Church says in praise of the Virgin Mary: “For thou art happy, holy Virgin Mary, and most worthy of all praise, for out of thee has arisen the Sun of Justice, Christ, Our Lord.”

   The first clause tells us that there will be signs in the sun in the time of Antichrist; that is, there will be signs in Christ, and the precise sign is given by Saint Matthew saying: “The sun will not give its light.” Such darkening does not happen with regard to the sun itself, for it is not in the nature of the sun to be darkened in itself. But by the interposition of clouds and vapor between the sun, and the earth the sun appears to be obscured. In the same way, in the time of Antichrist, the Sun of justice will be obscured by the interposition of temporal goods and the wealth which Antichrist will bestow on the world, inasmuch as the brightness of faith in Jesus Christ and the glow of good lives will no longer shine among Christians. For, lest they should lose their dominion, temporal rulers, kings and princes will range themselves on the side of Antichrist. In like manner, prelates for fear of losing their dignities, and religious and priests to gain honors and riches, will forsake the Faith of Christ and adhere to Antichrist. Now he will be a veritable man, but so proud that, not only will he desire to have universal dominion in the whole world, but will even demand to be called a god, and will insist on receiving divine worship. This we may gather from the second Epistle of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians (2:3): “For unless there come a revolt first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth and is lifted up above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sitteth in the temple of God, spewing himself as if he were a god.”

   This will come about because Antichrist by the ministry of demons will possess all the gold and silver of the earth and seas, and pearls and all the precious stones that are in the world. As we read in Daniel (11:43) : “And he shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver and all the precious stones of Egypt.” With this wealth he will gather together in arms all the nations of the world, to fight against those who oppose him. As we read in the Apocalypse (20:7) : “He shall go forth and seduce the nations which are over the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog; and shall gather there together to battle the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.”

   Observe that he will seduce the peoples, that is, with gold and silver and honors; Gog which signifies “hidden,” and Magog which signifies “that which is disclosed,” because both hidden and open evil are on his side. Then temporal lords and ecclesiastical prelates, for fear of losing power or position, will be on his side, since there will exist neither king nor prelate unless he wills it. For the same reason, religious, priests and laity will also uphold him. “There will indeed be signs in the Sun of justice, for then it will be obscured in the hearts of Christians, since from those hearts it will not give forth the light of Faith; all preaching of a better life will cease, owing to the interposition of the vapor and clouds of temporal goods. As we are told in Daniel (11.39) : “He will multiply glory and will give them power in many things and divide up the earth at his pleasure.”

   I am asked why God permits this error among Christians, since He is God and the strongest cannot stand against Him? I answer by a dictum of theology taken from the Book of Wisdom (11:17) : “By what things a man sinneth, by the same also is he tormented.” How do the peoples of the world sin against God today? They sin in order to gain honors, dignities and riches. Therefore, by honors, riches and dignities, God permits that Antichrist shall deceive them. If therefore you do not wish to be deceived, now with all your hearts contemn and despise all earthly goods, and long for those of heaven, considering that the goods of this world are transitory and empty, while heavenly and celestial goods are eternal. In this way you will be strong. Saint John gives this counsel: “Love not the world nor the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world the charity of the Father is not in him. And the world passeth and the concupiscence thereof” (1 Jn 2:15-17).

   The second clause says that there will be signs in the moon. You must understand that in the Holy Scriptures the moon signifies our holy Mother the Universal Church, which implies the world-wide union of Christians; for when men speak of the Church, they do not speak of the material building, or the stone and the walls which compose it, but of that gathering of the faithful under one Head, which is the Church in reality. The Church is signified by the moon and its five phases: first there is the new moon, then the waxing moon, next the full moon, to be followed by the waning moon, and lastly the old moon.

   The Church passes through these phases. The new moon signifies the Church of Christ in His own time; and as the new moon when first seen is like a bow-shaped thread with two horns following the sun, so the Church in the time of Christ had at first only two horns: Andrew and Peter who followed Christ. The waxing moon typifies the twelve Apostles, then the seventy-two disciples, then the three thousand converted by Peter on the day of Pentecost and so on. The full moon typifies the acceptance of the Gospel of Christ in every part of the world, in every kingdom and province. David says (Ps: 18.5) : “In the whole world their sound is gone forth, and their words to the ends of the earth.”

   The waning moon typifies the inability of men to preserve what the Apostles had acquired. In the first place, the Church was lessened by the loss of the whole of India, by means of him they called John the Presbyter; the second, Assyria by means of one of their tyrants; the third, Africa by means of Mahomet; the fourth, the Greeks under their Emperor Constantine; the fifth, the Armenians with their king; the sixth, the Georgians with a certain pseudo-prophet; the seventh, the bad example of the Christians led by a certain heresiarch [Probably the Waldenses whom Vincent evangelized in the Alpine countries. We do not know the name of the individual heresiarch]; the eighth, the Italians with Bartholomew of Bari; the ninth, the French with Peter of Candia.

   The old moon, because the horns are reversed, typifies that the Church is no longer in the state in which Christ founded it. Christ founded the Church in great lowliness and poverty; now all this is turned round to pride, pomp and vanity, as may be easily seen in every rank of the Church. Mercy and liberality are changed into simony, usury and rapine; chastity becomes licentiousness, uncleanness and corruption; the brightness of virtue is changed into envy and malignity; temperance has become gluttony and voracity; patience has given place to anger, war and divisions among the peoples; diligence is superseded by negligence. Nothing is now left to make matters worse but an eclipse which is caused by the interposition of the earth between the sun and moon such as only occurs at full moon. As Isaiah says in 59:2: “Your sins have put a division between us.” In the time of Antichrist, the Church, typified by the moon, will be eclipsed; because then she will not give her light, since Christians will no longer work miracles by reason of their sanctity; but Antichrist and his followers will work miracles, not true miracles, but false ones having the appearance of true miracles, in order that they may deceive the people. As Saint John says in the Apocalypse (13:13) : “And he did great signs, so that he made also fire to come down from heaven unto the earth in the sight of men,” that is, balls of fire, such as it is within the power of the devil to send down, if God should permit this and does not prevent him; as we read in Job (1:16) : “And while he was yet speaking  another came and said: A fire of God fell from heaven and striking the sheep and the servants hath consumed them.” O! The wonder of the people, this will be the downfall of many.

   You must know that Antichrist will perform other prodigies by the power of demons, and these will be true miracles according to the nature of things in themselves, but false in regard to the definition of miracle (i.e. by the power of God). For he will cause both images and babes of a month old to speak. The followers of Antichrist will question these statues or babies, and they will make answer concerning this lord who has come in the latter times, affirming that he is the savior. The devil will move their lips and form the words they utter when they declare Antichrist to be the true savior of the world; and in this way he will cause the destruction of many souls.

   And the Church, typified by the moon, will perform no miracles.

   Some say that such phenomena are not real miracles in the sense that raising the dead to life is a real miracle. I can give concrete examples of the dead being apparently raised to life, but such are only phantoms. For instance, in the same way as Christians raise dead people in the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, so your dead father or mother may appear to speak to you; but in these latter times Christians will not be able to work similar miracles. Christ has warned us of these false miracles and signs, saying: “There will arise false christs and false prophets.” That is to say, the sons of Christians who have already made shipwreck of their faith owing to the gifts of Antichrist. As Saint Matthew says (24:24) : “And they will show great signs and wonders in so much to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Behold I have told you beforehand.”

   Suppose someone should ask: Why does Christ permit these works of destruction of Christianity by the devil? I answer according to the rule of Theology: “By what things a man sinneth, by the same also is he tormented.” Since the people of the world sin against God by having recourse to the works of the devil, such as divination and fortune telling in their necessities—for instance, in order to find things they have lost, or to obtain health or children, instead of laying their needs before the omnipotent God—therefore God permits them to be deceived by the works of the demons.

   If you do not wish to be deceived, then place the whole of your faith and confidence in the name of Jesus Christ., and refuse to acknowledge any miracle unless it is worked in that same name; and so you will be strong against seduction. David says (Ps 39:5) : “Blessed is the man whose hope is in the name of the Lord; and who hath not regard to vanities and lying follies.” The name of the Lord is Jesus. “And thou shalt call His name Jesus,” (Lk 2:21). If you should receive any wound or hurt you should sign it devoutly with the Sign of the Cross.

   Antichrist arrogates to himself every other name of Christ, but as many of the saints tell us, he flies from the name of Jesus. Therefore, for that reason, the name of Jesus should receive the greatest respect from all Christians. Moreover, all the names of God, according to Saint Thomas Aquinas, should be honored in a sevenfold manner. Because the name of God is great it is to be feared; because it is holy it should be venerated; because it is sweet it should be savored in meditation; it is strong to save; rich in mercy; efficacious in impetration; and hidden in order to be discovered and known. He says also that the name of the Son of God is also the name of the father in a threefold way: for by it he is honored, invoked and manifested. He also says that in all the names given is also signified the name of Jesus, which is the sign of salvation, and therefore exceedingly to be honored.

   The third clause says that there will be signs in the stars. In the Sacred Scriptures “star” signifies “light-giving”; and so it is the appellation of Masters, Doctors, and Licentiates in Theology. This signification is found in Daniel (12:3) : “And they that are learned shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that instruct many to justice, as stars for all eternity.” In these stars, that is learned men, there will be signs in the time of Antichrist; because, as Christ says in the Gospel of Saint Matthew (24:29) : “Stars shall fall from heaven”; and this is the third combat waged by Antichrist, that of disputation. Then stars, that is the learned, shall fall from heaven, that is, from the truth of the Catholic Faith. The disputations of Antichrist with the learned will be based entirely on the text of the Old Testament, and these doctors, so far from being able to answer him, will not even be able to speak. Then the stars, the masters, will fall from heaven, that is from the heights of the Faith. For, according to Daniel (11.36) : “And the king, Antichrist, will do all according to his will and will lift up and magnify all against God, and against the God of Gods he will speak great things;” that is, the matter of his blasphemies will be insoluble so far as men are concerned.

   You may ask again why Christ allows this, that those who defend the Faith should fail so utterly? I answer that Christ allows this for two reasons: first, according to the rule of theology: “By what things a man sinneth, by the same is he tormented;” and this follows from the fact that masters and teachers no longer care for study of the Bible, but prefer the study of the poets and other profane works.

   The second reason why Christ permits this, is because of the scandalous and wicked lives and the many sins of learned. men; for in the case of many of them, the greater their knowledge the greater also is their sin and the worse their consciences; for they are proud, puffed-up, wine-bibbers and the rest. He who can bind a lioness can easily bind a sheep; if therefore the devil can hold in chains the minds of the learned by reason of their evil lives, how much easier is it for him to bind the sheep that is their tongues—so that they cannot speak.. The ignorant are in much better case, for knowledge puffeth up, if therefore you wish to be strong, embrace the counsel of the Apostle Paul (1 Cor 2:5) : “That your faith might not stand on the wisdom of men but on the power of God.” Reasoning and disputation are good for strengthening the intellect, but not for fortifying belief, since faith must be held from the motive of obedience, because Christ Himself has commanded us, announcing the gospel which the Apostles preached and Holy Mother Church has ordained. Therefore, O Lord, I believe.

   The fourth clause tells us: “And on earth distress of nations by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves.” Behold these are the tortures which Antichrist will inflict, and on the earth distress of nations by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves. That is the preparations for battle, the sanding of the arena before the combat, which will be the work of the lords who are already on the side of Antichrist; because then no one will dare to name Christ nor the Virgin Mary under pain of death; and the waves are those of torments which have never in the past been so dreadful as those which will be inflicted by Antichrist. In Saint Matthew, Christ warns us (24:21): “For there shall then be great tribulation such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be. And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened.” We read in the Apocalypse (17:10): “And when he shall come he must remain a short time,” The Doctors in general say that Antichrist will reign for three and a half years only; which is the measure of a thousand and two hundred days and ninety days; “and from the time when the continual sacrifice shall be taken away and the abomination unto desolation shall be set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days” (Daniel: 12:11).

  If I am asked why Christ permits the Christians to be so terribly persecuted, I answer : “By what things a man sinneth, by the same also is he tormented.” Because now, at the present time, people are offending God by wars, divisions and false flattery, by feuds and duels, so Christ permits them to be torn in pieces and slain by Antichrist. If therefore, you do not wish to be slain and destroyed, be at peace and concord now with everyone, according to the counsel of the Apostle: “Have peace with all men; revenge not yourselves, my dearly beloved; but give place to wrath, for it is written : “Revenge is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord” ” (Rom 12:18).

   The second evil or retribution will be the conflagration of the earthly world which is mentioned in the second part of the gospel of this Sunday: “Men withering away for fear and expectation of what is to come on the whole world; for the powers of heaven will be moved.”

   After Antichrist has been slain by lightning on Mount Olivet and his death has been made widely known through out the world, this our earth will exist for forty-five more days; I do not say years, but days. This is clearly to be seen in Daniel (12:11) : “And from the time when the continual sacrifice shall be taken away and the abomination of desolation shall be set up, there shall be one thousand, two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh unto the one thousand, three hundred and thirty-five days.”

   The Doctors say that these forty-five days will be given by God for the conversion of those who have been seduced by Antichrist, but Antichrist will have left behind him so great riches and pleasure that hardly any of the nations will be converted to the Faith of Christ. For there is no savior but Christ, and yet they will not be converted.

   Then in the four parts of the earth, east, and west, and north, and south, fire will blaze forth by thee divine power, and as it presses forward, the whole world in succession will be set on fire until nothing of the other three elements will remain. Then, when men are made aware of the tumult and the fire and see the lightnings bursting forth from it, they will wither away for fear of the fire, and expectation of eternal damnation. The Apostle Paul, in the epistle to the Hebrews (10:27) says of this: “But a, certain dreadful expectation of the judgment and the rage of a fire shall consume the adversaries.”

   “For the powers of heaven shall be moved.” This is said to imply that the fire has no natural cause, as some people erroneously imagine, for they say that for forty years before the consummation of the world it will not rain. This fire, however, comes from the rigor of divine justice and acts through the ministry of angels, as it is shown in the saying: “For the powers of heaven shall be moved.” This fire comes down, likewise, for the purification of the other three elements—earth, air and water—which have been infected and corrupted by the sins of men. Concerning this, David says (Ps 96:3): “A fire shall go before him and shall burn his enemies round about.  His lightnings have shone forth to the world; the earth saw and trembled. The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the Lord; at the presence of the Lord of all the earth.”

   You understand how sinners are the enemies of Christ; but why do they say, “and shall burn his enemies round about,” when the good as well as the bad will be destroyed by the fire? The good and the friends of God will die in the fire it is true, but they will die without pain or suffering; but the wicked and God’s enemies will die in the greatest pain and torment. Therefore, the enemies of God are named.

   Saint Thomas Aquinas speaks beautifully of this when he says that this last fire, inasmuch as it precedes the Judgment, will act as an instrument of God’s justice. It will also act like natural fire, inasmuch as, in its natural power, it will burn both wicked and good and reduce every human body to ashes. Inasmuch as it acts as an instrument of God’s justice, it will act in different ways with regard to different people. For the wicked will suffer intensely through the action of the fire, but the good in whom nothing is found which must be purged away will feel no pain from the fire, just as the three children felt nothing in the fiery furnace, although the bodies of these others will not be preserved as were those of the three children. And this will come to pass by the divine power, that without pain or suffering their bodies will be resolved into ashes.

   But the good in whom there is some stain to be purged away will feel the pain of this fire, more or less according to the merits of each. But they will be swiftly purged for three reasons. The first reason is that in them little evil is found, for they have been already in great measure purged by the preceding tribulations and persecutions. The second is that the living will voluntarily endure the pain; and suffering willingly endured in this life remits much more quickly than suffering inflicted after death. This is seen in the case of the martyrs, for if, when they came to die, anything worthy of purgation was found, it was cut away by the pruning knife of their sufferings. And the sufferings of the martyrs were short in comparison with the pains of purgatory. The third reason is that the heat of the fire gains in intensity what it loses through the shortness of the time. But in so far as the fire is active after the judgment its power only extends over the damned, since all the bodies of the just will be impassible.

“This is a serious thought for those who will not do penance. In that last day, how greatly the temporal lords and prelates of the Church will desire to do penance when they see the fire. But then such repentance will avail them nothing, because they are acting not from charity, but from servile fear. Therefore, do penance now, forgive injuries, make restitution of any ill-gotten goods, live up to and confess your religion; and let priests obtain breviaries. If it were certain that in a short time this town was going to be destroyed by fire, would you not exchange all your immovable goods for something that you could take away with you? So it is with the world, which in a short while is to be destroyed by fire. Therefore place your hearts in heaven, and your lips by speaking with reverence of God, and your works by doing good. This is Christ’s counsel, saying: “Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth where the rust and moth devour and thieves break in and steal.” Notice the word “rust,” which is Antichrist, and “moth,” which is fire, for these will devour all.

   The third evil will be the tribulation of the universal Judgment which is mentioned in the third part of this gospel. “Then shall they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and majesty.” After the destruction of the world by fire, Christ the Lord Judge, with the Virgin Mary and all the saints, will come to the judgment seated on a throne in the air. And the Archangel Michael will cry with a. loud voice, saying: “Arise, ye dead, and come to judgment.”

   Then suddenly, by the divine power, all the dead, both good and wicked, will arise, children will rise with grown people and all will be gathered to the judgment. Even those who died in their mother’s womb will be there, as Saint Thomas teaches, to accuse those through whose fault they died without Baptism. And the age at which all will rise will be thirty years.

   Christ Himself says concerning the General Judgment: “When the Son of Man shall come in His majesty, and all the angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the seat of His Majesty. And all the nations shall be gathered together before Him; and He shall separate them one from another as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He shall set the sheep on His right hand and the goats on His left” (Mt 25:31-33). And the creed of Saint Athanasius: “At Whose coming all men must rise with their own bodies; and it will be rendered to every man according to his own deeds; those who have performed good works will go into eternal life, and those who have done evil into eternal fire.”

   The sheep are the good and the goats are the wicked. Christ will say to the sheep on His right hand: “Come, ye blessed of My Father, possess ye the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” To the goats on His left He will say: “Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels.”

   The wicked will go into eternal punishment, the just into eternal life. But for the rest, no one will dwell in this world, because those things which are transitory and finite have passed away in their finite condition; movement has passed away.

   Therefore, the Church in the person of every Christian makes petition in the Office for the Dead: “Deliver me, O Lord, from everlasting death, in that tremendous day when the heavens and the earth are moved, when Thou shalt come to judge the world by fire.”

Letter to Benedict XIII Concerning the End of the World

 To our most holy Lord, Benedict XIII, Pope, Brother Vincent Ferrer, Preacher, a useless servant in regard to both preaching and actions, places himself at the feet of His Holiness.

   The Apostle Paul, after fulfilling the mission entrusted to him in preaching the gospel, constrained by revelation, went up to Jerusalem to confer with Peter and the rest. As he himself tells us in the Epistle to the Galatians (Ch. 2): “Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me. And I went up according to revelation and communicated to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles; but apart from them who seemed to be something, lest perhaps I should run or had run in vain.” The Apostles also returned from their God-given mission of preaching, in which they had diligently exercised themselves, and “coming together unto Jesus, related to Him all the things they had done and taught,” as we read in the sixth chapter of the gospel according to Saint Mark. Therefore, in this present letter, I am explaining in all sincerity, to Your Holiness, Christ’s Vicar on earth, and the successor of Saint Peter, what I have preached for so long throughout the world, especially in regard to the time of Antichrist and the end of the world; and I do this the more willingly because Your Holiness has so affectionately commanded me to do so.

   Concerning these matters I have, in my sermons, been accustomed to draw four conclusions.

   The first of these is that the death of Antichrist and the end of the world will occur at the same time. The shortness of the duration of the world after the death of Antichrist has led me to this conclusion, for nowhere in the whole Bible or in the writings of the Doctors can I find a longer period assigned by God for the repentance of those whom Antichrist has seduced than forty-five days after his death.

   We read in the Prophecy of Daniel (Ch. 12): “And from the time when the continual sacrifice shall be taken away and the abomination of desolation shall be set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh unto one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.” Now, according to the gloss and the commentaries of the Doctors, the first number, to wit, one thousand two hundred and ninety days, equivalent to three and a half years, is the period during which Antichrist reigns as king. Now forty-five is the number which must be added to this to make one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days, and so this number, forty-five, is understood by the Doctors to refer to the duration of the world after the death of Antichrist.

   Some people, certainly, are dubious about this, and for two reasons. In the first place they raise the question as to whether the number forty-five refers to solar days or days of a year’s duration, since in some passages of Scripture a day is meant to signify a year. But I can see no reason for this being the case in the instance under consideration, since both numbers occur in the same connection, and it is hardly likely that one should stand for annual and the other for solar days. For the Scripture text (Ezekiel Ch. 38) manifestly implies that after the death of Antichrist elsewhere called Gog there will not be a year before the end.

   Other people are doubtful as to whether the duration of the world after the death of Antichrist be not longer than forty-five days since the Scripture does not expressly deny this. But as the Bible does not mention any determinate time other than forty-five days, it seems unreasonable to suppose that there should be more than forty-five days after the death of Antichrist. If people argue that in so short a time his death could not be published throughout the world in order that the nations might be converted and do penance, some answer that this period of forty-five days will not begin until after the death of Antichrist has been published. Others argue that God, who has ordained that number of days to enable people to repent, will suddenly, either by means of angels or through some terrible portent, make known to the whole world the death of Antichrist.

   The second conclusion I draw is that until Antichrist is actually born, the time of his birth will be hidden from mankind. This conclusion is supported by two texts of holy Scripture: the first in the gospel of Saint Matthew (Ch. 24), where His disciples ask Christ: “Tell us when these things shall come to pass, and what will be the sign of Thy coming and of the end of the world?” Later in the same chapter Christ answers: “The day and the hour no man knoweth, nor the angels.” The second text is in the Acts (Ch. 1), where the disciples ask the same thing and say: “Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore the Kingdom of Israel?” And Christ answers: “It is not for you to know the times nor the moments.” These words must be carefully weighed: “It is not for you to know the times nor the moments.” It is as if one were to say to the Spanish army and its allies: “It is not your concern to know the time nor the day when there will be war in Tartary or Armenia, since you have no interests in these places which would make such knowledge pertinent.” But on the contrary, it is most vital for the Tartars and Armenians, themselves, even the peasants, to know the time of such a war so that they may be forewarned.

   So, even though there were the most illuminating revelations of the divine Wisdom concerning these matters, it was not necessary for the Apostles and Doctors of the first ages of the Church to know the time of the coming of Antichrist and the end of the world; but after his birth it is expedient for men, even though they be sinners, or so ignorant as to know nothing of the Apostles and Doctors, to know of this birth, so that they may be forewarned and prepared. This is in accordance with the wisdom, mercy and knowledge of God, who from the beginning of the world was accustomed to send messengers to warn men of any great tribulation about to come to pass. Noah was warned before the deluge, Moses before the liberation of Israel, Amos before the destruction of Egypt, and so on. The Saints, Dominic and Francis, and their respective Orders are warned before the coming of Antichrist and the end of the world, since of both of them the liturgy says, that they are supposed to precede the destruction of the world.

   The truth of this conclusion demonstrates the falsity of two opinions. One is the dictum that the same length of time ought to pass after the Incarnation until the end of the world, as elapsed from the creation to the Incarnation. Exponents of this opinion base it on the words of Habakkuk (Ch. 3): “O Lord, Thy work is in the midst of the years, bring it to life. In the midst of the years Thou shalt make it known; when Thou art angry Thou wilt remember mercy.”

   But this is not in accordance with the gospel texts just quoted, for, since the Doctors agree that the length of time from the creation to the Incarnation was known to the prophets, the Apostles and the Church of God, if it is true that the Incarnation is midway between the beginning and the end, it follows that the time of the end of the world will also be known. This verse of Habakkuk should be understood, not of the middle years of the world, but of any human life which, according to Ps. 89, commonly lasts for seventy years.

   And so the middle years of a man’s life will be about the age of thirty-three, the age at which Christ suffered. For Our Lord did not will to die as a little one by the hand of Herod, neither did He intend to die in old age, but in the midst of His life; that is at the time of the greatest virility. And so, in this way, in the midst of the years, God gave life to His work by the death of His Son and made known the work of His mercy, since before that time He was angry with the human race. In this sense, Isaiah, speaking in the person of Christ, says: “I have said in the midst of my days I will go down into hell.”  For Christ, dying in the flower of His manhood, straightway descended into hell (limbo) for the liberation of the just.

   Or if the words of Habakkuk are taken to mean the middle years of the world’s existence, the term does not here imply an equality between the preceding and subsequent times, but should be understood as the middle of interposition. For although the destruction of human life took place in the beginning of time, yet its reparation should not be withheld until the end of time, but should take place between these two terminals. The blessed Gregory uses this mode of speaking when he says that Christ rose from the dead in the middle of the night, since He rose at dawn which stands between the beginning of night and its end, that is by interposition not equality.

   Others say that there will be as many years from the birth of Christ to the end of the world as there are verses in the psalter. Thus the exponents of this theory suggest that the first verse of the first psalm Beatus vir is a prophecy of the first year after the Nativity, and the second verse a prophecy of the second one and so on. This opinion, however, must be rejected like the first, as it has no foundation except in presumption of heart.

   The third conclusion to: which I have come is that the coming of Antichrist and the end of the world are near. We may draw this conclusion from the revelation made to the two Saints, Dominic and Francis, and also to many others when these two patriarchs came before the Sovereign Pontiff to ask for the confirmation of their Orders. There is, for instance, the incident of the three lances with which Christ threatened the destruction of the world, as we read at greater length in the histories of these two saints.*

*An extract from Saint Vincent’s sermon on the Feast of Saint Dominic, which gives this incident in detail is not without interest. One night, when the Blessed Dominic was praying in a certain church, while the Blessed Francis was in another, Christ was shown to them with three lances intending to destroy the world. Whilst, however, these saints were saying within themselves: “Oh, is there no saint in heaven who will appease Christ’s anger?” suddenly the Virgin Mary appeared, just as a woman might do to snatch her child from the jaws of a wolf. “Oh Son,” she said, “are you now carrying lances in those hands which are accustomed to carry nails for the salvation of the world?” In the hearing of Dominic and Francis, Christ answered: “Mother mine, what more is there that I ought to do, since I have poured so many graces on the world? I have sent patriarchs and prophets, and they slew them; finally I carne myself to redeem the world. Now I will no longer spare it.”  These three lances are the three great tribulations shortly to come on the world, namely the coming of Antichrist, the burning up of the world, and the judgment by Jesus Christ. Now this world is the traitor son of God, acting contrary to His commands, and driving our God his Father from the world as far as he is able. The general of the heavenly armies, Christ, will kill them with the three lances mentioned before. For, in the time of Dominic the world was on the point of being destroyed by Christ, when the Virgin Mary placed Dominic there, obtaining one reprieve. Think how the whole world is involved in this one reprieve, which is not of certain duration but given conditionally, that is, on conversion. If it is converted, then all is well; if not it will not be spared again.

   If the words of Christ and of His Blessed Mother are well studied, these three lances for the destruction of the world are: first, the persecution of Antichrist, second, the destruction of the world by fire, third, the Last Judgment.

   The same conclusion is reached with more exactitude by studying the revelation made to Saint John in the Apocalypse (Ch. 20) : “I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand, and he seized the dragon, the old serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and after that he must be loosed for a short time.” The ordinary gloss explains this shutting up and binding chiefly by the death of Christ on the Cross and His descent into hell, and reckons a thousand years to mean a multitude of years, taking the determinate to signify the indeterminate, that is that a thousand years is looked upon as signifying the whole time from the death of Christ to the coming of Antichrist, when Satan will be loosed for the temptation and seduction of mankind. Nevertheless, this binding of Satan may be very properly understood of his binding, lest he should have tempted or seduced the nations by means of the persecution of the faithful under the Roman emperors. This binding occurred in the time of the blessed Pope Sylvester when Constantine became a Christian and gave the Church her patrimony. For, from that time until the founding of the Orders of Franciscans and Dominicans is a thousand years, and after that Satan must be loosed. According to this theory, the Angel descending to bind Satan is held to be Pope Sylvester, or rather Christ acting through him.

   There are several opinions which run contrary to this conclusion. One affirms that there will be a drought of forty years duration before the end of the world. This is untenable because in that case the burning of the world would come about as a natural consequence of the exceeding dryness. For, as the deluge did not occur in the ordinary course of events, but through a divine judgment, so also this deluge of fire will be a direct outcome of the divine power; for, according to the Doctors, it will find men living in great prosperity and the world in a state of tranquility, and, according to Saint Jerome, the fire will burn all matter, even water and the sea.

   Others affirm that Elias and Enoch will come before the advent of Antichrist, in order to preach and to warn men against his deceptions. This is false, as may be seen from the Apocalypse (Ch. 11), where it is said of the followers of Antichrist, “And the holy city they shall tread under foot two and forty months. And I will give unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days in sackcloth.” Now, Elias and Enoch, properly speaking, will not come before the advent of Antichrist, but at the same time, as it is evident both from the text and the gloss that he had already begun to reign.

   Others affirm that the gospel signs ought to precede the coming of Antichrist. According to Saint Luke: “There shall be signs in the sun and in the moon,” etc. These signs, however, properly speaking, will occur after the death of Antichrist and immediately before the judgment.

   Another objection is that Jerusalem and the Holy Land will be conquered by the Christians before the coming of Antichrist. Many texts from the Prophet Ezekiel (Ch 32), and the acts of the Martyr Methodius, seem at first sight to imply that, at the advent of Antichrist, the Holy Land will be in the hands of Christians. But this conquest has already been partially realized by Christian princes, notably by Godfrey de Bouillon; nor does it appear that the numbers and disposition of Christians are such as to enable them to carry the conquest to its conclusion. In fact, the text of Saint Luke ( Ch. 21) seems to contradict this: “Jerusalem shall be trodden under foot by the peoples, until the times of the nations shall be fulfilled.” The words of Ezekiel and Methodius should be understood more in the light of an allegory of the Church Militant and its numbers than of the Holy Land and its provinces.

   Again we are told that all nations will be brought to the one Catholic Faith before the coming of Antichrist. This does not seem to be true, for this conversion will rather take place after the death of Antichrist when, seeing themselves to have been deceived by his falsehoods, men will return to the unity of the Faith. See Ezekiel (Ch. 39): “I have given thee to the wild beasts, to the birds, and to every fowl and to the beasts of the air to be devoured,” speaking of the death of Antichrist—Gog—”and I will set my glory among all nations; and they shall see my judgment, that I have executed and my hand that I have laid upon them.”

   Another opinion affirms that the gospel of Christ must be preached throughout the world before the coming of Antichrist, according to the text of Saint Matthew (Ch. 24). “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world, for a testimony to the nations; and then shall the consummation come.” This text is subject to diverse methods of exposition according to the manifold general preaching of the gospel throughout the world. First it was preached by the Apostles to every creature according to the precept of Christ in the last chapter of Saint Mark. This precept was fulfilled in the time of the Apostles as is shown in the Epistle to the Colossians (Ch. 1): “In the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, as also it is in the whole world and bringeth forth fruit and groweth.” And towards the end of the same chapter : “The gospel which you have heard which is preached to all creation which is under heaven.” And in Romans (Ch. 10): “Their sound is gone forth unto all the earth.” Then came the consummation of the Jewish people and the destruction of Jerusalem under Titus and Vespasian. In the second place the gospel has been preached and is still being preached daily by the Dominicans and Franciscans. And after this, straightway will come the consummation and destruction of the world by Antichrist and his followers. The third preaching of the gospel throughout the world will take place after the death of Antichrist by certain faithful ones of each nation, who will have been wonderfully preserved by God for the conversion of the rest; and then will come the last consummation of the world.

   The fourth conclusion I have drawn is that the time of Antichrist and the end of the world will take place in a short space of time, a mercifully short space of time and exceedingly quickly. This conclusion, although in substance it is found in the first homily of Saint Gregory, nevertheless, strictly and properly speaking, I prove it in many different ways.

   First, from the revelations made to Saints Dominic and Francis, which I have spoken of previously. By this revelation it is made manifest that the whole duration of the world rests on a certain conditional prolongation obtained by the Virgin Mary in the hope of the correction and conversion of the world by the aforesaid Orders. For Christ said to the Blessed Virgin: “Unless the world is corrected and converted by means of these Orders I will no longer spare it.”  Since, therefore, the conversion and correction of the world has not followed but rather the reverse, for greater crimes and wickedness abound, and, it must be regretfully admitted, these Religious Orders themselves, who have been given for the conversion and correction of the world, are in reality so moribund and relaxed that little religious observance is kept in them, the observant man must admit that this conclusion is amply proved

St. Vincent Ferrer’s Dream and Cure

In the second place the same conclusion is drawn from a certain other revelation (a most certain one to my mind), made just over fifteen years ago to a religious of the Dominican Order. This religious was very ill indeed and was praying lovingly to God for his recovery so, that he might again preach the word of God as he had been wont to do with great fervor and ardor. At last, while he was at prayer, these two saints appeared to him as in a dream, at the feet of Christ making great supplication. At length, after they had prayed thus for a. long while, Christ rose and, with one on either side, came down to this same religious lying on his bed. Then Christ, touching him caressingly with the finger of His most holy hand, gave him a most definite interior comprehension that, in imitation of these saints, he must go through the world preaching as the Apostles had done, and that He, Christ, would mercifully await this preaching for the conversion and correction of mankind, before the coming of Antichrist. At once, at the touch of Christ’s fingers, the aforesaid religious rose up entirely cured of his sickness.

     As he diligently followed the apostolic mission divinely committed to him, Providence, in testimony of the truth, gave this religious, not only numerous signs as he had given Moses, but also the authority of the divine Scriptures as he had given John the Baptist since, because of the difficulty of this mission and the slight weight of his own unaided testimony, he was greatly in need of help. Hence, of the three divine messengers sent to men by divine Providence under the name of angels, many persons believe him to be the first, of whom John has written: “And I saw another angel flying through the midst of heaven having the eternal gospel to preach to them that sit upon the earth and over every nation and tongue and tribe and people, saying with a loud voice: “Fear the Lord and give Him honor, because the hour of His judgment is come. And adore ye Him that made heaven and earth, the sea and the fountain and the waters. Let him who is able understand.”

   Since then the aforesaid religious has been traveling for thirteen years over the world, and is still journeying, preaching every day and in many labors, and though he is now an old man, more than sixty years old, he still holds this conclusion as most certain.

   The same conclusion is also shown me by another revelation which I heard from a certain holy and devout man—as I consider him. When I was preaching in the province of Lombardy for the first time eleven years ago, there came to me from Tuscany a man sent, as he said, by certain most holy hermits of great austerity of life, to tell me that a divine revelation had been made to several of these men that the birth of Antichrist had already occurred, and must be announced to the world so that the faithful might prepare themselves for so dreadful a combat, and so they had sent the aforesaid hermit to me that I might tell the world. If then, as appears from these revelations, it is true that Antichrist had already completed nine years of his accursed life, then it follows that my conclusion is also true.

   Another clear revelation which I heard while in Piedmont, told me by a Venetian merchant on whose word I can rely, confirms this conclusion. He was beyond the seas in a certain convent of the Friars Minor, and was attending Vespers on a certain feast day. At the end of Vespers, two little novices, according to their custom, singing the “Benedicamus Domino,” were visibly rapt in ecstasy for a considerable period of time. At length they cried out together: “Today, at this hour, Antichrist, the destroyer of the world is born.” This struck those present with fear and amazement, and among those who actually heard it was the Venetian who told me of the occurrence. When I questioned him and made enquiries about this event, I found that it happened nine years previously, and so this is further corroboration of what I have already said.

   This same conclusion is further borne out by many other revelations made to many other devout and spiritual persons. For, traveling as I do, through many regions, provinces, kingdoms, cities and towns, many devout and spiritual persons come to me, referring with certitude to the coming of Antichrist and the end of the world, which they have received in many and vary diverse revelations, and in all of these there is the greatest concord.

   Innumerable demons, forced to a confession of the truth have said the same thing. In many parts of the world, I have seen many persons possessed by the devil, who were brought to one  of the priests of our company for exorcism. When the priest began to exorcise them they spoke openly of the time of Antichrist, in accordance with what has already been said, crying out loudly and terribly so that all the bystanders could hear them, and declaring that they were forced by Christ and against their own will and malice, to reveal to men the truth as given above, so that they might save themselves by true penance. These revelations have the effect of leading to contrition and penance the numerous Christians standing round. But when the demons are questioned, or even conjured to tell the truth of the birth place of Antichrist, they will not reveal it. . . .

   From all that has been said above, I hold the opinion, which I think to be well founded, though not sufficiently proven for me to preach it, that nine years have already elapsed since the birth of Antichrist. But this I do preach with certitude and security, the Lord confirming my word by many signs, that in an exceedingly short time will come the reign of Antichrist and the end of the world.

   Our Lord Jesus Christ, foreknowing that this doctrine will be unacceptable to carnal persons and the lovers of this world, said in the Gospel of Saint Luke (Ch. 17): “And it came to pass in the days of Noah, so shall it also be in the days of the Son of Man. They did eat and drink and they married wives and were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.”  The same thing happened in the days of Lot; they ate and drank, they bought and sold, they planted and built. On the day that Lot left Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and all were destroyed. This will happen on the day when the Son of Man shall be revealed. On that day, whoever is on the roof and his vessels in the house must not come down to take them, and he who is in the field must not return to his house. Remember Lot’s wife!

   Again in the First Epistle to the Thessalonians (Ch. 5 ) we read: “And the times and moments, brethren, you need not that we should write to you; for you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. For when they shall say peace and security; then shall destruction come upon them, as the pains of her who is with child. And they shall not flee.”

   This, most Holy Father, is what I am preaching concerning the time of Antichrist and the end of the world, subject to the correction and determination of Your Holiness, whom may the Most High preserve.

   July 7th, 1412.

A Very Devout Contemplation Which Includes the Whole Lifetime of Jesus Christ Our Savior from the Parts of the Mass

    Second is that when the priest is vested in the sacristy, no lay person sees him; but they believe that he is vested and the hope that he will come forward shortly.  For which it must be noted that when [dum] our high priest Jesus Christ vested himself in the virginal womb of the Virgin Mary, no one from the Jewish people saw him or knew him; in the same way that his Incarnation was hidden and kept secret, the believers however believed and hoped that he would vest himself, that is be incarnated and born of the Virgin, just as it had been prophesied by many prophets. 

7.  The seventh work which he did in this world, was when, having returned from Egypt into the promised land after the death of Herod, led by his Mother and St. Joseph into the temple of Jerusalem, and there he stayed.  And on the third day, his Mother and Joseph discovered him in the middle of the teachers, listening to them and asking questions.

    And this represents the priest, when rising from his seat, goes to the altar and with devout attention listens to the singing of the Gospel, signifying that in the temple Jesus Christ listened to the Jews and he  having been questioned prudently was instructing them in the faith of the Messiah.  And so, the gospel ended, the priest intones the Credo,  “I believe in one God.”

15.  The fifteenth work  was when after the aforesaid prayer a great multitude of people, came forward with a great clamor, with swords and clubs, to seize Jesus.  And he calmly [benevolenter] was willing to be seized and bound and led before Pilate who sentenced him to death on the cross: from which sentence he wished not to appeal, but gently assumed and carried his blessed cross.

   And this is represented in the Mass when the priest takes the host for consecrating it, which he holds in his hands, saying, “And lifting up his eyes to heaven,” etc.(7)And then there is a great sounding of bells and of the bell wheel [rotae](8)  signifying the tumult and sounds of the Jews when they arrested Jesus.  Then the priest makes the sign of the cross over the host saying:  “Bless and break,” etc.signifying the sentence of death passed by Pilate.

17.  The seventeenth work which Jesus Christ did was that, when he was crucified, he did not cease praying.  And first he said in a loud voice, “Eli! Eli! Lama sabachtani.” – My God My God why have you abandoned me!”  To which words St. Jerome adds: “Look on me.:” And he continued prayer up to the verse: “Into your hands I commend my spirit.”  And there were 150 versicles (syllables?)  Christ in the Cross said as many syllables as there are psalms, 150.

     And while he was on the cross the wicked Jews did not cease laying on him injuries and curses, and others, saying, “Vah, you who destroy the temple of God, etc.,” (Mt 27:40).  Others:  ” If you be the Son of God, come down from the cross.”   Others finally,  “He saved others; himself he cannot save,” (v. 42).  And the Lord calmly did not reply, but continued in prayer with great patience.

Source. St. Vincent Ferrer Sermons – Fr. Albert G. Judy, O.P., St. Vincent Ferrer Priory, River Forest, IL. aljudyop@svfsermons.org